Jack Wildstrom

"My father’s message to the future probably would have been, “Never let it happen again, stand up for yourself.”"

Name at birth

Yaakov Wildstrom

Date of birth

11/29/1908

Where were you born?

Cologne, Germany

Where did you grow up?

Cologne, Germany

Name of father, occupation

Samuel, Tailor and retail shop owner

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Sabina Broder, Homemaker

Immediate family (names, birth order)

Parents and seven children: Elsa, Moritz, Jack, Helene, Minna, Solomon, Heinrich

How many in entire extended family?

Mother had one brother and three sisters; Father had one sister

Who survived the Holocaust?

Moritz, Jack, Minna, Solomon, Heinrich, and Helene's son Egon; Jack's parents, his two sisters, Helene, Elsa and Elsa's two children, were killed at Auschwitz

Jack’s parents, his two sisters, Helene, Elsa and Elsa’s two children, were killed at Auschwitz

Where were you in hiding?

He was not in hiding; His nephew Egon, his sister Helene’s son, was handed over the border to a family in Switzerland

When did you come to the United States?

Jack was able to get a visa to leave Germany for America in 1936

Where did you settle?

Brooklyn, New York Jack enlisted in the U.S. Army as a German interpreter during World War II

How is it that you came to Michigan?

Had a job at Neisner’s 5 and 10

Occupation after the war

Department store manager

When and where were you married?

1945, Atlanta, Georgia Jack was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. He met his future wife, Marianne Spiegel, at a Shabbos (Sabbath) meal spent with her family

Spouse

Marianne Spiegel, Helped survivors with reparation applications at JFS

Children

Stephen Wildstrom, Susan Wildstrom Goldman

Grandchildren

Alana Goldman, Jared Goldman, Jonathan Wildstrom and David Wildstrom and Great Grandchildren Nevin Wildstrom, Truman Wildstrom

What do you think helped you to survive?

He was able to obtain a visa to come to America in 1936. He was a good, good nice man. He was a quiet man who worked hard to support his family.

What message would you like to leave for future generations?

My father’s message to the future probably would have been, “Never let it happen again, stand up for yourself.”