Re: Why not the feminine forms?
Gerharda, or Gerardien. Grandpapa was a very egotistical man, and only an exact match would satisfy him.
I found out about her in a ladies' dress shop where I worked as a student; it baffled me that a man should come in every few days and buy nylon stockings! (I was in the accounts department.) Finally I asked, and got the explanation.