Gertrude Stone (nee Kroezen)Gertrude, known as Trudy to her friends, died peacefully at her home in Springvale a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria on Saturday 15 September 2007.Trudy was fiercely proud of both her Scottish birth and Dutch ancestry. Trudy had a set of values that seem rare in this day and age. She had great dignity, was extremely loyal to her family, generous to all around her and unforgiving to anyone who did wrong by her. Trudy was the last of a generation who were proud of their independence and had an ethic of hard unselfish work for the family and relied on the strength of family ties for support. A worthwhile legacy for her descendants. Her funeral service was held at Bunerong Gardens near Cranbourne on Friday 21 September. The mourners were welcomed by a piper in full regalia.. The piper played again during the ceremony as well and also played after the ceremony while the mourners were taking refreshments and sharing memories. While most funerals try to be a celebration of the persons life, this one indeed achieved that. There was a combination of sadness for the loss, to the great memories of such a wonderful person. During the service, a film and photo tribute was shown to the assembly. Among many things, Trudy was known for always having a joke to tell, particular those that were suggestive or a little risque. An excerpt from the Kroezen Family reunion in 2001 that showed Trudy telling one of her jokes was included. It is not often that the deceased has the mourners in stitches of laughter at their own funeral. So ends an era. 
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