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Hildegard Bischoff

Hildegard came to Columbus, Indiana in 1952 from Lithuania, when President Truman created an "Immigration Quota" to assist people in relocating to the United States after WWII. She traveled with her mother, brother-in-law, sister and their two children. American Sponsorship was necessary for immigrants to gain admittance. Her brother-in-law was a farmer and received sponsorship from C Stadler who was a local farmer. Hildegard and her mother worked as house staff for Mrs. Sweeney and Mrs. Miller.

She grew up on her father's farm, but she and her sister were sent to Germany to attend school. Transportation was a 'fast train' trip, which lasted four hours. After the war, much had been destroyed in the cities, and her family realized the future of the children would not be good, and they decided to leave West Germany.

She attended Business College and became a Kindergarten teacher and later a secretary at Cummins. She describes the people she has worked for, and with, as extremely nice and pleasant. Hildegard had attended a Lutheran Church in Lithuania, and continued with her religious beliefs in the United States. She describes the two churches as very similar.

While in school in Germany, Hildegard had taken six years of English, but had forgotten much of it by the time she arrived in Columbus. She stated, "If you don't use it, you lose it", and was able to relearn the language quickly once she relocated. She felt Columbus was very welcoming once it was learned she was a refugee and had lost everything.

Hildegard volunteered in the Surgery Waiting Room at Columbus Regional Hospital for 12 ½ years with her responsibilities including making sure the families were there when the doctors came out to report to them, and providing support to the families. Her interests involve reading and writing poetry.

For many years, Hildegard has been referred to in our community as the 'German Bread Lady". She relates the story of how she became in contact with a bakery in Chicago who made wonderful Sourdough/Rye bread, a few friends who enjoyed it as well, then turned into having 80 customers who ordered from her on a regular basis. Once a month she would place her order and UPS would deliver the bread to her. Currently, Hildegard lives at Four Seasons and even there she still has several customers and has a German friend who assists her in supplying the bread ordered.