Gretchen Wahlstrom Grul

1928 - 2016

Gretchen Wahlstrom Grul

August 29, 1928 - October 21, 2016

Goleta & Santa Barbara

Gretchen Grul, a 51 year resident of Goleta and Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2016 at Serenity House with her loving son Matt at her bedside. She was 88 years old.

Born Adele Gretchen Wahlstrom in Omaha, Nebraska on August 29, 1928, she was the second of two daughters to Arnold Gustave Wahlstrom and Phoebe C. Cheyne. She lived in Omaha until the age of 8 when the family moved west to Visalia, California where her Aunt Sue and Uncle "Hap" were managing a ranch in Exeter. Gretchen quickly came to love Visalia where she graduated from Visalia Union High School and attended Visalia College (now College of the Sequoias).

In 1949, she moved to San Francisco, lived at the Residence Club for women, and met her future husband Timothy Jerome Grul of Watsonville, who attended the San Francisco Art Institute. After Timothy returned from a year of military service in Korea, they were married on September 1st, 1952 in Carmel, and lived in Mill Valley where they had three sons, Timothy, Matthew and Jonathan. In addition to being a loving mother and homemaker, she worked as the Secretary for the Deputy Manager at the Red Cross Western Area Office in San Francisco - a job that she loved very much.

In 1965, after her marriage ended, Gretchen moved with her boys to Goleta where she spent her career working for the Santa Barbara School District. She began at the Main District Office, then joined the original staff of the brand new Dos Pueblos High School campus, and finished her career with the office of Special Education. Her three sons all graduated from Dos Pueblos.

She enjoyed retirement as a resident of Encina Royale, and spent her days doing the things she loved - attending Ensemble Theater plays, going to the movies - taking trips, and spending time with her family. She was also an avid reader. In 2010, she moved to Wood Glen Hall for five years, followed by Mission Terrace this year. The family is grateful for the attentive care provided by both facilities, as well as the hospice care she received in her final weeks at Serenity House.

She is survived by her sons, Timothy Grul of Santa Barbara, Matthew Grul and his wife Suzanne Michaud of Santa Barbara, and Jonathan Grul of San Diego, and her two nieces, Barbara Main and Bonnie Holdren and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents and her loving sister Kathryn McEachran.

Graveside services will take place at the Goleta Cemetery on November 7, 2016 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, please make a gift to Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care at 509 E. Montecito Street, Ste. 200, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 or by visiting their website at www.vnhcsb.org.