THe Weber Siblings
Alfons Weber
(1927 - 2016)
Alfons was born as the first child and only son of Alexander & Lina Weber in Paderborn, Germany. As a teenager, his mother was a force to be reckoned with. She was deported and murdered and along with his father, he took on the role as protector of his six younger sisters, who all adored him. Alfons settled in Chicago, married, raised his family, worked as a physicist. He had planned to take a trip to Germany with his niece Beth, but his death in 2016 meant that this trip never came to be. Beth’s film UnBroken is her way of finally taking that trip with her Uncle Alfons.
Gertrude Chapman
(1932-2026)
Born in Berlin, Gertrude lived in Buffalo Grove along with the love of her life, Sherwin Chapman, her husband of over 55 years. Together, they raised three children in the Jewish faith, they had six grandchildren and one great grandchild. Gertrude was the nerve center of communication once the Weber siblings came to Chicago, and even in her death, she is still working her connections from the other side having reunited the Weber with the Bandas after her passing.
Senta Saulters
(1929 - 2016)
The eldest Weber daughter, Senta was born in Paderborn, Germany. After immigrating to the United States, she met her husband, Bob Saulters, with whom she raised four sons and co-owned small businesses in Chicago. She was a devout Catholic, and a creative soul with a love for poetry, dancing and singing. Her lovely singing voice is missed dearly by her siblings and entire family.
Renee Dicker
(1935 - 2020)
Born in Berlin, Renee married and had three children, four grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Her matter-of-fact, no-nonsense approach to life had an enduring quality that inspired all of us to live an authentic and meaningful life.
Ginger (Bela) Lane
Born 1939
The youngest Weber sibling, Ginger Lane was born Bela Weber in Berlin, Germany. After immigrating to the United States at the age of six, she was adopted by the artist Rosalynde and neurosurgeon Joshua Speigel. She has an adopted brother and sister. Ginger was raised in an artistic household, became a ballerina, and eventually married and had three children. She is the proud grandmother to seven grandchildren, and is the recipient of numerous awards for her contributions to disabilities advocacy as well as dance and choreography. In the Spring of 2022, Ginger’s image was plastered all over Chicago bus stops and billboards in honor of Women’s History Month! She is the recipient of the 3Arts Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Access Living.
Ruth Gilliana
(1930 - 2023)
Ruth was born in Berlin, and came to be the driving force that would ultimately get the seven Weber siblings out of Germany once and for all, thanks to her unrivaled street smarts and moxie. Ruth raised five children in Chicago and she has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She was an avid Tiger Woods fan and in addition to loving movies, she adored romance novels!
Judith Lal
Born 1937
Judith was born in Berlin. As a young adult she worked at The University of Chicago and met her adoring husband, Harbans Lal. Judith converted to Sikhism when she married and together, they raised three children. She has one grandchild. Today, she lives in Texas, and enjoys spending as much time out of the heat as possible!