SUNDAY. JUNE I. 1363 MEDFOHD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON
cars of Prison Camp Appear Healing in Talk With Local Woman
EVA HAMILTON
Mill Tribune Sail Writer
"II you reHy want to do
something and try very hard,
you cut. Thil I believe. The
car of the young heal rap
idly." These words with an Hora
tio Alger tinge would not be
ntrnriintf in a bit of com
mencement oratory at this
teason of the year.
Spoken by a little woman
whose reddish hair covers a
patched up skull-whose able
hands were gathering up bit
of human bodies at the age
when American girls clutch
prom corsages - they become
astonishingly significant.
For looking at Trudi (Mrs.
Donald C.) Bills, one is con
inntj h the scars have
healed. Her deep blue eyes
reflect no bitterness, tier raa
iDn .win reinonds with
healthy elasticity to her warm
smile when she rings aoor
bell to say "Avon calling'' in
typical American style.
Assigned Tasks
There is nothing mildly sug
cii.; nf the austerity of oris
on camp in the personality of
this furmcr Estonian gin. oui
she was there and she was as
signed Usks which should
never have been performed by
human hands of any age.
Now the wife of MSgt.
Donald C. Bills, U.S. Army,
current residence 38 Summit
ave., Mcdford, she is dedicated
to being happy. To transier
ring to her four year old
daughter. T a ni m a r a, the
worthwhile things she brings
from the old country. For in
stance an understanding of
seven languages, in addition
to English (wnicn sne ue
scribes as "not too good').
Trudi's home was In Kcr.
iimhcn Estonia, near the
Finnish border. It Is now con
trolled by Russia. Life on a
small farm acreage was filled
with heavy tasks but colorful
traditions.
Aitand Public School
She had attended public
school from 7:30 a.m. to 7;30
p.m., walking many mles to
r' . V I
MRS. TRUDI BILLS
Reviews Expariancas
thm rhnnl tnr four veara and
then had qualified for higher
education, financed by me
government, even to the inclu
inn nt clothes. For many
venrs the was a student ai
medical school under this pro
gram.
Then one day some one said
a citizen of the village had
k t a Herman so dier.
Every family was notified that
within 24 hours all would be
transferred to a civilian prison
nmn rjunishment. In four
the cattle trucks had
arrived. Trudl was 16. Fam
ilies were allowed to carry
with thorn onlv the clothes
they were wearing. They were
ordered to gather up food sup
plies to last for 24 hours.
For lour days mcy iraveiea.
Their captors, not they, ate
th "i.hniir 1nnri mnnlv. Mm
Bills related the story. Hard
labor became her constant
pnmnjinlnn nn the trln and af
ter they entered the prison
camps. She never saw her
stcDmother. father and slaters
and brother, there were live
in the family.
Sh ujm vertf small fnr her
age, she said, the "shrimp in
thA famllv " Hjtr father WBI
more than six feet tall and so
was her mother, a normal
height in Estonia. Trudi is
now S feet, three, and she
grew "a head taller after mar
riage," she explained.
The nrUnn pnmn war moved
from place to place. Pitching
hay, milking cows, cleaning
up trenches, shelters and rail
road tracks alter bombings be
came ordinary work for Trudi
and the one person from her
home town who remained
with her.
This girl friend, she re
called, made all things bear
able. Her sense of humor tran
scended the most horrible ex
periences encountered. Then
one night this one contact was
removed. The two girls, after
working all day in the fields,
were ordered to wash the
dishes for the owners ol the
land.
Events War Common
A duke, or his equivalent in
Germany, had given a big
party. These events, Mrs. Bills
recalls, were common in Ger
many even after hordes were
starving, for followers of Hit
ler were still shouting that
they would win the war and
this called for celebration.
Too fatigued to be careful,
Trudi dropped a china saucer
and broke it. The hostess
grabbed a steel plated broom
and struck her on the head.
Her girl friend came to her
defense by attacking tne worn.
an and was Dayoneica iu
death by a guard.
