Rescuers of Jews
Jocevičienė Emilija
Bronius JOCEVIČIUS (1907–1944)
Shot in July 1944 in the 9th Fort in Kaunas
Zita Jocevičiūtė-Jakienė testifies:
I am Zita Jocevičiūtė-Jakienė, born 9 May 1935, and Bronius Jocevičius, 66, was my father. He was shot in the 9th Fort in Kaunas.
My parents were not rich and were close with Mr. Vytautas Žakovičius, because he was a doctor. He asked to host a Jewish family – a man and a woman. Shortly after that, my father and my mother brought these people home.
In spring (March or April), militia came. My mother hid the fugitives, but the militia found them, arrested and took them to Gelgaudiškis. After a while, they were taken from Gelgaudiškis to Šakiai and shot. A few days later, the militia came back and asked where my father was. I was 7 then. My father was away roofing the house of the neighbours. My mother went there and called him. When he came home, he was arrested. My mother gave him food and he was taken to Šakiai. From Šakiai he was taken to Marijampolė. My mother would visit him there, take him food and wash his clothes. One time, when my mother was washing his clothes, the water went blue. She found a note but it was illegible. Shortly after that, they were taken to the 9th Fort in Kaunas and shot. It was year 1944. Juozas Matuza was with him. He saw my father in plain underwear being taken away and then he heard the gunshots. Nobody ever saw my father again.
Shot in July 1944 in the 9th Fort in Kaunas
Zita Jocevičiūtė-Jakienė testifies:
I am Zita Jocevičiūtė-Jakienė, born 9 May 1935, and Bronius Jocevičius, 66, was my father. He was shot in the 9th Fort in Kaunas.
My parents were not rich and were close with Mr. Vytautas Žakovičius, because he was a doctor. He asked to host a Jewish family – a man and a woman. Shortly after that, my father and my mother brought these people home.
In spring (March or April), militia came. My mother hid the fugitives, but the militia found them, arrested and took them to Gelgaudiškis. After a while, they were taken from Gelgaudiškis to Šakiai and shot. A few days later, the militia came back and asked where my father was. I was 7 then. My father was away roofing the house of the neighbours. My mother went there and called him. When he came home, he was arrested. My mother gave him food and he was taken to Šakiai. From Šakiai he was taken to Marijampolė. My mother would visit him there, take him food and wash his clothes. One time, when my mother was washing his clothes, the water went blue. She found a note but it was illegible. Shortly after that, they were taken to the 9th Fort in Kaunas and shot. It was year 1944. Juozas Matuza was with him. He saw my father in plain underwear being taken away and then he heard the gunshots. Nobody ever saw my father again.