Frances Berman's Obituary
FRANCES "FEIGA" BERMAN, beloved wife of the late Mike “Meyer” Berman of University Heights, Ohio passed away on Saturday, December 13 at the age of 99. Frances was born January 7, 1926 in Solotvina, Czechoslovakia and was a Holocaust survivor. During the war, Frances lived in Budapest where she worked under difficult circumstances at a women’s clothing manufacturer. In 1944, she was forced to move to Vienna (then a part of the German Reich) where she witnessed many atrocities by the Hungarian guards.
When she was transported again to the village of Hegyesholom, Hungary, Frances ran away and returned to the Budapest ghetto where she remained until the Russians liberated Budapest. After the war, she met her husband at the Displaced Persons (DP) camp in Germany. In 1946 they, along with their two sons, immigrated to Israel where Mike was drafted into the Israeli army during the 1948 war. In 1951 the family attempted to join Frances’s sister in Toronto, Canada but was denied the request because she was diagnosed with a health issue. The family then spent 5 years in Rome, Italy waiting for Frances’s health to improve and secure a sponsor in Cleveland, Ohio.
In 1956, Frances’s health improved and the family secured a sponsor. They finally settled in Cleveland, where they raised their family and acquired U.S. citizenship.
Frances enjoyed being a homemaker, a seamstress at local dress shops, and an active member at Sinai Synagogue in Cleveland Heights. Her hobbies included gardening, sewing, cooking, and social events at the new Oheb Zedek-Cedar Sinai Synagogue.
Frances is survived by three sons; Harry (Georgene), Louis (Kathleen), and Gary (Julie); three grandchildren; Suzanne Berman, Jason Berman (Nancy), and Mark Monroe (Tammy); and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at Cleveland Jewish Funerals 26801 Miles Rd Cleveland on Wednesday, December 17th at 1:30 pm. Burial will be held at Mount Olive Cemetery (27855 Aurora Rd., Solon) immediately after the service.
The family will receive visitors at B'nai Jeshurun Congregation 27501 Fairmount Boulevard Pepper Pike, during the following times: 3:30 to 6:30 pm Dec. 17th.
Donations are suggested to: Oheb Zedek-Cedar Sinai Synagogue ( https://ohebzedekcedarsinaisynagogue.shulcloud.com/payment.php ) or Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland (https://www.jfsa-cleveland.org/get-involved/donate/donate-now/ ) 29125 Chagrin Blvd. Pepper Pike, Ohio 44122.
May her memory be a blessing.
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