Gertrude Rosa Webb

“Oma” Gertrude Rosa Webb (born Gertrude Rosa Delarü) has departed on her last great adventure. After several years of declining health she passed away at her home in Othello, WA at the young age of 74, on September 3rd, 2011.

Gertrude’s life began in Klein-Auheim, Germany on March 2, 1937, where she was born to Eva Delarü (Neudecker) & Karl Delarü, and joining her older sister Maria and was followed by sisters Rosemarie and Gerda. She married Max Webb in Germany and soon thereafter moved to Washington State. Gertrude raised her children in Prosser, Twisp and at the family home in Othello. She taught herself English but never quite lost that thick German accent she was known for. Gertrude was raised Catholic and later with her children attended the Othello Methodist Church.

In 1944 upon her father Karl’s death in France during World War II, Gertrude at a very young age was witness to a lot of pain and sadness. She did more than any child should be expected to and assisted her mother with the household and children as her mother was left with the task of raising her 4 very young daughters alone. At the age of 8 Gertrude began to do the cooking for her family and also taught herself to sew. She never forgot her up-bringing and all of the suffering and it made her who she was.

She became a master seamstress over the years and also taught herself to quilt, knit and crochet. She enjoyed her handwork throughout her life and you could always find a box of balled up yarn sitting next to her favorite chair. She made countless gifts and at times could be found selling her crafts and baked goods at the Othello Farmer’s Market or bazaar.

Gertrude had a great love for the outdoors and animals and when her children were young she always planted a garden big enough to feed the neighborhood and kept a few rabbits and a couple of chickens from time to time even though she lived in town. Her Mother Eva would come to visit often and for a year at a time, they had a deep bond and love for each other. She enjoyed fishing at the Potholes and Scootney Lake. She became quite good at filleting perch and crappie with her Mother by her side. She also spent many weekends fishing at the Snake River and camping with her children.

Many summers vacations were spent with her daughter Eva, her Mother Eva and her family in Germany as that was where her heart truly was. All four of her children were brought up to speak German and were taught to have a love of German food.

Gertrude spent a short time working at Carnation in Othello, WA but shortly after began doing daycare in her home in order to do her most cherished life’s work which was staying at home to tend to her four children. She also thought of the children she babysat as her own and was quite proud of the fact that they didn’t want to go home when their parents arrived at the end of the day. She was known to many as Oma.

She was a stay at home Mom that enjoyed baking and cooking and as her children grew there wasn’t a sporting event that was missed. You could find her cheering on her children and often times taking the referee’s at Jurgen and Tom’s basketball games to task.

Gertrude lost her sister Gerda in 1967 at a very young age and grieved her loss every day after and when her mother passed in 1991 she was never quite the same.

In recent years Gertrude enjoyed spending time playing bingo with her many friends at the Othello Convalescent Center and at the Othello Coventry House. She also volunteered at the Othello Food Bank. She loved sitting and passing the time with Eva’s dog Jasper and it was no secret that she fed him from her plate. One of her favorite pastimes was going to the casino to play the ‘Cougar’ machines.

Oma never met a stranger and didn’t have a shy bone in her body. She would be the first to jump up and join in to dance when the Chicken Dance played in Leavenworth. She played her polka music so loud you would have to wait for her to go turn it down after she answered the phone so you could hear each other. She was fiercely protective and proud of her children and grandchildren and extremely proud of all that she had accomplished. She loved to laugh and tease and enjoyed her grandchildren being by her side more than anything. Oma had a deep love for her family and she would expect them to work hard and love harder just as she always did. Our beloved Oma will be remembered for her immense and immeasurable love for her four children and her grandchildren.

Gertrude is survived by:

Son Jurgen and his wife Mary and their daughter’s Susan and Victoria

Son Peter and his children Brandi, Kevin, Jennifer and Brandon

Son Thomas and wife Cathy and their son’s Jacob and Derek

Daughter Eva and her husband Bob Hartman and their daughter Monique

Sister Maria Wilhelm and husband Joseph of Rodermark, Germany

And many nieces and nephews, her children’s friends who called her Mom or Oma and the close friends she made along the way.

Gertrude was preceded in death by her Father Karl in 1944, her sister Gerda in 1967, her Mother Eva in 1991, and her sister Rosemarie in August 2011.

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“Oma” Gertrude Rosa Webb (born Gertrude Rosa Delarü) has departed on her last great adventure. After several years of declining health she passed away at her home in Othello, WA at the young age of 74, on September 3rd, 2011.

