Gertrude "Trudie" Higgs

Gertrude Galloway Van Ginkel Higgs (Trudie), 94, passed away on February 23, 2024.

Trudie was born June 8, 1929, in Des Moines, Iowa to Charles Van Ginkel and Marguerite Galloway Van Ginkel. Trudie graduated from Roosevelt High School then attended Drake University, graduating with a degree in Music Education, where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and Mu Phi Epsilon music sorority.
Trudie married Harold Higgs (Hal), the love of her life, on June 14, 1952, and they had three daughters, Kathryn, Marcia, and Julie. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Trudie was a lifelong member of Plymouth Church and sang in the Chancel Choir for 62 years. She was the accompanist for Plymouth’s children’s choirs for many of those years. She loved golf and served on the board of the Iowa Women’s Golf Association for 20 years, serving as a course rater, rules official, and president for four years. She and Hal traveled extensively, playing over 100 golf courses around the world. She also took her daughters and several grandchildren on many overseas trips. Trudie’s other hobbies included knitting (her famous Christmas stockings) and playing bridge.

Trudie is survived by her sister, Kathryn Dawley; daughter, Kathie Sankey (Mike); son-in-law, Kim Burow; daughter, Julie Triplett (Charlie); seven grandchildren, Courtney Sandmeier, Allison Burow (Bill Frost), Brandon Higgs-Burow (Leigh), Alec Sankey (Cassandra), Adam Sankey (Emily), Madeline and Gretchen Triplett; seven great -grandchildren, Grace and Jackson Sandmeier, Andrew Burow, Link Higgs-Burow, Eva and Audrey Sankey, Charlize Sankey; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Hal, her parents Charles and Marguerite Van Ginkel, sister Marguerite Boss, brother Charles Van Ginkel, daughter Marcie Burow and grandson-in-law Chris Sandmeier.

A visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at Plymouth Congregational Church in Waveland Hall, 4126 Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa followed by a funeral service at 11:00 am in the church sanctuary.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Plymouth Church Organ Fund. Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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