Sylvia Bottner

Sylvia Bottner

February 2, 1923 – March 30, 2019

Age 96

Sylvia was born Kristine Alexandra Pulles in Tallinn, Estonia.  She survived two invasions by Russian forces during WWII. During the first invasion she was forced, with hundreds of other women, to dig tank traps for the Russians during which, on one occasion, she came close to being killed by an overzealous Russian guard when she dropped her shovel. She mentioned that she remembered the sound of the cartridge entering the rifle barrel as the guard readied the rifle for firing. She, with her mother and two sisters, escaped the second invasion of the Russian forces as they expelled the German occupation troops. They walked to Riga, Latvia, a port city where German troops were loading on to three ships in the harbor. Taking advantage of the German’s offer to board any of the three ships readying to depart, they fortunately got aboard the only one that made it out of the harbor.  Although their ship was damaged by machine gun fire, the other two ships were sunk by Russian bombers. Eventually the damaged ship made it to port in Poland where they boarded a train and ended up in a displaced persons camp in Munich, Germany. After the defeat of the Germans, Sylvia worked at a Red Cross club in Augsburg, Germany, where she met her husband.

Preceded in death by parents Kristian and Elaine Pulles and sisters Salme and Helene.

Survived by husband of 70 years Raymond and four sons Raymond Jr., Robert, Randall and Ronald.

Visitation  Thursday, April 4, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Bellevue Memorial Chapel.

Funeral Service  Friday, April 5, 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 2302 Crawford St., Bellevue.