Obituary of Gisela Elfriede Ruth PAPENFUSS

January 14, 1925 – Stolp, Germany
October 27, 2020 – Calgary, Alberta

The loving friends of Gisela Papenfuss are sad to announce her passing from complications from Covid on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at the age of 95 years. 

Gisela was born on January 14, 1925 in the town of Stolp in Pomerania, Germany (now Slup, Poland). As a young girl she lived there on a farm with her grandparents and learned to keep accounts and studied English and French, the latter at her grandmother’s insistence. After managing to survive the majority of the war years with her grandparents, in March 1945, at age 20, she fled alone to Elshorn, taking the last train out to Gdansk and walking the last miles in the snow after the train was bombed. She boarded one of the supply ships around the Jutland Peninsula, having luckily been on one of the three vessels in a convoy of six to survive the trip, finally arriving in Hamburg. After working for a year in a restaurant, she became a nurse’s aide in Ueterson for two years. Realizing the flexibility of working in the medical field, she took her 3 year nursing degree at St. George’s Hospital in Hamburg and then in July of 1953, she came to Canada as a landed immigrant. From Quebec City the train took her to Barrhead in northern Alberta, where she started a new life and was introduced to Western-Canada winters. She nursed there and at the University Hospital in Edmonton for two and a half years, and in 1955, she began nursing at the Calgary General Hospital in the Obstetrics ward. She will be remembered by many patients for her dedicated care and her very high nursing standards, and in 1983, she retired at age 58. She continued to live in her apartment in lower Mount Royal, taking long walks and making special cooked meals for Charlie and Baba, her neighbour’s dogs. In 2012, age 87, she moved to Chartwell Royal Park Retirement Residence where she cooked, read both English and German newspapers, and cared for a wide assortment of flourishing plants. In 2018, she moved to the Mount Royal Care Center in Calgary, where she enjoyed visits from her many friends, good conversations with the other residents, and weekly Bingo events until Covid stopped these enjoyable activities. 
 
Gisela touched the lives and made friends of many. Particular lifelong friends were Esther Mionsek, an RNA who Gisela met while taking the bus to and from the General Hospital every day, Alice Behrens, Tim Koetting, Jeff Kotowsky, Ron Neigel, Linda Johnson, Lise and Rodney Handfield, Viola Birss and family members, Don Lawton, Sandra Gellenbeck, and Rosemary and Rick Kry.

Gisela was a survivor with a stubborn streak of independence and a strong will to live, as well as the ability to continually remember to appreciate all the good things in her life. She was very practical and had an unbelievable memory and amazing mental acuity even to her last day.  Gisela had a great love for animals, high standards in the nursing profession, and an enjoyment of dinners and celebrations together and visits with her friends. Gisela enjoyed discussing current events, politics, business, and especially her interest in animal welfare and the work of veterinarians.

We are very appreciative of the excellent care and attention given to her by the staff of the Calgary Revera Mount Royal Long Term Care Home. A memorial service to honour Gisela will be held at a future date. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed on Gisela’s obituary at www.McInnisandHolloway.com. In her memory, donations would be gratefully received by the Calgary Central United Church, the Calgary SPCA, and The Salvation Army Community Services.

In living memory of Gisela Papenfuss, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.