Rose Van Thyn
Encyclopedia
Rozette Lopes-Dias Van Thyn, known as Rose Van Thyn (September 19, 1921–June 27, 2010), was a survivor of the World War II
Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland
, who as a naturalized United States citizen residing in Shreveport
, Louisiana
, was involved for three decades in education about the Holocaust.
Rose lost both parents, a sister, and her first husband, Moses Lezer, in the death camps. She met a fellow survivor, Levie/Louis van Thijn (July 6, 1919–August 27, 2008), whose first wife, Esther Halberstad, had died in the Holocaust at Sobibor
. Rose and Louis married in Amsterdam in 1946. Nine years later, the Van Thijns and their two children, Nico and Elsa, immigrated to Shreveport, where the spelling of their name was changed to "Van Thyn". Their immigration was sponsored by the Shreveport Jewish Federation and the family of A.A. "Abe" Gilbert (1895–1966), owner of a pipe supply company. After the mandatory five-year wait, Louis, Rose, and their children became U.S. citizens on May 23, 1961. For several decades, she related her life story before civic groups, churches, and schools throughout northwest Louisiana, often making a lasting impression on her listeners.
. A memorial service was held on July 11, 2010, at Brown Memorial Chapel at Centenary College
in Shreveport. She will be honored with a plaque at the Centenary rose garden and a bench at Louisiana State University in Shreveport
. Centenary also has the Van Thyn Endowed Professorship Chair; LSU-S, the Rose and Louis Van Thyn Master of Liberal Arts Scholarship.
The Van Thyns' son, Nico (born June 16, 1947), is a 1969 journalism
graduate of Louisiana Tech University
in Ruston
who was a sports writer/editor in Shreveport for two decades and later a sports copy editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
in Fort Worth
, Texas
. He and his wife, Bea, reside in Fort Worth. The Van Thyns' daughter, Elsa A. Van Thyn (born June 20, 1951) is a social worker. She and her husband, Jim Wellen, reside in Voorhees, New Jersey
. Louis and Rose were also survived by five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Van Thyn was an Attaway
Fellow in Civic Culture at Centenary College. In 2002, Centenary awarded her an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. In 2003, Louis and Rose Van Thyn were recognized for her civic support by the National Conference for Community and Justice
, formerly known as the National Conference of Christians and Jews. She also received the Liberty Bell Award from the Shreveport Bar Association.
Shreveport Mayor
Cedric Glover
expressed sorrow on Van Thyn's death: "It is a tremendous loss not just to Shreveport but to the entire world to know that someone who possessed the knowledge and experience and the history that she lived has now passed on."
"Rose was the most remarkable human being you would ever meet in your life. She and Louis escaped horrors none of us could even imagine," said Ron Nierman, a family friend and grandson of Abe Gilbert.
Nico Van Thyn describes his mother as "a very determined, very deep, very complex person. She loved to speak at schools and civic clubs for anyone who wanted to hear about her experiences. She felt like it was her mission to try to educate as many kids and people in general about the Holocaust. She wanted to teach them about why it happened and how it happened, what happened to her, and about racial and religious prejudice."
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, who as a naturalized United States citizen residing in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, was involved for three decades in education about the Holocaust.
The Holocaust
In 1942, when the Nazis occupied Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Rose and her family were taken to Auschwitz. They were placed on a railroad cattle car with nearly one hundred other people and two buckets, one for drinking, and one for waste. At Auschwitz, she underwent gruesome medical experiments. Later she was dispatched to Ravensbrueck and managed to survive a "death march" at the end of the war. She was liberated by American soldiers.Rose lost both parents, a sister, and her first husband, Moses Lezer, in the death camps. She met a fellow survivor, Levie/Louis van Thijn (July 6, 1919–August 27, 2008), whose first wife, Esther Halberstad, had died in the Holocaust at Sobibor
Sobibór
Sobibór is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Włodawa, within Włodawa County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies close to the Bug River, which forms the border with Belarus and Ukraine. Sobibór is approximately south-east of Włodawa and east of the regional capital...
