Obituary of Gertrude Lenskold

Gertrude M. (Glaser) Lenskold, age 109 went home to be with the Lord on June 1, 2011. A resident of McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung for the last 10 years. Gertrude spent her early years in Newark and her adult years in North Plainfield. The youngest of 10 children, Gertrude was the daughter of the late Louise (Mueller) and Friedrich Glaser. She was the devoted wife of the late George W. Lenskold for over 65 years and the beloved matriarch of the Payer and Lenskold extended families. Gertrude was the loving mother of Ruth E. Payer and her husband Anthony of Dunellen, Walter A. Lenskold and his wife, Lorraine of Toms River, Richard K. Lenskold and his wife, Elaine of Readington and Arthur G. Lenskold and his wife Lucille of Hurley, NY. Gertrude was a devoted grandmother and great-grandmother and will be greatly missed by her 18 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren. She was a much loved aunt to her many nieces and nephews and their families. She was predeceased by her husband, George W. Lenskold, (1995), her grandson, Richard Michael Lenskold (1993) and her toddler son, Frederick Lenskold, (1935). Trained and employed as a bookkeeper before her marriage, Gertrude served in that capacity over 40 years for her husband's business, Lenskold Upholstery and Interior Design in Plainfield, NJ. She had an abiding faith in God and was a Communicant of St. Joseph's Parish in North Plainfield for 70 years. She was active in the PTA and the Rosary Society and established and ran a Parish Library for many years. She was an avid gardener who won a Best Garden award for her Victory Garden during WWII. She was also a talented seamstress and used this talent to sew cancer dressings for the Missions. As a world traveler, Gertrude visited over 50 countries and traveled extensively in the US with her siblings, children and or husband, writing each day in her daily journals and taking slide photos of her trips to share with others. One highlight was meeting withMother Theresa on a visit to Calcutta, India in 1977. Gertrude always stressed the importance of family and hosted many get-togethers including magical Christmas Eve celebrations, which will be forever remembered by her grandchildren. At 99, she moved to McAuley Hall, where she could still attend daily Mass and enjoyed all the activities, especially Bingo or Scrabble, assembling 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles, sharing her travel slides with the residents for 6 years and visiting with family. She even performed as Little Red Riding Hood in a McAuley Hall production for her 106th birthday celebration. Gertrude had an infectious laugh and a winning smile that she shared generously with all around her. Gertrude and her family were grateful for the kind and devoted care she received at McAuley Hall and for the added comfort provided in her final weeks by the Center for Hope Hospice unit. Family and friends are invited to call from 2-4 pm & 7-9 pm on Friday, June 3, 2011 at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 am on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at St. Joseph's Church, Jackson Ave., North Plainfield, NJ followed by burial at Holy Redeemer Cemetery, South Plainfield. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to McAuley Hall Health Care Center, 1633 US Highway 22, Watchung, NJ 07069.