Au Revoir Trudi

Early this morning in Strongsville, Ohio, my grandmother Trudi died at the age of 94.

She was born Gertrude Elizabeth Nash on October 12, 1911 in Philadelphia.

Trudi was the matriarch of her family, holding them together for decades through good times and bad. She was an elementary school teacher for over thirty years--a career she began during the Depression. For her having a job was always a privilege and an honor, and she was very good at what she did. She is a woman whose impact on hundreds and hundreds of peoples of lives was profound.

Her parents died in the early 1940s, her husband in 1959, and her eldest son (my father) in 1970.

She lived long enough to see her ten grandchildren grow into adulthood. Her last few years were rough, but being a fighter to her core, she held on long after her body began to succumb to the ravages of age.

Her surviving children--Carol, Mae, and Jim--tended to her faithfully in her final years. Their dedication to her was born out of her lifetime of dedication to them.

I began missing her a few years ago as her decline from this world began in earnest.

Au revoir Trudi.

Thanks for everything.