Gertrude Reinwald's Obituary
Gertrude (Vogt) (Dickherber) Reinwald passed away peacefully Sunday morning, March 15, 2020, with her daughter and son-in-law, Bette and Mike O’Dell, and granddaughter, Nancy Trillo, at her side at the time of her death. She was born in Saint Louis, Missouri on February 6, 1921 and, therefore, was 99 years of age when she died. Her first husband of 33 years, John Dickherber, and her second husband of 17 years, Emil Reinwald predeceased her.
Gertrude is survived by her two sons and their wives, Don and Marcia Dickherber of Columbus, Indiana and Joe and Wanda Dickherber of McKinney, Texas, her daughter and her husband, Bette and Mike O’Dell. Gertrude is survived by a total of eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Don and Marcia Dickherber have two children, Alex and Amanda. Alex has one son, Andrew. Amanda married Troy Fleming and they have two sons, Rhett and Wyatt. Joe and Wanda Dickherber have two children, Darci and David. Darci married Todd Mickle and they have one daughter, Chloe. David married Courtney and they have two children, Dylan and Nash. Bette Dickherber married Mike O’Dell and they have four children, Linda, Nancy, Daniel, and David. Nancy married Hiram Trillo and they have three children, Annelise, Liam, and Landerson.
The photo of Gertrude above was taken at the Independent Living residence Lakeview at Josey Ranch in Carrollton, Texas in 2016, shortly after her 95th birthday. She very much enjoyed her friends and the staff there!
After Gertrude’s children were grown, she worked as a civil servant on the naval base in Coronado, California, where John was working for McDonnel-Douglas with ComNavAirPac. She enjoyed entertaining John’s co-workers, staff and friends in the many locations they lived because of job transfers.
After the death of her first husband, John, she moved to Texas to live close to her son Joe and his wife Wanda, and their family. There she worked as a civil servant in the Department of Agriculture. After her retirement, she met her second husband at one of the meetings of the Widowed Persons Society in north Dallas. Combined, she was married to her two husbands for 50 years. Gertrude was very proud that all three of her children lived to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversaries!
She attended Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Farmers Branch, Texas for over twenty years. She frequented several Senior Centers in the area each week to enjoy their dances with Emil and, after his death, with subsequent friends, including long-time (10-year) gentleman friend, Ed Ryba.
Arrangements for a Memorial Mass and reception will be made at a later date, after the coronavirus restrictions have been lifted.
She enjoyed life and even as it became more difficult in her last year, she had a wonderful attitude of gratitude for everything, especially those who cared for her so gently and carefully at Brookdale Richland Hills Assisted Living and their Clare Bridge, their Memory Care unit. She always said, “Goodnight, Sweet Dreams! Only Sweet Dreams!”
May she rest in peace in God’s embrace.
What’s your fondest memory of Gertrude?
What’s a lesson you learned from Gertrude?
Share a story where Gertrude's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Gertrude you’ll never forget.
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