Adela Dychtwald Webre

Adela Dychtwald Webre passed away peacefully on March 26, 2026, at the age of 89 after a brief illness. She was born on May 25, 1936, and was a resident of New Orleans. In her later years, Adela often reflected, “I had a hard life, but a good life. I did pretty good for a little refugee.” She was born in Kastornaya, a small farm village in Kursk, Russia. During her childhood, she and her younger brother, Anatol endured WWII, lost their father, Vitali Posnekov, and suffered from famine and fear. Though her early years were difficult, Adela always focused on the love of her great-grandfather, Dedushka Parfisha and her mother, Tatjana. After the end of WWII, her mother got remarried to Michael Dychtwald and the family moved from Russia to Poland. There, Adela learned how to speak Polish. The family then escaped from Poland to Germany and lived in Displaced Persons camps from 1945-1950. During that time, Adela’s two siblings, Jake and Mary were born. Adela learned how to speak Hebrew and learned how to sew. She was the only child allowed to participate in sewing classes meant to teach adults a trade. In 1951 her family was sponsored by the Jewish Federation to immigrate to New Orleans, Louisiana.

Adela worked hard to learn English and succeed in school. She received the keys to the city for being an outstanding citizen. She always had a job to help her family, babysitting, ironing clothes, and eventually working at the concession stand in Audubon Park. In New Orleans, her family welcomed Tania, the family’s first American-born citizen. Adela sewed all the clothes for herself and her sisters. With the fabric scraps, she’d make matching doll clothes. After graduating from Fortier High School in 1955, Adela attended Touro School of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse in 1960. While in nursing school, she was asked to teach a Russian language class to a group of Army Reservists. The Times Picayune sent a young reporter, Gilbert Webre, to cover the story for the Dixie Roto Magazine. Webre fell in love with the gorgeous new American. They married in 1960 and bought a house in Algiers. Adela loved that house, it gave her the safety and security she missed in her childhood. She and Gil had three children, Edwarde, Timon, and Jennifer. Adela continued to work as a nurse at Touro and then the VA while she raised her children. Just shy of 25 years of marriage, Gil unexpectedly passed away in 1985.

Adela retired in 1998. Over the years, she traveled to Hong Kong, Germany, Australia, Russia, France, Switzerland, Thailand, and China with her family. Her greatest joy was in spending time with her grandchildren, Ellen, Connor, Audrey, Amanda, Lara, and Haley, whom she loved with all her heart. When Audrey was asked if she had any special memories of her grandmother, she replied “only a million.”

Adela was incredibly generous of spirit. She never met a person who she didn’t invite to her house, to New Orleans, or to come for Mardi Gras. She often said, “I will never forget you.” We will never forget her. She will be sorely missed.

Adela is preceded in death by her husband, Gilbert Webre, her parents, Tatjana, Vitali, and her stepfather, Michael Dychtwald, her brother, Anatol Dychtwald, and her son, Timon Webre.

She is survived by her son, Edwarde Webre (Kim), her daughter, Jennifer Daly (Gaelen), her grandchildren, Ellen, Lara, and Haley Webre, and Connor, Audrey, and Amanda Daly, her sisters Mary Voorhies (Richard) and Tania Burgess (Tommy), and her brother Jake Dytchwald (Gene), as well as many nieces and nephews. Adela was loved by all.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend services held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA on Friday, April 17, 2026. Visitation will be from 11:00am until the Mass begins at 1:00pm. Interment will follow.