Anneliese Somers passed away on Wed., Jan. 3, 2024, at the age of 88. After Anneliese was born in Berlin, Germany in 1935, she was soon swept up in the beginning of World War 2. Her father was a professional soldier who served in WW1 and WW2. When the Allied bombing of Berlin began, Frau Pluskat, Anneliese’s mother, moved the little family east into Poland. There the local folks were very friendly and even built them a small hut to live in. As the war proceeded, this area of Poland was overrun by, first, Mongolian troops, and then later by the Russians.
After the Fall of Berlin, Frau Pluskat began to move the family back to Berlin. Using her husband’s tobacco ration, she bribed her way onto the top of a railroad car. Others were thrown off the top of the railroad car by the Polish thugs.
After arriving in Berlin, they found their apartment still livable, although all around was in ruins. Life in post war Berlin was hard. Frau Pluskat got a job unloading coal from gondola cars. Anneliese and her brother were allowed to pick up coal from the tracks and sell it in the city. They never failed to sell all their coal.
Anneliese completed her college education and went to work as a teacher in West Berlin. Posted on a wall she saw a sign that invited educated Germans who could get a sponsor, to move to the US. Her sister, while working in Berlin, had married a US citizen, moved to Cincinnati and then this couple sponsored Anneliese and she moved to the US. She arrived in the US only able to say “Yes, No, Maybe and A Little Bit.”
Prior to meeting her husband, Anneliese worked as a governess, a clerk, and a cocktail manager. After meeting and marrying her husband, she earned a master’s in education, and worked for decades as a Special Ed Teacher, both in Ohio and Alabama. With her husband, she has lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, St. Clair Shores, Michigan, Dayton, Ohio, Toledo, Ohio and Daphne, Alabama.
Anneliese is preceded in death by her parents, Willi Pluskat and Marie Pluskat.
She is survived by husband of 64 years, Joe Somers; children, Linda Suppan and her husband, Tom, and Kirk Somers and his wife, Elizabeth; grandchildren, Amber Cannan and her husband, Dave, Nathaniel Suppan, Sara Kate Nallathambi and her husband, Anand, Will Somers and his wife, Ashley and Jack Somers and his wife, Emma; and siblings, Reinhardt Pluskat of Berlin, Germany and Gisela Browne of Ashley, Virginia.
A celebration of life service was held on Sat., Jan. 13, 2024, at 2 pm at Spanish Fort United Methodist Church, 6690 Spanish Fort Blvd, Spanish Fort, AL. 36527.
