14 December 1908, Chicago,[1] d. 2007) was a Norwegian-American who worked in Vichy France for the American Friends Service Committee (Quakers) during World War II.
In 1982, she was recognized by Yad Vashem for saving Jewish children from deportation to concentration camps in Nazi Germany.
On 21 June 1940, she began her employment with the American Friends Service Committee (Quakers) in its office in Toulouse headed by Helga Holbek, a Dane.
The advance of the German army after its invasion of France caused hundreds of thousands of French people to flee south to Toulouse and helping these refugees was Resch's first task.
As 1942 progressed and German exportations of Jews, including children, from Vichy began, Resch's attention, as well as those of other refugee workers, such as Mary Elmes, also working for the Quakers, and Mennonite Lois Gunden turned to rescue in addition to relief.
Resch participated in the clandestine escape and shelter activities at the same time that she also continued working on providing aid to refugees in camps.
She said, "we worked almost daily, hiding both adults and children and securing false identity papers and ration cards.
[6] Because of their previous work in Germany, the Germans allowed Quakers better access to refugees interned in camps than other aid organizations.
Resch and other Quakers were allowed to visit a train full of deportees and slip water and food through the spaces between the bars closing the railway cars.
[8] Many more refugees, both children and adults, managed to cross the French border, mostly illegally and with the help of the humanitarian organizations, into Spain or Switzerland, both neutral countries.