The Scharna Sisters

Greiz, (East) Germany  (Christmas 1959)

Left to Right: Adelheid (1953); Irmhild (1956); Marion (1950-1981); Elisabeth (1952)

This is the last known photograph of the Scharna sisters taken while the family still lived

in the former East Germany.  One year later, in December 1960, the family fled to West

Germany.  Marion, the oldest daughter, became a grade school teacher, living in the Black

Forest city of Haiterbach.  She died tragically while vacationing in southern Italy in 1981.

Elisabeth, next oldest, is also a teacher today, lecturing in several subjects at a German

Army institute in Karlsruhe.  Adelheid attended a vocational institute in Heidelberg and,

for seven years, designed women's wear for the renowned German clothing firm "Betty

Barclay."  Today, she lives in Mannheim, married with one daughter, Katja, born in 1992.

Irmhild also taught school for two years but is today a sales and marketing manager for

The Dow Chemical Company at its European headquarters near Zurich, Switzerland.