Anna Elder

Anna Juhasz Elder, 87, a devoted mother and homemaker who seamlessly raised five children as an Army wife dealing with frequent moves around the country and overseas, died June 5 in El Paso. Her husband Tom, a 27-year Army veteran, died Nov. 30, 2012. Born in Babod, Hungary, Anna was the daughter of Gyergy and Hajek Emilia Juhasz. Ann was a student nurse during World War II. She was sent to a field hospital near the front to tend to wounded soldiers. When the Russians advanced into Hungary, the hospital was moved into Czechoslovakia via train. Despite Red Cross markings, the train was bombed and strafed. “We had to jump off the train. It was heavily damaged,” Anna recalled in a family video. “I lost everything, all my possessions. But I survived.” Anna made her way to Ebensee in Austria, where she met Tom, a U.S. soldier from Kentucky assigned to duty at the local train station. “I couldn’t speak English and he couldn’t speak Hungarian, but we spoke the language of love,” Anna said. She recalled that their first date was to see a Bing Crosby movie which was presented in a large tent. They were married at St. Sebastian’s Catholic Chapel in Frankfurt, Germany on July 20, 1948. Anna, Tom and their first born son traveled to the United States in 1949 aboard the S.S. America, which had been pressed into duty to bring returning troops and their family’s home from the war. After visiting relatives in Kentucky, they settled briefly in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The household, which grew to five children, moved frequently due to military reassignments to posts in Texas, Virginia, and Germany. Tom served 15 months in Korea during the war there. “It was not easy because there was no family nearby and I did not drive,” recalled Anna. “But it worked out OK.” Anna was an accomplished cook known for her Christmas cookies and Hungarian specialties, including goulash and palacsinta. She was a faithful watcher of the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” Her greatest joy was her family. “I love so much seeing my grandchildren, having them around,” she said. Anna was a member of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Anna is survived by sons Rudy of Cape Coral, Florida, Tom of El Paso, Jim (Geraldine) of Williamsburg, Virginia, and Greg (Ann) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, daughter Debbie Pacillas of El Paso; 10 grandchildren and several great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her sisters Ilona and Piroska and brothers Josef and Gyorka. A Memorial Visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sunset Funeral Home Northeast, 4631 Hondo Pass, with a Rosary at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 10000 Pheasant Road. Interment will follow at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of El Paso, 1440 Miracle Way, El Paso, Texas 79925. Services entrusted to Sunset Funeral Home Northeast. Please visit on-line register book at www.sunsetfuneralhomes.net