The family of Gertrude Weber is bereft to announce her passing on December 17th at the age of 82 after a valiant battle with breast cancer. Gertrude absolutely loved life & lived with wholehearted vigor.

Despite the effects of cancer, she insisted on gardening until the end, reaching for both her cane & watering can nearly simultaneously.   She wiled away the hours tending to her flowers, cuddling her dog & maintaining her home. Gertrude appreciated her friends & was fortunate to cross paths with many beautiful souls who often joined her on her travels.

Gertrude had a work ethic that was unparalleled.  She would not be found idle & never fully appreciated the glory of a rocking chair.

Born in Bulgarus , Romania of German ancestry, Gertrude & her husband, Matz, seeking a better life, moved to America in 1973.  After years of petitioning the government they were finally able to leave communist Romania, though never abandoned their hard won sensibilities.  Gertrude thought often of the small town.  The sense of community, the beauty of rural life, & the draw of an inner rhythm rather than the mandates of a schedule.  After years of toil in the line of an ace bandage factory Gertrude & her husband achieved their dream when in 1995 Matz bought his own blacksmith shop.  Gertrude was grateful for the new creature comforts but would often remind us that, though she was deeply grateful for the financial security, money wasn't her real wealth. We are grateful for the time we had together & for all the laughter & love we shared.

Gertrude was the heart & soul of our family, and she will be missed like one would a limb.  Gertrude leaves behind her beloved & devoted husband of 61 years, Matthias Weber, her daughters Helga & Edda, granddaughter Olivia Saltzsieder (Kurt), great grandson, Matthias, and sister Elizabeth Kaufmann.  There is a profound void in our hearts as we say our final goodbye, though we are comforted by knowing her pain has ceased & on some plain we will one day be reunited.  Wherever the road leads, may it offer something that exceeds the spacious cruise ships & deutsche Volksmusik that delighted her here.  We love you Mütti.  Thank you for everything & all of it. ♥️