Elfriede Hightower

Elfriede Hightower, born September 12, 1940 in Neustadt Germany to Leonard and Margaret Rammig, entered into rest on October 18, 2015, in her home surrounded by her loved ones and her dog Duke. Elfriede had many adventures in her 75 years. She lived through WWII in Germany. Her family's favorite story was one of Elfriede's earliest memories. At the age of 3 1/2 while playing out in front of her house, she found an American Pilot that had been shot down. He was in the ditch in front of their home. She grabbed him by the hand and led him into the backyard where her strawberry patch was, and that is where her mother found them. Her mother and the neighbor hid this pilot from the SS for days as they kept searching for him. When they would knock on the door of Elfriede's house they would push him out the kitchen window and send him to the neighbor's home. When they were gone they would flicker the lights and he would be sent back. At one point, the SS knew he was there somewhere and thought something was up, so they tried pushing Elfriede's mother into the basement, but Elfriede stuck her 3 1/2 year old foot and leg into the door and blocked them. They chose not to pursue it further. The pilot was nursed back to health and left Elfriede's home. After the war the young man's wife sent a letter to Elfriede's mother thanking her and her family. She was so frightened that she did not keep the letter. The pilot was from the East Coast. Elfriede asked her mother in later years why she did what she did, and her mother said that it was because her husband was forced into the war and she hoped that if he needed help, someone would help him. Years later Elfriede met and fell in love with her own American G.I. - Jimmy Hightower. They married in 1962 and moved to the U.S. Jimmy often said that he came home with a wife and a VW, and he held on to the better of the two. Elfriede, not being content with being a U.S. citizen through her marriage, studied for and became a naturalized U.S. citizen on her own. She was very proud of this. Elfriede was preceded in death by her parents, brother Fritz Rammig, husband Jimmy, and grandson Charlie. She leaves behind her son Robert Hightower (Vicki), daughter Tammy Becka (Ray), grandchildren Reagan Hightower, Danny Smetak (Kim), Jennifer Gallaher (Doug) and Josh Becka, sister, Louise Abl (Alfons) along with many nieces and nephews. In her final days she was cared for by her niece, Penny Stevens, and daughter, Tammy. In respect of her final wishes there will be no funeral service. Donations may be made in her honor to Butte Humane Society.