Lotte Wertheim

Lotte Cohen was born on December 14, 1922 to Else Nussbaum and Albert Cohen in Hildesheim, Germany. Lotte had a younger sister, Ursula, and they shared a lovely life with their family, including maternal grandmother Oma Malie, who had 12 children. When Lotte was 10, her father was killed in an accident. By 1933 Hitler had come to power and Lotte's families' beautiful home was confiscated by the German government. Else, was left to fend for herself and her two young daughters. Else had to support her family so Lotte and Ursula attended Jewish high school in Cologne where they lived in a very Orthodox Jewish orphanage. Else, their mother, worked in Bochum. The sisters were in the orphanage on the night of November 9, 1938, when they heard SS soldiers in the street. They huddled under the bed to protect themselves. The next morning when they walked to school, they witnessed piles of broken glass from Jewish stores, found the synagogue in flames, the Torah desecrated, school benches, books, and papers still burning. This would later be known as Kristallnacht. Lotte and Ursula went back to Bochum to be with their mother who now lived in a tiny apartment. Else was able to get her daughters on a kinder transport in Cologne. The girls boarded the train on January 9, 1939. Lotte had just had her 17" birthday and Ursula was 13&1/2. The train made it to Holland and the girls boarded a steamer that took them to Dovercourt, England. It was icy, snowy, and there was no heat. Days were spent learning English. Very fortunately for Lotte and Ursula, they had an aunt in London who took them in after quarantine. Aunt Bertha had left German early. Many of the family were not that fortunate and perished in concentration. camps while others emigrated to Ecuador or Australia. Lotte worked in a day nursery and began classes in children's nutrition and hygiene. She was able to go to London where she became a finisher at a clothing manufacturer. At 18, she entered nursing school at Hackney Hospital. After three years, Lotte passed her RN exam with honors. She became an assistant to a midwife. Lotte and her mother Else, who had escaped Germany months after the girls escaped, were able to get visas and followed Ursula to the United States. Ursula had met a young German born, Jewish, American soldier and left England to marry in the United States. They lived in Fayetteville, NC where Lotte found a nursing job at Highsmith Rainey Hospital. There was a young Jewish, German immigrant, selling hospital supplies and equipment at that hospital and Martin Wertheim and Lotte were introduced. On March 7, 1948 they were married. The young Wertheims made their home in Charlotte, NC. They had two children, son, Ray, and daughter, Deborah (Debbie). In 1958 the family moved to Fayetteville to be closer to the remaining family. When Ray and Debbie were in high school, Lotte passed the Lamaze exam and began teaching Lamaze classes from her home. She loved to swim even competing in the Senior Citizens' Olympics in Raleigh, N.C. when she was 70 years old. Reading was Lotte's passion and she was devoted to Beth Israel Synagogue in Fayetteville, N.C. Lotte served as president of the Hadassah chapter in Fayetteville, was active in the synagogue Sisterhood, and volunteered at Cape Fear Valley Hospital in the neonatal unit. Lotte took care of Martin who was 14 years her senior until his death at age 95, in 2004. Shortly after that, Lotte moved to Greensboro, having fallen and broken her hip, and lived in Abbotswood for her remaining years in Greensboro. Her passion for reading, exercise, and nutritious food never left her. Lotte is survived by her son, Ray Wertheim, who became an OB-GYN Doctor, married Denise, a business woman. Her daughter, Deborah Wertheim Barry, became a pharmacist and married Paul Barry, a radiologist.

Lotte has four grandchildren. Lisa Barry Frist, an attorney, David Barry, a gastroenterologist who is married to Kathleen, a pediatrician, Rachel Wertheim and Jennifer Wertheim DiTrapani, a social worker married to Jack DiTripani. Lotte has five great grandchildren, Blake and Alexis Frist, and Werth, Anderson, and Brooks Barry. Lotte has three nieces and nephews - Linda Bradley, Michael Green married to Lyn, and Ronald Green married to Kaye.

Lotte was known for her fierce independence and for her strong opinions. She had an extraordinary depth of knowledge about Judaism, art, history, music, and literature due to her insatiable love of reading and learning. Lotte attended Saturday morning services at Beth David Synagogue in Greensboro almost every week riding in the Jewish Family Services Van which she considered her personal limo.

Lotte will be remembered for her quick wit, her strength of character and fierce independence, her bright mind, and for her fighting spirit.

Memorial contributions may be made to Beth David Synagogue, 804 Winview Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410 or Abbotswood at Irving Park, 3504 Flint Street, Greensboro, NC 27405.