The Life Story of Elisabeth Isaac

Elisabeth Isaac
October 25, 1911 to April 7, 2011

Elisabeth Isaac was born in 1911, in Alexanerfeld, Ukraine as the third child to Wilhelm and Katerina Klassen. Her father was a farmer, and Elisabeth helped around the farm in many ways. She married John Isaac on December 17, 1933 and was his wife for 69 years. In 1937, Elisabeth's father was taken away by the Russian KGB and he was never returned to the family. Her mother died 10 years later.

Elisabeth was baptized in 1942, when the churches were free again to gather in the Ukraine. Elisabeth and John had five children, however, their two youngest daughters both died in their childhood. In October 1943 the German army removed the family from their home in the Ukraine, and by March of 1944 they had been relocated to Poland. Shortly after that John was drafted into the German army and Elisabeth continued to raise the children on her own. In January 1945, Elisabeth and the chidlren were moved to Germany. They were eventually discovered by the Soviets, and were sent back to the Soviet Union as prisoners in October 1945. During the next 10 years, Elisabeth was forced to work in the forests of Bashkiria. They had to clear trees and pile logs. In 1958 the family moved to Kazakhstan. Here, Elisabeth was able to take care of the family and her home. She also enjoyed the birth of several of her grandchildren.

Elisabeth had no contact with John while he was in the German army. Finally, in 1956, she received a letter from him, 12 years after she had last seen him. John had immigrated to Canada in 1948 and settled in the St. Catharines area. He began to make arrangements for the family to move to Canada in the late 1950s. Elisabeth and her oldest daughter, Tina, were finally able to join John in November of 1966.

Elisabeth and John were separated from each other for 22 years. They were privileged to share many happy years together after they were reunited. In 1971, their son, John, and his family were allowed to come to Canada and join the family. And their daughter, Aganeta, and her family were permitted to come to Canada in 1973. After all these years of separation, the family was happy to be together again. They thanked God for the gift of restoring the family and blessing them with a new life in Canada.

After settling in Canada, Elisabeth enjoyed taking care of the home and family. She enjoyed many hobbies such as crocheting, quilting and needlepoint. She was also a talented seamstress.

The whole family enjoyed renting cottages in the summer at Golden Lake in Killaloe, Ontario. Elisabeth loved gardening and had a beautiful rose garden in front of their house on Agar Drive in St. Catharines. The entire family shared many special meals and good times at this home. Christmas Eve was special and the family would always gather to celebrate the holidays. Some special dishes remembered by the grandchildren were Vereneke, baked cheesecake with the diamond pattern topping, thin pancakes, homemade noodles, and many other baked goods. Her recipes were always a secret, even if she would tell you the ingredients.

Elisabeth Isaac died at the age of 99 years and 5 months at Tabor Manor Nursing home. She was a strong and determined woman who was able to overcome many difficulties while still smiling. She enjoyed sharing stories with others and had a terrific sense of humour. Elisabeth is survived by her children: Tina Wiens, John Isaak (Elfrieda) and Aganeta Schmidt. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by two daughters, eight brothers and sisters, two sons-in-law and by her dear husband, John.