My Opa Klaus, my birth mom's dad, died on Labor Day after suffering a brain hemmorage. Below is his obit plus an article published in the Houston Chronicle. My husband and I spent this past week-end in Houston; Opa's memorial service was on Saturday, a week before his 84th birthday. I wish I could have spent more time with him, but I thank God for allowing me to have even found my birth family, and for allowing me to spend the time, albeit little, I did have with Opa.
Note: I only met my birth parents and one brother in January; I met the rest of my birth mom's family in February. My husband and I stayed with Opa and Beverly one night. Opa also made it up with other family members, to my 30th birthday party in June. It was the second, and last, time I saw my Opa.
Obituary: Published in the Houston Chronicle on 9/7/2007.
KLAUS GERLACH, 83, beloved husband and father, passed away as the sun set on Monday, September 3, 2007. Klaus was a humorous, smart, curious, and loving man who will be forever loved and missed by the many family and friends touched by his presence. Klaus was born September 15, 1923 in Koenigsberg, East Prussia, Germany. He served as a flight instructor and fighter pilot in the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) from 1942 through the end of WWII when he crash-landed an FW 190 at a German airfield in southern Germany. He awoke from his coma to discover the Military Hospital was under US Occupation forces. Klaus often said, "Thank God for General Patton." The return to his Homeland after the war was not possible due to the Russian occupation. His mother's brother, George Vondergoltz, made it possible for him to immigrate to the United States in 1950. He reported to the Draft Board as required by US immigration laws, but could not pass his physical which would have allowed him to join the Air National Guard at Ellington to fly P-51's in the Korean conflict.
Klaus met and married Joanne Edwina Friedrichs in 1951 and had six children, the pride of his life. Klaus was a long time employee of Stauffer Chemical Company, where he went from being a shift worker to managing start-up operations. After retirement, he went back to work as consultant for Rhone-Poulenc.
He is survived by his soul mate and wife, Beverly Gerlach, sister Barbara Saetteli in Germany, previous wife Joanne E. Gerlach, and all his children. Daughter Monica Cross and husband Alan, with granddaughter Stacey and grandsons Jonathon and Zachary. Daughter Alexandra (Zanna) Taylor with granddaughters Leslie, Susan and Amanda. Son Roderic (Rod) Gerlach and granddaughter Cara. Daughter Gloria Cybulski and husband Don with granddaughter Victoria. Daughter Patricia (Patsy) Sewell and husband Lee,. Son Christopher (Chris) Gerlach, with granddaughters Jessica and Jade, and grandson Donovan Klaus Gerlach. The family discovered this as one of his last requests, "You know I want to be cremated, scatter my ashes in the Gulf of Mexico, or dump my ashes out of an airplane, whatever."
A Memorial Celebration of Life will be 12:00 PM Saturday, September 8, 2007 at Forest Park Lawndale in the Family Chapel. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the charity of your choice in memory of Klaus Gerlach.
Article: Published in the Houston Chronicle on 9/8/2007.
Klaus Gerlach, WWII German pilot
By LYNWOOD ABRAM
Klaus Gerlach, a fighter pilot in Germany's Luftwaffe in World War II who shot down numerous U.S. and British planes and who was shot down three times himself, died Monday in a Pasadena hospital. He was 83.
In his first two crashes, Gerlach escaped serious injury, but in 1945 he crash-landed his single-seat Focke-Wulf 190 fighter in a field in southern Germany, said his daughter, Patsy Sewell.
Knocked out when the the plane's radio rammed his head in the crash, Gerlach was pulled from the wreckage by farmers and taken to a military hospital.
When he came out of a coma, Gerlach found that Americans under Gen. George Patton had taken over the hospital, Sewell said.
Sewell said her father often said, "Thank God for General Patton!"
Although Gerlach technically was a prisoner of war, he was not imprisoned because the Americans, learning that he spoke a bit of English, used him as an interpreter, Sewell said.
"As I understand it," she said, "he was not particularly fond of the Nazis and never joined the Nazi party.
