Gisela Kinder, after spending 93 years on this earth, passed away quietly into the eternal Kingdom of God, leaving her home for the last time , on March 27, 2018 at 12:25 AM. Gisela’s long journey began along the Baltic Sea, in Kolburg, Germany on the 4th of June 1924. Let’s pause here for a moment.
It’s important to know how to pronounce Mom’s name. She spent the majority of her life listening to unique and creative pronunciations of her name. Here are a couple of examples of how her name is not pronounced, it is not pronounced “Ji-zela” nor even “Ge-zela”.
Gisela is pronounced “Geese-ah-la”. John, her husband, would simply call her “Geese”. Let’s continue.
Gisela, lived her life as a Berliner, growing up in a military family who’s name was Wilkie. Her father, Wilhelm, our “Opa” was a career soldier and worked his way up to the rank of Colonel. Gertrude, Gisela’s Mom, our “Oma” was a homemaker.
Gisela had two brothers’s Hans and Rudy. They have all preceded her in death. Gisela’s life was good growing up in Berlin, Germany until 1939, when WWII started.
She said ” the war” didn’t allow her to be a “little girl” anymore. Gisela had to grow up in an era of air raid sirens and endless bombings. When the bombings stopped, a wiry American showed up in Gisela’s life and the nice girl from Berlin was enchanted by the guy from the rough side of the tracks in Middletown, Ohio; Sergeant John Kinder.
What was she thinking? Later, she admitted her father never would never have approved of her taking up with the “enemy”. So the American, John and the German, Gisela got married and started a life in America.
John went first to America and Gisela followed. The flight to America wasn’t without drama. The plane taking Gisela to America lost two engines, forcing them to land in Greenland where the last two engines failed.
Gisela was so homesick she lated admitted that she did not care what happened to the plane. Gisela considered the mishap a sign to go back, however she continued her journey to a new life. John and Gisela pitched a tent along the remote shores of Humboldt Bay, in northwestern California, on nothing more than a mud flat called King Salmon.
They started a fish camp with two dogs, from Germany, who only understood German. I seriously doubt Gisela would have initiated such an adventure as this. However, her fortitude was a testament to her character and her sense of pioneering spirit.
What a woman! The Salmon fishing was good and the buisness grew. So did the family first came John, then Michelle and finally Judy.
Gisela did the best she could balancing a buisness life with a family life with John commercial fishing and Gisela running the marina and the park. Even though it wasn’t always ideal, her children learned a solid work ethic by working in the buisness. The years passed, and Gisela’s children grew and brought home spouses, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Gisela was preceded in death by John Kinder, her husband; daughter Michelle Dinsmore. Gisela is survived by her son Johnny Kinder and his wife, Nancy;granddaughter Amiee. Gisela’s daughter Judy Kinder Nelson, and husband,Gary:and granddaughter Annie and husband Mark, and great grandson Kaden and granddaughter Katie Nelson and great grandson; Luca Maggio.
Granddaughter Hanna (daughter of Michelle) great granddaughter Alex Alexander and her Husband Tyler and great grandson Jesse Berry.
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