Joyce Wagner (Jetka Witkowski) age 101 of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, passed away peacefully, with her family by her side, late Friday night June 14. Beloved wife of the late Michael Wagner, devoted mother of Hal (Jennifer) Wagner, Gilda (Paul) Ross and Sally (Brian) Lipson. Proud grandmother of Michael (Marley), Brent (Will) , Brittany (Savannah), and Brandon Wagner, and Ally Reece; Eddie (Carolyn), Hilary (Terry) and Michael (Lindsey) Ross; Rachel (Mark) and Deena Lipson. Great grandmother of Ryan and Logan Ross and Sloane Wagner.
Joyce Wagner was a member of a large and loving Jewish family living in Radziejow, Poland at the start of World War II in 1939. Of nine brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents, she was the sole survivor of the Holocaust, that included nearly two years at the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. She attributed her survival to many miracles that saved her life. In 1949 she and her husband, and son Harold, emigrated from the Bergen Belsen DP Camp to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to be reunited with three great-uncles. Two daughters, Gilda and Sally, came later. In 2007 she wrote her memoir, A Promise Kept to Bear Witness, to honor a pledge to those who did not survive. In 1980 she began talking to high school groups , churches, synagogues, libraries and museums about her experiences sharing the lessons of the Holocaust which she continued until her death at almost age 102. In her closing remarks she reminded her audiences..Love is Always Stronger Than Hate. Prior to moving to Glen Ellyn, she lived in Coral Springs,Florida. In Oct. 2023 Joyce received the Key to the City of Glen Ellyn in recognition of her community service. She will be dearly missed. A fiercely independent person she was always most proud of her sharp mind and proved it daily with her unbeatable skills at Rummikub. A private funeral and shiva will be held in Florida. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie at [email protected]