He said his father actually helped a Jewish family escape from the Nazis.
After the war, Gerlach returned to civilian life but could not find steady work. His father encouraged him to go to the United States, Sewell said. Gerlach's uncle, George Vondergoltz of Houston, sponsored his nephew, who arrived in Galveston aboard a freighter in 1950.
His cousin, Earle Vondergoltz, who now lives in College Station, remembers going to meet the ship.
"I was impressed," Vondergoltz said. "Here was a young man who had made a decision to come here. He came to live with us. Klaus requested that no one speak German to him because he wanted to improve his English."
Gerlach worked as a helper for a house painter and as a laborer before joining Stauffer Chemical Co. where he worked until he retired.
Gerlach was born Sept. 15, 1923, in Knigsberg in East Prussia (now Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave), the son of Richard Hans Gerlach and Ursula von der Goltz Gerlach.
He finished high school in Knigsberg and was drafted into the German army in 1942. Because he had a pilot's license, Gerlach was assigned to the Luftwaffe, Germany's air force.
He was credited with flying 250 missions and downing 13 British and American aircraft. He was awarded the Iron Cross, Sewell said.
Of the numerous missions, Gerlach said in a 1969 interview in the Houston Chronicle: "We didn't like it, but it was advantageous. Once you stayed alive through 50 missions, you knew something about air-to-air combat."
Another daughter, Alexandra Taylor, said her father was outgoing and "a prankster who enjoyed a good laugh, was curious and inquisitive."
Earle Vondergoltz said Gerlach "never regretted coming to the United States. He knew what he achieved here he could never have achieved in Germany."
In addition to Sewell and Taylor, Gerlach is survived by his wife, Beverly Gerlach, of Pasadena; a sister, Barbara Saetteli of Rielasingen, Germany; his former wife, Joanne Edwina Friedrichs Gerlach of Houston; daughters, Monica Cross of Spring; Gloria Cybulski of Houston; sons, Roderic "Rod" Gerlach and Christopher "Chris" Gerlach, both of Houston.
A memorial service is scheduled for noon today at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home, 6900 Lawndale.
lynwood.abram@chron.com
Brought to you by the HoustonChronicle.com
Note: I only met my birth parents and one brother in January; I met the rest of my birth mom's family in February. My husband and I stayed with Opa and Beverly one night. Opa also made it up with other family members, to my 30th birthday party in June. It was the second, and last, time I saw my Opa.
Obituary: Published in the Houston Chronicle on 9/7/2007.
KLAUS GERLACH, 83, beloved husband and father, passed away as the sun set on Monday, September 3, 2007. Klaus was a humorous, smart, curious, and loving man who will be forever loved and missed by the many family and friends touched by his presence. Klaus was born September 15, 1923 in Koenigsberg, East Prussia, Germany. He served as a flight instructor and fighter pilot in the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) from 1942 through the end of WWII when he crash-landed an FW 190 at a German airfield in southern Germany. He awoke from his coma to discover the Military Hospital was under US Occupation forces. Klaus often said, "Thank God for General Patton." The return to his Homeland after the war was not possible due to the Russian occupation. His mother's brother, George Vondergoltz, made it possible for him to immigrate to the United States in 1950. He reported to the Draft Board as required by US immigration laws, but could not pass his physical which would have allowed him to join the Air National Guard at Ellington to fly P-51's in the Korean conflict.
Klaus met and married Joanne Edwina Friedrichs in 1951 and had six children, the pride of his life. Klaus was a long time employee of Stauffer Chemical Company, where he went from being a shift worker to managing start-up operations. After retirement, he went back to work as consultant for Rhone-Poulenc.
