Salomea Gemrot

This is a picture of me at the age of 18 or 19. I do not remember why I had this picture taken or if I used it for any ID. I do not remember who saved this picture for me. Because my parents weren't doing very well financially, I took advantage of my education from that school of mine, the the Artistic Crafts School, and started working on my own. I started sewing, embroidering, I gave cutting lessons. I didn't belong to any organization. I was interested in that, but I didn't have time for that, because I was already doing what I had learned to do, in order to help my parents. How old could I have been? Some 18 to 19 years old. Yes, already then I thought I wouldn't settle there [Poland]. That I'd never stay there. And I rejected all the marriage offers I got as a young girl. I didn't want to start a family there and to live there. Nobody wanted to talk me into marriage, but I had some heroes. I called them 'heroes,' because when I was talking to one of them I'd say, 'You have to think very well about what you want! Do you know me very well?' But I knew there was no point in starting a family in those conditions. Because what would have happened? A cousin of mine graduated from law school in Cracow; she was my age. She married a physician and what was that for? Did it last long? Occupation came and she went to Treblinka with that doctor of hers. She was a pretty girl this Renia.