Trudy Guinee
Trudy Guinèe
Age 82
Trudy Guinee was born Gertrude Sanders in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, between an older sister and a younger brother, both now deceased. At Duke University she majored in English literature, with a second concentration in art history. She met her future husband, Fenton Guinee, there; they married in the Duke Chapel the day after her graduation.
Starting out in New Orleans, Fenton worked in various locations for food manufacturing companies: Wesson Oil, Hunt Foods, and Quaker Oats. When he joined Anderson Clayton in 1976, they moved to the west side of Houston. Their children, 2 daughters and 3 sons, are now scattered around the US. Sons in Indiana and Missouri are college professors and the third, an actor, divides his time between New York and California. A daughter in Phoenix is a bi-lingual high school teacher and her sister in Boston a consultant in world social issues. There are now 7 grandchildren.
Four years ago, about the same time Trudy and Fenton moved into the Hallmark, Fenton, now 83, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Two years later he was moved into Hallmark healthcare making it possible for Trudy to easily visit him each day.
Trudy, busy with five children, was never employed, but she had a broad range of interests and activities, many of which continue, especially her interests in art and literature. She painted, mostly watercolors, and for a time made her own hand-made paper. Besides time at the Glassell, she spent 2 months in Barcelona learning paper-making and a month in Japan travelling the countryside to visit prominent papermakers. She set up a paper mill in her home studio. She also enjoyed close-up nature photography, with photo excursions to Ecuador, the Boundary Waters and elsewhere. Her interest in writing was renewed at the University of Houston. At age 62, she entered Vermont College, and got a Masters degree in poetry. About 2 years ago she put together a beautiful book of Vermont sketches, nature notations, and poetry. She is also an avid bird watcher, although she claims to be not very skilled at it.
Trudy and Fenton travelled extensively and, after his retirement, spent their summers in Vermont where they bought an 1840 farmhouse, now used regularly by their children. Trudy still likes to travel and recently returned from a 2-week trip to France with her daughters.
These days Trudy has an active life with her friends at the Hallmark and around Houston, activities facilitated by her continuing ability to drive. She does regular exercise, including yoga and water aerobics. And, she continues sketching and writing poetry. She initiated a writing group at the Hallmark that focuses on writing remembered incidents.
Trudy believes that her longevity and good health are a result of having always had a strong curiosity, many interests she could take with her into later years, regular exercise and outdoor activity, and encouragement and support from her husband and children.
