by Yvonne Sims (Author)
This is the story of Isabelle Godenne's heroic role in the resistance movement in Namur, Belgium while under German occupation during WWII.
I was born in 1949 and I am the oldest of all the cousins on my mother's side, the Godenne side, from Belgium. I was inspired to tell Tante Isa's story after reading a book called: A Train In Winter which is based on the memoires of imprisoned French Resistance women, as well as stories shared by their descendants. Always fascinated by the little bit I knew of Tante Isa, I realized that telling her story was a now or never moment. So, while isolating during the Covid-19 pandemic, I found the time I needed. My greatest fear has always been that her story would be lost. I used to tell it to my French students, and regretted that I couldn't answer their questions, like where was she imprisoned. Therefore, I promised myself to someday find out all I could, and then share her story with our family and beyond.