Erna H. Rosa Manuel

Wasilla resident Erna H. Rosa Manuel, 82, died Oct. 11 at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. During the final days of her illness, Erna received loving comfort and care from her family and friends.

Erna was born on March 24, 1927 in Jana, Germany to George and Rosa Frank; and christened in the Lutheran Church. As a young girl and teenager she was separated from her family during World War II and survived incarceration in three concentration camps; Dachau, Auschwitz and Berkenau. After the war, she received her medical degree in Heidelberg, Germany and married an American soldier and moved to the United States residing in Oregon.

Upon moving to the United States, she proudly became a United States citizen in 1955. She resided in Winston, Ore., with her husband, Lloyd and her only child, Erna Jane. Erna worked in a small hospital in Myrtle Creek, Ore., and did other service work after retirement. After the death of her husband in 1992, Erna relocated to Wasilla to live with her daughter and son-in-law.

Her family wrote: “Erna had an incredible will to live in the current day and was very proud to be an American. After moving to the United States, she never looked back. With her husband Lloyd, she raised their daughter and enjoyed traveling to Alaska with her husband to visit her daughter and grandchildren. Erna always felt blessed that she was surrounded by her daughter, grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. She loved to tease, play and make funny faces with them. She enjoyed sharing stories of her upbringing in Germany and was a wonderful cook. Erna had a lovely twinkle in her eye and a beautiful smile. She will be dearly missed by all of those that love her.”

Erna is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Erna Jane and Don Puckett of Wasilla; grandchildren Donnie Mincher-Puckett of Molalla, Ore.; Tammi and John Starrs of Molalla; and Bruce Puckett of Sutton; great-grandchildren Donnie Ray, Don, Virgil, Travis, Charles, John Lloyd, Austin, John Thomas, Angeline, Hunter, Lilly, Trista, Daniel and Noah; great-great grandchildren Matthew, Leah and Vincent; her brother Siegfried Frank and nieces and nephews in Munich, Germany. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.

Arrangements are with Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel and private services will be held today at Fort Richardson National Cemetery where she will be laid to rest with her husband.

The family wishes to thank Mat-Su Regional Hospital staff for their loving care in Erna’s final days as well as the staff at Tranquility Manor where Erna resided during the last years of her life.