Elise Bachmann: Great Aunt (Born 2 February 1896. Died 25 August 1977)
Elise Bachmann was a true "Embracherin". She was born there in 1896 and the people of the village held a lifelong affection for her. With her sister, Ida, who was five years her junior, she grew up on her parents’ farm. When she left school she went to work in the local silk-winding factory in Embrach. Later she went into service as a live-in housemaid in Zurich in order to learn how to run a household. Sadly she was never able to put that knowledge into practice in a family of her own. Her fiancé, soldier Paul Römp, died aged 26 in 1918 at the end of World War I from Tuberculosis, following the great ‘flu epidemic. Luckily Elise didn’t allow that misfortune to spoil her happiness or her zest for life, though she thought no more about finding another man to marry. She remained in Embrach and travelled to Winterthur to a factory called "Höggli", where she worked on knitting machines to produce jumpers and underwear. After her father’s early death and her younger sister Ida’s marriage she lived together with her mother. Sadly her mother also died young. However, this didn’t stop her leading a rich and full life on her own.
She had her own flat in Embrach, living above the Volkarts, who were close family friends. She was a very sociable young woman and became an enthusiastic member of the ladies choir and the Samaritans. A large part of her free time was spent with her sister Ida’s family and she played a loving and active part in the upbringing of her three nieces. As the godmother to Trudi, the eldest niece, she became known in the family as "Gotte".
Elise was always active. All year round, in the evening and on Saturday afternoons, she spent many happy hours at the family allotment at Trinenmoos. This had belonged to her grandmother Bänniger, and had been passed down through the Lacher-Bänniger side of the family to Elise’s cousin Edwin Lacher. Elise took great pleasure tending the allotment for her cousin and no doubt harvesting the berries in summer and autumn.
During the Second World War, having trained as a first aider with the Red Cross Society , Elise volunteered for nursing duties and was posted to Interlaken. There she cared for wounded soldiers, mostly Poles who were fighting on the side of the Allies, and with her warm heart and sunny disposition she was much loved by them all.
After she retired she devoted much of her time and energy towards helping her youngest niece, Erika, to manage her family of five children and she was very pleased to be able to get involved in the children’s upbringing in this way.
As she got older she moved in with her sister and spent 9 years living with her in the house in Rosenweg. However, there were often tensions between the two sisters and, while she still could, Elise would walk down into the village each day to spend time with her niece. It was here that she was at her happiest, close to her old friends. However, her heart began to trouble her and her walks into the village became less frequent. This saddened her.
Then, at the age of 81, she had a mild heart attack. She seemed to be recovering well in hospital, but within two weeks she suffered another, more severe attack, and this time she didn’t recover. She died on 25 August 1977.