Rhonda Marko honors her paternal grandmother Rachel Mordkowski, and her paternal grandfather Aaron Mordkowski, both of whom were from Zhetl, Poland. He was known to be a very observant Jew during his lifetime. Aaron fought in World War I and died, but Rachel never remarried. She instead devoted her energies to raising her son Sol, who realized as a teenager that he had to take upon the role of the man of the family. Rachel was an excellent cook who was often responsible for catering various events. The SS murdered Rachel Mordkowski during the Holocaust.
The Nashville Holocaust Memorial