Gertruda Babilinska
Gertruda Babilinska was born in 1902 and lived in Starograd. She was the oldest sibling of eight. As a nineteen-year-old girl, she moved to Warsaw to become a nanny for a family with two children. After they moved, she found a position as a nanny for the Stolowickis. She cared for their baby daughter until its untimely death. Not long after, the Germans attacked Poland. Their servants turned their backs on the Jewish family and left. Gertruda decided to stay and help. Mr. Stolowicki was in Paris when the Germans attacked and was never reunited with his family. Lidia Stolowicki decided to take her three-year-old son with her to Vina, because they had heard it was a safer place. Gertruda decided to come along to help care for the small child. After they finally reached their destination, Gertruda began to provide for the family. There were many other “Jewish refugees" there, and nobody really had any money or resources. Unable to stand the conditions they lived under, Lidia became ill and had a stroke. She knew she was near death, and so she told Gertruda that she wanted her to take her son to Israel after the war was over. Gertruda took care of Michael after his mother died and was able to obtain false papers for him, as her nephew. She made a living for them through “writing petitions to the authorities on behalf of local people.” In return, she was given food. She kept him safe and helped friends in the ghetto. After the war was over, she kept her promise to Lidia and brought Michael to Israel. There, she raised him as her son; she remained Catholic but honored Lidia through keeping Michael Jewish.
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