Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis
American funeral director
About Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis
Lived 1878 – 1970 (aged 91).
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.
Biography Willis née Pocte was born in Happy Jack, Louisiana, on March 9, 1878, the daughter of Oscar Pocte and Louisa Woods Pocte.
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.
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.
Geddes was a member of the NAACP, the YWCA, and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Peter Claver.
She died on February 20, 1970, in New Orleans.
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Important facts
People in Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis?
American funeral director
When was Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis born?
Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis was born on 9 March 1878 in Happy Jack.
When did Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis die?
Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis died on 20 February 1970 in New Orleans.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis
· DBpedia: Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis. https://biography.guide/gertrude-pocte-geddes-willis/
MLA: "Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gertrude-pocte-geddes-willis/.
Chicago: "Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gertrude-pocte-geddes-willis/.
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