My Friend Hanna

          We lost a dependable, stalwart friend and strong example.

    When I first moved to this island I missed my family so very much. Hans and Hanna Gielisch were very similar to my own mother and brothers. She and I could talk German together which was important to me as I was not using my mother tongue very much away from home. 
    Both of these lovely people loved music. They listened to a huge collection of records and CD's. They wanted to be moved physically by the music at church. The organ needed to send sound waves through them so that they could vibrate with sound. Since I was often the organist at church I received feedback on my playing almost every week. I remember feeling Hanna grab my arm and squeeze telling me softly that she loved my music that day. I will miss that.
    Hanna was an example to me of hard work. Even when she hurt terribly from arthritis she still went outside to work. Die Frische Luft was invigorating and the creating of outside beauty fed her soul.
  I teased her often that the gnomes she collected in her yard were going to be stolen someday and taken into the words to be set free. Early one morning my seminary class tiptoed into her yard and gnome napped her group of jolly little people. I got a call towards noon and she knew exactly who to blame. I told her they would likely come back. We added an attack duck to the set of gnomes as a little bonus when we returned them.
  I imagine that her reunion with Hans, her husband was humorous and loving. They bounced off of each other very well. I'm sad to see her go and will remember her always.
             Our Savior loves you Hanna, He always did.