Biographical information and photo from obituary.
Ellianna was born to Gustav and Ida Anna Rach on March 20, 1928 in Gr. Wilmsdorf, East Prussia (Germany). She went to school in her hometown and later at a pediatric teaching hospital in Konigsberg, East Prussia. During the latter part of World War II on January 21, 1945, the Russian Army surrounded the city in what would become the Battle of Konigsberg. Ellianna, at the age of 15, was forced to hastily pack a few necessities and was evacuated on a Red Cross train to destinations unknown. She was on the very last civilian refugee train out of the city. Of those who were not able to evacuate, over 300,000 lost their lives. Ellianna spent the next four years on the run with only the clothes on her back, including 2 years in a Russian labor camp. She never saw her family again, later learning her mother, father and sister were brutally murdered during the war. She was able to escape the camp and walked nine weeks to safety, eventually finding her way to sail on a ship to Mobile, AL where she was taken in by a local family, Dr. Zieman. Ellianna eventually met Bud, who was stationed in Mobile in the Navy, and the rest is history. She spoke five languages and was an assistant professor at Alabama A&M and Oakwood College in Huntsville in the mid-1960's, but for the past 45 years her sole calling in life has been that of a wonderful loving mother and "Omi" (Grandmother in German).
Ellianna was born to Gustav and Ida Anna Rach on March 20, 1928 in Gr. Wilmsdorf, East Prussia (Germany). She went to school in her hometown and later at a pediatric teaching hospital in Konigsberg, East Prussia. During the latter part of World War II on January 21, 1945, the Russian Army surrounded the city in what would become the Battle of Konigsberg. Ellianna, at the age of 15, was forced to hastily pack a few necessities and was evacuated on a Red Cross train to destinations unknown. She was on the very last civilian refugee train out of the city. Of those who were not able to evacuate, over 300,000 lost their lives. Ellianna spent the next four years on the run with only the clothes on her back, including 2 years in a Russian labor camp. She never saw her family again, later learning her mother, father and sister were brutally murdered during the war. She was able to escape the camp and walked nine weeks to safety, eventually finding her way to sail on a ship to Mobile, AL where she was taken in by a local family, Dr. Zieman. Ellianna eventually met Bud, who was stationed in Mobile in the Navy, and the rest is history. She spoke five languages and was an assistant professor at Alabama A&M and Oakwood College in Huntsville in the mid-1960's, but for the past 45 years her sole calling in life has been that of a wonderful loving mother and "Omi" (Grandmother in German).
Biographical information and photo from obituary.
Ellianna was born to Gustav and Ida Anna Rach on March 20, 1928 in Gr. Wilmsdorf, East Prussia (Germany). She went to school in her hometown and later at a pediatric teaching hospital in Konigsberg, East Prussia. During the latter part of World War II on January 21, 1945, the Russian Army surrounded the city in what would become the Battle of Konigsberg. Ellianna, at the age of 15, was forced to hastily pack a few necessities and was evacuated on a Red Cross train to destinations unknown. She was on the very last civilian refugee train out of the city. Of those who were not able to evacuate, over 300,000 lost their lives. Ellianna spent the next four years on the run with only the clothes on her back, including 2 years in a Russian labor camp. She never saw her family again, later learning her mother, father and sister were brutally murdered during the war. She was able to escape the camp and walked nine weeks to safety, eventually finding her way to sail on a ship to Mobile, AL where she was taken in by a local family, Dr. Zieman. Ellianna eventually met Bud, who was stationed in Mobile in the Navy, and the rest is history. She spoke five languages and was an assistant professor at Alabama A&M and Oakwood College in Huntsville in the mid-1960's, but for the past 45 years her sole calling in life has been that of a wonderful loving mother and "Omi" (Grandmother in German).
Ellianna was born to Gustav and Ida Anna Rach on March 20, 1928 in Gr. Wilmsdorf, East Prussia (Germany). She went to school in her hometown and later at a pediatric teaching hospital in Konigsberg, East Prussia. During the latter part of World War II on January 21, 1945, the Russian Army surrounded the city in what would become the Battle of Konigsberg. Ellianna, at the age of 15, was forced to hastily pack a few necessities and was evacuated on a Red Cross train to destinations unknown. She was on the very last civilian refugee train out of the city. Of those who were not able to evacuate, over 300,000 lost their lives. Ellianna spent the next four years on the run with only the clothes on her back, including 2 years in a Russian labor camp. She never saw her family again, later learning her mother, father and sister were brutally murdered during the war. She was able to escape the camp and walked nine weeks to safety, eventually finding her way to sail on a ship to Mobile, AL where she was taken in by a local family, Dr. Zieman. Ellianna eventually met Bud, who was stationed in Mobile in the Navy, and the rest is history. She spoke five languages and was an assistant professor at Alabama A&M and Oakwood College in Huntsville in the mid-1960's, but for the past 45 years her sole calling in life has been that of a wonderful loving mother and "Omi" (Grandmother in German).
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