rescuers of jews
Andriūnienė-Egan Stefanija
STEFANIJA ANDRIŪNIENĖ-EGAN
During the war years, Stefanija Andriūnienė (later Egan) led the children's home in Kaunas. In 1942, she took in a 4–5-year-old Jewish girl left at the doorstep of the children's home. In 1944, Stefanija moved to the West, lived in Canada for many years, and upon her return to Lithuania, she began to inquire about the fate of "her" girl. Through newspapers, she learned that Janina Vitienė, a paralyzed Jewish woman, was lying in the 3rd hospital in Kaunas. In December 1999, Stefanija went to the hospital, conversed with Janina, and recognized the Jewish girl she had once taken under her care.
Fruma Vitkinaitė-Kučinskienė also attested to the fact that there were more hidden Jewish children in the children's home led by Stefanija Andriūnienė. She said, "I was hidden in the children's home in Kaunas in 1944 under her leadership. At the same time, Rosian Zerner Bagrianskytė and two daughters of Dr. Jeda were also hidden in those homes." Rosian Bagrianskytė-Zerner recalled, "During the Nazi occupation, I was in the children's home on Ugniagesių Street in Kaunas. Other children I knew there at the time were Fruma Vitkinaitė-Kučinskienė and two daughters of Dr. Jeda. [...] At that time, the director of the children's home where we were hidden was Stefanija Andriūnienė."
During the war years, Stefanija Andriūnienė (later Egan) led the children's home in Kaunas. In 1942, she took in a 4–5-year-old Jewish girl left at the doorstep of the children's home. In 1944, Stefanija moved to the West, lived in Canada for many years, and upon her return to Lithuania, she began to inquire about the fate of "her" girl. Through newspapers, she learned that Janina Vitienė, a paralyzed Jewish woman, was lying in the 3rd hospital in Kaunas. In December 1999, Stefanija went to the hospital, conversed with Janina, and recognized the Jewish girl she had once taken under her care.
Fruma Vitkinaitė-Kučinskienė also attested to the fact that there were more hidden Jewish children in the children's home led by Stefanija Andriūnienė. She said, "I was hidden in the children's home in Kaunas in 1944 under her leadership. At the same time, Rosian Zerner Bagrianskytė and two daughters of Dr. Jeda were also hidden in those homes." Rosian Bagrianskytė-Zerner recalled, "During the Nazi occupation, I was in the children's home on Ugniagesių Street in Kaunas. Other children I knew there at the time were Fruma Vitkinaitė-Kučinskienė and two daughters of Dr. Jeda. [...] At that time, the director of the children's home where we were hidden was Stefanija Andriūnienė."