Liz D'Andrea 

Entered May 18, 2020

My deepest sympathy to all the Karauskas clan. Machuta was a lovely lady. I will always remember her for her down to earth look on life and great sense of humour. I'll miss seeing her at family gatherings. Love Liz

Ron and Irene Burt 

Entered May 18, 2020 from Toronto

A wonderful caring person. Always with a smile. She was very easy going with a very calm nature. She will be missed.

Ron and Irene and Calvin.

Bob & Margaret Cockerill (Friend)

Entered May 18, 2020 from Bloor Street

Our deepest condolences to you and your family.

Ross & Mary Fasullo (Friends)

Entered May 18, 2020 from Georgetown

Paul & Gloria and to all the Karauskas family, please accept our deepest condolences.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.
Ross & Mary Fasullo

Rita and. Ralph Dobilas (Family friend)

Entered May 19, 2020 from Wasaga. Beach

Sorry for. Your. Loss. Rob and. Donna. And family
During these times. Everything is even more difficult
Peace to you all.

Adele was the last of 9 children born to
Karl and Emma Rittberger
Karl Rittberger

Blacksmith
Born October 7, 1879
+/- 15 years Emma’s Senior

Emma Gerhard - Seamstress
Born September 20, 1894




In order of birth:
Olga 1914
Martha 1915
Johanna October 7th 1916
Gustav 1919
Fritz Wilhelm September 5th, 1920
Alex July 7th, 1922
Adolf April 19th, 1925
Helene November 14th, 1927
Adele January 7th, 1929
Olga, Martha, and Gustav did not survive their first year of life.
The surviving 6 children lived with their parents on the family farm in
Visakio- Ruda, Lithuania

On July 29th, 1941
The Rittberger Family repatriated to Germany to escape, as “the Russians were coming”
You will note Johanna is missing as she went with her husband separately
Adele was 12 years old at the time

Various roads led Lithuanians to postwar DP camps in Germany. Some of those Lithuanians were taken during the Second World War for forced labor, or as prisoners of state, others were taken to the German army, evacuated or came to Germany with the repatriating persons in 1941.
One of the most important gathering locations during the war time was Berlin, which became a peculiar headquarters for Lithuanian refugees in the Reich.
Johanna had a daughter Helga and her husband was taken from Germany and died in Russia. Johanna remained in Germany with her daughter.

The Rittberger Family was sent back to another farm in Lithuania.
But then
the boys were taken to the Army,
her sister Helene was able to stay with the parents, and
Adele was sent away to school.
At a very young age she was sent to Riga, Latvia to be a student as well as overseeing Kindergarden students.

To be continued....

Adele’s Teacher,
Lieselotte Meyer Auf Der Heyde,
Born November 11, 1910,
was a very important person
for Adele through this time.
When the Russians were coming to Latvia, the school was moved to Germany.
This is where she stayed with her teacher and became a nurse at a hospital in Berlin. The Russians caught up and arrived in Berlin but Adele escaped with her teacher by train, posing as nurses to a wealthy family with children.
Then through the Displaced Persons Camp, Adele worked on the dairy farms until she found her relatives.

Adele lived in the
Displaced Persons Camp until after the war, when she was sent to England,
to work in Textiles.
She held onto her DP Registration /Identity Card with a place of issue being Geesthacht, which indicated she was in Camp 1225
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) Team 130.
Date of registration was May 4, 1946.
After over a year she was placed in England on June 4, 1947.
She was 18 years old.

Once in England, Adele worked in the Woolen Mills in Leeds/Bradford during the Industrial Revolution. She shared a room with Albina Laurenaitis,
Maryte Shulys and the landladies daughter.

This is where Adele met Vacy Karauskas Born in Viktorina, Lithuania
March 16, 1916 (13 years Adele’s Senior), who arrived from the mountains of Scotland, after working in the Steel Mills on a 2 year contract.
He knocked on her door, looking for a friend, who was referring him to work in England.
Vacys had also been in a Displaced Persons Camp Oxford Centre 2510 and on October 10, 1947 was placed in his position at the Steel Mills, in Scotland.
Scotland was very cold and the work was very difficult but Vacys had a contact for work in England. After his 2 year contract was finished, he moved to England.

Vacys started preparing to travel to Canada. England was temporary. Adele and Vacys bought tickets to travel on the same boat, along with many others.
Boarding TSS Columbia

They arrived in Canada on November 16th, 1951
Adele was 22 and Vacys was 35 years old.

Only a month after arriving in Canada, Adele and Vacys married in Toronto on Christmas Day 1951
Vacy’s found employment at Metal’s and Alloys in Leaside, taking advantage of his experience in the Steel Mills of Scotland. He was a loyal and dependable employee and worked there until he retired.
Adele’s first job in Canada was at a uniform cleaning company at $.25 an hour. After 4 hours and very raw hands, her boss gave her a dollar and sent her on her way.
Her next job was at Tip Top Tailors as a Seamstress. Although her time with her mother was short, she learned how to sew from her and worked the machines there until children came along.
Their first home was purchased with their friends Aldona and Jonas Petrauskas. Adele had worked with Aldona in the Wollen Mills.
They came to Canada at the same time and were Bestman and Maid of Honour at Adele And Vacy’s wedding.
216 Brock Avenue in Toronto was home and when families started growing Aldona and Jonas got their own place.

Starting a family
Robertas - August 12, 1956,
Angele - June 12, 1958
Paulius - December 27, 1959
When getting married Adele agreed to raise any children in the Catholic faith.
Adele’s brother Adolf lived with them on Brock Avenue and purchased some land near Gravenhurst/Bala and with their help built a cottage there.
This provided enjoyable vacations for everyone, including their brother Alex and his family.
In 1969, the Karauskas Family sold their home on Brock Avenue and purchased
73 Humewood Dr. which was a bit further north in Toronto and more convenient for Vacys to go to work.
Adolf also moved with them. The property was a duplex so the rent from the upstairs unit and the basement would assist with repaying the mortgage.
When moving to the Humewood house, Rob was 13 (Grade 6), Angie was 11 (Grade 4) and Paul was 10 (Grade 3)
It was an adjustment for everyone to move to the new location but when school started the kids made friends easily.
Adele took a job at Neilson’s Chocolate Factory. She worked during the afternoon shift.
She ensured everyone got off to work and school in the morning and came home late in the evening. Her shift ending at 11 pm.