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1933 - 2018

BORN

1933

DIED

2018

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Lodi High School Dominican University Dominican University of California

Sascha Jansen Obituary

Feb. 7, 1933 - March 21, 2018 Vacaville Ms. Sascha Jean (Weinzheimer) Jansen, born on Feb. 7, 1933 in Manila, Laguna Province, Philippines, to the late Sascha Alexa Glade Weinzheimer and the late Walter Weinzheimer, passed away at age 85 on March 21, in Vacaville. Sascha graduated from Stevens College, Columbia, MO, Lodi High School, Lodi, CA, and Dominican University, San Rafael, CA for junior high school. She was in the Medical Field at Queens Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, as a Unit Secretary until retiring in 1998 when she moved to Vacaville to be close to her family. Sascha was the beloved wife of the late Jan Jansen. Sascha was a strong advocate for sharing her family history. In 1942, during World War II, her immediate family was interned in a Japanese prison in Manila, Philippines for three years. She enjoyed speaking to various groups including schools, colleges, and military installations. Sascha was also a strong advocate for disabled rights having lived with polio all of her life. She participated in many support and advocacy groups to increase the knowledge and understanding of living with a disability. She was preceded in death by her brother, Walter Richard Weinzheimer; sister, Doris Alexa Weinzheimer; grandmothers, Grace Agnes Glade and Minka Glade Weinzheimer, and grandfathers, Hjalmar Glade and Ludwig Weinzheimer. Sascha is survived by her sons, John Jansen (Dena) and Paul Jansen (Becky); daughter, Gigi Jansen; grandchildren, Nicholas Serrone, Walter Fuerte, Eric Jansen (Amber), Samantha Jansen Walker (Gabe), Sabrina Jansen, Mark Jansen, and Alyssa Jansen, and great grandchildren, Stellani Fuerte, Rylin Jansen, Makenzie Jansen, Brooklynn Jansen, Kira Jansen, and Madilyn Walker. Services will be private.

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Published by The Reporter on Mar. 28, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
for Sascha Jansen

Sponsored by TheReporter.com.

30 Entries

Jim McCabe

February 16, 2025

On behalf of the 307th Bombardment Group (H) Association, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of our beloved Sascha. Her memoir, "The Story of the B-24 Liberator" is a must read for all who loved her and it will always be available through our website's "Memoir" link. We will be forever grateful for Sascha's and her fellow POW's honoring our Lt. John D. Lucey Crew, KIA 450108. May she rest in peace. – Jim McCabe, Historian, www.307bg.org

Ty Will

July 5, 2024

I'm watching Ken Burns The War and wanted to know more about Sascha. She lived an incredible life. She earned her peaceful rest.

Chris Lamm

June 8, 2024

Having heard of Sasha´s truly remarkable survival story we all are truly inspired by her courage, bravery resilience warmth and humanity. We offer our very sincere condolences on her passing.

M. BRUNSMANN

April 12, 2022

Having Just learned that you are no longer with us, I am particularly saddened as you surely had many more truly unbelievable actual accounts of your youth during WWW2. Your families plight during WWW2 is similar to my families, except they were in a different camp in a nearby occupied territory. Thanks for sharing as my dad and family didn´t really talk much about what went down, for the reasons you stated. RIP bless you little girl big woman.

April 6, 2021

Amazing strong women. Watches “the war” a few times now. Thank you for sharing your story with the world. You are a true angel

Dave Meyer

December 15, 2020

Thank you so much for sharing your personal challenges and memories of your time in the Philippines. So many people, including myself, thus have a chance, however distant, to have a feeling for what you went through, and will never forget.

Robert Schick

November 5, 2020

Thank you for participating in the PBS WWII documentary. I was so sorry for the suffering your family endured. I was moved to reach out to you and sad to see that you have left this world.

Mike Casey

October 19, 2020

Mrs. Jansen,
Ma’am, I was just watching “The War” on PBS and I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story of what you had to endure in Japanese captivity in the Philippines during WW II. And to your Family and loved ones, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.

Antony

April 17, 2020

Dear Sascha,

Thank you for sharing your story on War. I've just finished the series and was taken back by your stories.

The courage, strength and dignity you showed throughout the time you and your family were in captivity is inspiring.

May you rest in peace.

Neill Watkins

March 27, 2020

Here in sunny Surrey in Southern England on lockdown at home. Just watching an episode of War with Sascha telling of the day US aircraft flew over their compound near the end of the war.
Lovely dignified lady and only found out she,d passed away in 2018. Great to hear such inspiring people tell of their experiences and have it recorded for future generations.

