Edith Coliver Summary

Summary

Edith Coliver

Edith Coliver was born July 26, 1922 in Karlsruhe, Germany.  She was the oldest of two brothers and came from an upper middle class family.  Her father was a banker.  She attended public school until 1937 then was kicked out of school for being Jewish so parents sent her to England.  In June 1938 they left to go to the United States, spending four weeks in New York.  She stayed up all night on the ship so she could be the first to see the Statue of Liberty. Coliver's family then ended up in San Francisco where she graduated from George Washington High School.  After going to Berkley for college, she applied to the War Department to be a German Interpreter. Whereas Coliver participated in the hearings and interpreted throughout the trials.  Hitler committed suicide the day before Germany surrendered to the alley. Hitler's #2 man, Guerin also swallowed poison to commit suicide and to keep himself from being hung the following day.  The extent of the Extermination Camps was new to Coliver.  She felt very lucky to have gotten out when she did and was ashamed of being German.  Over 40,000 people died after liberation because of being starved and the medical problems it caused. The German's attitude was very unique during the trial.  The soldiers thought they should be shot by a firing squad instead of hung and would say things like, "I'm just a little guy" not taking any blame for what they did to the Jews.  Coliver was married for 31 years to Norman and they had 2 daughters, one an architect and the other an attorney.  She retired in 1992 from the Asia Foundation where she worked for 40 years. "I had the courage of my conviction, " is how she was able to be a public speaker.   (306 words)

"See the smoke coming out of the smoke stacks if you lived anywhere close and the smell, so we never believed the German's didn't know."

"I had the courage of my conviction." 

 

    

 

 

 

Joseph Morton Summary

Summary

Joseph Morton

Born Joseph Morkkwitz on July 11, 1924 in Lodz, Poland.  He was the oldest child having five brothers and one sister.  His father was a tailor and his mother a homemaker.  Morton went to school until the 7th grade.  The war started in September 1939.  Two days later, the German's marched in.  His father was in the Polish Army and was captured in Russia as a prisoner but was later released.  Jewish people was made to wear yellow bands on their arms to show they were a Jew then a yellow star on the front and back of their uniform.  "In 1940 they enclosed the Ghetto and that's when the real problems started."  As a result, starvation, people dying from hunger, and always living in fear.  The German's guarded borders and there was no leaving the Ghetto's.  When the Ghetto was enclosed, the whole family was together. The Warsaw uprising began and German's came in with trucks, took belongings and closed the Ghetto in 1944 then loading the Jews onto cattle trains to be taken to Auschwitz.  There would be 50-60 people standing in the trains with no food other than what one brought with him.  They would be on the trains for two or three days but didn't know where they were going.  Once they were in Auschwitz, the German's split the family up.  Morton, his father, brother, and cousin was sent to work and the rest of his family was killed.  They worked to build barracks underground.  As a result to the horrible conditions, Morton became ill with Typhus, being hungry, and losing so much weight so he was sent to the sick camp by train.  The American Army came and liberated the Jews and Morton was taken to a hospital for being so sick where he reconnected with his father and brother.  They left the hospital by jumping a fence and went to Canada.  In 1949 he registered to come to the U.S. and went to Chicago.  (330 words)

"In 1940 they enclosed the Ghetto and that's when the real problems started."

"Why do you think you survived?  By luck, strictly luck."   

3/5/2013

Well what all has happened since the last time I wrote, hmmm... My daughter called me yesterday and we are expecting grandchild number 3. I'm so excited that our little family unit is going to be a bigger unit. Since Samantha's death, our family has suffered so much and feels so little that having 3 little ones will sure be a blessing. I love being a grandma and want to have another grandson due to the 5 year old granddaughter is a complete handful. They both are but it seems that she is more so than he is. My daughter says there will be no more after this so I'm hoping for twins. That's probably not going to happen but a grandma can hope. I want 4 grandchildren total or 5 would be awesome but my daughter says they can't afford that many so 3 is all I'm getting. Work is going ok, glad the boss is back. Nothing to write about there. Nothing going on at home. Nothing going on much at school. Im a very boring person or rather, I just have a very boring life. My friend is coming up from Texas this weekend. This is before she moves back to Oregon at the end of the month. I'm really going to miss her but she is exhausting at times. I know she means well but wants all of my attention all of the time and that is exhausting. I'll be glad to see her since its been several months and hope she gets to stay til Monday but then I'll be ready for her to go home. That sounds awful of me but that's how I feel. What picture do I need to put on here? Let's find one of a baby toy.

2/19/2013 Free Write

Well, lets talk about my weekend. It was not great. I started having pancreas pains and had to go to the ER on Sunday for pain and naseau medicine. I really thought the pancreatitis flare-ups was over and that I was done with them. I know they are better than they used to be and I should be greatful that it's been almost 2 years since a hospital stay but this illness has taken so much from me. So after getting the pain and naseau medicine I end up with a migraine. That lasted most of yesterday and when it finally eased, I was able to work on my homework. I got what I needed to do done. Christian came by and brought 3 puppies for me to see. I don't know if I want one or not. They are going to give me one free but it's one of the runts and Im not sure I want a runt. They are super cute and sweet but I don't know if they will grow to be big like their parents which is what i want. I also need to decide if I want to deal with house-breaking. Kyia and Oliver are done and I dont have to worry about them chewing things up either. They are out of that stage, a new puppy would go through messing in the house and chewing on things.

Happy Valentine's Day

What do I want to chat about today? How about the guilt of not studying for my Algebra quiz last night long enough? I couldn't help it. I was too tired after working out at the gym and I have to go to a tutor for the Algebraic sentences that we are doing now because I just don't understand what I'm supposed to do. Yesterday was a very busy day. I had to go to therapy at 7am then I had to go to work, then to Joplin and to the gym. A very busy day for me. I did however get to spend the afternoon with my best friend since we went to Joplin together for work and had lunch there. It was nice, we don't get to spend enough time together. Wonder if the husband is going to send me flowers today? I dont care if he doesn't but I'm still wondering. We are going to make a Thanksgiving dinner tonight for our Valentine meal. I keep going back and correcting my typing errors even though we are supposed to just type away and not worry about the errors. Guess the more we free write the better we will become. Research papers was just thrown out there in class today. Ugh!!! I hope that is something I can master.

On Dumpster Diving - 02/12/13

Angela Gossett Response Essay #1 by

Free Write 2-12-13

I am so happy! I got a 47 out of 50 on my paper. I know that the instructor helped me with it but I feel I learned a lot from his help and think I will be able to do the next one more on my own. Today is going to be a good day, I can feel it. I just dont want bad weatherr to come in on us tonight. I have to go to my therapy appointment in the morning so the weather has to be nice to me so I wont be so scared to drive in it. I haven't been to therapy in almost 2 months and I feel it. I feel like a big load is on my shoulders and once I go to therepy, it's lifted. Dr Halloway is a wonderful therapist. Most people are happy about their cars, their money, clothes, things of that nature. Me, I'm happy about my therapist, how strange is that? She has kept me from going insane. She has kept me from falling off the deep end since losing Samantha. I can't believe her birthday is in a few months and she would have been 20. Almost losing her 4 years ago still feels like yesterday to me. It feels like I haven't hugged her in forever but the accident seems like it was just days ago. She's so beautiful and had so much to offer this ugly world. I wish I would have had more children. Dallynn is all alone and I hate that for her. The two of them were so close.