By Scott Leonard
Trudi Christeler celebrated her centennial birthday Wednesday, Aug. 7.
Trudi Christeler was born Getrud Enz Aug. 7, 1924 to Amil (father) and Wille (mother).
They lived in in the Rhine Valley of Switzerland near the border of Austria in the small town of Eichberg (population 1,377 in 2023) that was outside ‘the big city’ of Altstätten (population 10,777 in 2023).
She told her sister that during the Depression they were poor but her sister said, “No—we had a cow.”
Still, they had no money but managed to get by.
She came to the United States Nov. 8, 1950 because her mother’s four sisters were here and learn English.
She stayed with the sister who was her godmother and who got her a job as a nanny for the Doyles.
She didn’t know English but the children helped her learn.
Her future husband, Hans Christeler, was born Oct. 26, 1912 in Switzerland to Armin (father) and Marie (mother).
He came with his whole family to Deansboro, arriving by boat in New York City Nov. 1, 1923.
Hans’ father was a master carpenter.
Trudi met Hans while he was helping out.
They married Nov. 8, 1952.
Hans died on their 50th wedding anniversary in 2002, which Trudi was glad he made it till then.
They built the house on 222 Homewood Drive, Clinton in 1955.
She did a lot of the masonry herself, including the stone wall.
She had gone to ...
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