Yesterday our longtime friend Hannah Ring came to dinner. Afterwards as we were talking the conversation turned to how she had joined the church. As it happened she was raised in a village near Liege, Belgium, and was introduced to the gospel when very young by her aunt and uncle. Her father had been a member of the underground resistance during WW II, and disappeared in 1940 when she was three years old. Two years later her mother heard from someone that her husband was nearby, went to find him but never returned. So Hannah and her older sister were raised by her father's sister who had married a Pole and therefore had avoided registering during the German occupation as a Jew.
Her aunt and uncle hid a Jewish family in a little cubby under the stairs during the whole war. She told us that the family never left the house, and often had to scurry into the hiding space on short notice when they heard people coming to the house. It happened that the woman of the family, now in her eighties and who still keeps in close contact with the family that saved her, had been a good friend of Hannah's mother. So on her last trip home Hannah was able to record memories of her parents, whom she had never really known.
When she was nineteen Hannah was able to come to the University of Utah on a scholarship, then transferred to BYU. Whe taught French 301 at the Y, and even tutored Nugh Nibley's children in French.
How is it that she and her sister were able to escape Hitler's "final solution?" Part of their strategy was to change the spelling of their last name to Ryng to sound more Flemish. And her name was changed from Hannah to Henriette to sound more French. Years later she became Henriette Lusczeck, our friend and neighbor for some 24 years.
And that is the rest of the story.
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11 comments:
Wow! I'm glad I resisted the urge to scroll down to the bottom before reading the whole thing. Very, very cool. I was like, "Who is this Hannah Ring character?" haha. I never knew any of that about Henriette. Fascinating. And well told, Dad.
All of the things that you never know about your own friends!
She is a piece of world history. I wonder why we never knew all of this during all these years?
wow - her experience sounds similar to jutta major's experience. (she's a sister in our ward) very apropos - esp since i'm reading the hiding place.
Henriette alluded to much of what your dad recounted during her R.S. lessons years ago when she was a teacher. I am convinced everyone has a compelling story to tell - we just need to get it out of them - and it usually has to be on their terms.
So what would my compelling story be?
Wonderful story. Thanks for sharing it.
Someone should get an ORCA grant and do a documentary on her.
My sense is that she doesn't readily share her story, but obviously does under the right conditions. It is interesting that she married Hubert, who was a lifetime member of the church and had been raised in what was for fifty years or so East Germany. He also had a difficult time during and after the war, but made it across Europe and eventually to the US.
Well Phoebe, let us know what your terms are and maybe we can get it out of you.
Dad,
I also appreciate your Paul Harvey twist to the story. Man, I loved those books.
Great story Uncle!
The true ones are always the best!
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