Gisela Erschen

Gisela Katharina Erschen (née Müller (Mueller)), our “Mutti / Mom”, “Oma”, “Tante”, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in her 98th year. She was born March 22,1929 in Oliva (now Oliwa), a suburb of the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland), the middle child of nine and the last of her siblings.

Mutti was remarkable in a most understated way. She, her parents, and siblings were at the centre of the start of WW2 and survived unthinkable challenges. Against all odds, the family reunited after the war in Russian-controlled Berlin and were smuggled out to settle in Duisburg and Düsseldorf in West Germany. She enjoyed several trips “home” over the years and, in 2007, visited Gdańsk-Oliwa and Berlin for the first time since the 1940s.

In 1947, Gisela started work as domestic help and stayed with her first family for five years. After this, she joined a family emmigrating to Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. She arrived in New York City in June 1956 by way of The SS America, and was wide-eyed as she visited the Empire State Building, Central Park, and Fifth Avenue. Mom and the family then flew to the Sault (via Toronto).

There, Gisela married Andre (later divorced, then predeceased). Together they raised three children: Frank (Diane), Mark (predeceased), and Anita (Dean). While raising her family, Mom spent many years working for the Ministry of Government Service. She was Tante (Aunt) to many in Germany, Poland, Australia, and Canada. Gisela dearly loved her grandchildren, Basil and Toula. She was predeceased by her parents, Bernhard and Gertrud.

Gisela was naturally curious about the world around her, a trait she passed on to her children. She learned the game of baseball by watching games at North Street Field in the Sault from a kitchen window. She became a Detroit Tigers fan, and later she enjoyed cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays. She mastered the English language quickly, loved to read, do crosswords, play Scrabble, and Yahtzee (“they keep me sharp”). She was always up for travel, outings, and events with her children and families. She savoured these special days. At family get-togethers, her special dumplings, potato pancakes (that know no equal), and her plum torte were a fond recollection. Christmas time was a treat, because she would make the traditional Slovenian potica. She knew no strangers (she had an infectious, sometimes mischievous, smile), and she loved all of our dogs! Wherever we went, whatever we did, she always reminded us to “have fun!”

In 1981, she moved to Milton, and later, to Toronto, where she learned to navigate the TTC expertly, saying she was a “city girl”. In 2014, she moved to Peterborough to be closer to Anita’s family. She loved watching Basil and Toula play sports such as baseball and curling. Gisela was a regular at social events at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

Mom experienced gradual cognitive decline that spanned more than a decade. Her family appreciates the friends she made while living at The Woollen Mill apartments, and, over the last five and a half years, with the caregivers at Fairhaven Long-Term Care. Family time with Mom/Oma was special: lunch & dinner visits; playing games, puzzles, & catch; creating smiles & memories; singing; and outdoor time. She enjoyed listening to music and loved to sing. Among her favourite songs was Doris Day’s “Que Sera Sera”, which was played for her as she left Fairhaven for the last time.

Cremation has taken place, and a celebration of Gisela’s life will happen at a future date.

Donations to the Alzheimer’s Society, Fairhaven Long-Term Care, Roberta Bondar Foundation, or the charity of your choice will be appreciated.

Mom gets the last word: “What will be will be.”