Gisela M. Hoberg

by Lynn McMillen
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Gisela M. Hoberg died on Wednesday in Huntsville. She was 101 and is survived by her youngest son, Christian, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Otto (1991), and her oldest son, Victor (2014). Through her own notable efforts and family/neighbor assistance, she was able to stay in her beloved Monte Sano home until the end.

Gisela was born in Heidelberg, Germany, as the first child of Bruno and Helene Sonnen. In her early childhood, she lived with her parents and two brothers in a relatively luxurious setting in Berlin. Later, the family moved to southern Germany in Darmstadt, where she met and married Otto. However, times became hard with the onset of WWII, which separated her from Otto and involved the care of her little first son, Victor. Even after being reunited with Otto, he soon had to depart for America as a member of the von Braun Rocket Team. Once in America (Ft. Bliss, TX) and after adjusting to a new culture, climate and language, she and Otto had their second son, Christian. In 1950, the family moved to Huntsville for Otto’s work with NASA at Redstone Arsenal. They initially lived on a farm in Riverton, but later moved to Monte Sano where she and Otto lived out their lives.

Gisela will be best remembered for her survivorship, love of family, artistic and practical abilities, and humble nature. Perhaps the greatest of these was her love of family. She personified the love in a mother’s heart, and indeed always loved her immediate and extended family, both in good and lesser times. She also mourned the early loss of her Otto and Victor until her own death.

One theme woven throughout her being was art appreciation. Although she humbly never considered herself an artist, everything she did had an artistic touch – be it her table settings, Christmas décor, flower gardens, or her own appearance. Without any architectural training, she also designed her Monte Sano home and lake cottage to scale and budget.

Gisela was clearly a survivor. By living to 101, she outlived her brothers and all of Otto’s siblings, as well as Otto and Victor. Moreover, she survived the hardships of WWII, acclimation to America, the trials of being an early widow and losing a child, as well as living with very poor vision in her elderly years. Due to her long life, she also had to adjust to enormous technological changes. Despite this, she remained a humble person that was true to her husband and family, and that never gave up on her Catholic Christian faith.

Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Saturday, September 28th at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. Thereafter, Father Michael Mac Mahon will say a funeral Mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 625 Airport Road, at 2:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Maple Hill Cemetery.

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