Marek's Teen Years Spent Dodging Nazis

SEBRING - With a smile on her face, Magda Marek drags out the hose and waters plants in her garden every morning.

The 82-year-old doesn't consider it a chore at all as she performs the daily ritual. She even sings or talks to the plants on the patio outside her home at Kenilworth Care and Rehabilitation Center.

Her personality shows that she loves every second on life, even more perhaps because of her amazing tale of survival.

As a teenager growing up under the Nazi regime, the Czechoslovakia native remembers hiding in car trunks and dark cellars to escape the Nazis and constantly fearing for her life.

"It was a very dangerous time, and we were always scared," Marek said, through a thick German accent. "One day you could be talking to someone, and the next day you would find out they had been shot. No one was happy when the Nazis took over."

Her father was even detained and imprisoned for several months by the Gestapo, and as soon as possible, the family escaped to Italy.

Her husband spent years in the notorious concentration camp of Dachau and survived by a miracle, she says.

Once the war ended, Marek worked as a seamstress in Munich, which she calls by its German name of Munchen. For four years, she saved every scrap of money she made, and eventually earned enough to move to the "New World" by way of Brazil.

"I loved Brazil," Marek said. "There were very good people there, and finally I had the freedom to do what I wanted to do."

Her dream, however, was always to live in the United States, and she eventually made it to Chicago and then moved to Florida, where she has resided for 25 years.

Marek was honored for her courage and perseverance at Kenilworth Care and Rehabilitation Center's second annual Hall of Fame induction.

"We want to let our residents know that they are not forgotten," said Luis Rodriguez, quality of life program director at the center. "We still appreciate what they've done in their lives and we take time to remember it."

Marek and two other residents will have plaques featuring their stories proudly displayed on the walls of the cafeteria.

"It's a great privilege for me to get to learn about the lives of such great people," said Jim Baker, administrator of the center. "As we put together this program, I was reminded of how many interesting and fascinating people live here. You truly are part of 'The Greatest Generation,' and we owe you a lifetime of gratitude for your sacrifice, dedication and the lives you have lived."

Also honored at the event were Irvin Safriet and Glen Whiteman.

Safriet, 88, worked as a dentist for 50 years before retiring to Florida. While in dental school, he was recruited to join the U.S. Navy, where he completed his dental training. He opened a practice and soon developed a reputation for his commitment to providing free dental services to low-income patients.

"Once a week, we took care of patients who couldn't afford services," Safriet said. "It was a way for me to give back to the community."

Safriet also loved outdoor sports, like hunting and golfing. At the height of his golf career, he had a one handicap.

"Of course I can't do that anymore," Safriet said. "But one day, I could."

Whiteman passed away two weeks ago, so his wife, Dimple Tucker accepted the award on his behalf.

"I wish he could have been around to get the award because he was very deserving," Tucker said. "He was a wonderful man, and he was good to everybody. Even though he was very sick, I never heard him complain about anything."

Whiteman served as a technical sergeant in the U.S. Army and was a prominent member of Boy Scouts.