On Thursday, December 22 ^nd , shortly after receiving communion and the Commendation of the Dying, Gertrud "Trudy" Claus, loving mother and "Omi," passed away at the age of 83 at home in McNeal, Arizona, with her daughter at her bedside.

Trudy was born on August 28, 1939, on Borkum, a German island in the North Sea to Albert and Luise (Knetemann) Brathe.

In 1956 Trudy's family immigrated to the United States and lived in Bogota, New Jersey. Trudy met fellow German Rudolf Claus and married in 1960. Rudy joined the U.S. Army, and Trudy was a proud Army wife. Both became naturalized U. S. citizens. Their daughter Debra was born in 1964, and her brother Peter in 1965. Rudy and Trudy were stationed at various southern U. S. Army bases and in Gelnhausen, Germany, where they often traveled to visit Rudy's family. Their German heritage was very important to them, and they were members of the Louisville, KY German Club, where they traveled to various cities with their German choir.

After the children started school in Radcliff, KY, Trudy began working for the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), eventually rising to store manager. Rudy retired in 1985 as a Sergeant Major at Fort Knox, KY, only to pass away unexpectedly at age 49, eleven months later. Trudy became a widow at 46 and never got over Rudy's passing. She continued to work for AAFES until sometime in the 1990s. Trudy never remarried and spent time working in her garden, traveling, and visiting her four grandchildren.

In her later years, Trudy was plagued by several debilitating medical events leading to extensive stays at rehabilitation centers/nursing homes. Her daughter moved her to Arizona in 2014, where her health improved for a short while and then began to fail.

Trudy was preceded in death by her husband, Rudolf Claus; her parents, Albert and Luise Brathe; her stepmother Hertha (Okken) Brathe; and brothers, Dieter and Bodo (who passed away December 14 ^th of this year.) Trudy is survived by her daughter Debra Claus-Walker, her husband, Mark Walker, and their children Rachel, Sarah, Rebekah, and Adam Claus-Walker of McNeal, Arizona. Trudy is also survived by her youngest brother Fred Brathe and his wife, Laury; and nephews Ryan and Erik, along with their sister, Lauren Brathe; nephews Christopher and Stephen Brathe (from brother Dieter); and Claudia Brathe, Bodo's wife.

Special thanks for the love and care of "Ms. Trudy" by the staff of Valley Vista Assisted Living and Casa de la Paz Hospice.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at Hope Lutheran Church in Bisbee, Arizona, at 11:00 AM. A reception will follow the service in the fellowship hall. The internment of ashes at Fort Knox, Kentucky, will be later this year. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Casa de la Paz Hospice, Lutheran Social Ministries of the Southwest, or Hope Lutheran Church.