Gisela Metzner (1922 - 2014)
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Metzner, Gisela
Gisela (*Schenke*) Metzner, of Sherwood Oaks, Cranberry Township,
Pennsylvania, died on June 15, 2014. She was born to Felix and Johanna
Schenke, the youngest of four children, on December 25, 1922 in *Niedergorpe,
a rural farming region in Silesia,* (a former province of Germany, now a
part of Poland). World War II had a profound impact on the family. Gisela's
brother, Siegfried, was killed early on in the war. They had to give up
their home in Silesia as it became part of Poland and under Russian
control. Many family members including Gisela became refugees. She met her
future husband, Heinz, during the war; while Heinz was able to make his way
to West Germany in 1945, Gisela remained in East Germany. She was
eventually able to escape with the assistance of some of Heinz's war time
colleagues. Gisela and Heinz married in 1946 and settled in Dinkelsbuehl,
Bavaria, near where Heinz worked as an instructor for the U.S. Army Signal
School in Ansbach. It was at this time that the young couple started their
family; three of their five children were born in Germany. Gisela and Heinz
dreamed of immigrating to the United States. In June 1956, the family
arrived in the United States under the sponsorship of the First Baptist
Church of Holden, Massachusetts, with few possessions but with gratitude
and much hope for the future. They eventually settled in Trumbull,
Connecticut, in 1961 and all became proud citizens of the United States
that same year. Gisela worked in the mortgage department of People's Bank
for many years, retiring in 1987. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in
1989, she was thrilled to be able to visit cousins and childhood friends
who had previously remained locked and out of reach in East Germany. In
2003, Gisela moved to Sherwood Oaks, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. In
the summer of 2006, she and her children celebrated their 50 year
immigration anniversary with the church that so lovingly sponsored and
helped them start a new life in this country. Gisela was predeceased by her
husband, Heinz, her two brothers and her sister. She is survived by three
daughters, Jessyka (Metzner) Glatz and husband Gregory, Claudia (Metzner)
Broman and husband Glenn, Cornelia Metzner and husband Richard Johnson, and
by two sons, Claus and wife Janice, Peter and wife Elizabeth and four
grandchildren, Chris and Luke Glatz and Sophie (Metzner) Seals and husband
Devin, and Samantha Metzner. She is also survived by nieces, nephews and
cousins in Germany A service in celebration of her life will be held at
Sherwood Oaks on Monday, Jun 23, 2014, at 3:00 P.M. Glenn-Kildoo Funeral
Home of Cranberry Township is in charge of the arrangements. Memorial
Donations may be made to the Sherwood Oaks Subsidy Fund, Sherwood Oaks, 100
Norman Drive, Cranberry Township, PA, 16066 or to a
*charity of the donor's choice*
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Andrea Butler
German Lessons / Basic & Advanced
German Club Teacher at the Waldorf School of Atlanta
Administrator at Columbia Presbyterian Church in Decatur
Translator, incl. *Sütterlin / *German-American Ancestry Research
Please ask for references!