Gertrude “Trudy” Growney, 88, was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on October 8, 1937, and died September 23, 2026.
A Rosary will be held Monday, October 12, at 4:00 p.m. at Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home. Visitation will follow from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be Tuesday, October 13, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Benedict Church in Atchison. All are invited.
The youngest daughter of James F. Gartland and Florence Nichols Gartland, Trudy grew up in St. Joseph and attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart. A bright student and avid reader, she received the Bausch and Lomb science award in high school. She worked for Bell Telephone in her early adulthood.
Trudy, known as GG to her children and grandchildren, married John T. Growney on September 28, 1957. During his medical training, the family moved frequently, and Trudy kept the household running. She cared for five children under the age of seven while John served in Vietnam. The family later settled permanently in Atchison in 1966.
Trudy’s favorite things were reading and babies. She loved holding, rocking and caring for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her home was often full of children, including many who were not her own. One son remembered her as “always intentionally fair” with gifts, money, time, hugs, love and even punishment.
A servant leader, Trudy spent decades on the St. Benedict Parish Council and was active in the St. Benedict Altar Society, hosting swim parties for altar servers. Though she disliked cooking, she often made Mandarin orange salad for church funerals. She also supported her grandchildren’s school fundraisers and served as a Cub Scout leader. For more than 20 years, she spent Thursdays in adoration at St. Benedict Church after her weekly salon appointment, calling the routine “Hair and Prayer.”
Trudy was the calm in the lively Growney family. She had a deep happiness, a generous heart and a strong sense of humor. Her home was open to everyone, as long as they fed themselves. As one daughter-in-law said, Trudy’s family “knew what mattered in her life—her family, using the broadest family definition. All extended family and their friends knew it, because her boundless heart welcomed all and loved all.”
Survivors include her husband, Dr. John Growney; and her children, Mark (Ulli) Growney, Dan (Rose) Growney, Sharon Growney Seals, Jim Growney, Sheila Growney Prevou, Joseph Raymond “J.R.” Growney, Jeff (Cathy) Growney and Mike (Laura) Growney.
She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings Barbara Chew, Virginia Simon, Rose Marie Magee and James Gartland; daughter-in-law Claudia Growney; and son-in-law Larry Seals.
