Gertha Lee Strickland Ott was born Sept 15, 1926 in Gracemont, OK to Dora Bell and Jim Strickland.

When Gertha was 9 yrs old, the family migrated to CA by way of Chare Cropping, settling in the San Juaquin Valley where she met the love of her life Basil. They were married in Reno, NV. August 8th 1941. As war approached, she welcomed the second love of her life, a son Jimmie Ray. She welcomed her second son, Don after the war and the family settled into family life.




In 1954, the family moved to Mojave where they were to stay only a year. A year turned into a lifetime, and as the boys were teenagers, she was blessed with her first daughter, Wynona, and decided because of the age difference with the boys, Wynona would need a sibling. She welcomed her second daughter and last child Anita.

Gertha referred to the boys & girls as her “two families.” Before the girls, Gertha was employed by the Mojave Unified School District, but stayed home full time to raise her daughters.

She was active in her community as past President of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign War; was a member of Mojave First Southern Baptist Church, a member of the Order of Eastern Star. Gertha was very supportive of her girls as adult advisory with the International Order of Rainbow. Gertha was a very active person. She enjoyed quilting, learning cake decorating, and doll making. Gertha became a Christian in her early twenties and that became the guiding light of her life. Her faith would support her through the death of her husband and the next 30 years as a widow. These years would bring the enjoyment of five more grandchildren and the additional joy of great grandchildren. This time in her life, she was determined to persevere with fierce independence. Her health began to truly decline after a stroke in 2013. She went to be with the Lord due to congestive heart failure and heart attack Dec 6, 2014. She was preceded in death by Basil and her son Jimmie; her parents and all of her siblings. Her son, Don (Linda) of Reedley, CA, daughter Wynona (Ted) Abber of Auburn WA, daughter Anita (Mike) Phillips of Mojave, survives Gertha. Ten Grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Her family and many friends will miss her. Services to be held at the First Southern Baptist Church in Mojave on Monday, Dec. 15, 11 a.m., followed by a graveside service at Mojave Cemetery. A private family gathering will be held after the service.