Erika Hildegard Wiesmann 6/4/1944 - 9/8/2022

Erika Hildegard Wiesmann was a loving wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and friend. She had a determined zest for life and an infectious laugh. Erika passed away peacefully from ALS on September 8th, 2022 at the age of 78. Born during World War II in Schweinfurt, Germany on June 4th, 1944 to the late Maria Hofmann and Ludwig Schmidt, Erika was the youngest of five siblings. She was independent at a young age and studied to become a manager at a natural health food store as a teen. Erika met her husband Erich Wiesmann while dancing at a local discotheque. She initially declined his offer to dance because he was dressed in a US army uniform and her parents had forbidden her to date US soldiers. Erich, who had left Germany in 1957 for Canada first and then the US, was drafted and stationed in Erika's hometown. Lucky for him, the next evening Erich was wearing civilian clothes and she said yes to a dance with him. Erika loved to dance and was always one with an adventurous spirit. She moved to the US at the young age of 19 to start a new life with Erich.They married on December 28, 1963 at Park Wedding Chapel in Reno, Nevada. Erika learned English quickly, found jobs early on, and was good at making new friends. Initially living in Daly City CA, Moss Beach CA, then later, Belmont CA, she held many jobs over the years working in the Bay Area including at Hormel and Genentech, while Erich built custom homes as a contractor. Erich and Erika, additionally owned a small fish and chip shop in San Francisco in the 1960s and were later part owners of a cafe in Burlingame in the 1980s. In the 1990s they moved to Auburn to "semi-retire" where Erika then pursued a new career path andreceived her real estate license. She also volunteered at Auburn Faith Hospital in the gift shop, and Auburn Interfaith Food closet for many years. In November 2017 Erika was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Despite being given this terrible news, she kept a smile on her face and didn't let it slow her down. She kept moving while she could and took a once-in-a-lifetime trip with her family to Iceland, the Netherlands and Germany; and cruised the Caribbean visiting the Dutch Anchilles. She also surprised her best friend and sister, Inge Schick, on a separate trip to Germany. Erika had a close relationship with her sister throughout her life and they would frequently be found laughing or playing endless card games together. When she could, Erika enjoyed being outdoors in the sun gardening, taking walks, perusing thrift stores, traveling, and spending time with her grandchildren. Erika loved to stay busy and productive. In her retirement she was part of the "In Stitches" sewing group and took up quilting. She enjoyed her new hobby making many beautiful quilts for friends and family, all while channeling her late mother who was a seamstress. Erika is survived by her husband of nearly 59 years Erich Wiesmann, sister Inge Schick, children Denise (Andy) Williams, and Kevin (Jennifer Buddenhagen) Wiesmann, grandchildren, Trevor Robb, Melanie (Daniel) Infante, Alika Wiesmann, Kaiya Wiesmann, Mikah Wiesmann and her great grandchild Brooks Infante. As per her wishes, no formal services will be conducted. A celebration of life is planned for what would have been her 79th birthday, June 4th 2023 at the Lake of the Pines Clubhouse. If you would like to attend please let Denise know at ewiesmannmemorial@gmail.com. In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Erika's honor to Team Gleason Foundation at www.teamgleason.org