Elisabeth Gibson of Huntsville, Alabama, died peacefully on January 30, 2016, after a two-month illness. Elisabeth was born on December 22, 1936 in Czechoslovakia, the daughter of Ludwig and Therese Gschwandtner. After difficult times in Czechoslovakia during World War II, Elisabeth spent her teen and young adult years near Stuttgart, Germany. She enjoyed working at a local library, and then went on to graduate from a hospital-based nursing school. Elisabeth married an American soldier, Ronald Warren Gibson, and they had three children. Mr. Gibson was a casualty of the Vietnam War, and Elisabeth remained in Germany to raise her children until moving to Huntsville in 1979. In Huntsville, Elisabeth worked as a nurse for Dr. Tate’s ENT practice, and then as the Immunization Nurse at Fox Army Hospital. She was a member of Lakewood United Methodist Church, an active Singles United member who regularly hosted memorable gatherings, and a volunteer at the Friends of Huntsville Public Library Bookstore. Elisabeth was also active in the local German community, and a memoir of her experiences during World War II is featured in a locally-authored book entitled Journey to Freedom. In her later years, Elisabeth enjoyed gardening, bird watching, German television, and caring for her dogs. She is survived by her children, Michael, Thomas, and Christine Gibson, daughter-in-law Anne Gibson, and grandchildren Claire and Jared Gibson. She is also survived by two nieces, one nephew, her sister, Hedi Kenner, and her sister-in-law, Elke Gschwandtner; her brother, Wilhelm Gschwandtner preceded her in death. A memorial visitation time will be held at Berryhill Funeral Home on Saturday, February 6th, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.
