Did we ever get this settled? I'm just wandering around today and was rereading old messages. I do recall my parents talking about these people. And there was also a Helen/Helene Gender called Lena Gender. I don't think my dad knew her but he liked to call her "lean against her" in his always-joking Irish way. He also used to sing German songs for us with perfect accents, and if you didn't know the German language he was quite believable ... but he didn't know a word of German. I was heartbroken when I learned the truth!