Recognized by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations, Lois Gunden operated a rescue mission for vulnerable children in Vichy France during World War II. Her work focused on extracting Jewish and Spanish refugee children from the dangerous conditions of the Camp de Rivesaltes, providing them with shelter at the Ville St. Christophe orphanage in Canet-en-Roussillon.
Early Life and Education
Born in Flanagan, Illinois, on February 25, 1915, Lois Mary Gunden was one of nine children in a Mennonite family. She pursued her education at Goshen College, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1936. She later completed a master’s degree at Peabody College and held a teaching position at Goshen College. Her academic background was rooted in the study of the French language.
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In October 1941, Gunden traveled to France to work for the Secours Mennonite aux Enfants. Based in Canet-en-Roussillon, approximately 30 miles from the Spanish border, she helped operate a 20-room orphanage. She actively removed children from the nearby Camp de Rivesaltes, an internment camp plagued by unsanitary conditions and malnutrition. She resisted deportation efforts, once using stall tactics to prevent the removal of the Landesmann children by police.
Detention and Return to the United States
Following the Allied landing in North Africa, Gunden was classified as an enemy alien by German authorities. She was arrested in early 1943 and held in hotels, including a facility in Baden-Baden, while being treated with diplomatic status. In March 1944, she returned to the United States via a prisoner exchange on the vessel Gripsholm. She subsequently resumed teaching at Goshen College and later taught at Temple University.
Post-War Career and Recognition
After the war, Gunden earned a Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1958. She remained active in the Mennonite Church, contributing to relief projects in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States. She married Ernest Clemens in 1958 and resided in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. In 2013, Yad Vashem posthumously awarded her the title of Righteous Among the Nations based on the nomination of Ginette Kalish, a child she had rescued.
Fast facts
- Born: 25 February 1915, Flanagan, Illinois
- Died: 27 August 2005, Lansdale, Pennsylvania
- Education: Goshen College, Peabody College, Indiana University
- Organizations: Mennonite Central Committee, Secours Mennonite aux Enfants
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (2013)
- Burial: Plains Mennonite Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was the Ville St. Christophe?
It was a 20-room orphanage and rescue mission established by Gunden in Canet-en-Roussillon to shelter children rescued from the Camp de Rivesaltes.
Why was Gunden held by the Germans?
She was considered an enemy alien following American and British military operations in North Africa, leading to her arrest in 1943 and eventual release via prisoner exchange in 1944.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 2013
- Worked as university teacher and French teacher
