Elisabeth Isaac died Apr. 7, 2011 at 99. She was born Oct. 25, 1911 in Alexanderfeld, Ukraine. She helped her father on the farm until her marriage to John Isaac in 1933. In 1942, when the churches were allowed to meet, Elisabeth was baptized. She remained strong in her faith to the end. In 1943, the German army relocated the family to Poland. John was drafted by the German army in 1944, and Elisabeth and their children were moved to Germany in 1945. Months later, the Soviets sent the single mother to work in Bashkir Republic, Russia, clearing trees. Elisabeth moved to Kazakhstan in 1958, where she was free to care for her family and enjoy the arrival of grandchildren. She had no news of her husband until a letter arrived in 1956, saying he had immigrated to St. Catherines, Ont., in 1948. John initiated immigration proceedings, and in 1966, John, Elisabeth, and their eldest were reunited after 22 years. Their other children arrived in ’71 and ’74. Elisabeth was a determined woman, overcoming obstacles with a smile. She enjoyed sharing stories and kept her sense of humour. Predeceased by John, 2 daughters, 8 siblings, 2 sons-in-law; Elisabeth is mourned by children Tina (Frank) Wiens, John (Elfriede), Aganetha (Peter) Schmidt; 14 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren.
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