In June,
Laura Miller
,
alumni engagement assistant
, traveled to Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa with her mom, her mom’s sister and her two siblings. Although the Millers had plenty of adventures on their trip including visiting Victoria Falls (the largest waterfall in the world and one of the seven natural wonders), this wasn’t just a family vacation to explore an exotic destination; it was an opportunity for Laura and her sister to gain a deeper understanding of their family history. Laura’s maternal grandparents and their children are from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and haven’t been back since they moved to the United States 40 years ago.

The story of how Laura’s great-grandfather Geza Gero came to live in Zimbabwe reads like an exciting historical novel. Geza (the father of her maternal grandfather, Joe) lived in what was then Czechoslovakia and worked in a shoe factory. As the Nazi regime gained power and the climate in Europe became increasingly dangerous for the Jewish population, the owner of the shoe factory gathered his Jewish employees (including Laura’s great-grandfather) and offered them the opportunity to leave Czechoslovakia and relocate to factories in other countries around the world.

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Geza moved his family to what was then the British colony of Southern Rhodesia just nine days before the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia in March of 1939. Laura’s grandfather Joe was five years old when the family relocated. Geza did well for himself and his family in Rhodesia. The shoe factory is still in operation and the company, Bata Shoes, has more than 5,000 retail stores in more than 70 countries.

On the other branch of the family tree is Laura’s maternal grandmother (and Joe’s wife), Sheila. Sheila is the 3
rd
generation in her family to be born in Southern Rhodesia. Her family operated two farms, with the primary farm growing strawberries. Sheila’s brother, owner of the strawberry farm and a type I diabetic, pioneered the first sugar-free strawberry jam in Africa. Laura shared that after a childhood of strawberry overload, her mother Gillian and her siblings now detest strawberries.

Sheila and Joe met in preschool. As with many playground romances, Joe made his feelings for Sheila known by pulling pranks like putting tacks in her chair and throwing oranges at her. Joe and Sheila connected years later as teenagers and continued their preschool love story, albeit with significantly fewer flying citrus fruits. After Joe was drafted into the Rhodesian army the couple made the decision to get married (and have now been married for 57 years!).

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The family stops for a photo on the road from Victoria Falls to Bulawayo (Debbie and Gillian’s home town). From left to right: Debbie, Michael, Sarah, Gillian and Laura.



In November of 1965, Joe and Sheila welcomed daughter Gillian (Laura’s mother) to the world. In that same month, Southern Rhodesia declared independence from the United Kingdom (ultimately taking the name Zimbabwe in 1980), an act which set the stage for an increasingly hostile political climate. As the British colonial government shifted to a predominantly black Zimbabwean government, racial tension surged. Acts of violence and intimidation against white citizens prompted Joe and Sheila to take their three children and flee the country to South Africa when Gillian was nine years old. Gillian has memories of stuffing chicken carcasses with money because it was illegal to transport cash across the border.

Because Gillian was born during the 12 day period between when Southern Rhodesia declared independence and when it became a sovereign nation, she had no birth certificate and was not recognized as a citizen. As a result, securing travel documents for Gillian proved to be a difficult undertaking for Joe and Sheila.

After arriving in South Africa, the family lived in a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa for about a year. Because they were forced to leave their successful businesses (including the shoe factory and a cotton waste factory) behind, the family faced significant financial struggles. Joe worked as a foreman in a local shop, which was quite a departure from his former life as a prosperous business owner in Rhodesia.

Undeterred by the adversity they faced, Gillian’s family built a new life for themselves in South Africa. Sheila attended college, earned a degree in mathematics and established a highly successful tutoring business that continues to thrive today as a multimillion dollar company with 116 franchises in South Africa.

Gillian remained in Cape Town until she was 21 years old. She had plans to move to Israel but after meeting Laura’s father David while on a trip to Los Angeles to visit her sister, Gillian’s path changed course and the rest is history. Interestingly Laura’s grandparents and their three children all ended up living in the Los Angeles area after coming to the United States separately.

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A visit to the Bata shoe store in Zimbabwe. From left to right: Sarah Miller (sister), Gillian Miller (mother), Michael Miller (brother), Debbie Lichter (aunt) and Laura.



The opportunity to return to their home country proved to be an emotionally-charged experience for Laura’s mother and aunt. They were warned by their safari guide to not share that they used to live in Southern Rhodesia because they may be met with animosity still lingering from the political upheaval in the 1960s. They were also advised to avoid speaking around Zimbabwean locals because their Rhodesian accents (similar to a British accent) would be recognized. However, the plan to lay low quickly flew out the window when the family arrived at the Bata shoe store and couldn’t contain their excitement in sharing memories from their childhood. Thankfully, they didn’t encounter any hostility or ill will.

Ironically, Laura’s mother and aunt cautioned Laura and her siblings prior to the trip not to speak around locals on the trip because Americans weren’t looked up kindly in Zimbabwe. After hearing the safari guide’s advice, the roles were reversed; he said Zimbabweans like American tourists since they contribute to the economy and that Gillian and her sister should be the cautious ones!

“We visited my parent’s old home and school and my grandparents’ old farm and factory,” said Laura. “It was shocking for them to see the changes of their once prosperous home, and the nostalgia and memories that it triggered were very emotional for them.”

The family ended their trip in Cape Town where they visited family and friends, hiked Table Mountain, and ate as much South African chocolate and biltong (jerky) as they could get their hands on.

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Laura shares her Panther pride with some locals in Zimbabwe



A highlight of the trip for Laura was going on safari in Botswana.

“We were in the middle of the bush for 10 days,” said Laura. “We pitched a tent to sleep in and drove around during the day in search of game. We saw thousands of animals including lion, elephant, hippo, buffalo – a herd of over 600, and other flora and fauna unique to Africa.”

Ever the proud alumna, Laura brought her Panther pride with her to Africa: “My 14-year-old sister and I wore our Chapman shirts almost the whole time!”