Hertges, Theresa (Franz) 1933 - 2022
HERTGES, FRANZ, BAENSCH, WEIS, DELGADO, TARASEK, THOMPSON, LUTTER
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 7/8/2022 at 15:33:22
Theresa Hertges was peacefully called home by her Lord and Savior on July 6, 2022, at the Ossian Senior Hospice, Ossian, Iowa, after a long battle with dementia. Her given name was Maria Theresia Gertrud Franz, and she was born to Alfred and Gertrud (Baensch) Franz on January 23, 1933, in Polsnitz, Silesia (East Germany). She was always known as Theresa. She was baptized on February 3, 1933 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church. Theresa’s family moved to Liebenau in August of 1934, when her father was promoted to principal of the Public School Liebenau, which was a larger village in the southern part of Silesia. Liebenau always held a special place in Theresa’s heart, as she always considered this village her home; even after the family was resettled to Hildesheim, Germany in May of 1946. Theresa completed Elementary School in Germany, even as the country was in the midst of World War II. The war years were very difficult for the family. They lost their home, as well as most of their belongings, but they endured.
Theresa moved to England, where she began her career as an au pair in the 1950’s. She cared for and nurtured many children, whilst learning the English language and taking clerical courses. After two years, she returned to Germany to support orphans and refugees at the SOS Children’s Village in Bavaria. It was at this time that Theresa’s father had been contacted by a Priest with word of an opportunity to nanny for seven young children in Lawler, Iowa. She traveled to the United States aboard “The Berlin.” She arrived in Ellis Island, New York in August, 1959. She accepted the position and became a nanny for the Neal Reicks’ Family.
Theresa loved to visit, dance, and socialize! While attending a St. Patrick’s Day dance at the Inwood Ballroom in Spillville, she met her future husband, Donald F. Hertges. She admired his quiet nature and sense of humor. They soon discovered their mutual love and affection and were married on September 3, 1960, at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Ossian. They began their new life together on the family dairy farm in Springfield Township. They were blessed with five children: Mary, Jeanette, Andrew, Donna, and Donald A. Hertges. They retired to Ossian in 1992.
Theresa knew how to tell a wonderful story and enjoyed conversing with anyone. She delighted in her grandchildren and was proud of each of them. Her garden was full of life and bursting with delicious fruits and vegetables, along with many beautiful flowers, zinnias and peonies being some of her favorites. Her love of cats, German food, Benedictine, and dark chocolate was plentiful. Theresa also enjoyed coffee klatches, card club, and sharing and translating the German language. Her collection of delicate china teacups is still admired by her family. Theresa loved to volunteer whenever she had an opportunity. She greatly missed her parents, sisters, and brothers in Germany and wrote to them weekly.
Her children remember her for being diligent and hard-working, and always reading a book, with one on standby. She made sure to celebrate each of their birthdays with a homemade Brazilian Chocolate Cake. Theresa also enjoyed showing off her smoke rings with a “Benson & Hedges” after a good meal. She could be counted on for aptly describing a situation with two or three German words and sayings, many that are still used by her friends and family. Her grandchildren remember sharing sugar-coated raspberries from the garden with her, watching the train pass by her house in the evenings, helping her feed the kittens, and always being slipped a square of chocolate when visiting.
Theresa was a member of St. Francis De Sales Parish, the Rosary Society, and the Catholic Daughters of America, Court 983. She was a lifelong learner, a consummate conversationalist, and deeply committed to her faith. She took pride in becoming a United States citizen on May 15, 1964. She enjoyed practicing her civic duty by voting and volunteering for the Iowa Caucus. Theresa earned her GED in 1969, along with obtaining her first driver’s license.
Theresa is survived by her children, Mary (Jeff) Weis, Decorah; Jeanette (Jose Delgado) Hertges, North Beach, Maryland; Andrew Hertges, Decorah; Donna (Larry) Tarasek, Lorton, Virginia and Father Donald A. Hertges, Decorah. She leaves behind five precious grandchildren to carry on her legacy, Ashton Weis, Burien, Washington; Morgan (Hunter) Thompson, Verona, Wisconsin; Matthew Hertges, Decorah; Sarah Hertges, Fort Worth, Texas and Anna Delgado, North Beach, Maryland, along with her first great-grandchild, Summer Thompson; her two sisters, Mia Franz and Mechthild (Arnold) Lutter, Germany, and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members, both “in this country” and in Germany.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Donald, on January 19, 1996; her parents Alfred and Gertrude Franz in 1976; two brothers Josef and Klemens Franz of Germany; and many friends and family members.
A rosary will be said at 10:30 am on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Ossian, Iowa.
Visitation will begin at 11:00 am, with a mass of Christian Burial at 1:00 pm. Father Donald A. Hertges will be the celebrant.
Burial immediately following at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Cemetery.
Source: Grau Funeral Home database
St. Francis de Sales Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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