Suzanne Butnik Papers

Holocaust survivor Suzanne Butnik, born on the 26th of March year of 1939, born in Budapest, Hungary. According to Suzanne she is an only child to her Mother and Father, she and her Mother lived with her Mother's side of the family. During the war Suzanne explains that her Mother's side of the family was with them during the war in hiding. Shortly after Suzanne and her Mother came to America. Suzanne has a father who decided to immigrate to America when she was a newborn. Suzanne had a powerful memory that explains that most of the Father's brothers and sisters had already went to New York. Which meant that Suzanne and her Mother would go along with the Father shortly after he saved up money to send them tickets to New York. The father left

The plan that they thought would turn out right didn't happen and so Suzanne's Mother and Herself ended up staying in Europe until after the war they arrived in Europe in the fall of 1946. The plan they made didn't work because by the time they were able to leave to America during that time they closed down the borders. Suzanne's Mother had gotten the tickets therefore made her ship all of their belongings ahead. During that time period her Mother became ill she contracted Diphtheria and was hospitalized. By the time the Mother was able to travel they couldn't cross the borders because the war was about to start. Before the war Suzanne, the Mother, and the Mother's side of the family lived in an apartment in Budapest with Suzanne's grandparents. In 1944 during spring the Germans occupied Hungary and everything changed Suzanne explains. When they ever heard a loud noise the family members and Suzanne's Mother use to tell Suzanne they have to go underground. Suzanne says one night she remembers her mother waking her to go underground, but she refused so the Mother of Suzanne grabbed her and told her they have to