Gertrud "Trudy" Gerta Erna Winckler passed away in her home in Minden the afternoon of October 21, 2008 while she was under the care of Barton of the Valley Hospice Services.
She was born in Berlin, Germany, Dec. 22, 1916.
There were many miracles that preserved her life during this year until the Marshall plan after World War II. Her brother and two brother-in-laws were lost in the war.
She married her husband Ernst Otto Winckler in 1933. Their marriage lasted 66 years until Ernst death in Dec. 1999. Her daughter Astrid died at one and a half. Her second daughter, Ilse died of cancer in Feb. 2007.
She is survived by her son Johannes of Switzerland, Gerhard of Germany and Wolfgang of Minden; five grandsons, six granddaughters and thirty-six great grandchildren.
Trudy was a faithful wife, loving mother, and talented musician who taught herself to play the harmonica and guitar. She loved to camp and fish. She worked as a baker and a cafeteria cook in Southern California. She worked in department stores in Germany, immigrating to the USA in December of 1961. She was known for her beautiful smile and her constant expressions of thanks for any little thing that was done for her.
She was a member of Capital Christian Center where a celebration of her life will be 11 a.m. Saturday. Autumn Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements for her burial in Costa Mesa, California.