Mary Gertrude Fish Ferry, of White Plains, MD, was peacefully led to green pastures at home surrounded by the love of her family on July 9, 2011.

Mary Gertrude Ferry, 87, of White Plains, MD, died July 9, 2011, at her residence with Hospice. She was born in Poughkeepsie, NY on January 23, 1924, the daughter of Louis Washburn Fish and Ivy Howe Chapel Fish.

She grew up in Salt Point, NY on the family fruit farm. After finishing eighth grade in the one room schoolhouse, she attended Poughkeepsie High School, graduating at 16. She went on to graduate from Cornell in the Class of 1944. She married Phillips McKenzie Ferry, Sr. on May 29, 1943, while he was a Flight Instructor in the Army Air Corps. Upon completing college, she joined him at the Air Bases where he was stationed and at the conclusion of the war they bought their first home in Gallupville, NY where they started Hi Diddle Farm and a lifelong career of breeding Registered Jersey cattle.

In 1954, they moved to Germantown, NY and in 1974 to Cazenovia, NY, each time pursuing a larger farm. In 1984, they semi-retired to a smaller farm in Starkville, NY where Phillips predeceased her in 1987. She continued to breed and milk her Jerseys until dispersing the milking herd in 1996; keeping some show animals to enjoy with her grandchildren. In 2010, she relocated to White Plains, MD with her daughter, Mary Lynn and family. Along the way, she also had various other careers including schoolteacher and farm real estate sales. Her greatest pride was her large family.

She is survived by her three sons, Phillips M. (Susan) Ferry, Jr. of Johnstown, NY; John W. Ferry of Belleville, NY; Robert L. (Kathleen) Ferry of Hillsborough, NC; three daughters, Barbara de Mare of Englewood, NJ; Elizabeth Ferry of Altmar, NY; Mary Lynn (Michael Davis) of White Plains, MD. She is also survived by twenty-two grandchildren and twenty-two great-grandchildren.

She enjoyed supporting whatever activities they were involved in. She most especially loved when her family gathered together for holidays and special occasions. Her final weeks were highlighted by the planning of a fourth of July weekend celebration in her honor, smiling broadly at the mention of each expected guest. She fully enjoyed the weekend surrounded by all of her children and the majority of her grandchildren and great grandchildren until she went to bed for her final sleep before passing surrounded by the love of her family.

A memorial service will be held at St. James Lutheran Church in Starkville, NY on Saturday, August 13, 2011.

Arrangements provided by Raymond Funeral Home.