Ingeborg “Inge” Gertrud Austin (nee Rose) died peacefully at her home in Elk Grove, California on January 6, 2022, at age 92. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Eual Jasper Austin, who descended from the Austin, Solomon, Fleck, and Wood families of Wayne County, Illinois.
Inge was born in Berlin, Germany on April 30, 1929, and enjoyed a loving and lively childhood until the onset of World War II. She sang for several years in the city’s largest youth choir, was a semi-professional figure ice skater, and enjoyed holidays on the lakes and rivers around the city. The war years found her traveling with her school classmates throughout Germany and neighboring countries as they sought refuge from the conflict. She returned to Berlin in 1946 and met her husband during the Berlin Airlift (1948-1949) when he was serving as a young officer in the U.S. Air Force. They married in 1954 and raised two children. Inge enjoyed traveling, gardening, knitting, and cooking. She worked as a Red Cross hospital volunteer for 19 years. She lived for more than 40 years in Elk Grove, near Sacramento, California.
She is survived by her son, Mark E. Austin, of Elk Grove, CA, and her daughter Linda S. Austin, who is currently working overseas. She is deeply loved by her relatives in Illinois, Colorado, Florida, and Germany.
A Graveside Service will be held Thursday, January 20, 2022, at 1:00 pm at Salem-Mateer Davis Cemetery in Wayne County, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society. Call Hughey Funeral Home at 618-242-3348 or visit hugheyfh.com for further information.
