After graduating from Austin High School, Gertrude Ellis became a teacher and taught grade school first in Austin, then in California, and one summer in Hawaii. In 1890, she became the first female superintendent of Mower County schools, overseeing 130 schools and creating 90 school libraries in Mower County during her tenure. After marrying, she was associate editor for the Austin Daily Herald and became more engaged in community service as a member of the Austin Floral Club, the Art and Travel Club, and the League of Women Voters. She helped organize the YWCA in Austin, worked with the local Red Cross during World War I, and formed the Sunshine Society. In 1958, she was chosen as Austin's Centennial Queen for her commitment to civic causes and the high esteem of her fellow citizens.