Gertrude "Gertie" Hargrove

Ms. Gertrude Hargrove, affectionately known as “Gertie,” was born on
November 30, 1950, in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, to the late Edward
Alexander and Helen Gertrude Throne. On Sunday, October 11, 2026, Gertie was suddenly called home, entering her eternal place of rest.

Those who knew Gertie will forever remember her as a kind-hearted, humble, lovable, and hardworking woman. She carried a quiet strength—private by nature, gentle in spirit, and always greeting others with a warm, familiar smile.

Gertie loved the outdoors and found peace in nature. Whether tending to her garden and making sure her flowers were always beautiful, casting a fishing line, or simply enjoying whatever the outdoors had to offer, she embraced God’s creation with joy. Her greatest joy, however, was her family, especially her lifelong partner, Sunny. “See her, see him—that’s Sunny!” You rarely saw one without the other. Their bond was unbreakable, especially in recent years as Sunny became legally blind and Gertie became the primary caregiver for them both. For more than forty years, she cared for her partner with unwavering devotion, tending to him and herself with quiet dignity and remarkable strength.

Gertie was the kind of woman who would help anyone who reached out, even when she knew she needed rest herself. She pushed forward with compassion, generosity, and resilience—an incredible woman until the very end.

She accepted Christ and became a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, where she walked faithfully with the Lord. Gertie attended Mecklenburg County Public Schools, and her professional journey led her into the manufacturing industry, where she worked for the Commonwealth Tobacco Company. After leaving manufacturing, she chose to work side by side with Sunny in the family farming business, a labor of love they shared until their health no longer allowed them to continue.

Gertrude was blessed with three amazing children; two beautiful daughters and one handsome son. She married the late Roosevelt Hargrove Jr. on October 31, 1969, and two of her children were born from that union.

Gertie’s life was one of devotion, quiet strength, and unconditional love. She leaves behind a legacy rooted in faith, family, and the beauty of a life lived with purpose and grace.

She was preceded in death by her beloved father, Edward Alexander; lovely mother Helen Gertrude Throne; three sisters; three brothers.

Gertrude’s caring heart will be missed by her three children, Teresa (Nathan Jiggetts) of Suffolk, VA; Tammy (Larry Williams) of Kenbridge, VA; Kevin (Felicia Hargrove) of Boydton, VA; Lifelong Partner, Beverly “Sunny” Fowlkes, of Kenbridge, VA; seven grandchildren; two bonus children, Edward (Sharon Fowlkes), Beverly (Roy Coles); six bonus grandchildren; five sisters, Velma Lewis and Willie Alexander both of Victoria, VA; Clara (James Walker), Joyce Hendricks, Lawrenceville, VA;
Nannie Mae Harris (Donell Harris) of Pennsylvania; two bonus sisters, Mary Smith and Tracey Scott; five brothers, William Alexander, Brooklyn, NY; James Jones (Mariah Jones) of Boydton, VA; Joseph and Calvin Hendricks, Kenbridge, VA; Salis Alexander of Pennsylvania; and a host of other devoted and loving cousins, relatives, and friends.