Gertrude M. Journey

Trudy Journey was born in Vienna, Austria, on January 8, 1924, and passed into the next life May 16, 2025. Mom was the middle child of Elizabeth and Raymond Witasek. She had five sisters and one brother. Trudy’s full name was Gertrude Mary Margaret Witasek Heidmeier Journey. As a teenager, she sang Opera and danced Ballet, as well as being a competitive swimmer.

Trudy married Hubert Heidmeier in 1944, and they had a daughter, Elfriede Susannah, in April of 1945. Her first husband was killed in WWII, and Trudy met a GI named Louis Journey in Vienna. Trudy and Effi emigrated to the US in 1947 & Trudy married Louis Journey in Greenwood, MS, and had two more children, John in 1949 and Marie in 1950.

Trudy divorced Louis in 1955 and moved to Milwaukee with her three children to be close to her sister, Margaret and her family, husband Edward and daughters Sandy and Susan. The two families shared many fun holiday gatherings and Sunday dinners (Trudy was a fabulous cook!) She loved a good rousing game of Canasta and taught her children & grandchildren to play. She was happiest in Milwaukee because of her Austrian heritage and joined German clubs where she wore dirndls and sang German songs. Trudy also enjoyed many loyal friends and their families over her lifetime and had wonderful parties with friends and neighbors in the basement “Rec Room”.

An Accountant by trade, she worked for 12 years as Secretary & Treasurer of a construction company before becoming the proud owner of Karl & Gretchen’s Supper Club on Lake Nagawicka for 17 years. Trudy continued to work full time as a personal Accountant until she turned 90 years of age and finally retired.

She was very proud of her children, Effi White, John Journey & Marie (Paul) Haussman. “OMA” was thrilled to be a Grandmother to Adam Haussman (Mary Spellerberg), David (Dana) White, John (Valerie Adams) White, Andrea (Michael) Johnson-Kyndhail and Heather (Tom) Whiting and Great Grandmother to eight.

A combined service with daughter, Effi White, will be held on May 23 at 2 pm at Evert-Luko Funeral Home, 170 Warren Ave., Hartland, WI. Family and friends are invited to visit from 1:00 p.m. until the service.