Mt. Angel – Gertrud "Trudy" MacDonnell, 92, of Mt. Angel, Oregon, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home on September 1, 2020. Born on October 18, 1927, in Darmstadt, Germany, she met her first husband, John Zaragoza Concha at the end of WWII, who was stationed as a GI in her hometown. Trudy immigrated to the United Sates in December 1947 and later became a US citizen. The couple lived in southern California where Trudy gave birth to three children: John Faust, Sharon, and Wayne. In 1952, John Sr. died suddenly. Widowed and with 3 small children, Trudy worked during the day to support her family and went to school at night at a local community college to take courses in drafting. Her hard work and perseverance paid off, when she later became a cadastral draftsman in the planning department for Orange County.

It was during this time that she met Wally Eugene MacDonnell, whom she married. Together they had 3 children: Theresa Marie, Thomas Eugene, and Regeena Anne. Trudy continued to live in southern California with her husband and family until 1982, when the family moved to Newcastle and later to Foresthill in northern California. Trudy worked for many years as a cadastral draftsman for Placer County in the department of public works in Auburn, California, until she retired.

Trudy discovered Mt. Angel through a Catholic retreat at the St. Benedict Abbey. Given her German background, she immediately felt at home in Mt. Angel and the surrounding area. She quickly became Benedictine Oblate, and not long after, she and her husband Wally moved there to retire permanently.

Since her first marriage Trudy, was a devout catholic, turning to the sacred heart of Jesus and the Virgin Mary for comfort and support throughout her long life. She loved the mass and prayed the rosary daily, which she held in her hand at the moment of her passing.

She is survived by her 5 remaining children, 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild, and her sister Helga in Germany.

Trudy was preceded in death by her husband Wally, her son John, her granddaughter Elisabeth, her great-grandchildren Forest and Krystal, her sisters Hilde and Edith, and her brother Hartmut.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, September 8, at the St. Mary's Cathedral in Mt. Angel and she is laid to rest at the Calvary Cemetery.

The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to all the hospice workers, nurse practitioners, home health-care workers, the priests and monks of the Mt. Angel Abbey, as well as to all her friends and neighbors who visited, cared for, and comforted Trudy during her final years.