Gisela was born to Eduard and Elisabeth Höpken on July 10, 1920 and raised in Germany alongside her five siblings; Johann, Walter, Karl, Wilhelm and Peter.

Gisela married Ulrich Sommer and together they had two children; Cornelius and Angelika. In 1954, Gisela, Ulrich and their children immigrated to Canada in search of a better quality of life and settled in Georgetown, Ontario. Initially, Gisela worked as a farmhand with her husband. In 1961, she accepted a position as a dietary assistant at a local hospital in Georgetown, Ontario and was later promoted to a managerial position. Gisela’s work as a dietary assistant aligned closely with her educational background and the exams she successfully passed as a young adult in Greifswald, Germany.

In early 1962, Gisela and her husband bought a house at 45 Charles Street in Georgetown, Ontario. The house featured adjoining rooms, a large basement, and backyard. Later that year, her husband opened an art gallery in their home called Gallery House Sol. Gisela helped her husband run the art gallery, which remained in operation for more than 40 years.

Gisela died on February 7, 2020.