Fabricius, Julianna (Ratz) 1928 - 2016
FABRICIUS, RATZ, WITZKE, HUNTER, KASPRZAK
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/5/2016 at 14:21:18
Julianna Fabricius, 87, of Independence, died Thursday, July 21, 2016, at the ABCM Rehabilitation Center’s West Campus in Independence.
Julianna was born Nov. 19, 1928, in Borki, an ethnic German farming village in Poland, the daughter of Frieda (Witzke) and Johann Robert Ratz. She was one of 10 children. At the end of WWII, Julianna volunteered to take her mother’s place when each family was conscripted by the Russian Army in East Germany to work in their camps, where at the age of 17, she had to cook and be a gardener for a year and a half. She was eventually released and traveled to West Germany where she was reunited with her family. She met Max Fabricius in early 1950, and married later that year in Buchholz-Aller, Germany. She, Max and their two children emigrated to the United States in 1952 under the sponsorship of Art Kitner of Independence. Julianna raised two children, had a garden, planted flowers, and took care of poultry during their years on the Glenn and later Paul Greif farm.
Her hobbies include volunteer church work, writing letters, sending Christmas and birthday cards, sewing, quilting, reading religious material, flowers, a vegetable garden, family history and photography. She was excellent at canning, cooking and entertaining company. After her children finished college, she went to Hawkeye Technical College to earn and receive her GED in 1977. She also received their Student of the Year Award in 1977. She worked at the county home as a substitute teachers’ aid for several years. She was also the Immanuel Lutheran Church Woman’s groups’ treasurer for several years. After moving to town, she was known to walk to many events, or to go shopping. She also was a member with the Curves exercise group until Max needed more care. Through their 63 years of marriage she was the bookkeeper for Max and herself and a neighbor. She cared for her husband until his health caused him to move into ABCM Rehabilitation center West Campus. She visited him nearly every day while he was there. She later moved in after Max’s passing in December of 2013.
Julianna is survived by one son, Dietrich (Elaine) Fabricius; one daughter, Renate Julianna (Gordon) Hunter; four grandchildren: Erich (Stephanie) Fabricius, Anne Fabricius, Max Joseph Hunter, Lucas Fabricius Hunter; three step-grandchildren: Paul G. (Janet) Hunter, Gordon J. Hunter, and Sara K Hunter; four great grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Samuel, James and Timothy Fabricius and three step great grandchildren Aidan, Brendan, and Tristan Hunter. She has one sister Lidia (Lezek) Kasprzak of Poland and one brother-in-law, Paul Fabricius of Schwarmstedt, Germany. She also has many nieces, nephews, and cousins in Canada, Germany, and Poland.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Max Fabricius, in 2013; her parents, Johann and Frieda (Witzke) Ratz; eight brothers and sisters: Edmund, Johanna, Johann, Erich, Heidwig, Herbert, Edward, and Otto; and many in-laws.
Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. Friday Aug. 5, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Independence, with burial in the Union Prairie Cemetery, Decorah. Friends may call from 9 a.m. until services Friday at the church.
Source: Decorah Newspapers Aug. 2, 2016
Union Prairie Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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