McCaffrey, Gerda Agnes (Hartelt) 1923-2008
MCCAFFREY, HARTELT, WAHNER, COSIMINI, LEE, WALKER, MCCORMICK, BENSON, WITT, SEVERSON, TOBIN-BENSON, RODULAVIC, PAPPENHOFF, MEADE, HUERTER
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 10/30/2012 at 10:56:47
Gerda McCaffrey, age 85, of Decorah, IA, died on Saturday, October 25, 2008, at the Aase Haugen Nursing Home in Decorah, IA, following a long illness.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 29, 2008, at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Decorah, Iowa, with Rev. Donald Hawes officiating. Burial will be in St. Benedict’s Catholic Cemetery.
Friends may call on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, from 3:00-7:00 and also on Wednesday morning after 9:00 a.m. at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home in Decorah, Iowa. There will be a rosary at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon.
Gerda Agnes (Hartelt) McCaffrey was born on April 29, 1923, the daughter of Arthur and Anna (Wahner) Hartelt in Mosen, Kreis Neisse, Oberschlesien, Germany. Gerda attended elementary school and Business College in Germany. Her hometown became Nysa, Poland as a result of border changes after World War II. As a young woman, Gerda experienced the horror of war. She made a daring rescue attempt to warn her family that the war front was moving in on them. She tried to convince her sister, Lucy to run away with her to Czechoslovakia. Lucy was afraid to leave her job and was never seen again. Gerda ended up working for the American Army in Bamberg, Germany, as an interpreter. Here she met Leonard McCaffrey, who was sergeant in charge of ammunition. They married on October 9, 1948 in Bamberg, Germany and moved back to Leonard’s home area in Decorah later that year. They sponsored Gerda’s parents and three of her siblings as immigrants to the United States. Gerda lived by the motto of “love for everyone”. She truly loved her home in Decorah, members of her St. Benedict’s, St, Theresa’s Circle and her Twin Springs neighbors, and her many German friends in Decorah. She was an amazing cook, baker and gardener and dearly loved her family and friends. Gerda was a member of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church and St. Theresa’s Circle.
Gerda’s survivors include her five children: Angela (Mark Cosimini) McCaffrey, St. Paul, MN; Jim (Brenda Lee) McCaffrey; Pat (Cindy Walker) McCaffrey; Dan McCaffrey; and Peter (Gena McCormick) McCaffrey, all of Decorah, IA. Eleven grandchildren: Mike and Charlie Cosimini, Shanon Benson, Fawn (Craig) Witt, Conor, Justin, Josh, Jordan, Kalob and Kaisha McCaffrey; and Erica Severson. Three great grandchildren: Cole McCaffrey, August Witt and Kamran Tobin-Benson. Five sisters: Erna Rodulavic, Cedar Rapids, IA; Theodora Pappenhoff, Vlotha, Germany; Margarette (Tom) Meade, Stone City, IA; Erica (Adrian) Huerter, San Antonio, TX and Lucy Hartelt, lost during World War II, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Gerda was preceded in death by her parents: Arthur and Anna Hartelt. Her husband: Leonard McCaffrey on August 23, 1992. Two brothers: Herbert and Martin Hartelt. One sister: Angela Hartelt.
Source: Schluter - Balik Funeral Home database
St. Benedict’s Catholic cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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