A story of everlasting love: Widow of 9/11 victim to speak in Lambertville
Myrta Gschaar had just walked into her job in Spring Valley, New York, on Sept. 11, 2001, when she heard the news.
“Within two minutes of walking in, people said World Trade Center Tower 2 had blown up,” Gschaar recalled.
Her husband, Robert, had just started a new job as a senior commercial underwriter for the Aron Corp. and was inside the building.
“On 9/11, he was in Tower 2 on the 92nd floor when the second plane hit the tower,” Gschaar of Lambertville said.
Today, her husband would have been 77.
In the more than two decades since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Gschaar followed her daughters from New York City, first to Maumee, Ohio, and eventually to Lambertville, where she’s working on a book about her experiences.
Gschaar also is open to sharing her 9/11 story in live presentations. At 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, Gschaar will speak at the Bedford Branch Library, 8575 Jackman Road in Temperance. Admission is free; the public is welcome. The event is sponsored by the library and the Bedford Historical Society.
“Everyone is welcome to the event. Please come and feel free to see me after the event. I will be happy to answer a question or two,” Gschaar said.
On Feb. 19, she will give a brief history of the Bedford Branch Library and of St. Valentine’s Day before delving into her story, which will include her 9/11 experiences and updates on 9/11 families and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.
She’ll also show some artifacts, such as ashes from Ground Zero.
“The mayor and governor collected ashes and had a unique urn made for all 9/11 families,” Gschaar said.
She’ll also show pictures of Robert’s items that were recovered at Ground Zero, including his wedding band and wallet. Gschaar donated these and other items to the 9/11 Museum.
“The wallet was presented to me five years after the fact. What was inside was still intact,” she said.
That included the $2 bill that Gschaar considers her engagement ring. She will share that story at the library.
“My love story demonstrates love, an everlasting love, that we all should have to instill in our hearts,” she said.
Gschaar said she’s happy to speak, so that the attacks and the victims are not forgotten.
“I gave presentations at Owens Community College for several years and in private school, include God’s Lighthouse Academy in Temperance in 2017. It’s humbling to tell people the insights of a family member going through trauma, such as a terrorist attack. There will always be a sense of shock and empathy for the loss. My goal for the 9/11 presentation is always to educate the new generation and to proclaim, ‘Always Remember, Never Forget 9/11.’”
Gschaar was a longtime resident of Queens and New York City before moving to Maumee in 2008. In 2018, she came to Lambertville to be close to family.
“My oldest daughter married a Toledo, Ohioan. Her three sisters followed, and I have eight grandchildren in the Monroe and Ohio area,” she said.
Gschaar is currently working with an editor on a book about her 9/11 experiences.
“I am praying for the book, ‘Second Chance, Silent Pain,’ to be released by the 22nd 9/11 anniversary,” Gschaar said. “My memoir is to give insight into the world of everyday challenges while growing up. We all have similar childhood stories. Resilience is what I want my readers to learn and understand. To conquer and share their resilience in life and facing the loss of a loved one,” she said.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Widow of 9/11 victim to speak in Lambertville
