Person:Elisabeth Pinczés (1)

Katharina was found in the July 1997, volume 16, issue of the Semlaker Heimatbrief. A photo is shown of her with other Russian deportees on page 60. On page 54, she is listed as number 24 on Deported to Soviet Union and transported to Lager (Camp) 1902. Her house number when she was taken away was Number 1030 and she is listed as having two children -- but the children weren't taken so one wonders if they were left with her parents. They worked in coal mines. The recollections of the male survivor told of months' long trip in cattle cars where the only thing they had to sit on were their suitcases or duffel bags. They had no water as they were going through the coldest part of Russia and the wells were all frozen, so they would put their hands out the little windows in the car and tried to grab the snow. Food was given them but only twice a day and it wasn't very fortifying. Many died on the trip. One day the fellow took off his shirt and held it out the window -- trying to freshen it a bit and was appalled to see that it was full of lice. The sun and wind made them drop off. Everyone in the car then tried to do the same. They were ashamed that they'd come to that point.

Elisabeth returned to Semlak along with the rest in 1949. By this time her husband, Heinrich, had gone to America. My Kandel relatives said that he wanted her and the boys to come to America but her father advised her not to as she had gone through enough already. She never joined her husband. Only one son remains living.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Reformed Birth Records.
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Family Records.
3. ↑ Heimatbrief, Heimatortsgemeinschaft, Semlak.