Janina (Wiesen) Redfield was born on June 20, 1921 in Boryslaw Poland. After the German occupation of Poland, Janina survived the Holocaust by escaping from a slave labor camp and going into hiding until the liberation. Following WWII, Janina married Isaac Redfield and came to the United States in 1949. She lived in Newark NJ, Yonkers NY, Lake Forest CA, Alpharetta GA, and spent her remaining years in Hilton Head SC where she passed away on February 6, 2017 at the age of 95.
This is site is dedicated to memorializing her amazing story of survival and to share the amazing legacy she has left behind.
Komarno, Poland
1919
Janina’s father, Israel Wiesen in his Polish Army Uniform
Komarno, Poland
1919
Janina’s mother, father, and uncle
Israel was on maneuvers in Komarno, Chana’s hometown. That is where they met and fell in love. Chana’s brother Morris was chaperoning.
Boryslaw, Poland
1924
Janina, her brother, and her great-grandfather
Janina (Scheindel) Wiesen, Zigmunt Wiesen and Lipa Horshowski
Rozwadow, Poland
1920’s
Zindel and Blima Wiesen’s family
Birth order of the eight Wiesen siblings (oldest to youngest): Moses Judah, Israel, Norman, Leon, Regina, Bella (Bertha), Yoheved, Jacob
Bottom Row: Leon, Blima, Moses Judah
Top Row: Jacob, Bella (Bertha), Yoheved, Norman
Missing from picture: Israel – Living in Boryslaw Regina – Living in Berlin
Rozwadow, Poland
1937-1938
Wiesen extended family
Bottom (l to r): Bella (Bertha) Reiss, Yoheved Szpigel, Blima, Regina (? Married name), unknown daughter in law or fiancée
Top (l to r) Solomon Reiss, Mordechai Szpigel, Moses Judah, Israel, Leon, Jacob
Missing from picture: Norman
Boryslaw, Poland
1938
Janina’s school friends
Janina (Scheindel) Wiesen and friends
Schodnica, Ukraine
1938
Janina visiting aunt’s house
Janina (Scheindel) Wiesen and friends
Schodnica, Ukraine
1938
Janina visiting aunt’s house
Janina (Scheindel) Wiesen
Boryslaw, Poland
1938
Janina’s parents
Israel Wiesen and Chana Wiesen (Horshowski)
German occupied Boryslaw
1940
Janina during WWII
Janina (Scheindel) Wiesen and other forced laborers peeling potatoes during the German occupation of the Boryslaw region
“During the war, I’ll tell you, there were times that I said, “Why can’t I be a dog, a cat, an animal, or something, but just not a person, not a Jew?” That’s how I felt. They robbed us of everything you felt about yourself.”
In 2001, Janina gave an emotional first hand account of her experiences during the war, her eventual escape and hiding, and what it was like to live again after the war had ended.
Post War
1946
Janina and Isaac dating
Janina (Scheindel) Wiesen and Isaac Lipowicz
DP Camp Wasseralfingen in Aalen, Germany
1948
Janina with her son Carl
Janina (Scheindel) Wiesen Lipowicz and Karl Lipowicz
Newark, NJ
1950
Janina in America
Janina Wiesen Redfield
Los Angeles, CA
1962
Janina visiting her uncle’s family in Los Angeles, California
(l to r) Gertrude Wiesen, Isaac Redfield, Zorina Wiesen, Norman Wiesen, and Janina Redfield.
Hilton Head, SC
2015
Janina welcoming her family in Hilton Head, SC
Back row (l to r) Carl Redfield, David Redfield, Amy Redfield Rubin, Jonathan Rubin
Front row (l to r) Charlotte Lesure, Melanie Lesure, Valerie Redfield, Janina Redfield, Juliette Redfield
Hilton Head, SC
2016
Janina with family
Surrounding Janina Redfield (l to r) Amy Redfield Rubin, Devon Bergman, Emily Rubin Bergman, Diana Rubin, Judah Bergman
2017
Obituary for Janina Wiesen Redfield
Born June 20, 1921
Died February 6, 2017
Pacific View Memorial Park Newport Beach, CA
2017
In this photo:
Norman and Gertrude Wiesen’s Family: Irv and Rena (Wiesen) Eisenstein, Brad and Gail Eisenstein, Lauren Eisenstein, Sean Eisenstein, Paul and Denise (Eisenstein) Potvin, (missing from picture Garret Potvin, Cameron Potvin)
Israel and Chana Wiesen’s Family: Carl Redfield (and friend), David and Valerie Redfield, Juliette Redfield, Charlotte Lesure, Melanie Lesure, Jonathan and Amy (Redfield) Rubin, Devon and Emily (Rubin) Bergman, Judah Bergman, Theodore and Diana (Rubin) Pease
Pacific View Memorial Park, Newport Beach, CA
December 28, 2017
This website was created with love by Devon Bergman (husband of Emily (Redfield) Bergman, Janina’s granddaughter, and father of Judah Bergman, Janina’s great-grandson)