Inge Spitz was born on March 15, 1927 in Potsdam, Germany. She grew up with parents Johanna and Hermann and sister Edith, and enjoyed a happy childhood until the age of 11. Inge’s world turned upside-down when her grandfather was arrested and taken to a prison camp. After Kristallnacht, Hermann was sent to prison for three weeks and was eventually sent to England on a male transport.

On March 20, 1939, five days after Inge’s 12th birthday, Johanna sent the girls to France to a safe place called La Guette, run by the Rothschild family, with many other German Jewish children. Later, Inge worked as a maid for a French family. During those years, she took the name Yvette Romer, and her dark hair and perfect French made it easy for her to fit in. After France was occupied by Nazi Germany, Inge and Edith went into hiding in a convent where only the Mother Superior knew they were Jewish. In May 1944, Inge led a group of children across the border to safety into Switzerland.

In 1946, through the Red Cross, the sisters and parents were reunited in London. Soon afterward, Inge met her future husband Eric Spitz, who had been a passenger on the infamous ship the St. Louis. In 1949, Inge and Eric relocated to Toronto and raised their family of three sons. Inge died on November 13, 2015 and is remembered lovingly by her extended family.