Thursday, November 14, 2019
Gretchen did much good in her life, both for environmental causes like Audubon, and for her family. Being a force for good was her ruling passion. She was a good and fluent writer, and a great correspondent. In the age before social media, when it was a lot more work to keep in touch, she kept up with people quite religiously with her letter writing. I was impressed when I visited my mother, her mother-in-law, and saw piles of letters with Gretchen's closely spaced handwriting, giving detailed narratives of the doings of Dan and Jim and their family. On top of taking care of kids and her many civic projects, she found time to include a lonely old widow who was over a thousand miles away in the lives of her son's family. Although I think I once found her a bit formidable in her involvement in virtuous causes, in later years I realized how much fun she was to talk to--candid and perceptive of interesting details about people and animals I might have missed. I wish I had lived closer and had more chances for her lively talk. I know she will leave a hole in the lives of my brother and the rest of her family, and those who enjoyed more of her thoughtful company.
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