Gertrude Benner

Gertrude Benner, 86, of East Greenville, passed away peacefully surrounded by her beloved family on February 27, 2018. She was the wife of the late Harold L. Benner who passed away last March. Born on September 21, 1931, she was a daughter of the late Henry and Sallie Mae (Buchenauer) Alderfer of Telford. ‘Gert’ was a 1949 graduate of Sell Perk High where she was a scholar athlete who excelled in Softball, Basketball, and Field Hockey. Immediately after graduation, she embarked on a professional baseball career playing for the Springfield Sallies, Chicago Colleens, and Muskegon Lassies as part of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1949 and 1950. She declined her option to continue with the Lassies in 1951 but continued to play semi-pro baseball locally for the Nifties. Gert was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1988 with her fellow players. She was also inducted into the Pennridge-Quakertown Sports Hall of Fame. She married Harold Benner in 1955 and raised three children, Karen, wife of Timothy Britton of Pennsburg, Sandra, wife of David Young of Palm, and Thomas and his wife Jennifer of Whitefish Bay, WI. They gave her eight grandchildren: Melissa, wife of Corey Cosgrove, Jonathon, Amanda, Blair, AiYi, Lily, Nathan, and Charlotte. She has two living siblings: Ralph and his wife Helga, and Carol and his wife Judy, both of Sellersville. Along with her parents and husband, she was predeceased by siblings, William, Leroy, and Elmer. A celebration of her life will be held at 12:30 PM on March 10 in her church, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 910 Allentown Rd., Sellersville, PA 18960. All are invited to gather with the family from 11:00 AM until the service begins. She will be interred with her husband in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society, 1626 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19103. Visit her “Book of Memories” at falkfuneralhomes.com.