Gertrud Cronk

INDIANAPOLIS – A funeral service will be held on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, at 11 a.m. at the Higgins-Reardon Funeral Home, Austintown Chapel, officiated by the Rev. William Loveless for Mrs. Gertrud J. Cronk who died Dec. 26, 2018, at IU Health Methodist Hospital.

Gertrud (Gertraud) Josepfine (Herbst) Cronk was born Dec. 30, 1926, in Nuremberg Germany to Veit Jakob Herbst and Else Katerine Hofmann Herbst.

On Dec. 28, 1958, Gertrud boarded a train with her 10 year old daughter, Laura Lucille, headed to Rotterdam, Holland, and embarked on the Ryndam to America. Arriving at the port of Hoboken, N.J. on Jan. 8, 1959. They continued by train to Youngstown, arriving on the morning of Jan. 9, 1959, where she was greeted by her fiancée, Edward Stivers Cronk. They married on Valentine’s Day. They were married for 31 years at the time of his death May 23, 1990.

Gertrud was a hard dedicated worker with Miller Distributing, where she worked for 42 years, retiring Aug. 30, 2001, after having worked for a total of 60 years in her life. Gertrud was a strong person, never holding a grudge, and making friends wherever she went. She never complained.

Christmas week of 2015 while visiting her daughter for the holidays, she was hospitalized and diagnosed with heart failure. The decision was made to have her move to Indianapolis to live with her daughter. She fought the disease to the end without complaint. Gertrud was a good person, a good friend, and most of all, a good mother.

She leaves to mourn her only daughter, Laura Edwards of Indianapolis; sister Hildegard Wiley of Sallisaw, Okla.; niece Mary Baker of Sallisaw, Okla.; and niece Christa Tischner of Furth, Germany.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a brother, Jakob Herbst; and her baby sister, Christina.

Thank you goes to John Edwards for his support for the last three years with mom’s appointments, and bringing our Shih-Tsu Mason to the hospital every day since her admission in December. Thanks to the staff at IU/Methodist Advanced Heart Care, especially nurse Alicia, and assistant Courtney, the staff at Comfort Care Unit, especially nurse Deanne, assistant Gertrude, and Dr. Habib. Appreciation for love and support by Indy neighbors Nena, Pam and Peg, Youngstown friends and neighbors. Special thanks to James McGinnis for his help with contacts and assistance with arrangements.

Friends may call Monday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.

Please visit www.higgins-reardon.com to view this obituary and to send condolences.