My wife's grandmother passed away last night.
She was 94.
She grew up in Poland ... the family's last link to that world.
She survived the Holocaust in Poland due to her neighbors, who hid her and her family in the back of their barn (put a plank next to the back, so her family of 10 could hide).
Three of her family members died there in front of her.
When the war ended, the surviving family went back to their home and were almost killed by the 'new' tenant (post-Holocaust pogroms were common sadly).
The family made its way to Switzerland ... She was very sick due to what her body went through in those 3 years and has to be hospitalized to recover ... but she did meet her husband, who survived the camps, while hospitalized.
She struggled to have kids - her body went through a lot of trauma, but after many failed attempts, managed to have 2 children.
Her husband died from a heart attack when she was 60 ... he saw two grandchildren though.
She moved to Israel in '94 and despite many health issues (open heart surgery, problems with walking etc) she managed to host her 8 grandchildren every week for a meal, and spent quality time with her 12 great grandchildren (she'll miss seeing the 7th grandchild get married, and my next child later this year
) ...
This generation survived hell ...and they still managed to make the most of their lot, and bring happiness and love back into their worlds.
May her memory always be a blessing to those who knew her ...