IF YOU HEARD WHAT MICHAL HEARD

MICHAL SHARES THE STORY OF HER GRANDMOTHER, EDITH CARTER, WHO WAS BORN IN DEUTSCH HAUSE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA. SHE WAS THE THIRD OF FIVE CHILDREN. HER FAMILY LIVED IN DEUTSCH HAUSE FOR THREE GENERATIONS AND OWNED A DISTILLERY, MAKING THEM A PROMINENT FAMILY IN THE TOWN. THEY EVENTUALLY MOVED THE FAMILY BUSINESS TO THE LOCAL BIG CITY OF OLOMUC.

IN 1937, EDITH MARRIED ERNST KARTER AND MOVED WITH HIM TO FULNEK, CZECHOSLOVAKIA. AFTER THE MUNICH AGREEMENT IN 1938, WHEN NAZI GERMANY TOOK OVER THE SUDETENLAND REGION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA, THEY MOVED BACK TO BE WITH HER FAMILY IN OLOMUC. WHEN THE GERMANS TOOK OVER THEIR CITY, THE FAMILY’S BUSINESS WAS CONFISCATED, AND EDITH WAS FORCED TO WORK FOR THE NAZIS. IN 1942, EDITH AND HER FAMILY WERE DEPORTED TO THE TEREZIN (THERESIENSTADT) CONCENTRATION CAMP, WHERE THEY LIVED FOR TWO YEARS. IN 1944, EDITH WAS TRANSPORTED TO AUSCHWITZ, WHERE SHE SPENT TWO MONTHS BEFORE BEING SENT TO SEVERAL LABOR CAMPS.

IN 1945, SHE WAS FORCED ONTO A DEATH MARCH, THE “MARCH TO THE SEA”, INTENDED TO KILL THE REMAINING JEWS BEFORE THE RUSSIANS ARRIVED. SHE MARCHED FOR WEEKS WITH ALMOST NO FOOD AND LITTLE CLOTHING BUT MANAGED TO ESCAPE. EVENTUALLY, SHE WAS FOUND BY THE RUSSIANS AND TAKEN TO SAFETY.  IN 1945, EDITH RETURNED TO OLOMUC AND REBUILT HER FAMILY’S BUSINESS WHILE WAITING FOR LOVED ONES TO RETURN. SHE LEARNED THAT HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN KILLED DURING THE WAR. ERNST’S COUSIN, GUSTAV CARTER, WAS ALREADY LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES. UPON LEARNING THAT EDITH SURVIVED, HE WENT TO CZECHOSLOVAKIA TO FIND HER. IN AUGUST 1947, EDITH AND GUSTAV MARRIED.

IN 1948 WHEN THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA NATIONALIZED HER FAMILY BUSINESS, EDITH LEFT TO JOIN HER HUSBAND GUSTAV IN THE UNITED STATES. ONCE SETTLED IN AMERICA, THEY BUILT A NEW LIFE AND A FAMILY THAT CONTINUES TO GROW AND THRIVE TODAY.

IF YOU HEARD WHAT MICHAL HEARD, YOU WOULD NEVER FORGET.