Gretchen Sieg Jaenicke, 77, of La Jolla, Calif., died peacefully with her family at her side on July 1. She was born in 1936, in Chicago, to Arnold August Sieg and Grace (Brooks Messenger) Sieg. After graduating from high school in Alton, Ill., she met the love of her life, Ralph Monks Jaenicke, at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisc., where they both attended. They eloped and wed in 1955 in Chicago. In 1965 they returned to Ralph’s hometown of Rockford, Ill., to co-found Jaenicke Distributing, a wholesale liquor company that represented Hiram Walker in Northern Illinois. In 1983 they founded the wholesale giftware business, Bethlehem Imports, in San Diego. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arnold August Sieg and Grace Messenger Sieg; and her husband, Ralph. She is survived by three sons, Duncan (Nada) Jaenicke, Kurt (Pamela) Jaenicke of Carmel and Kris (Ann) Jaenicke; 12 grandchildren, Bethany Jaenicke, Grace (Richard) Peterson, Zorica (Elton), Nikola, Nick (Samantha) Jaenicke, Ben (Monica) Jaenicke, Katherine (Grant) Petersen, Hannah Jaenicke, Nolan Jaenicke, Nick Anderson, Cliff Anderson and Curtis Anderson of Carmel; and four great-grandchildren, Lilly Peterson, Viktoria, Gabriella and William Petersen. A memorial service was conducted at 1 p.m. July 19 at Saint James by-the-sea Episcopal Church in La Jolla, Calif. Memorial contributions may be made to the Social Service League of La Jolla or Scripps Hospice.