Trude Meyer, a woman of small stature but with towering resilience, optimism, energy, and spirit, passed away in her 98th year. Trude was known for her humor, intellect, sweet charm and strong Jewish beliefs, always keeping a kosher home and marking every Shabbat and Jewish holiday with a beautiful tray of cakes and cookies baked from scratch.
Trude was devoted to her husband of 61 years, Hermann Meyer and their two sons, Fred (Terry) and Harry. She lived in San Francisco's Richmond district for 76 years and attended both Congregation Chevra Thilim and Congregation Beth Sholom. Trude and her sister, Jenni came to the United States in 1946 and were taken in by their cousin, Ilse Bernstein and her husband, Marcus. She was proud of her three grandchildren, David (Luzia), Alisa (Ken) and Michael and was especially thrilled to be a great grandmother to Sydney. Trude was very close with her extended family and an inspiration to them.
Trude was a Holocaust survivor, along with her dear sister Jenni Thompson (Walter) in the truest sense of the word. Trude and Jenni spent several years working under impossible conditions in Nazi factories and survived a frozen death march at the end of the war. Trude was born and raised in Fronhausen, Germany. Her two brothers and mother were killed in the Holocaust. Trude shared her Holocaust experiences and vivid memories with the Arbeitskreis group of non-Jewish German community members who have preserved the synagogues, graveyards and other Jewish remnants of the Fronhausen Jewish community. She spoke to many groups about her war experiences.
Trude enjoyed cooking and baking using her German recipes. She and Hermann loved the opera. In later years she tackled difficult puzzles and was proud to display them. Her living room was filled with family photos and she kept many files of memorabilia and news clippings as a family historian. She had friends all over the world who would shower her with birthday wishes. She loved to talk on the phone with friends and family and was nick-named the "butterfly" for her sociability and as a symbol of Holocaust survival. She surrounded herself with the many varieties of butterflies she received as gifts and loved to show them to visitors. Trude will be sorely missed by her family, friends and community.
The Meyer family is eternally grateful to Trude's wonderful caretakers for their excellent care and support.
Donations may be made to Congregations Chevra Thilim and Beth Sholom in her memory.
The funeral will be held on Thursday, December 29th at 2:30 p.m. at Eternal Home Cemetery in Colma California.