Evelyn was born in Rothenbach, Silesia on 19th of January 1933. Her mother Charlotte was 19 and her father Erich Finger was 26 years of age. Her father worked as a mechanical engineer and was often away working to support his family. She had an idyllic childhood in the small town which is located next to a mountain and her father taught her to ski. She often spoke of her paternal grandmother Anne who had a well tended garden plot where she grew fruit and vegetables and herbs for teas. She remembered going skiing and stopping at her Omi’s on the way home to get a delicious baked apple and a hot potato in her pocket to keep her warm. In the meantime her sister Ushi was born when she was 5 and her younger brother Gunther joined the family when she was 9. Everything changed of course with the beginning of war and she had to cope with the horrors of food shortages and soldiers on the streets. She at around 10 years of age took her beautiful toy doll and stroller and sold it for a sack of potatoes for the family to have some food. The family tried to escape by driving in a WV bug to Czechoslovakia but turned back thankfully as they later heard refugees were being killed further on the route. Her father thankfully wasn’t drafted due to his profession and when the time came they were told to gather some belongings and in 10 mins leave the family apartment; they were now refugees. Her maternal grandmother Anna was with the family and almost got separated but managed to get on the train with them to western Germany where they were settled in one room in a farm outbuilding along side other German refugees in Wiesbaden. There was no high school education available for refugee girls at that time so she just had her elementary school learning. The family stayed at the farm for many years surviving as best as they could in the damp room where her father built a stove to keep them warm. Evelyn got the chance to escape the hardships of post war Germany by being sponsored by her Aunt Hedel, her mother’s sister who lived in Whitestone Queens. She came over in May 1954 and learned English quickly and successfully got to work her way up in the grocery store A&P to the position of bookkeeper. She had connections with the German immigrant community through her Aunt and the Steuben Society and met her future husband Edward Steinert. She had dated him and then he went in the army and they drifted apart a bit. But when he came back he was due to present a slideshow of his photos of Europe to the Steuben Society meeting and proceeded to spill all the slides on the floor before he was due to start. This happened right in front of Evelyn and she helped him gather the slides together and also as it turned out he gathered: this is the woman for me! They were married in Queens, NY in 1958 when she was 25 years old. The young couple bought a split level house in Copiague, LI and lived there happily with their doggy Sheppy and two cats. They holidayed in the Poconos in a friend’s cabin called “Rudy’s Place” and were close to her In Laws and her brother Gunther now also joined her in NY. They moved again in 1965 to the house in North Bellmore where she had lived until her death- 56 years. Life changed for the young couple in this house quickly as their daughter Lorena was born in November 1965 and their son Curt in February 1972. They were a young happy family with Edward graduating from NYU with a degree in civil engineering the same year and going camping for their holidays and Evelyn staying home to run the household and nurture the 2 children; a typical family. Edward joined the North Bellmore fire department in 1973 and life forever changed for the family that same year. During a house fire Edward became unwell and went home and had a fatal cardiac arrest at the age of 40 leaving Evelyn to bring up 2 young children and care for a household on her own. She rose to this challenge with innumerable strength and resilience. She joined the North Bellmore FD Lady’s Auxiliary and kept active in the fire department until her death. She joined Grace Lutheran Church and was also an active member in the Altar Guild and WELCA. Evelyn studied for and achieved her high school equivalency diploma and taught German cooking in adult Education. Evelyn loved and cared for her two children Lorena and Curt with such devotion and their personal successes in life are down to the loving and nurturing home she as a single mom provided. She has an adored Son in Law Douglas and two grandchildren from her daughter Lorena, Edward, 23 and Demelza, 19 who live in Scotland and decamped every summer to stay with her and enjoy her sense of fun and humour, the beach and amazing blueberry pancakes she made for them each morning. She also has a loving Daughter in Law Liz and from her son Curt has her youngest granddaughter Hannah, 14 who was her “Schatzie” meaning little ball of energy! She was very close with Hannah who is now a junior fire fighter along with her son Curt who has been an active member of the fire department and former Captain joining in the family tradition. When she was able Evelyn loved to travel and some memorable holidays were with her brother Gunther and beloved Sister in Law Trudy to Hawaii, a cruise down the Danube, and visits to Scotland to see her family there. Her family were her world and we are forever going to miss her but take solace in a life well lived and loved.