ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Many filled the Boone County Museum Lecture Room to hear the story of Tilli Schulze, a German immigrant, and how she found her way to Rockford during World War II.
“I remember as a child, my mom having nightmares about what she went through. And after this book was written, her nightmares were gone,” said Schulze’s daughter, Barbra Gorham. “It’s a story of strong women that I think everybody in this country should hear. And it’s a whole different side of World War Two. It’s the German side.”
Schulze worked with Lorna Collier on her book, “Tilli’s Story My Thoughts are Free.” Collier said it’s a book for everyone from young adults and up.
“It’s been published in three different languages, and she, Tilli is not with us any longer. Unfortunately,” said Collier. “But she had a strong message about the importance of freedom, and she wanted everyone to know how much we need to cherish in this country because they had it taken from them in theirs.”
“I was actually in on the very beginnings of the book where my mom was making some tapes and I got to listen to them and it turns out that they found Lorna,” said Schulze’s son Eric. Lorna was a great person to write the book.”