Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis (March 9, 1878 – February 20, 1970) founded the Gertrude Geddes Willis Life Insurance Company and Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was one of the first women funeral directors in New Orleans.[1][2]
Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis | |
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| Born | Gertrude Pocte March 9, 1878 Happy Jack, Louisiana, US |
| Died | February 20, 1970 (aged 91–92) New Orleans, Louisiana, US |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Spouses |
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Biography
editWillis née Pocte was born in Happy Jack, Louisiana, on March 9, 1878, the daughter of Oscar Pocte and Louisa Woods Pocte.[1][3]
Her first husband Clem Geddes was in the funeral business. The couple partnered with Arnold Moss to form a company that sold insurance as well as owning a funeral home.[4]
After Clem Geddes died in 1913, she married William A. Willis. In 1940, she renamed the business the Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home and Life Insurance Company.[4] When William A. Willis died, Gertrude continued running the company, expanding its services.[5]
Geddes was a member of the NAACP, the YWCA, and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Peter Claver.[1][5][2]
She died on February 20, 1970, in New Orleans.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c Kranz, Rachel (2004). African-American Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs. Infobase Publishing. p. 292. ISBN 978-1-4381-0779-0.
- ^ a b c "Gertrude Geddes Willis". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. February 25, 2008. p. 2A.
- ^ Who's who in Colored America. Who's Who in Colored America Corporation. 1942. p. 570.
- ^ a b Krismann, Carol (2005). Encyclopedia of American Women in Business: M-Z. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 561. ISBN 978-0-313-33384-2.
- ^ a b Jones, Jae (20 November 2017). "Gertrude Pocte Geddes-Willis: One of the First Black Female Funeral Directors in New Orleans". Black Then. Retrieved 9 February 2020.