Flavia C. Gernatt (April 2, 1921 – November 27, 1995) (née Flavia C. Schmitz) was an American businesswoman, horsewoman, and dairy farmer in Collins, New York. With her husband Daniel R. Gernatt Sr., she was co-owner of Dan Gernatt Farms, and co-founder of Dan Gernatt Gravel Products, which was the beginning of the Gernatt Family of Companies.
Flavia C. Gernatt | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 2, 1921 Langford, New York, United States |
| Died | November 27, 1995 (aged 74) Collins, New York, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Co-Founder, Gernatt Family of Companies and Dan Gernatt Farms |
| Spouse | Daniel R. Gernatt Sr. |
Career
editDan Gernatt Farms
editDairy farming
editIn 1938 Flavia married Daniel R. Gernatt Sr., and in Collins, New York, the two began a dairy farming enterprise, Dan Gernatt Farms, which in the 1950s was the largest in Erie County.[1]
Horse breeding and harness racing
editGernatt partnered with her husband in breeding and racing Standardbred horses, beginning in 1960.[1]
Gernatt Family of Companies
editWith her husband, Gernatt cofounded Dan Gernatt Gravel Products, headquartered in Collins, New York, after World War II.[1] She served as vice president and secretary of the company; was secretary of Gernatt Asphalt Products and Country Side Sand and Gravel; and was a director of each of those companies.[1] The companies are part of the Gernatt Family of Companies.[2]
In 2005 a 225-acre man-made lake was created on Countryside Sand and Gravel land, named Lake Flavia. A portion of the lake is open to public fishing.[3]
Philanthropy
editIn 1988, Gernatt and her husband established the Daniel and Flavia Gernatt Family Foundation, a charity which provides financial assistance to organizations and entities in Western New York, mostly in the areas of education, healthcare, Christian-related endeavors, and to those in need or who are homeless.[1][4][5] In 1992 Gernatt and her husband donated the construction of a new rectory to St. Joseph Parish in Gowanda, where they were active members and benefactors, and where Flavia was a lay eucharistic minister.[1][6][7]
Background and personal life
editGernatt was born on April 2, 1921, in Langford, New York.[1] She and her late husband have a son, Daniel R. Gernatt Jr., who is currently the chief executive officer of the Gernatt Family of Companies;[8] and two daughters, Patricia Rebmann and Phyllis Ulmer.[1] Gernatt died in 1995 following a six-month illness.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Flavia C. Gernatt, businesswoman". Buffalo News/Berkshire Hathaway (Buffalo, New York). 29 November 1995. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
- ^ Gernatt Family of Companies Archived 2014-11-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Lake Flavia". New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Allegany, New York). 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ^ "Daniel R. Gernatt, Sr., entrepreneur, horseman". Buffalo News/Berkshire Hathaway (Buffalo, New York). 7 May 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ^ "Daniel & Flavia Gernatt Family Foundation". Foundation Directory Online. fdo.foundationcenter.org. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ^ "St. Joseph's Parish Guide". St. Joseph Church (Gowanda, New York); H&K Publications, Inc. (Hamburg, New York). 1992.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ 2003 St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Eden Prairie, MN: Olan Mills Church Directories, January 2004.
- ^ Buffalo Business First: People on the Move, Buffalo Business First, Buffalo, NY, 23 February 2009 | Accessdate= 29 November 2013.