He is survived by his soul mate and wife, Beverly Gerlach, sister Barbara Saetteli in Germany, previous wife Joanne E. Gerlach, and all his children. Daughter Monica Cross and husband Alan, with granddaughter Stacey and grandsons Jonathon and Zachary. Daughter Alexandra (Zanna) Taylor with granddaughters Leslie, Susan and Amanda. Son Roderic (Rod) Gerlach and granddaughter Cara. Daughter Gloria Cybulski and husband Don with granddaughter Victoria. Daughter Patricia (Patsy) Sewell and husband Lee,. Son Christopher (Chris) Gerlach, with granddaughters Jessica and Jade, and grandson Donovan Klaus Gerlach. The family discovered this as one of his last requests, "You know I want to be cremated, scatter my ashes in the Gulf of Mexico, or dump my ashes out of an airplane, whatever."
A Memorial Celebration of Life will be 12:00 PM Saturday, September 8, 2007 at Forest Park Lawndale in the Family Chapel. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the charity of your choice in memory of Klaus Gerlach.
Article: Published in the Houston Chronicle on 9/8/2007.
Klaus Gerlach, WWII German pilot
By LYNWOOD ABRAM
Klaus Gerlach, a fighter pilot in Germany's Luftwaffe in World War II who shot down numerous U.S. and British planes and who was shot down three times himself, died Monday in a Pasadena hospital. He was 83.
In his first two crashes, Gerlach escaped serious injury, but in 1945 he crash-landed his single-seat Focke-Wulf 190 fighter in a field in southern Germany, said his daughter, Patsy Sewell.
Knocked out when the the plane's radio rammed his head in the crash, Gerlach was pulled from the wreckage by farmers and taken to a military hospital.
When he came out of a coma, Gerlach found that Americans under Gen. George Patton had taken over the hospital, Sewell said.
Sewell said her father often said, "Thank God for General Patton!"
Although Gerlach technically was a prisoner of war, he was not imprisoned because the Americans, learning that he spoke a bit of English, used him as an interpreter, Sewell said.
"As I understand it," she said, "he was not particularly fond of the Nazis and never joined the Nazi party.
He said his father actually helped a Jewish family escape from the Nazis.
After the war, Gerlach returned to civilian life but could not find steady work. His father encouraged him to go to the United States, Sewell said. Gerlach's uncle, George Vondergoltz of Houston, sponsored his nephew, who arrived in Galveston aboard a freighter in 1950.
His cousin, Earle Vondergoltz, who now lives in College Station, remembers going to meet the ship.
"I was impressed," Vondergoltz said. "Here was a young man who had made a decision to come here. He came to live with us. Klaus requested that no one speak German to him because he wanted to improve his English."
Gerlach worked as a helper for a house painter and as a laborer before joining Stauffer Chemical Co. where he worked until he retired.
Gerlach was born Sept. 15, 1923, in Knigsberg in East Prussia (now Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave), the son of Richard Hans Gerlach and Ursula von der Goltz Gerlach.
He finished high school in Knigsberg and was drafted into the German army in 1942. Because he had a pilot's license, Gerlach was assigned to the Luftwaffe, Germany's air force.
He was credited with flying 250 missions and downing 13 British and American aircraft. He was awarded the Iron Cross, Sewell said.
Of the numerous missions, Gerlach said in a 1969 interview in the Houston Chronicle: "We didn't like it, but it was advantageous. Once you stayed alive through 50 missions, you knew something about air-to-air combat."
Another daughter, Alexandra Taylor, said her father was outgoing and "a prankster who enjoyed a good laugh, was curious and inquisitive."
Earle Vondergoltz said Gerlach "never regretted coming to the United States. He knew what he achieved here he could never have achieved in Germany."
In addition to Sewell and Taylor, Gerlach is survived by his wife, Beverly Gerlach, of Pasadena; a sister, Barbara Saetteli of Rielasingen, Germany; his former wife, Joanne Edwina Friedrichs Gerlach of Houston; daughters, Monica Cross of Spring; Gloria Cybulski of Houston; sons, Roderic "Rod" Gerlach and Christopher "Chris" Gerlach, both of Houston.
A memorial service is scheduled for noon today at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home, 6900 Lawndale.
lynwood.abram@chron.com
Brought to you by the HoustonChronicle.com
