Herta Tatjana Brechtel, 77, of Ripon, CA, passed away peacefully on January 3, 2024, in Modesto due to complications from Alzheimer’s Disease. Herta, born Hertha T. Meins, was the “baby” of five kids born on January 29, 1946, to Captain Johann Meine Meins and Tatje Friederika Meins in Huchting, Bremen, Germany.
She immigrated to Hayward, CA, in 1964 to marry her childhood love Fred P. Brechtel at the Carson City, NV courthouse in March of ‘64. They moved to Fremont in 1965, and she lived there until 1991. Her son, Fred John, was born in August 1965, and her daughter, Stephanie, was born in August 1969. Herta poured all she had into her kids and was always the heart friends loved to visit for fun, compassion, and encouragement. Her love of dancing and laughter (especially at her own jokes before she could finish telling them) brought joy to all who had the pleasure of spending time with her. She was active in the German immigrant community, working as a teacher in the German School of Fremont for many years. She also had a successful ten-year stint selling Mary Kay Cosmetics. In 1991, Herta moved to Ripon, CA, to live near family. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior in 1992 and cherished her relationship with Him for the rest of her days. She loved living on the Hobbs’ Ranch for many years, making fun memories with her grandkids, like racing her little Toyota Camry through orchards to catch their escaped pony grandson Lucas eventually lassoed. She held several part-time care taking jobs and loved her time serving in the nursery at Big Valley Grace Church. She volunteered as a counselor at the Modesto Pregnancy Center, then worked as a one-on-one instructional aide in Ripon public schools between 2005 and 2015. She loved caring for children and always had a sympathetic word or silly joke to raise their spirits.
Herta joins her parents, brothers Jan and Siegfried, and grandson Matthew Hobbs in Heaven.
She is survived by her son Fred J. Brechtel (Sarah Givens) and grandsons Sam and Henry Brechtel. She’s also survived by her daughter and best friend Stephanie Hobbs (Vince), granddaughter Emily Parker (Nick) with great-grandchildren Brayden Spence, Hunter, and LoreLai Parker, grandson Lucas Hobbs (Kylie), with twin great-grandchildren Dawson and Madeline, and grandson Timothy Hobbs. She is also survived by her sisters in Germany, Helga Meins and Hanna Lorenz. Her family is deeply grateful for the familial love, dance parties, and desserts Mama enjoyed at Ripon’s Tomorrow’s Home Care Home for the past 1 ½ years.
Services will be held at Deegan Funeral Chapel in Ripon, CA, on February 3, 2024, at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, Herta would love her memory to bless “Stitches on the House Apparel,” a charity that provides clothes for Ripon teenagers facing financial crisis. Donate at givebutter.com/teenclothes, or please mail a check in her memory to 218 W. Main St. Rm.1, Ripon, CA 95366.
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Saturday, January 20, 2024
