Evelyn (Evie) Banko survived the Second World War as a child refugee. Born in Vienna, Austria, Evie and her family were forced to flee their home in 1938 because of the Nazi annexation of Austria. They first went to Riga, Latvia. A year later her family boarded the Trans-Siberian Railroad to travel across Russia to reach China, and then Japan, where she and her family boarded a ship to the U.S.

The family finally settled in Portland. While Evie’s immediate family survived the journey, many members of her extended family who were stuck in Europe did not. Today Evie is an active member of the Speakers’ Bureau.