Dr. Gretchen H. Buehler

Dr. Gretchen H. Buehler

Dr. Gretchen Harter Buehler, 91, of Douglassville, PA, passed away on October 25, 2025, at the Pottstown Hospital, from complications after a fall.

Gretchen was born on April 16, 1934, in Burlington, VT, to Marian Sheffer Buehler, homemaker and poet, and to Dr. Alfred G. Buehler, then professor of economics at the University of Vermont, and later professor of public finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her undergraduate degree from Penn in French and Romance Languages, with further studies at Stanford, Middlebury College, the University of Minnesota at St. Paul, and Laval University in Quebec. Her eventual doctorate degree was from Penn in Romance Philology. Interspersed were fellowships to study at Stanford University and at the Sorbonne through the French Government. With her eventual focus on Romanian studies, she won three Fulbright scholarships for research on folk literature at the University of Bucharest. She went on to a teaching career, first as an instructor in French at Stanford and Penn, then as a professor of French and Romanian at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Along with her academic life as a member of the Linguistic Society of America, Gretchen was very musical, and she both played and taught violin. Nature was also very important to her, as she cherished the hills around her and memories of her folks' Ohio farm. She was drawn to all wild life, especially the feral cats she personally sheltered. Their playfulness complemented her own, as antics and humor were so much a part of Gretchen, with Romanian humor even fitting into her studies. Her high spirits and good cheer never deserted her despite her failing health, as well as her unwavering belief that all would be well.

Predeceasing Gretchen were her parents; her brother, Philip, and his partner, Cameron McGraw; and close cousins, Dr. Carol Sheffer, Judith Dejanovich and Susan Sheffer. Surviving her are many other cousins, the closest being Margaret Sattler, Ann Mickey, Maureen Augusciak and Peter Augusciak. She is also survived by dear friends, Susan Cole and Kirsten Stricker, with Kirsten having been at her side during her final journey.

Gretchen's burial will be private, but donations in her memory would be welcomed to The Animal Rescue League of Berks County, in Birdsboro, PA.