Celia E Gerdes

Celia Elizabeth Enriquez Gerdes was born in Karnes City, Karnes County, Texas on November 19, 1934, the second of three children born to Alejandro Enriquez and Alvina Solis Enriquez. In 1942, her family moved to San Antonio, Texas where she received her initial education at San Fernando Catholic School and subsequently graduated from Brackenridge High School. Celia was always an outstanding student and received a scholarship to Draughon's Business College in San Antonio, Texas.

Celia began her Civil Service career at Lackland Air Force Base where she met and married Elton Ray Johnson who was in the Marine Corps. Ray received an assignment to Germany where he and Celia lived off base with a couple who had a small child named Thomas. During their three year stay there, Celia became quite fond of this somewhat mischievous child and kept in contact with the mother after they returned the United States. Celia was able to tour the countries around Germany and recalls putting one foot across the border into Russian held territory. Celia and Ray returned to San Antonio where Ray completed his military career and became employed as a San Antonio police officer.

On March 25, 1964, Celia and Ray adopted a baby girl through the Texas Cradle Society and named her Gina Elizabeth Johnson, born on March 11, 1964. Unfortunately in 1968, when Gina was four years old, Ray Johnson died along with Celia's father, Alejandro Enriquez. Celia transferred from Lackland AFB to the Aircraft Division of Maintenance at Kelly AFB [Bldg 375] where she was employed as a secretary in the engineering section.

In 1971, Herb Rippa was hired by the engineering section of Bldg 375. Herb's wife Carol was expecting a baby and asked Celia to notify him the moment Carol needed to be transported to the hospital. In November 1973, Celia's future husband, Alvin Louis Gerdes II, known to his friends and family as Al Gerdes was transferred from the Manufacture and Repair Division of Maintenance to Bldg 375 along with his engineering boss, Frank B. Davis.

On March 25, 1974, Celia invited Al Gerdes to attended a party at her home to celebrate the birthday of their friend and co-worker, Herb Rippa. Gina, Carol, and the Rippa's daughters were there to join in the celebration. Over the next nine years, Celia and Al would attend many events together, usually with Gina and a classmate of Gina's riding along with them. On one occasion at Raymond Russell Park, Gina and her friend, Cathy Hankins were playing when it began to rain and the four of them went inside a pavilion reserved for Councilman Stolhanske. Celia and Al were dressed in white so the guard thought they were Stolhanske and his wife and did not disturb their presence there.

In November 1975, Celia received a promotion and moved from Maintenance in Bldg 375 to Material Management in Bldg 171 where she initially worked for Henry Holder, an Industrial Engineer. In November 1977, Al Gerdes received a promotion and moved from Bldg 375 to Bldg 171 where he worked as a Mechanical Systems Engineer for Don Morgan, chief of the T-38/F-5 aircraft engineering section.

When Celia applied for the Item Management Training Program at Kelly, Don Lee told her the criteria to be accepted was to first fill your mouth with marbles and then spit out one marble every day and when you had "lost all your marbles" then you were ready to enter this training program. Don Lee signed the paperwork and Celia entered the program where she sat next to Joyce Davis, wife of Al's then engineering boss, Les Davis.

Although this training program was difficult, it became even more difficult when their supervisor, Mrs. Cobb contracted cancer and died, leaving them with a vacancy for more than 8 months. Celia and Joyce both said that the program after Mrs. Cobb died was much like the blind leading the blind but they succeeded in their mission by using old documents as a "sample" for their new procurement actions. On June 11, 1983, Celia married Al Gerdes at the St. Mathew's Catholic Church approximately three blocks from Celia's home. Celia and Al held their reception at the Woodlake Country Club with approximately 150 co-workers, friends and relatives in attendance. Celia and Al then traveled aboard a 747 to Hawaii for their 10 day honeymoon.