Eugenia Wilkowska

Eugenia Wilkowska (nee Solemnik) was born on May 14, 1925, in Drazno, in eastern Poland (present-day Belarus).

Russian forces invaded Poland from the east two weeks after the Germans invaded from the west. At age 15, Eugenia was forcibly deported with her family to a labour camp in Siberia, whereshe was subjected to extremely harsh working conditions. Only Eugenia and her brother Eugeniusz survived.

When 'amnesty' was declared in June 1941 (when Germany attacked Russia, and Russia joined the Allies against Germany), the family was freed from the camp and made its way to the southern USSR to reach the Polish Army that was being formed there.The army evacuated to Persia, bringing as many civilians as possible with them.

Eugenia spent time in a number of refugee camps in Iran and India, before spending nearly 6 years in a Polish refugee Camp in East Africa.

After the war she was sent to England, where she reunited with her brother Eugeniusz. Both immigrated to Canada in 1952.

Eugenia passed away in Winnipeg on September 3, 2018.