Dale Honhart

February 3, 2020

Dear Sascha,
As others have stated, thank you for sharing your story with the world.
Today, Feb 3, 2020, I will celebrate the 75th anniversary of your family's liberation from the Santo Tomas prison camp in Manila. I served at Clark Field for five+ years so I feel close to you.
I was saddened to learn of your passing. I would have loved to talk with you and celebrate freedom. As it is, today you know the REAL freedom of living with Jesus Christ for all eternity. Some day we will have a chat. God bless your family.

Jeff Grimes

January 14, 2020

Dear Sascha

Wherever you are, thank you for sharing your story with us. Your resilience during the darkest days of your life is a light that will shine forever as part of our country's history.

I hope that you're enjoying the peace that you, your family, and your generation earned through your strength, your courage, your dignity.

God bless you, and my condolences to your family.

Alex Calacino

September 25, 2019

Saw her on The War. What a marvelous person. I thank her for sharing her story. Thought the wzy she told about feeling her backbone was funny. Well you know what i mean. I know shes in heaven. God bless her and all her family.

Rhonda Bricker

July 17, 2019

I have just finished the Ken Burns series, "The War", and just fell in love with Sascha. What a resilient woman she must have been. Her dignity was very obvious, but not self proclaimed. I found myself wanting to meet her, sit down with her, listen to her, learn from her and yes, comfort her. Her legacy will live on. My sincere compassion for her family and friends. Hope I get to meet her one day, where there is no more suffering, no more sadness...

James Paterson

June 23, 2019

Jean, you were an invaluable source of history with your Santo Tomas years, and a source of inspiration when you visited. You will be sorely missed but never forgotten.
Jim Paterson

Kristina Ray

May 29, 2019

I just finished War. I enjoyed her story, along with the others. I am glad she got to share her accounts. Best wishes for her and her family. ❤

Samuel Morel

March 5, 2019

I did't know her and it is close to a year since Ms Jansen passed away but right now I am watching the documentary "War" by Ken Burns, that in part documents her time as a prisoner of the Japanese in the Philippines. It amazes me how as a little girl her writing skills could bring the life that very difficult painful moment in world history and her own life. I just want to pass my condolences to her family and say that through Mr. Burns and her own writing that was truly inspiring. I'm sure in her life she has touched more people including myself and her legacy will live on. I'm not sure if anyone will read this who knew her but I send my late condolence and best wishes to all of you who loved her.

C Cyrway

March 3, 2019

May God grant her the peace that she, and all of her generation, has earned. I pray that this country learns to honor and return to the ideals that her generation fought to maintain within our country.

John Galarza

January 26, 2019

God Bless You Sascha

January 25, 2019

"I am so sorry for the loss of this great and strong woman who endured such hardship at a young age along with her family." I'm a Marine who was in the last two operations of Vietnam. I can only imagine the joy Sascha and her family felt when the troops arrived to free her. I'm saddened that I'm too late to meet her. I pray for the Weinzheimer Family for your great loss. Thank you for sharing your story.
-John Galarza
[email protected]

Harry Simpson

January 25, 2019

Godspeed Sascha, and thank you for sharing a part of your life with us.

Dennis Smith

September 10, 2018

I've watched this woman so many times in the documentary iThe War and wished many time I could have talked to her . I'm truly saddened by her passing

August 26, 2018

Saw her on the Netflix-serie on WW2. Was impressed and touched. Her family can be proud of her. Ad Beckeringh, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Gerardo

August 14, 2018

Heard of her story on PBS. May she rest in peace and the memory of her story live on.

Douglas Wood

June 12, 2018

To Ms. Jansen's family, I am very sorry for your loss. I truly enjoyed watching her tell the story of her internment in the PBS documentary on World War II. To have endured that as a child and then be able to tell the story with such poise was captivating to watch. She was a brave woman and I know all of you must be very proud of her. Again, my sympathies for your loss.

Jon Gates

May 23, 2018

Intriguing lady. Sorry to hear of her passing. Enjoyed her telling of her time in Manila during the war.

Carol Pagal

May 1, 2018

I just finished rewatching The War by Ken Burns. Out of curiosity I looked up Sascha Weinzheimer on Google. I'm sorry to read of her passing. She had such a powerful story to tell. What a true hero. To her family, my condolences

April 16, 2018

We met Sascha through the POW organization BACEPOW. It was a priviledge to have known her. She was such a wonderful presence at our meetings and our reunions and riding around in her scooter. She was an inspiration to all who knew her. We will miss her wonderful personality and smile. Our deep condolences to her family.
Joan and John Montesa

Janice Jansen

March 31, 2018

So grateful that Sascha came into our family in marrying my cousin Jan Jansen.
She exemplified courage, love and grace in all she did.
One need only to see how her sense of industry, invention, and doing what's right have been passed on to her children.
Condolences to all those she has left.

Sue Baldassarre

March 28, 2018

To the Jansen Children and Grandchildren. It was an honor to have known Sasha. She was an exceptional lady and a dear friend. She will be missed. My sincere Condolences to all of you.

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