Elsner rita

Rita Elsner

My great aunt, Hildegard Stiebeiner (Tante Hildy), was born in Germany in 1911 and immigrated to the US in 1952.


In her 20s, she became one of approximately 400,000 Germans to fall victim to the Third Reich’s Sterilization Law.


Pure resilience allowed her to keep her family’s business and farm operating while not losing hope that her missing fiancé, George, would return from the Russian front.


Hasty post -war reparations of German land sent millions in east and central Europe scrambling to evacuate west, as Russian and Polish territories quickly expanded.


Hildy was instrumental in the emotional and diplomatic challenge of vouching for her townspeople while they searched for safe harbor, as most towns were already full of refugees.


500 miles later they resettled, together.


The connection between many of these families is still alive today.


In the US, Hildy and George worked as a housekeeper and gardener team at large estates, sometimes under harsh circumstances.


Both were impeccable at their work.


Many believed Hildy had help “from above”.


Wherever she lived, she thrived, building a family around her - quietly, through her kindness, generosity and trust.

(graph illustration credit: Konrad Lorenz, ethologist).

One House Project Blackrock Audio Tour
  1. Kajal Dhabalia
  2. Kellyn Moran
  3. Craig Cahoon
  4. Rosa Leff
  5. Shanthi Chandrasekar
  6. Cynthia Farrell Johnson
  7. Jen Sterling
  8. Rita Elsner
  9. Jacqueline Grace
  10. Leslie Nolan
  11. Sandra Davis
  12. Cheryl Mendenhall
  13. Sara Prigan
  14. Anne Cherubin
  15. Dominie Nash
  16. Seemeen Hashem
  17. Lourdes Bernard
  18. Cheryl Edwards
  19. Barbara Frank
  20. Ric Garcia
  21. Warren Alan Jackson
  22. Sally Kauffman
  23. Kyujin Lee
  24. Michael Lang
  25. E. Tina Martin Wyatt
  26. Yolanda Prinsloo
  27. Jane Pettit
  28. Akemi Maegawa
  29. Kate McConnell
  30. Gabrielle Tillenburg