. Rose and Louis married in Amsterdam in 1946. Nine years later, the Van Thijns and their two children, Nico and Elsa, immigrated to Shreveport, where the spelling of their name was changed to "Van Thyn". Their immigration was sponsored by the Shreveport Jewish Federation and the family of A.A. "Abe" Gilbert (1895–1966), owner of a pipe supply company. After the mandatory five-year wait, Louis, Rose, and their children became U.S. citizens on May 23, 1961. For several decades, she related her life story before civic groups, churches, and schools throughout northwest Louisiana, often making a lasting impression on her listeners.
Death and legacy
Van Thyn, who was a seamstress by occupation, died at the age of eighty-eight. Her body was donated to the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center ShreveportLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport is the academic center for medicine and medical research in North Louisiana. It is located in Shreveport and is part of the Louisiana State University System. The medical school opened in 1969. One of its founders was Dr. Joe E...
. A memorial service was held on July 11, 2010, at Brown Memorial Chapel at Centenary College
Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
in Shreveport. She will be honored with a plaque at the Centenary rose garden and a bench at Louisiana State University in Shreveport
Louisiana State University in Shreveport
Louisiana State University in Shreveport is a branch of the Louisiana State University System in Shreveport, Louisiana. Opened in 1967, LSUS is the only public four-year university in the Shreveport-Bossier metro area....
. Centenary also has the Van Thyn Endowed Professorship Chair; LSU-S, the Rose and Louis Van Thyn Master of Liberal Arts Scholarship.
The Van Thyns' son, Nico (born June 16, 1947), is a 1969 journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
graduate of Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
who was a sports writer/editor in Shreveport for two decades and later a sports copy editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He and his wife, Bea, reside in Fort Worth. The Van Thyns' daughter, Elsa A. Van Thyn (born June 20, 1951) is a social worker. She and her husband, Jim Wellen, reside in Voorhees, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Louis and Rose were also survived by five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Van Thyn was an Attaway
Douglas F. Attaway
Douglas F. "Doug" Attaway, Jr., was president and publisher of the defunct Shreveport Journal , a daily newspaper in northwest Louisiana. He was chairman of the board of KSLA-TV, the Shreveport, Louisisana CBS affiliate from 1966 until the channel was sold to Viacom in 1979...
Fellow in Civic Culture at Centenary College. In 2002, Centenary awarded her an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. In 2003, Louis and Rose Van Thyn were recognized for her civic support by the National Conference for Community and Justice
National Conference for Community and Justice
The National Conference for Community and Justice is a national, human relations, non-profit organization in the United States. Its mission is to fight bias, bigotry, and racism and promote understanding and respect through advocacy, conflict resolution, and education.The NCCJ was founded in 1927...
, formerly known as the National Conference of Christians and Jews. She also received the Liberty Bell Award from the Shreveport Bar Association.
Shreveport Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Cedric Glover
Cedric Glover
Cedric Bradford Glover is the Democratic mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana -- the first African American to hold the position.Outgoing Mayor Keith Hightower was term-limited in 2006, after having won election in both 1998 and 2002...
expressed sorrow on Van Thyn's death: "It is a tremendous loss not just to Shreveport but to the entire world to know that someone who possessed the knowledge and experience and the history that she lived has now passed on."
"Rose was the most remarkable human being you would ever meet in your life. She and Louis escaped horrors none of us could even imagine," said Ron Nierman, a family friend and grandson of Abe Gilbert.
Nico Van Thyn describes his mother as "a very determined, very deep, very complex person. She loved to speak at schools and civic clubs for anyone who wanted to hear about her experiences. She felt like it was her mission to try to educate as many kids and people in general about the Holocaust. She wanted to teach them about why it happened and how it happened, what happened to her, and about racial and religious prejudice."