Gerda Hess

Gerda Bertha Wilhelm was born to her proud parents, Justus and Hedwig (Urban) Wilhelm on April 30, 1935 in Freeport, Illinois at St. Francis Hospital where her father worked as a stationary engineer. Even though her father was born in Stadt Hosbach, Hessen, Germany and her mother was born in Neurode, Silesia, Germany, her parents met at a German dance in Chicago, Illinois.

In 1937, when Gerda was two years old, she made her first trip to Germany with her mother to visit grandparents and other relatives. At that time, her father moved the family first to Cicero, Illinois and then to Chicago. When Gerda entered kindergarten, she only spoke German. Her mother walked her to and from school and at first had to stay in the classroom with her. Gerda learned English quickly but told her mother about her school day in German. After a rough start, Gerda only made straight A’s and skipped two half grades. In 1944, her sister, Irene, was born at Lutheran Deaconess Hospital in Chicago where their father worked.

In October 1946, when Gerda was eleven, the Wilhelm family moved to a dairy farm in Conifer, Colorado because her father suffered with asthma in Illinois. They went from a modern apartment in Chicago to a house heated by the wood cookstove in the kitchen. The house did not have running water and had an outhouse. The barn on the property which is now known as the “Yellow Barn” still sits on a corner named Bradford Junction. The Conifer School, a one-room building recognized now as the “Little White School House” where Gerda attended grades one through eight has since been placed on the National Register of Historic Places along with Bradford Junction. Gerda was part of the committee to help make that happen. Gerda entered the seventh grade with several other students. However, the next year she was the only eighth grade graduate from Conifer School. Gerda played the piano as part of her graduation ceremony.

Gerda graduated from Evergreen High School in 1952. She was a cheerleader and participated in many school activities. She took part in school plays and variety shows. She often worked late into the night making decorations for school events. In the summers, Gerda worked at the Jefferson County School Board in Golden.

Gerda attended what was Colorado A & M (now Colorado State University) where she served as President of Delta Zeta sorority. She was a member of Spurs sophomore honorary, Hesperia junior honorary, and Tau Iota Omega senior honorary organizations. She was also involved in many activities including Associated Women Students, Panhellenic Council, and Alpha Lambda Alpha which provided tutors for freshman students. She also was a member of the German Club where she met her future husband, Hans Hess, who was from Germany.

In 1956, Gerda was the first woman graduate in the College of Business at Colorado A & M, and she graduated with honors. After graduation, Gerda moved to San Jose, California, where she was the Teenage Program Director at the YWCA. Gerda married Hans Hess in Denver on July 11, 1959. They moved to Medford, Oregon, where Hans was employed with the Bureau of Land Management. Her daughter, Krista, was born in 1963 and her son, Mark, was born in 1965. Gerda was active in organizations including AAUW.

The Hess family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1968. From there, the family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland where they lived until 1972 when they moved to Littleton, Colorado. She was an active member in her PEO chapter and very involved with both Hosanna Lutheran Church and Our Father Lutheran Church. Her contributions to those church communities were countless. She worked on the worship committees, alter guild, sang in the Hosanna choir, and had a part in the redesign of Our Father – just to name a few.

Because Gerda was always artistic, she went back to school at Arapahoe Community College when her children were older to become an interior decorator. She ended up being the head of ACC’s interior design department. She was immensely proud of her work at ACC to help teach and grow a number of people who went on to be very successful designers in Colorado and beyond. She also worked for Personal Touch Interiors and later started her own business, Hess Designs. Gerda continued to teach at ACC until she retired.

Gerda’s health presented many challenges throughout the years, each one of which would have overwhelmed a lesser person, but her iron will, and optimistic determination carried her through the hardships. She always found a way to accomplish those things which were important to her and her family. Gerda is survived by her husband Hans Hess, daughter and son-in-law Krista and Steve Kapp, son and daughter-in-law Mark and Dana Hess as well as her four grandchildren Carlie Kapp, Gabrielle Hess Allmendinger, Austin Kapp, and Kiera Hess as well as her sister Irene Wickham.

Gerda’s memorial service will be held at Abiding Hope Church in Littleton, CO on December 20th at 11:00 AM .

Flowers can be sent to the church at 6337 S Robb Way, Littleton, CO 80127.  In lieu of flowers, donations made in Gerda’s name to either the P.E.O Foundation, Chapter GK, Colorado Scholarship Fund (https://www.peointernational.org/contributions-peo-foundation - just enter Chapter GK, Colorado Scholarship Fund in the memo line of the form) or the Susan G. Komen organization (https://www.komen.org/)