ONTARIO — When Hans Reich first joined the OhioHealth Ontario Health and Fitness Center, he had one intention: get healthier.
“I started walking, hitting the machines,” the 88-year-old said. “Somewhere along the lines, I met this lady.”
That “lady” was Gisela Shoemaker — lively, sharp-witted. She, too, hadn’t joined with love in mind. Nearly two decades earlier she came in for hip surgery rehabilitation.
“At first, it was just rehab, but then it became part of my life,” the 84-year-old said.
A mutual friend at the center, Diane, decided to play matchmaker.
“I was told by a friend there’s a German girl here,” Hans said.
Although they have struggled to maintain their fluency in the language within the last few decades they’ve spent living in the United States, the couple likes to practice their German together.
Both Hans and Gisela were born in Germany.
“You have to know Germany from the 40s to really understand where we were born,” Hans said. “I was only 10 miles from Poland’s border, in Koenigsberg (Königsberg).”
Hans emphasized how important the city was, once the capital of East Prussia, is now known as Kaliningrad, Russia.
Gisela’s roots trace to Europe, too.
“My home city is Stuttgart, which is actually where Mercedes-Benz and Porsche were made,” she said. “I went to school there and graduated after eight years, then I went to business school.”
Hans came to the United States in 1951. Gisela arrived in 1961.
Over time, their conversations in the gym turned into something more. Eventually Hans asked her to Friday night perch. After a couple of regular date nights, they started attending church together.
“We’ve been going to church together for probably four years now.”
The proposal was as simple as it was heartfelt.
“When you’re tired looking and you think — ‘hey, why should I look further when I’ve got one right in front of me?’” Hans said. “I then asked her, ‘Do you want to get married?’”
Gisela was on the same wavelength.
“I said yes. We’ve known each for so long, it just felt right,” Gisela recalled.
They got married at a courthouse on July 10.
“My son played golf with the judge,” Gisela explained. “So he asked him to marry us.
“Some friends from here went with us and family joined as well. It was really, really special.”
Their friends from the fitness center were deeply involved — even helping Gisela pick out her dress.
“We went to Dillards,” she said. “We made it a day, they took me to dinner, and we found the dress.”
Sadly, their friend Diane, the one who introduced them, passed away just before the wedding.
However, Gisela and Hans celebrated in her honor at the fitness center with cake, cookies, and plenty of well-wishes.
“This is a very special place to us,” Hans said. “Everybody is just like family.”
When asked what the secret to finding love later in life is, Hans didn’t hesitate to say:
“There is no secret. You just keep looking,” he said. “Just listen and enjoy life. Enjoy that you’re still here and you have a companion. Enjoy that.”