Siegfried Mischke

Siegfried Herrman Mischke was born on November 9, 1929 in the East Prussian city of Marienburg (now Malborg), Germany, the son of Karl and Frieda Mischke. He died at home in Greece, New York on July 18, 2018 at the age of 88.

Siegfried was the second of three Mischke brothers, Guenther, Siegfried, and Karl. His parents owned a shop in Marienburg and lived above it. He remembered his childhood fondly – helping his father make sauerkraut to sell in their shop, going to school and playing with his brothers and friends, skating on the river during the winter, pranks and escapades, daily family devotions. The Mischkes were faithful Baptists, and all his life it was Siegfried's habit to read the Bible every day, as long as he was able.

Born in a time of severe economic depression in Germany, Siegfried was three years old when the National Socialist party came to power and nine when Germany invaded Poland. His beloved older brother Guenther was drafted into the German army, served on the eastern front, and was not freed from a Russian prisoner-of-war camp until several years after the war's end. Siegfried's own schooling was interrupted by the war.

As the war came to an end and the Red Army approached Marienburg, the Mischkes and other city residents fled for their lives to the west, joining millions of other German war refugees. The Mischke home was destroyed with the rest of the city during the battles of early 1945. Siegfried and his family came to make a new home in West Germany. Like other Germans, they lived under conditions of severe privation in the months and years after the war.

In 1953, sponsored by members of a German-American Baptist church in Rochester, Siegfried and his brothers and parents moved to America. In Rochester the new immigrants became part of the German-American community, centered around their church. Siegfried found employment in a machine tool and die shop, and he continued to work for different machine shops as a moldmaker until he was 77 years old.

In 1954 Siegfried was introduced by friends to Ingrid Helga Pech, another recent German immigrant, who had come with her family to live in Cleveland. After many long motorcycle trips between Rochester and Cleveland, they were married on April 21, 1956. Siegfried and Ingrid enjoyed a close and devoted relationship throughout 62 years of marriage.

Siegfried embraced his new country, learned to speak English, and became a proud American citizen. He paid attention to public affairs, voted faithfully, and flew an American flag from his front porch. For their month-long honeymoon, Siegfried and Ingrid became better acquainted with their new country by driving the circumference of the continental United States, often camping by the side of the road.

In 1958, Siegfried and Ingrid moved to Cleveland to help care for Ingrid's mother. Siegfried became a close friend of his brother-in-law, Manfred Pech, who passed away in June, 2018. In September 1960, a daughter, Sigrid Elizabeth, was born to Siegfried and Ingrid. Two more daughters followed: Heidi Esther, born in October 1961, and Lorie Rebecca, born in July 1965. In the late 1960s, the family moved back to Rochester.

A quiet man, Siegfried had a puckish sense of humor and was known by his family and friends for his Christlike faith, his exceptional kindness, and his unfailing generosity. He enjoyed gardening and growing roses, working on cars, and spending time outdoors fishing and hunting. In his later years he spent many happy hours in the woods and fields of the Cuba, New York property of his son-in-law, David Wagner. He was a loving and affectionate father to his daughters, a good friend to his sons-in-law, and a devoted "Opi" to his eight grandchildren.

Siegfried and Ingrid often returned to Germany to visit family and friends. In 1971, they took Sigrid, Heidi, and Lorie on a six and one-half week tour of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in a rented Volkswagen Beetle. In later years Siegfried and Ingrid became world travelers, joining tours and cruises that took them to Alaska, Mexico, South America, Australia, China, India, Egypt, Russia, and various parts of Europe.

In 2012 Siegfried suffered a stroke, and his health was impaired during his remaining years. As he had wished, he died at home on July 18, 2018 in the presence of his wife and daughters.

He is survived by his wife, Ingrid Helga Mischke, his daughters and sons-in-law, Sigrid Elizabeth Britton and Paul Britton, of Rochester, Heidi Esther Wagner and David Wagner, of Greece, and Lorie Rebecca Tomaschko and David Tomaschko, of Hamlin. He was predeceased in 1992 by his brother Guenther and is survived by his brother Karl Mischke, of Greece. He is survived by eight grandchildren, Audra Bartlett, Tyler Bartlett, Carolyn Peck, Stephanie Wagner, Brian Wagner, Katie Wagner, Kyle Tomaschko, and Derek Tomaschko, and by five great-grandchildren.

His Memorial Service will be held at 11:30 AM Saturday, July 21, 2018 at Anchor Baptist Church, 518 North Greece Rd.
Private interment at Mt. Albion Cemetery.