My grandmother, Helena Konopka (Rothenberg)

Helena Teresa Maria Anna Konopka was born Malie Rothenberg in the town of Stryj, Galicia in 1902, the 2nd child of Pinkas Rothenberg and Feige Probst. Like her older sister Roza (Irena), Malie’s birth was recorded in the town’s Jewish Registry.

In March 2014 her grandaughter, Jennie Milne began to search for her grandparents and wrote to the magazine ‘Who Do You Think You Are? requesting help. Some months later their Jewish researcher, Genealogist Michael Tobias of Jewish Research Indexing (JRI) uncovered both girls records, unlocking a mystery which had endured a lifetime. Using his expertise Michael also built a large Probst family tree, however records for Helena’s father, Pinkas Rothenberg proved elusive.

Although born into the Jewish community, Malie, now known as ‘Helena’ converted to Catholicism to marry her first husband, Gustaw Kozdon in Lwow in 1926, a union which did not last.

In 1933 she married Stanislaw Lis, a Polish Officer and Government Minister in Warsaw. When the Germans invaded Poland in WW2 Stanislaw was called up from the reserves and fought in the September campaign. After time as a P.O.W he escaped Poland, eventually reuniting with his wife in the U.K. in 1942. Helena was thought to have escaped with the Polish Government. Her passport has recently come to light, documenting some of the journey she took through occupied Europe to reach British shores in 1940.

Helena joined the Polish Army under British Command in 1943 and was posted to Scotland. In November the same year she was seconded to London where the couples only child, Elizabeth Lis, was born. Helena had concealed the pregnancy, desperate to continue to in the Army, and made an unbelievable 236 mile journey to ‘hide’ her daughter in a wartime baby home in Hope Cove Devon when Elizabeth was approximately 10 days old. After promising staff she would send support and return to collect her daughter after the war, Helena rejoined her unit in Scotland, serving as a Staff Sergeant.

Sadly she was unable to locate her child after the war and did not see her again until Elizabeth traced her in 1964. During their brief reunion Helena confided details of her life to her daughter, including the murder of her brother by the Gestapo, and her young nephew’s survival after a near death beating by the Germans.

These details were confirmed by research and her brother Henryk’s birth certificate located. He was also born in Stryj and his birth registered in the Jewish registry in 1912. No further information about his life and murder during the Holocaust have yet come to light.

Mother and daughter were separated again in 1966, following a misunderstanding by Elizabeth (she failed to meet Helena at a prearranged location). Tragically they were never to see each other again.

During her lifetime Helena married three times and changed her name multiple times. She had been born into wealth and rose to the upper levels of Polish society prior to the war, but by her own testimony when the Russians invaded Poland they ‘took everything’. She remained terrified of being found and caught by the Russians and the Germans for the remainder of her life.

After the war she married Baron Jan Konopka, Adjutant to General Anders, a man she deeply loved, pretending to be 11 years younger to match his age. After Jan’s premature death in 1968, Helena lived alone in the United Kingdom, although she maintained contact with her sister Irena who had emigrated to the U.S.A and Irena’s son, her nephew James Russocki.

James, came to visit his Aunt in London on a few occasions, bringing his daughters with him. James memoirs shed light on Helena’s background and confirmed some of the research undertaken regarding her family. The pair were extremely close, sharing a history in Poland and a strong family bond despite unimaginable loss, however, it is believed James never knew of the existence of his 1st cousin Elizabeth.

Helena lived her final years in a Polish nursing home in Lincolnshire (unbelievably a fifteen minute drive from her grandaughters house) during the 1990’s. She died at the age of 98 in October 2000 having successfully concealed her true age for most of her long life. Her death certificate records her date of birth as 1913 and her maiden name as Solomirecka. Malie Rothenberg could never have been traced from these details.

Discoveries continue to be made regarding her life, including the battered Passport she used to flee Europe , but perhaps the most poignant discovery to date has been a photograph of Elizabeth, taken during the ‘60’s and found amongst her possessions. She never forgot her daughter.

Helena’s life has been pieced together from Elizabeth’s written notes and oral testimony, multiple records found internationally, and with family photographs and collaborative memories provided by her great nieces, Sandy and Renata Russocki.

For further information please contact Jennie Milne : jenniemilne67@gmail.com