Gertrude Beatrice Solomon

Gertrude (Trudy) Solomon, 88, of Fairfield, IA, died Thursday, June 18, at Parkview Care Center.

A funeral service will be at 10 AM, Sunday, June 21, at Congregation Beth Shalom, 308 South B Street, Fairfield. Burial will follow at Ottumwa Jewish Cemetery.

Gertrude Beatrice Weiss was born March 7, 1921 in Newark, NJ, the daughter of Max and Bella Weiss. She grew up in New York City and graduated from Evander Childs High School. As a beautiful and exhuberant teenager, Trudy was one of the original "bobby soxers" who famously danced in the aisles of the Paramount Theatre to the music of the great swing bands. On June 23, 1943, she married Irwin Solomon in New York City. Irwin served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and while stationed in Washington, DC and Cherry Point, NC, Trudy worked for the US government. After the war, they returned to New York City, where their two children, June and Alan, were born.

In 1953, they moved to Springfield, MA. Trudy was very active in the White Street School PTA, where she served as recording secretary for two years. She was also a library volunteer at Temple Beth El, and donated her time making recordings for the blind. In 2003, Trudy and Irwin moved to Fairfield, where she was a memberof Beth Shalom Synagogue. After 64 years of marriage, her beloved Irwin died in 2007.

Trudy loved to knit, but her main hobby was always her family. She is survived by her sister, Joan Cantor of Canton, MA, brother Irwin Weiss of Queens, New York, daughter June Schindler and husband Rich of Fairfield, son Alan Solomon and wife Sharon of Manhattan Beach, CA, granddaughters Melinda and Suzannah Schindler and grandson Adam Solomon.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial may be made to Congregation Beth Shalom, 308 South B Street, Fairfield, IA 52556, or Hospice of Central Iowa Foundation, 2910 Westown Parkway, Suite 200, West Des Moines, IA 50266.

The family wil be sitting shiva at June's home, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings at 410 E. Washington Avenue.