1934 - Private

Home    Search    Print    Login    Add Bookmark

• Birth	13 Nov 1934	Budapest (Budapest) Hungary
  Gender	Female
  Died	Private
  Person ID	I29201	Brainard (Brainerd) / Foster / Fish
  Last Modified	30 Jan 2005 00:00:00
  Married	22 Jun 1957	Canton (Stark) Ohio
  Notes	1957, June 22: Eric Johnen married Paulette Koller in Canton, Ohio and they became the parents of Louis Eric Johnen, II. on January 4, 1962. (Johnen family research by David C. Beato from family records and conversations) (Johnen Archives) Note: Information certification by Paulette Koller Randall and William Roberts Randall. (Johnen family research by David C. Beato from family records and conversations) (Johnen Archives) (Randall Archives)
  Family ID	F11982	Group Sheet
  Family 2	William Roberts (b) RANDALL, b. 8 Jun 1932, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio
  Married	13 Apr 1963	Clifton, Cincinnati (Hamilton) Ohio
  Notes	1963, April 13: Paulette, daughter of Michael Paul and Adrienne N. (Kerekes) Koller, widow of Eric Louis Johnen and William, son of Everett H. and Helene (Roberts) Randall were married at the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Clifton, Cincinnati, Ohio by the Rev. Robert J. Netting, DD with his son, William J, Netting as best man.
  Children	1. Robert Hale RANDALL, b. 3 Aug 1969, Pasadena (Los Angeles) California
  Family ID	F117	Group Sheet