When Trudi regained ncr
senses four months later on
the straw bed of the prison
camp, she learned ol ner
friend's death. After that
nothing seemed to matter. She
had lost complete contact wun
her former home. A Polish
doctor in the prison camp had
operated on her skul and sub
stituted a piece of chicken
wire for the damaged bones.
After the American troops
took over Germany an Army
doctor operated again and was
amazed at the success oi tne
Polish doctor's work. He put
silver plates in the girl's skull
and thev are still tnere.
There was kindness in tnis
area, however, the Avon rep
resentative remembers.
Taken To Farm
Each morning at one en
campment the prisoners were
called off by numbers. Those
who ran fast in response to
the call were taken to a farm
to work. One particular farm
er of Polish descent, was kind
and employed a number of
secret methods by which to
give forbidden food to the
prisoners. He would hide
foods under small mounds. It
was sometimes like a treasure
hunt. He would order the pris
oners into the barn to milk
and they would be allowed to
drink all the milk they could.
a truly rare treat after months
of a watery soup and cabbage
menu.
There was also "a lady,
Trudi mentioned, "who left
little signs along the road in
dicating where bread could be
found, and believe me," the
Medford woman added, "when
one is starving, she learns to
look for signs, any sign." This
woman was a German but not
a Nazi and she ended her life
in blindness. Her eyes were
damaged in a bombing, Mrs.
Bills said, and she was denied
medical care because she was
not a Nazi.
One of the most revolting
assignments given the prison
ers was to go into Vienna to
gather uo the pregnant wom
en and children, who were
designated as "The race of the
future," Mrs. Bills said.
The risks were great and
they were always taken by
the prisoners, according to the
Medford narrator. The guards
stood back and the women
prisoners went forward. En
route to Germany the train
was bombed broadside, wom
en were not permitted to
gather up or bury their dead.
A sliange thing occurred
In Dresden," Mrs. Bills com
mented. "The English bombed
for 48 hours, but the prison
area was not touched. NoUv
ing happened. It was as If
God's hand was spread in pro
tection over the prisoners.
There was so little clothing,
heavy wooden shoes and rags.
When a prisoner died, her
clothes were taken and inr
mediately donned by another.
"When the American troops
came, all the young people
were gathered up and turned
over to the Red Cross. We
were given our choice of go
ing to the Displaced Persons
camp or the Red Cross.
"I chose the Red Cross,"
Mrs. Bills reviewed the day,
"The first thing we got was
towels. I'll never forget those
towels and that beautiful
soap. Sweetheart soap. We
showered in a circle surround
ed with blankets, head and
feet showing. It was wonder
ful. All our rags were taken
and burned and we were given
Army fatigues and boots, but
they were clean. Skirts and
blouses later substituted for
the fatigues during the day
and I got the first anklets I
ever wore."
It was in a skirt and blouse
that Trudi went to work at
Patton Barracks in Heidel-
burg, where she met her hus
band. The Red Cross got her
the job. Also there she met
General Eisenhower and saw
Mamie frequently eating
lunch. She recalls that Ike
was a wonderful fellow who
wore an "old sloppy jacket."
Was it no longer like the
Heidelburg of Student Prince?
she was asked. "Oh yes, still
beautiful. The one city that!
was not bombed. You see they
intended to use it for head
quarters. Heidelburg was still
beautiful," she beamed. "But
Mannheim IS miles away was
bombed."
Remanea Develops
Trudi's romance developed
in Heidelburg. And even as
that of the little heroine in
"The Student Prince," it ran
into troubles. Trudi had to
prove that she had been born.
That she was a citizen of Es
tonia before she could marry
a man In the U.S. service.
That proof was not easy to
find. It was through this
search that her prospective
husband relocated her family.
"It took us two and a half
years to get married," she de
clared.
They found her father, step
mother, sisters and brother,
alive. But her brother had
been the victim of a hideous
atrocity. All had relocated in
Bavaria. After being stateless
for five years they spent two
additional years becoming
Germans. Her sister married
a German engineer and is now
living in Canada.
