Gertrude Ilene Mahn, 78, an Army nurse who retired as a colonel in 1972, died of a heart attack September 19, 1998 while hiking at Fort Frederick State Park near Hagerstown, Maryland.

Colonel Mahn was born in Rockland, Massachusetts. She studied nursing at Boston City Hospital and began her Army career in 1942. During World War II, she was a surgical nurse at an Army hospital in England. Later she served in military hospitals throughout the world, including duty in Korea and Vietnam during the wars there. She retired as chief nurse at the Frankfurt Army Medical Center in Germany.

In retirement, Colonel Mahn lived in Rockville and Rockland. She did volunteer work for the Smithsonian Institution, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial and the Vietnam Women's Military Project.

She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rockville.

Survivors include a brother, William F. Mahn of Rockland; and a sister, Elizabeth M. Hooke of New Port Richey, Fla.

On Saturday, September 19, 1998, of Rockville, MD, daughter of the late Carl F. Mahn and Annie E. Brouthers Mahn; sister of William F. Mahn of Rockland, MA, Elizabeth M. Hooke of New Port Richey, FL and the late Eleanor M. Carter; aunt of Pamela A. Hosimer of Gaithersburg, MD, Gayle M. Mahn of Baltimore, MD, William F. Mahn, II of Salem, NH, Carla F. Mahn of Rockland, MA, Julie A. Mahn of Charlestown, MA, Terence J. Hooke of Florida and Ann Mari Hooke of Port Richey, FL; and great-aunt of Erin Maddox-Hosimer of Gaithersburg, MD and Chad A. Hooke of Port Richey, FL. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 520 Veirs Mill Rd., Rockville, MD 20852 on Saturday, September 26 at 10 a.m. Graveside service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA, on Friday, October 2 at 11 a.m. Anyone wishing to attend is asked to assemble at the cemetery administration building by 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Retired Army Nurse Corps Association ((RANCA), PO Box 39235, San Antonio, TX 78218; or to the American Cancer Society, Attn: Breast Cancer Research Dept., 11331 Amherst Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20902.