Gertrude’s life began in Klein-Auheim, Germany on March 2, 1937, where she was born to Eva Delarü (Neudecker) & Karl Delarü, and joining her older sister Maria and was followed by sisters Rosemarie and Gerda. She married Max Webb in Germany and soon thereafter moved to Washington State. Gertrude raised her children in Prosser, Twisp and at the family home in Othello. She taught herself English but never quite lost that thick German accent she was known for. Gertrude was raised Catholic and later with her children attended the Othello Methodist Church.

In 1944 upon her father Karl’s death in France during World War II, Gertrude at a very young age was witness to a lot of pain and sadness. She did more than any child should be expected to and assisted her mother with the household and children as her mother was left with the task of raising her 4 very young daughters alone. At the age of 8 Gertrude began to do the cooking for her family and also taught herself to sew. She never forgot her up-bringing and all of the suffering and it made her who she was.

She became a master seamstress over the years and also taught herself to quilt, knit and crochet. She enjoyed her handwork throughout her life and you could always find a box of balled up yarn sitting next to her favorite chair. She made countless gifts and at times could be found selling her crafts and baked goods at the Othello Farmer’s Market or bazaar.

Gertrude had a great love for the outdoors and animals and when her children were young she always planted a garden big enough to feed the neighborhood and kept a few rabbits and a couple of chickens from time to time even though she lived in town. Her Mother Eva would come to visit often and for a year at a time, they had a deep bond and love for each other. She enjoyed fishing at the Potholes and Scootney Lake. She became quite good at filleting perch and crappie with her Mother by her side. She also spent many weekends fishing at the Snake River and camping with her children.

Many summers vacations were spent with her daughter Eva, her Mother Eva and her family in Germany as that was where her heart truly was. All four of her children were brought up to speak German and were taught to have a love of German food.

Gertrude spent a short time working at Carnation in Othello, WA but shortly after began doing daycare in her home in order to do her most cherished life’s work which was staying at home to tend to her four children. She also thought of the children she babysat as her own and was quite proud of the fact that they didn’t want to go home when their parents arrived at the end of the day. She was known to many as Oma.

She was a stay at home Mom that enjoyed baking and cooking and as her children grew there wasn’t a sporting event that was missed. You could find her cheering on her children and often times taking the referee’s at Jurgen and Tom’s basketball games to task.

Gertrude lost her sister Gerda in 1967 at a very young age and grieved her loss every day after and when her mother passed in 1991 she was never quite the same.

In recent years Gertrude enjoyed spending time playing bingo with her many friends at the Othello Convalescent Center and at the Othello Coventry House. She also volunteered at the Othello Food Bank. She loved sitting and passing the time with Eva’s dog Jasper and it was no secret that she fed him from her plate. One of her favorite pastimes was going to the casino to play the ‘Cougar’ machines.

Oma never met a stranger and didn’t have a shy bone in her body. She would be the first to jump up and join in to dance when the Chicken Dance played in Leavenworth. She played her polka music so loud you would have to wait for her to go turn it down after she answered the phone so you could hear each other. She was fiercely protective and proud of her children and grandchildren and extremely proud of all that she had accomplished. She loved to laugh and tease and enjoyed her grandchildren being by her side more than anything. Oma had a deep love for her family and she would expect them to work hard and love harder just as she always did. Our beloved Oma will be remembered for her immense and immeasurable love for her four children and her grandchildren.

Gertrude is survived by:

Son Jurgen and his wife Mary and their daughter’s Susan and Victoria

Son Peter and his children Brandi, Kevin, Jennifer and Brandon

Son Thomas and wife Cathy and their son’s Jacob and Derek

Daughter Eva and her husband Bob Hartman and their daughter Monique

Sister Maria Wilhelm and husband Joseph of Rodermark, Germany

And many nieces and nephews, her children’s friends who called her Mom or Oma and the close friends she made along the way.

Gertrude was preceded in death by her Father Karl in 1944, her sister Gerda in 1967, her Mother Eva in 1991, and her sister Rosemarie in August 2011.

A celebration of Gertrude’s life will be held on Saturday 9/10/11, at 11:00 at the Othello Church of the Nazarene. Services are under the direction of Stevens Funeral Chapel. Please visit stevensfuneralchapel.com to leave a note for the family and view her memorial.