A few years ago, Trudi's
father (no longer living) came
to Canada to visit. She was
unable to join him there but
they engaged in a telephone
conversation "And what do
you think," she laughed, "We
couldn't seem to get together
on our homeland languages."
She speaks Finnish, Lapp, Es
tonian, Russian, German, Pol
ish, Lithuanian. "Finally Dad,
who had been in Canada only
a year, said "Let's speak Eng
lish' and we did." i
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win
SHOWMAN Billy the North American black boar, one of
the residents of the Twin fines zoo in we mmum
ts noted as a showman. He can drink soda pop as fast as
It can be opened lor mm.
v 1
NEW ADDITION One ot the operators of the Twin Pines
zoo holds a Klnkajou, better known as a honey bear. The
zoo has acquired a pair ot these animals, members of the
cat family.
Three New Animals in Area Zoo
By KATHERINE SCOTT
Mall Tribune Corraipendtnt
Illinois Valley Mr. and
Mrs. A. G. Edwards, new
owners ol the Twin Pines
ioo, located Just north of the
Oregon-California slate line
on the Redwood highway,
recently returned from a
Nine Days of Rites
For Pope UnderWay
Vatican City - ITD - Nine
days of funeral rites for Pope
John XX11I began Friday in
the Basilica under which his
body lies entombed.
The series of services In
St. Peter's, the largest church
In Christendom, will last un
til June 17, two days before
the Sacred College of Cardi
nals meets to choose a suc
cessor to Pope John, who
died Monday at the age of 81
from a stomach tumor be
lieved to be cancerous.
The Pope's triple coffin was
placed In the grottoes below
the church Thursday among
the tombs of past popes and
kings, and was bricked up
In a plain nlcht adorned
only with a plaque ot the Ma
donna. It will be moved later to
the Roman Church of St.
John r an adjoining palace,
as requeated In the Pope's
will.
Portland trip on which they
purchased three new animals.
As a result of their acqui
sitions, the zoo now boasts a
pair ot Klnkajou, belter
known as honey bears, and a
young ocelot.
The Klnkajou actually
come from the cat family but
are described as timid. Their
clear honey color earned
Ihem the name of honey
bears.
The ocelot alo Is a mem
ber of the rat family. This
one, named Ozzle, was at one
lime a house pet and later
was given to the Portland
ion.
IS Animals In Zoo
The new additions bring to
19 the tnlal number of ani
mals at the zoo, operated In
conjunction with a motel and
cafe at Twin Pines.
Eight of the 15 are mon
keys, Including a pair of
Japanese Macquc, Spider and
Juva monkeys and Individual
Weber and Gibbon monkeys.
The other animals are a
porcupine, a tunic rabbit.
Sam the badger and Billy the
North American black bear.
The pet rabbit was moved
to an empty cage next to the
spider monkeys In order to
make room for the ocelot.
Cindy, the female Spider
monkey, has decided that the
rabbit makes a good pillow,
so the two spend their nights
together.
Sum the badger and Billy
the bear are showmen, parti
cularly Billy, who can drink
soda pop as fast as It can be !
opened for him. Billy was
caught as a yearling and wns
raised in his present home,
lie will be 19 this summer.
Mr. and Mrs. EdwBrds and
their son-in-law and daughter,
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Wallace
moved here about three
months ago, Edwards is a re
tired captain with the Santa
Ana, Calif., fire department.
Wallace was a restaurant
owner In Anaheim, Calif.
A nominal admission fee Is
charged at the zoo.
Defective Wiring
Blamod in Fatal fire
Portland - KTt - Defective ,
wiring was blamed tentative
ly Thursday for a house fire
that took the lives of three-year-old
twins Wednesday.
Patrick and Patricia Yeag.
er were pronounced dead at
a hoaultal after belli over.
come by smoke. Their mother, i
mrs. ineresa Yeager, 38, was
In serious condition as a re
sult of imokt inhalation and
burns.
SPECIAL NOTICE
Due to rising costs of operation, labor, etc.,
we find it necessary to institute a raise in
the price of our fuel.
Effective June 10, 1963
TimberP
lMoa
RODUCTS
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eaieeM
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