Gertrude (Trudy) Gabel Lark of Waitsfield, at the age of 85, passed away peacefully November 30, 2016, with family by her side after a short illness at Gifford Medical Center Hospice in Randolph, VT.
Trudy was born December 11, 1930, in Novi Vrbas, Yugoslavia, the daughter of the late Magdalena and Philip Gabel. Trudy enjoyed her early years growing up with her three siblings in Vrbas until WWll interrupted their lives and they became refugees, fleeing the war and eventually ending up in AchenBach, Germany. Trudy immigrated to America in 1949 with her sister, Illusch. The rest of the Gabel family followed soon after, settling in Philadelphia, PA.
She married Bert W. Lark in 1955 and they had two children together. They resided in Sheffield, MA, in the early 1960s, moving to Vermont in 1965, living in Windsor, Middlebury, Brattleboro and East Burke. Trudy loved to garden and always had a beautiful vegetable garden every year, canning and freezing the bounty. She also was the keeper of the family cookie recipes brought to America by her mother and aunts and passed down to her. Trudy made many braided rugs which graced the floors of her homes, searching out interesting wool material, cutting, braiding and hand stitching the braids.
Spending time at the family summer home in East Burke with family and friends was very special. Gazing across the valley at Burke Mountain, fishing in Plunkett, freezing her toes in Lake Willoughby or playing “Oh No” for hours with the Mcfarlins will never be forgotten by those who are still here.
Trudy made her home in St. Petersburg, FL, for a few years in the late 1980s, enjoying the warm weather and being near her son, Ken, and his family. She moved back to Vermont in the early 1990s and settled in the Mad River Valley in order to be near her daughter and grandchildren. Trudy worked at Mehuron’s Supermarket for 10 years. She had a smile for everyone and would often engage complete strangers auf Deutsch (in German) if she detected an accent.
Watching her grandchildren perform in school plays or in the bands gave her such pleasure and she was very proud of them. Being on the sidelines for their soccer competitions from the days of Mad River Fall Soccer to Harwood soccer or for their club teams was important to her. Being there for their graduations, performances and being part of her oldest granddaughter’s beautiful wedding brought her much joy. She was her grandchildren’s biggest fan.
We were blessed to have Trudy with us for the wonderful life events our family has experienced so far and we know she will be watching over us from above. Trudy will be missed by so many friends and family. We want to thank everyone for all of the help our family received over the last couple of months and especially the care received at the end by the doctors and nurses at Central Vermont Medical Center and at Gifford Medical Center Hospice and to the Williamstown Ambulance who transported her to Gifford. It made a very difficult time easier.
Trudy is survived by her daughter, Chris-Ann Bauer and her husband Eric of Fayston, VT, and son, Kenneth W. Lark and his wife Lynette of Treasure Island, FL; her brothers, Wilfried Gabel and his wife Mandy of Warrington, PA, and Elfried Gabel and wife Charlotte of Great Falls, MT; grandchildren, Ulrika Strassberger and husband Kirk of Williamstown, VT, and son, Karl Bauer and Anna-Marika Bauer of Fayston, VT, great-grandchild, Ava Strassberger; three very special nieces, Diane Feinberg, Elaine Cameron, Arlene Cameron of PA; and several other nieces and nephews and cousins. She is also survived by her wonderful friend and neighbor, Johnnye Eure of Waitsfield, VT.
Trudy was predeceased by her parents, Magdalena and Philip Gabel; her sister, Illusch Cameron; sister-in-law, Catherine Gabel; nephews, Brian Cameron and Scott Gabel; and her best friend and partner in crime, Gertrude (Trudi) McFarlin.
There will be a celebration of Trudy’s life with family and friends in June at a date to be determined.
The family requests that gifts in Trudy’s memory please be given to Mad River Valley Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 305, Waitsfield, VT 05673, or Gifford Medical Center Hospice Program, 44 South Main Street, Randolph, VT 05060.
