Gertrud Wilhelm, 76, Schenevus, lost her life to lung cancer on Saturday morning December 31, 2016 at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, New York. Prior, she was also treated for lung cancer by St. Peter's Hospital Cancer Care Center in Albany. Gertrud was born in Siegen, Westphalia, Germany on September 29, 1940 to Wilhelm Friedrich Wilhelm and Hedwig Schäfer-Wilhelm, and is the sister of Hans Wilhelm who died during World War 2 along with their mother Hedwig. Gertrud is the half-sister of Alfred Wilhelm, Ulrich Wilhelm, and Ingrid Wilhelm.

Gertrud emigrated from Germany to New York City in the 1960s. She was raised a Roman Catholic and was formerly married to Joseph Chappelle of Worcester, New York, a son of a Florida minister from a Methodist African-American Church family and a relative of the late 19th Century Republican Massachusetts State Legislator Julius Caesar Chappelle and popular musician and entertainer Pat H. Chappelle of that time.

Gertrud started working in Germany as a jeweler for fine watches in the late 1950s after completing an apprenticeship. Afterward, she worked for the nationalized telephone company in Germany during the later infrastructure reconstruction period following World War 2. In the USA in 1962, she soon married, and lived in NYC with her husband and gave birth to her daughter a year later. Her husband was a social worker and also had a classical musician hobby. The family would sometimes play together recorders and participate in the music festivity given during the Christmas season at a local German-American church. Gertrud with her family enjoyed much of the cultural venue that NYC offered. She also pursued for a while her hobby of oil painting portraits, and painted a portrait of her husband she entitled, "Urban Man." Gertrud was captivated with Central Park and the quaint, scenic Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan. In the late 1970s, her family took up the hobby of playing tennis together and played at various tennis clubs in NYC, and at the public tennis courts in Oneonta and at the tennis courts at Cobleskill College during the summers. They also enjoyed their vacation place in the hills of Worcester, NY.

Gertrud graduated from CUNY's Hunter College and worked in Manhattan in the later 1970s. She was a director of Meals on Wheels and later she successfully managed for more than 30 years a popular tennis club, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club. She was known on the workplace for her wit, kindness, practicality, quality standards, and for pushing for good wages for employees.

For decades, Gertrud enjoyed her vacation time in Upstate, New York, where she later retired. She retained a good friendship with her former husband. She loved to garden and visit scenic areas. She is in the remembrance hearts of many. She is survived by her daughter Heddi, and is also greatly missed by her beloved dog, Buddy.

A time for visitation with refreshments will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 25, 2017 at the United Methodist Church, 66 Main Street, Schenevus, NY. A Celebration of Life Remembrance/Church Service will begin at 2 p.m., with the Rev. Kathy Brumbaugh officiating.

Immediately following the service Gertrud's cremains will be placed to rest at the Schenevus Cemetery located across the street from the church.

Arrangements are being made by the Heller & Skinner Funeral Home in Worcester, New York, USA.