For the past month, Lyons Middle School students have been reading "Surviving Hitler, Evading Stalin." On Wednesday, students had the opportunity to meet the author, Sherye Green, and the heroine of the story, Mildred Schindler Janzen. Mildred was born in the United States, but soon returned to her parents' homeland in Germany. During World War II, Mildred's town of Radach became occupied by Russia in their efforts to end German rule. However, Russian soldiers separated her family, killed her father, and took Mildred to a labor camp. Mildred eventually found her way back to her mother and brother, and they returned to their home. Soon, Polish soldiers invaded and displaced the family again. Mildred made her way to America, to Lorraine, KS. It was seven long years before she was reunited with her mother and brother. Mildred raised her four children with her husband, Leon, on a farm near Lorraine, and now lives in Ellsworth, KS. Encouraged by her family to share her story, her cousin introduced her to the author, and Mildred's story came to life for future generations. Her message of perseverance and courage in the face of adversity resonated with students as they saw the similarities of events in the world today. Students were riveted to her every word during her presentation as she shared her experiences.
