Lieselotte I. Belruss

Lieselotte I. (Hensel) Belruss, a longtime resident of Westwood, passed away on June 13th, 2009 at the Deutsches Altenheim Nursing Home in West Roxbury.  She was 96.  The youngest of 7 children, Lieselotte was born in Eickel, Germany on May 31, 1913 to Max and Martha (Engelhardt) Hensel, two very prominent German politicians.  In fact, her mother was the first female German senator.  Lieselotte became a Red Cross nurse when she graduated in 1939 and thereafter remained in the Order of teh red Cross.  She was drafted in 1944 and was a nurse at the Battle and Field Hospital.  She remained a nurse from 1945 to 1954.  She moved to the United States and became a proud American citizen in 1962.  She worked at several hospitals until she accepted a position of head nurse at the Deutsches Altenheim in West Roxbury.  Her husband Vladimir was a scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  He died in 1994.  In her spare time, she enjoyed gardening, and had a passion for animals. A graveside service at Gethsemane Cemetery in West Roxbury will be held Thursday, June 18th at 2 PM with the Reverend Walter Reunning officiating.  In lieu of flowers, donations to the Red Cross, 285 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA 02116, or to Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care, 275 Grove Street, Suite 3-100, Newton, MA 02466 would be appreciated.