Helju Rossmann Schneider was born April 11,1935 at home on the family farm in Vändra.

She and her family fled Estonia on Sept 30, 1944 on a ship from Kuressaare.

Having survived the war with family intact, she lived in DP camps for the next 5 years, the last of which was Oldenburg.

Her family was finally sponsored by a family near Allentown, Pa.

Her father worked for 2 years as a farmer in exchange for home and some money.

Helju started 9th grade not knowing a word of English but was fluent by the end of the first year.

She graduated in 4 years and earned a scholarship at the Moore College of Art in Philadelphia.

She graduated in 1959 with a degree in graphic design and worked in that field until 1968.

She married Bernard Schneider in 1962 and after several moves including her husband's stint in the Air Force, she and her family settled in Dewitt, NY, a suburb of Syracuse.

She had three children: Karin in 1968 and twins Lisa and Erik in 1969.

Thereafter she devoted her time to homemaking, motherhood and charitable enterprises.

She and her husband traveled extensively visiting countries on 6 continents.

She returned many times to Estonia and reclaimed her family farm in Vändra which has been passed on to her children.

While WW2 ravaged the first 15 years of her life, relentless neurologic disease and progressive dementia savaged the last 15 years.

In the 56 years in between, she enjoyed a full life worth living.

She died at home on April 9th, 2021, 2 days before her 86th birthday.

Contributions can be made to the Helju Rossmann Schneider Scholarship fund at the Estonian-American Fund, Rockville, Maryland, 20852-9998, USA.

https://www.eafund.org/donate.html