Waltraut Charlotte Elsbeth Ottilie Monroe
June 24, 1937-Oct. 16, 2025
Portola Valley, California

Waltraut “Traut” Charlotte Elsbeth Ottilie Krumbholz Monroe died peacefully on October 16th in her home of 58 years, with her family by her side.

Born in Flensburg, Germany in 1937 to Hans-Georg Krumbholz & Charlotte von Kathen Krumbholz, she was the 2nd of 5 siblings. Her father, an officer in the German Navy, died on the Russian Front near the end of the war. After the collapse of Germany, her mother fled from the advancing Russian army in the dead of night with her 5 children. After a journey that took them from the island of Rügen to Berlin then north-west Germany, they were resettled as refugees in a small farming village, where they spent the next 8 years.

It was on this farm where Traut was given the nickname “die Katze” or “the cat” for her ability to climb a large beech tree in which she sought refuge, began her path towards independence and honed a skill she’d rely on later in life in her beloved oak tree at the top of Coal Mine Ridge.

An excellent student but from a family with very limited means, she did not get the opportunity to go to college. Nevertheless, she was able to get more education than was customary at the time for a young woman. Driven by a desire to learn, she left the village she had spent the last 8 years living in and moved north to Hamburg to attend an academically oriented high school. She then attended a language school where she continued to study English and French, becoming fluent in both while also obtaining business skills. She supported herself with part-time jobs as she developed the ability to be self-sufficient and independent, skills that she’d come to rely on again later in life.

At age 20, she moved to Geneva, Switzerland where she continued her language studies and met Robert “Bob” Monroe. They were married in 1961 and lived in Europe for the next six years where her son, Lars and daughter Katrine were born.

In 1967, Traut and her family moved to America, settling in Portola Valley where she lived the next 58 years of her life. In Portola Valley, Traut was an enthusiastic mother, enjoyed raising her children & being an active volunteer in their classrooms while also working part-time and then full-time jobs. On Saturday mornings, she taught German at the German-American school in Palo Alto.

In 1979, Traut was diagnosed with malignant melanoma and was forced to confront her mortality. Winning her battle against cancer brought on a shift in priorities for her. With her children now older and more independent, going to college became a possibility and then a reality for Traut. In the fall of 1982, she enrolled at Foothill College. After more than 25 years of being out of school, she was an apprehensive student but quickly realized she could rise to the challenge. In 1989, she enrolled at U.C. Berkeley and 2 years later graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Haas School of Business.

At the same time, Traut began running and hiking the trails near her home in Portola Valley. She joined a running club (50 Plus) and met a group of women with whom she would hike & backpack throughout the world. Their adventures spanned the Sierras, the Brooks Range (Alaska), Mont Blanc, Nepal and beyond.

In 1994, her first grandchild, Megan, was born. Megan was followed by Ryan, Hannah and Erin, all of whom Traut showered with love and attention. Her grandchildren meant the world to her, and they were all with her until the end.

Traut’s family would like to thank her care team at Palo Alto Medical Foundation, who provided so much care & guidance these last 2 years of her life as she battled pancreatic cancer.