Inge Heinemann

She was born Ingeborg Magdalena Broermann 78 years ago in Arochte, Germany. Her parents, Josef and Josefa, were blessed with five daughters, Trude, Lore, Inge, Margret, and Annelie.

When Inge was 17, she traveled to the United States to stay with relatives in the Bay Area and continue her education. While attending SFSU, Inge earned her bachelor of arts and teaching credentials. It was also at this time in her life that she met Carl Heinemann, who would later become her husband and father of her four children.

During their early years of marriage, they lived in Point Richmond, where Carl was an administrator in the Richmond School District. The Heinemann family, which now included four children, moved to the Napa Valley in 1968 and purchased 20 acres above Bothe State Park, where they farmed award-winning Riesling and Pinot Noir grapes. It was a family affair that would last until the family moved into a newly developed neighborhood in St. Helena shortly before Carl’s death in 1982.

With her children grown, Inge embarked upon a new career as a wine educator and tour guide, drawing on the knowledge she gained in their family vineyard. She spent several years at Pine Ridge Winery and later at Robert Mondavi Winery.

In early 2000, Inge retired to spend more time pursuing her favorite hobbies, cultivating her beautiful garden, and sharing a glass of wine with her many friends.

What she loved most was spending time with her children and grandchildren, creating a home where her family liked to gather on weekends and holidays. Inge will be remembered as a strong, independent woman, who was a loyal friend and caregiver to so many in her life.

She was predeceased by her parents, Josef and Josefa; her sister, Lore; her husband, Carl; and her son, Mark.

Her surviving family includes her sisters, Trude (Friedhelm), Margret (Alois), and Annelie (Rudolf ); numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins still living in Germany; her children, William (Ann), James, and Christine (Richard Waldron); and her seven grandchildren, Kate, Laura, Annelie, Alexa, John, Haley, and Liesl.

As a firm believer in the value of education, Inge hoped to see her grandchildren complete their college education. She asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Inge Heinemann Family. She can make this final gift for her grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at the St. Helena Catholic Church on Saturday, April 27, at 11 a.m.