Gail Harrell—Making the World Her Oyster
Gail Harrell truly seeks to be a good neighbor in Monticello when she is not out globe trotting and seeing the sights!
Gail (right), holding the famed Golden Eagle in Budapest, Hungary, recently completed an eight day Viking cruise along the Danube River entitled the “Romantic Danube” which she embarked on with her lifelong friend Doris Frey. Her husband, Walt Harrell, Jr., opted to stay home with their four well-groomed felines Willie, Alice, Lilybelle, and Bubba while his wife enjoyed a girl’s trip.
Now Gail has traveled extensively but this trip had a special sentiment for her as the journey took her to a place connected to her late father, Elwood ‘Doc’ Sensenderfer. He was a World War II Army Veteran that spent time at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany transporting Nazis to the Nuremberg Trials following the war.
A young Gail heard many tales of her father’s war duties, which earned him a Purple Heart that now hangs in her Monticello home. Many of those memories came rushing back as she began the tour of The Palace of Justice and admits that those memories and the magnitude of what transpired during that era in that part of the world overwhelmed her in that moment so much so that completing the tour became too emotional.
Having spoken to the world traveler before embarking on the cruise, she had expressed excitement and anticipation about visiting Nuremberg where her father spent part of his war career while not knowing the true effect it would have on her.
Her recent vacation began with a flight to Paris, France from Atlanta and then on to Budapest where they boarded the Viking long ship headed along the Danube River through Austria with stops in Vienna and Salzburg before heading into Germany. Service on board was impeccable and the scenery along the way unbelievable, she noted. In Vienna she was amazed by the Schonbrunn Palace and travel to Salzburg provided her a view of Mozart’s Birthplace.
An interesting thing happened on her European trip as the ship was sailing along the Danube, parts of the river lacked sufficient water levels for the vessel to pass through safely so all the passengers had to pack up their bags for land transport to another ship docked two hours away. It worked out fine because it gave the seafarers an opportunity to explore by land and Gail got to see the Danube Narrows that the water vessels travel. And believe it or not, as amazing as this trip sounds Gail admits that her cruise along the Rhine River topped it.
World travel is not her only joy, the Lancaster, Pa. native born the youngest of three to Elwood and Marian, is a lover of all types of music and singing and all things that encompass both, ranging from rock to opera to youth musical theater. She took in some opera while on her cruise and wrapped up her fifth year with the local Musical Theater Camp in June. And though she has no biological kids of her own, Gail has served as den mother to many of the theater camp participants over the years. In fact she even has plans to accompany one of her former camp participants to an American Idol audition later this month in Macon.
So just how did Gail make it to Monticello from Pennsylvania? After graduating high school and later college in Delaware, she worked in Washington, D.C. for a labor union before heading back to Pennsylvania to begin what would become a 40 year career in the insurance industry. Her position with Glatfelter Insurance Group/ Volunteer Fireman’s Insurance Services (VFIS) led to a transfer to Georgia in 1991. By 2001 she had settled in Monticello and retired from full-time employment by 2009.
Gail is a member of Monticello Presbyterian Church where she is an elder and, of course, a member of the choir. She is a graduate of Leadership Jasper and served on the Historical Foundation Board. When not traveling or taking in some music, she loves reading books of historical fiction, gardening, and working on her historic home while also helping others rework their homes’ interior.
“ I value my friends and this community that has been home to me for almost 20 years,” said Gail of what she wants readers to know foremost about her.
Undoubtedly, she will keep traveling adding to the 16 plus countries and 40 states she has already seen and perhaps sharing some of those experiences along the way. In October she will be attending her 55th high school class reunion at J.P. McCaskey High School with her best gal pal while Walt once again stays behind to care for their fur babies.
