17 May, 2021

Dear Gerhard, Dear visitors,

It is my solemn, yet also affirmative duty, to advise that my mother, Anita Maria Makarewitsch, died in her sleep in the early hours of Friday, 14 May, 2021, whilst in the compassionate and dutiful care of staff at the Percy Baxter Lodges aged care home, Geelong, Australia.

She ceased her mortal life free of pain and stress, with her hands clasped together as in the act of being in prayer.

With her at the time she breathed her last were her son Andreas and her two only granddaughters Jessica and Melissa.

God has granted Anita her wish. Endlich, as she would have said.

I offer to visitors this link:

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/budget-2021-victorians-deliver-their-verdic...

Unfortunately, Anita never got to see the photo but she was comfortable in its creation, taken on Sunday afternoon, 09 May, 2021.

We grieve, yet, faith and trust in God inspires us and provides comfort in the knowledge that Anita has joined her husband Boris and parents and all the fraternity of ancestors from both sides.

Update:

I apologise to visitors who can't read German, as I'm writing all this in English. No doubt Google Translate will come to the rescue.

In discussions recently with my mother Anita about this website and its wealth of info regarding our ancestor Pastor Rudolf, I prompted her as to the vague details regarding brother Martin's demise in WWII: #4 ... Killed in the war.

I offer the following story in all humility and with a profound sense of sadness and loss- expressed here because Anita had to think about this for about, oh a second, before proceeding-in other words, her narrative was unfaltering and crystal clear. It was told me by her in person on Saturday evening, 10 April, 2021:

Martin was in a parade when the order was given for all who were Christian- all who espoused Chrstian values? were to step forward. he did so- so did others. He was subsequently shot. By the Wehrmacht? I did not ask.

As in instances like this, the story beckons further research and more questions and I am cognoscente of the sensitive and maybe even controversial nature of the theme.

It was 1943 and Anita was studying and working to become a nurse. I'm still unclear where she lived at the the time- i.e. at home. She is clear, that Rudolf did receive the true version of Martin's death and its manner.

Over the last two days I have been furiously reading and researching as to what extent the Nazis eliminated members of their own armed forces for holding religious, esp. Christian, beliefs. Wiki has helped: e.g. The Confessing Church.

Sincerely, Andreas