Robert Matzner

Matzner, Robert

Robert Matzner passed away peacefully at age 89 on August 23, 2016. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Lucy, and his children, Richard, Murray (Barbara), and Jo (Jeff), sister-in-law Cheryl Argiewicz, nephews, grandson Shawn, and great granddaughter Grace.

Robert was born in Bielsko-Biaa, Poland and was a survivor of the Holocaust. He told his story to friend Larry Vogel and it was published by the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center as Prisoner 19053: A True Story of a Fourteen Year Old Boy Who Spent Three Years in a Nazi Concentration Camp.

Robert also contributed material to the Holocaust Room at the Mead Public Library in Sheboygan and he became well known in Eastern Wisconsin for telling his personal account of horrors and survival to schools, churches, and other groups over the years. He shared the experiences of how he lived as a boy under German occupation, then in a ghetto, and in different concentration camps beginning at age 15, and how he escaped from a 200-mile Death March across Germany in 1945. After the war Robert worked for the United Nations rebuilding effort, married in 1947, and arrived in the United States with his wife and first child in 1949 when he was 22.

Robert was proud to fulfill his dream of freedom for his family in their home in the United States and he worked very hard to support his family. Robert worked mainly for one company, PLENCO, until he retired. He cherished being free to worship as he wanted, it was one of the great pleasures of his life to serve as President of Congregation Beth El.

Although he felt that he was a simple man, he was a giant to those who were stunned and inspired by the incredible story of his Survival. His honesty, smile, love, modesty and giving nature will be greatly missed.

The funeral will be held on Thursday, August 25, 2016, at 11:00 AM at Ballhorn Chapels Funeral & Cremation Care Center located at 1201 N. 8th St., Sheboygan, WI 53081.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., to Temple Beth El, or to a charity of your choice.