Marta Katharina Gebhardt, 94

Marta Katharina Gebhardt, 94, died on Thursday, May 7, 2009, at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, Calif., surrounded by her family. Marta, known as Oma, was born on April 3, 1915, in Rosenfeld, Wurttemberg, Germany. She was the fourth of six children. Her parents were Wilhelm and Rosina (Springer) Mohl.

Marta arrived in the United States Feb. 1, 1937, at the age of 21. An older sister and uncle preceded her to the U.S. She had only planned on remaining here for a few years, but World War II prevented her from returning to Germany. She met another German immigrant, Paul Willy Gebhardt, and they were wed on Aug. 24, 1942. They resided together with their family in Dumont, N.J., Phoenix, and eventually settled in southern California. She became a U.S. citizen on July 15, 1960, in Los Angeles.

She loved to garden, camp, sew, knit and crochet. She was a great cook; no one could make sauerkraut like her! Oma passed on many traditions to her family: her love of the Lutheran church and the celebrating of family and holidays.

She looked forward every spring to returning to Montana where she had her favorite rock to sit on next to Grave Creek in Eureka, where she resided with her daughter and son-in-law. She said that her home in Montana reminded her of Germany. She'll be remembered and missed by all who knew her.

Marta was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; two brothers and two sisters.

A beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she is survived by her son, Paul R. Gebhardt, of Kalispell; a daughter, Anita U., and her husband, Robert Ruffinen, of Eureka, and Moorpark, Calif.; her grandchildren, Michelle Ruffinen, Lisa and her husband, Ken Young, Anita M. Ruffinen, Paul J. Gebhardt and Katharina Gebhardt; and her great-grandchildren, Kristen and her husband, Les Eastlick, Keely Young, Ryan Young and Matthew Young, all of California. She is also survived by a nephew in New York; an older sister, Marie Kolb, of Germany; and many nieces and nephews in Germany.

Services for Marta were held May 16 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks. She was laid to rest beside her husband, Paul Gebhardt, in Santa Clarita Valley, Calif.