Familie Höft aus Janowka

Helen Gillespie , Ottawa, Dienstag, 19.11.2024, 16:20 (vor 1 Tag, 15 Stunden, 48 Min.) @ Renate Kurz

Hello Renate,
Thank you for your response and also letting me write to you in English!  I do however read, write and speak German so you are most welcome to write in German.
I've had trouble replying to your post and hope this works.

 The Hoeft family is not my direct line.  My mother's sister, Leokadia Bethke married Gustav Kelm in Wolhynien in 1938 and it is his sister Mathilde Kelm who married Emil Hoeft. However, my family and the Hoefts and Schkalees fled Warthegau together and connected with Pauline Kelm Schachtschneider - another Kelm sister - near Lunenburg in 1945. After the war, Mathilde and her children immigrated to Canada sponsored through the Baptist church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, although some of the children went to America to connect with other family. Of the two surviving children of Mathilde and Emil Hoeft, Anna Hoeft Reinhardt lives in Michigan and Alma Hoeft Bonas lives in Winnipeg, I believe, based on the last information I have.

Jim Hoeft is a direct descndant of Mathilde and Emil Hoeft, but you have already reached out to him and I also sent him an email suggesting he check the Forum for Hoeft updates.

As you know, Emil Hoeft did die in the War on 28 Jan 1944 - in Italy somewhere and is buried at the German War Cemetery in Pomezia, Italy.  The German War Graves Commission has a link to his information.  It does NOT say WHERE he died, but the American invasion at Anzio, south of Rome, began on 22 Jan 1944.....Perhaps his war record in the Berlin Archives could help more. It appears that the German war dead were brought from different areas to be reburied in the Pomezia War cemetery as  noted in info provided to you from Regina Steffenson

Hope this helps your research. Best wishes and happy hunting....

Helen Gillespie (geb. Kukasch)