In
1993 Sonja and her sister, Thora, set out on a journey together. They
had no idea where the road would lead. Even though very young, they
remembered when the two oil tankers were torpedoed by a German U-boat
off the coast of St. Simons. Their father, Olaf Olsen, a civilian at
the time, was asked to help rescue the survivors. It happened that he
reached the survivors before the Coast Guard.
This was the inspiration for the project of a "walking/talking"
history of Glynn County, Georgia during World War II as there were
many still living who experienced what happened on the home front. It
took them six years to complete the project. Thora died of cancer
four months before the book came off the press.
Sonja graduated from Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, Ga.
and Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina. She taught in
parochial and public schools for eighteen years. For twelve years she
was the Executive Assistant at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in
Atlanta, Georgia. Her published works include a Sunday school series
for fourth grade, "Songs of the Church," and a story, "I Remember
Cumberland with My Dad, " which was published in Mary Miller's book,
"On Christmas Creek."
Sonja returned to Glynn County in 2001 where she is active in the
St. Simons Library League which is a non-profit organization helping
to support the St. Simons Library which she used as a child. She is
also the director of the children's choir at her home church, St.
James Evanglical Lutheran, in Brunswick.
Thora
attended Wesleyan Conservatory School of Music in Macon, Georgia, and
directed children's choirs for many years. The puppets she made
entertained thousands of children and adults in churches, schools, and
on The Good Time Gang Television Show in Atlanta. Several of her
short stories have been published. She also researched, compiled,
edited and published the genealogy "Our Family Tree: Ficquett,
Banks, Huff, and Extended Families, 1788-1995."
Thora died of cancer as this book was going to press. She is
survived by five sons and ten grandchildren.
In
1993 Sonja and her sister, Thora, set out on a journey together. They
had no idea where the road would lead. Even though very young, they
remembered when the two oil tankers were torpedoed by a German U-boat
off the coast of St. Simons. Their father, Olaf Olsen, a civilian at
the time, was asked to help rescue the survivors. It happened that he
reached the survivors before the Coast Guard.
Thora
attended Wesleyan Conservatory School of Music in Macon, Georgia, and
directed children's choirs for many years. The puppets she made
entertained thousands of children and adults in churches, schools, and
on The Good Time Gang Television Show in Atlanta. Several of her
short stories have been published. She also researched, compiled,
edited and published the genealogy "Our Family Tree: Ficquett,
Banks, Huff, and Extended Families, 1788-1995."