The Edith Smith Coincidence
by Ron Isaak

In a previous article concerning Mennonite transport of immigrants to Paraguay I stated that I was looking for more contact information. I had some obituaries and family details that were the result of several years of sporadic efforts to obtain more information on our Isaak relatives in Paraguay. Not a single contact had been found who could provide the names and or an address for direct contact with this family, until the "Edith Smith" coincidence.

This revolves around the placement of my mother-in-law (Edith Smith, nee Leach) in the Tabor Home care facility in Abbotsford. On being admitted we learned that Mom Smith will be sharing a room until single accommodation comes available. Her 'roommate', Maria Unruh, speaks very little English and Mom Smith speaks no German. My wife Bonnie and I got to talking to Mrs Unruh (age 90 and nee Stahl), her in accented English with German phraseology and me in my very poor German. She told us she came to Canada from Paraguay in 1959 but was born in Russia.

I inquired further and asked her if she was in Moelln Germany and which transport did her family take to Paraguay. She asked why I was interested. I told her about my grandfather's brother Gerhard Isaak. She smiled and said "oh, the Gerhard Isaak with all the girls?" (The family had 13 children and 10 were girls). "Yes" I said and she replied "well the second youngest one, Agnes Isaak, is married to my nephew Albert Stahl!!" Can you believe it!! My (English) mother-in-law is a key to finding an address and contact in Paraguay for my 'lost' great uncle and his family. I have written to them and look forward to getting more information and expanding this part of our family tree.