I talked to Gerry just before she passed. She was upbeat, brave and understanding of her
life and environment. She added so much to the traditional folk music that many of us grew up listening to and has been co-opted today by the ubiquitous and not always edifying "singer/songwriter/groaner/pseudo philosopher-preacher/self-centered and affected lyric writer" and I will qualify this by saying there are wonderful singer/songwriters out there who grew up in folk music and have incorporated their knowledge into great songs.
I cite Jean Ritchie, Steve Earle, Utah Phillips, Woody Guthrie, and Pete Seeger. If I leave others out, it's because I am unfamiliar or ambivalent about their output.

Gerry knew the traditional ballad style and was extremely effective in communicating this to an audience. She knew the style of "Simple Gifts" and did not attempt to embroider it with
inappropriate harmonies or flashy accompaniment.

Frank