Huldy Winkler 16 July 1918 - 22 November 2007
Rosmarie Lilliehöök: Hulda Winkler, who has just passed away, was a true Bernese woman with good sense and a solid life experience. During my work with her at the Caux linen room I learned a lot. While taking care of the linens, curtains and lamps for the well-being of the guests at Caux, she took great care of the people around her. The personal conversations that took place in the sewing room while folding or mending linens often led to deep friendships.
When we visited last September, Hulda expressed her gratitude for these friends and the memories that kept her open to a broad horizon. Many of us remember her with gratitude.
Emmina Carrard: Huldy first came to Caux in 1948. At that time she was cleaning for a family in Bern. She was asked to take charge of the laundry, which was a huge task at the time: we were taking in up to 1000 people at a time! Women from all over Switzerland and abroad were involved in this work for varying lengths of time. Huldy did not shy away from anything: not making curtains for the theater, not preparing a hundred pillows for the next day, not mending a large pile of sheets. She did everything with great care, which saved Caux thousands of francs... During the work together hearts were opened and Huldy also gained the trust of the employees. If someone was going through a difficult time, she would help them through it.
Between the conferences in Caux she participated in the actions of Moral Rearmament in post-war Germany. In addition, her own family was very important to her. She cared for her mother for two years and looked after her sister's family when she was dying. Later, when she was in a nursing home, her nieces and nephews and their families were with her until the end.
Maya Fiaux: The funeral took place in the church in Blumenstein, where Huldy was baptized and confirmed. For me it was an opportunity to discover a beautiful part of our country, with the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau in all their beauty and so close. For this spectacle alone, the trip would have been worth it! But in this case I wanted to get to know Huldy's homeland and meet his family and friends. Pastor Ovic Leliuc conducted the ceremony and read the summary of Huldy's life that you can get from me in German. When I think of Huldy, I always think of what she said at a family dinner a long time ago: She dreamed that while walking in a forest, she suddenly came to a clearing. It was a beautiful meadow where people were feasting around well-stocked tables. Everything was so beautiful and unparalleled that she suddenly realized she was in heaven! As she approached, she recognized some of the faces and was happy to see them again. But all of a sudden she saw someone she never thought she would meet there! She then realized that there were completely different criteria in this place than those she had known and applied until then!
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