Holocaust history revealed in family letters. The memos of a Denver couple show ties to Einstein, Nuremberg. – Denver Post, 2009

Ghosts in My Mother’s Closet is the story of a Jewish immigrant, Edwin Sieradz (later changed to Sears), and his Gentile wife Vera Schulze-Bergen. The author wishes to present their story in a unique format. Ghosts in My Mother’s Closet will share with the reader not only the journeys that these two immigrants made coming to America, but also the journey that the author took, exploring, organizing and reflecting upon these remarkable documents that she discovered upon her mother’s passing. These documents follow Edwin and Vera as they escape from Nazi Germany and come to America. Edwin’s and Vera’s story becomes more intriguing after they settle in Denver, Colorado, in 1940. They have the opportunity to return to Germany to be a part of the historic Nuremberg War Trials. During this time they also go back to Berlin to reunite with Vera’s parents and friends. Edwin spends his free time researching records to find loved ones and friends who have been sent to the concentration camps.

Andrea Sears Van Nest is a native of Denver, Colorado. She spent 25 years in Bakersfield, California, where she taught music and raised her two children with her husband. In 2013 she moved back to Colorado where she still teaches music and performs. In 2008, with the death of her mother, she began researching and studying about the papers she found to better understand her parents’ past. She loves to spend time with her husband, playing music and being with her many pets.