Giselle Zanders passed away May 31, 2016, in San Diego. She was born Aug. 31, 1924, in Moers, Germany, to Walter Kaufmann and Helena Eichenwald Kaufmann. In 1939, she and her sister escaped Nazi Germany by riding the Kindertransport from their home to Mannheim, England, where Giselle lived in a refugee home. Her parents and many other family members died in the Holocaust.
At 18, Giselle joined the British Army and served throughout World War II as a driver.
After the war, she immigrated to Dallas, Texas, and became an American citizen. She married Herman Zanders, another German émigré, and moved to Kansas City, helping him in his business while raising their three children. Settling in Prairie Village, she was an active member of Temple B’nai Jehudah, the Jewish Federation and the PTA of Prairie Elementary School. The family had many close friends known as “The Crowd” with whom they socialized and had many fun times. Giselle’s wonderful cooking and hostessing skills were mentioned in a “Come Into My Kitchen” article in the KC Star.
She and Herman moved to San Diego in 1984 where she began to volunteer at the Interfaith Community Services in Escondido. She worked there three days a week, assisting clients in finding resources to deal with crises in their lives. She was recognized for 27 years of volunteer service when she retired in 2013. Giselle also supported the Friends of Rancho Bernardo Library and was an active member and volunteer for Temple Adat Shalom in Poway. Her testimony interview was recorded for the Shoah Project in 1996.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Rolf Kaufmann of Geneva, Switzerland, and her sister Jean Buttner of Temecula, California. She is survived by three children: Michael (Pam) Zanders of Leawood, Kansas, David (Lyn) Zanders of Poway, California, and Karen Zanders Bacon of Denver, Colorado. She is also survived by five grandchildren: Rachel (Norman) Zanders Doucet of Chicago, Tyler (Lindsay) Zanders of Chicago, Libby Zanders of Kansas City, Sarah Bacon of Frisco, Colorado, Sophie Zanders of Poway, three great-grandchildren, and a nephew, Jacques Kaufmann of Vanzy, France.
There will be no funeral. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date in California. Memorial contributions may be made to Interfaith Community Services, 550 W. Washington Ave., Escondido, CA 92025 www.interfaithservices.org.