Gert_Barker

A Chat with Gert

Today I visited Gertrude (Gert) Barker. She is 91 years old and presently lives at The Scandinavian Home on Warwick Ave in Cranston. After our Communion service we chatted a bit about some of the things she remembers about St. David's.

   Gert and her late husband Chester were members of Grace Church in Providence until their four children were grown and married. Gert and Chester then relocated to a smaller home in the Garden Hills area of Cranston and found that traveling to Grace Church (and trying to find a parking place there every Sunday) was just too much for them.

   One day Gert and Chester went out riding around looking for an Episcopal Church close to home and just happened to stumble upon St. David's, so they started attending Sunday services. Gert speaks fondly of the warmth, friendliness and loving nature of everyone at St. David's and how these aspects of her parish family kept her and Chester very active and involved over several decades. (Gert couldn't recall the exact number of years).

   Some of Gert's fondest memories were of St. David's pot luck suppers. She reports making a scalloped potato with ham casserole that was a true crowd pleaser, and a rare orange jelly mold that was to die for (the jelly mold was rare because jelly molds are always red, not orange). Gert and Chester loved to work in the kitchen before and after all the church functions. Chester did the dishes for many years, Gert said he was quite disappointed when they got the dishwasher! But that didn't stop them from working in the kitchen -- she said that it really was a lot of work but it was always so much fun to work aside their fellow parishioners and friends.

   Gert also loved St. David's Bazaar; she worked in the jewelry booth and did many other assorted jobs at the bazaar over the years. Gert also sang in the choir for a short time. Gert stressed the importance of continuing to have "Good Times" and work together as a parish family at the projects and functions at St. David's.

   She feels that these are the very things that will keep St. David's going strong.

                                                                                                    -- Lynne Purdy

Parishioner Lynne Purdy visited Gert Barker recently. Here is her account of that visit, which offers a rich perspective on one person's part in making St. David's what it is today.