Obituary
Friederike (Friedl) Theresa Rottmeier
Fredericke Theresa Rottmeier, or Friedl as she was known to her family and friends, died peacefully with her family in Ponce Inlet Florida, on Sunday, April 3rd, 2022 at the age of 92.
Friedl was born February 28, 1930 in Munich, Germany to Friedrich Truger and Eugenia (Wanninger) Truger. She attended high school (apprenticeship) in Munich to be a seamstress, following in her father’s foot-steps as tailor. In her teenage years, she grew up in the Daiser Str area of the Munich and enjoyed her many friends in the neighborhood with hiking and skiing adventures in the mountains and dancing to big band swing music at the local restaurant the Valley Eck, at the time. This is where she met the love of her life, Rudi Rottmeier, who was working for his family at their meat market in Munich. Friedl and Rudi were married December 13, 1954 at the Frauen Kirch(Church) in Munich.
They began their married life together by embarking on a new opportunity, for Rudi’s career, as a master butcher, in Quito, Ecuador. Their trek to Quito was by way of a freighter named Marco Polo, which disembarked from Genoa Italy and traveled through the Panama Canal and then to Guayaquil Ecuador the nation’s main port. Friedl setup a nice apartment to make a lovely home for them while in Quito.
During the 2 years they lived in Quito, they became acquainted with friends who connected them with other German butchers in New York. This opened another opportunity for the couple to go to the United States. The adventure continued as they traveled to New York by coming into the United States by way of Florida and then going north to Newburgh, New York. By 1957 they had twin daughters, Patty and Joan. Friedl, as a seamstress, developed a clientele, making custom clothing for women and children and doing alterations for many dress shops and sports apparel shops in Newburgh (Lucretia’s & McCoys Sports to name a few). She was so passionate about sewing she even made all the dresses for her two daughters with an identical one for herself. All the while she was being a seamstress, she also worked at their business “The Newburgh Pork Store”, which was a specialty German meat market, and she was the beloved smiling face behind the counter.
Friedl, as a self taught artist, enjoyed oil painting, mostly German country churches and mountain scenes and when at the beach she loved to collect rocks and paint beach scenes and birds on them. She also spent some time teaching art classes at the YMCA. As a family, skiing was the fun winter activity. Friedl and her daughters skied regularly at Dutchess Ski area. Many skiing vacations would be to Europe or out west to the Rockies.
In the 1980s, Friedl and Rudi enjoyed visiting friends in Ponce Inlet Florida, so much so, they bought their second home there to be close to the beach and enjoy the winter months with their friends. By 2000’s Friedl and Rudi retired. After spending many years visiting her daughter Patty, in Nantucket, they moved there part-time to enjoy the spring and fall seasons with her and her friends.
Friedl will be greeted in heaven by her parents, her brother Joseph (Bubi); her sister Eugenie, her cousins Karl and Annamie Wanninger; her second cousin the beruhmt Author Herbert Schneider.
Friedl will be greatly missed by her loving husband Rudi, of 68 years; her daughters Patty and Joan; Joan’s husband Andy; her grandson Rudi; her granddaughter Meghan and her husband Austin. She will also be fondly remembered by her family in Germany and her many friends who had the pleasure of having her in their lives.
The family would like to let all friends and family know that a celebration of Friedl’s life will be held with friends and family at Rudi and Friedl’s home. In lieu of attending the remembrance, Friedl would love that you celebrate her life by pouring a glass of prosecco and drink a toast to her full and wonderful life.
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