Hilda Greta Dunker

1928 - 2021

Hilda Greta Dunker
July 7, 1928 - March 8, 2021
On March 8, 2021, friends and family lost an amazing and resilient woman, fondly known as Oma. She is now once again with her husband, Opa. Oma was one of a kind; she was fierce, strong willed, loving, adventurous, kind, intelligent, courageous and tenacious. Our Oma was an inspiration for those who knew her life story, and I only hope she knows what a strong impact she had on her family.
Oma was born in Hohenaverbergen, a small farming town in Northern Germany. Due to cultural traditions and World War II, she was only allowed to complete school to the eighth grade. Oma helped on the family farm milking cows, raising pigs, and helping in the fields with planting and harvesting. After the war, Oma met her lifelong love and husband, John Dunker, known to many in Sonoma Valley as Opa. They were married in Germany on June 8, 1951.
Oma and Opa had two daughters in Germany, and in May 1955 made the bold decision to immigrate to America. Speaking limited English, they came through Ellis Island and were determined to make a better life for their family. They were sponsored by a family member who owned an apple farm in Graton, CA and they quickly worked off their sponsorship and began life in San Francisco. Despite having little education, Oma self-taught herself to read and write English. She got her first job at a German grocery store, and she would tell us how she would always do the math in her head because she did not trust the calculator!
In 1961, the family moved to Sonoma where they had two more children, a son and daughter, and made Sonoma their lifetime home. Oma loved to garden, she was an avid reader, she enjoyed swimming every day in her pool, was always hosting friends and family from Germany, and loved traveling the world. Memories of our Oma will always be of sitting at the kitchen table, looking out the window at the view of the fields and mountains, and seeing her many hummingbirds that she fed. A cup of hot chocolate or coffee, some cookies and chocolates, or a butter brot in front of you. Oma would keep you captivated with one of her many traveling experiences or stories about life growing up as a poor farm girl in Germany. She would pridefully grab your hand firmly and show you her strong handshake from milking the cows while growing up. Oma would never admit that she was proud of herself and all that she had accomplished, but she would always tell you how proud she was of her family. Until the day she passed, her face would light up when she saw pictures of her family.
Oma will be deeply missed by all her family and friends. She is survived by her four children and their partners: Brigitte (Paul) Gassner, Rita Dunker (Michael McFarland), Gerd Dunker, and Vera (Seth) Severson. Oma also leaves behind her eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. A celebration of her life will be held in July at the home that she loved in Sonoma.