Magdalena had a happy childhood, but in 1944, her family was forced to flee along with the rest of the German inhabitants of Neu-Pasua. Magdalena’s father and older brother Adam were killed, but Magdalena, her mother, and brother Herbert continued from Austria to Hungary, and eventually to safety in Germany, where they were reunited with her brother Tony. They arrived in Karlsruhe, Germany, in March 1946, and for the first time in years, Magdalena felt safe and free. On her second day in a refugee camp near Karlsruhe, Magdalena met John. They married and immigrated to Canada with their infant son John in 1949, settling in Coaldale, Alta. Together, they rebuilt their lives and added 6 more children to their family. Magdalena served and worshipped faithfully at Coaldale MB Church for years. She was a warm, kind, loving, prayerful, and strong woman of deep faith.