• Notes

  1934, November 13: Paulette Koller was born at the University Hospital in Budapest, Hungary. The family was living in Mandok (Szabolcs) Hungary at the time. "Birth Certificate" translation from Hungarian to English; Document Number 3008345517; Budapest, Hungary, November 15, 1934 Paulette Koller Time Line 1944, Fall: Family left Village of Bustyahaza in the Carpathian Mountains of Hungary. 1945, March 30: Family left Hungarian territory and entered into German on "Good Friday". 1945 to 1949 - Lived in Amberg, Grafenkirchen in Germany. 1948. June 9: Arrived in New York City aboard the "General Hahn" and traveled by train to Canton, Ohio. 1949, June to September: Lived with the Russell and Adelaide Burt family. Moved to an apartment in New Philadelphia, Ohio and later to McConnelsville (Morgan) Ohio. 1956, August 20: Naturalized American Citizen, #7168282, Common Pleas Court of Morgan County, Ohio Letter from Michael Paul Koller to the "Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States"; Washington, D.C.; August 20, 1956 (Koller Archives) * * * * * * The following essay was written by Paulette Randall for an American Legion contest in New Philadelphia and tells the story of her early childhood in Hungary and Germany. "What Old Glory Means To Me" To me, "Old Glory" means much more than to anybody I know. I was a child until I was ten. The small angel brought me the toys at Christmas. Santa Claus crammed my shoes with all the sweet stuff I could imagine. The Easter Bunny brought me the fancy colored eggs at Easter time. And through the sky-blue eyes of my mother, Through her tinkling voice all birds sang for me and all little flowers told their fairy tales just for me. I tempted asleep and awoke to dream the day. We lived in the Carpathian Mountains of Hungary when I was ten and life began to change around me. It was 1944. We heard every day the thundering of the canons from the far East. My mother's eyes were filled with tears; my father was silent and I was often left alone. On a hazy day of the fall, at about four o'clock at night, were were awaken and taking the most useful things with us, left our home; we were put on a truck going into the unknown. I did not know that from that time, I would become a person with responsibilities and duties. We went among thousands and thousands, like people who escaped from a place where the world went under, driven by the fear of the Asiatic atrocities. We passed familiar towns and villages. Acquainted and relations were left behind because they were old or because of other reasons remained at the place where they were born. The noise of the battles came always nearer and we went at night and the days became night. In the capital of the country in Budapest we spent a few days at my mother's sister's crammed into a small apartment. My parents did not want to remain in the city with the population three times that of peaceful times. Keeping smaller or bigger rests at spots, we went on, but here on any vehicles available already as we had to leave the truck in the capital. Continually within the battles we nearly got lost. Twice we came within no-man's land and at night on round about ways succeeded to in escaping. On the border of our country, with little belongings in our hands, with two children filled with sorrow and desperation, my parents had to decided to stop or leave our native country, perhaps for ever. It was the last city in which we spent some weeks, mostly in cellars and changing them after the house above us was destroyed. On "Good Friday", again at four o'clock in the morning, father and mother took our belongings; I was in charge of my small brother, and with a little four wheeled barrow, we started to one of the highways leading to the West. From early morning until late in the afternoon, we waited for some merciful vehicle, but in vain. We wanted to go back already into the cellar again; meanwhile, however, the barrow was stolen and we stayed undecidedly. Hearing the planes which flew like bugs in May, and strew their bombs like the storm the hail, we went into a nearby cellar of a house when late at dusk a lovely truck came bound for Austria and it took us up. We drove through burning villages, dead corpses or animals and men, to the West. Our city, the last native land we left, lit with towering fires out way and burnt remaining scars into our hearts on "Good Friday". It took us about a month to get into the Bavarian forests, west enough for safety. We came there by traveling day and night, living in barns, stables, between cattle and horses and in road side ditches, under continuous threat from the planes and from the early cold weather. It was Grafenkirchen, a peaceful little village in the woods which we reached. Calm and silent while the rest of the world around us was aflame and lay in ruins. It was strange to be in a foreign country with a different language and habits, and to live from nothing at such times. At first we were put into the empty school house; father was a Forest-Engineer; thus later we received a tiny room in the forester's house, which was our kitchen, living and bedroom from then on for four more years. Soon I was told the Americans were coming from the West. We hid in the woods, between the rocks, fearing that some shooting might arise in the village. Those were some awful nights for me, but the Americans did not come until one morning we awoke and I saw some soldiers coming in the fields, I ran and told my father, who was in the yard. Yes, they were Americans! We all hurried and hid in the washroom. When they came they demanded that we open the door. My father, who knew English spoke to them and they were glad that someone knew English. They did not hurt us. They took my father with them to help them. It was a big relief for us. After a time they set up a military government in the nearby city and they asked my father if he would work for them; he accepted the offer with joy. Now he had some income and we could buy some food and clothing. He worked with the Forest Administration, caring for fuel wood for the troops and camps. His payments were in the cheap German money however, for what little could be bought, but at least the meager rationed food on the food cards. We children attended the German schools and learned the language. At the same time we all had to fight for our daily living. In this village a quart of milk and some potatoes, in the woods blueberries, mushrooms, fallen fruit. These were regularly collected and thus patched together our living from breakfast till lunch and from one day to the other. Thus did we live through years and I could see the worry in the eyes of my parents for the uncertain, unpromising future. It sometimes overcame me to, and though we sere a family with one heart, yet we were under the shadow of a cloud. Constantly fearing at the same time that a new war might break out and the Bolsheviks would overrun us overnight. I was thirteen and here in this misery our dear mother was robbed from our midst by a fateful accident. Since this time my burden and duties have been double. I have to make up for our mother's love to us all. Since thirteen till now, I care alone for our household. Still back in peace time and American student came to our house. My father was tutoring him in European Forestry. His address was in mother's brief case and we wrote him asking him for any kind of help. A year and a half went by without any news and at once, hard to believe, he sent us an affidavit, and through the Displaced Persons Act, we received an immigration permit into the United States of America. After many examinations lasting for some months, there came the day when we were put on the train; we went to Bremerhaven and with the "General Hahn" U.S. ship with the "Stars and Stripes" on the mast, we sailed across the ocean towards a new home. My dreams surrounded my new country; I could hardly believe they are a reality. After ten days, we finally approached the New York Harbor. There, beyond the mist we could see the sky-scrapers which rose up like giants. The Statue of Liberty, with its arm outstretched, seemed to welcome us to the promised land. When leaving the ship, entering the land, we lifted our eyes to the "Old Glory" that represents our new country and the Americans who adopted us. Emerging from misery and humiliation, I can be joyful and happy again, have faith in myself and my future and can serve freely my country and people to enlarge our Common Glory. And when the flag is being raised, it uplifts me in faith for thanks to our Lord, the Creator of All. * * * * *