People named Rita Blum

Rita (Blum) Greenacre was my nanny. She and my granddad, George Greenacre (June 15, 1923 - July 26, 1992), met in either the late 30s or early 40s, after she, her mother (Elsa) and her brother (Curt) fled Vienna Austria (separately) during Hitler's occupation. George was from a family in Munford, England. Both Rita and George were in the army when they met, and married shortly after (I think it was 1942). On December 3, 1944 my mother, Colette, was born. Granddad was there at the birth...they had sent him hunting. Mom was born in the farmhouse, and it was a race between the cow having a calf that day in the barn and mom being born. Sadly, who won that race has been lost to the ages. But mom is still here, so I think she won in the long run. Shortly after that, Granddad was sent back overseas to serve in North Africa. The story goes that my mom didn't like this stranger when he returned from the war effort a year or so later. In 1948 they emigrated to the United States, first in Chicago, where some of the surviving Spitz's (Nanny's mother's family) had settled when they were able to flee Austria. A few years later the 3 of them moved to Philadelphia, where Nanny's brother, Uncle Curt (??? - January 6 or 8, 1987), had settled with their mother, Elsa (1894 - June 1983). Curt (born either June 22 or 24, 1920) never married. He and his mother are interred in Springfield, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Elsa remarried sometime after arriving in America to a terrible person (Cooper) who I thankfully never met. Anyway, Nanny was a wonderful person. She was intelligent, funny, loved her family dearly, and showered us with attention until the day she died. She had 3 daughters, my mother Colette, her middle daughter, Aunt Sandra (married Uncle Joseph Walter Kanhofer (we call him Uncle Wally, though his only sister calls him Joe, and he is Uncle Joe to her kids...I never knew this until his youngest son's wedding (Brian)), and her youngest, Aunt Cara (married Uncle Phillip Staurowski...a master carpenter, and he has mad skills/talent). According to my father, Nanny was also brave. She apparently did some things like run messages in and out of the Jewish ghetto as a young child, as she could pass for a non-Jew. He made it sound inspiring, but didn't have a lot of details. Only that his mother-in-law had some serious courage. Her grandfather on her father's side (Josef Blum was Elsa's husband, Nanny's father, my great grandfather) died after 5 or 6 years in a concentration camp (disappeared on Kristallnacht, and camp records show his death in 1943 or 44...my cousin Danny, a historian/professor, Wally and Sandra's oldest son, found this out while doing research). Josef died shortly after he and Curt tried to escape out of the country around the same time as his father's disappearance. Nanny died on January 1, 1986, at age 61. She was to have 2 valves replaced in her heart, and during some routine test on December 3, 1985 (mom's 41st birthday) her artery was torn, and she had a massive heart attack. She was out of the hospital in time for Christmas, but suffered another heart attack 2 days later, and died a few hours after surgery on January 1, at 11:46 am. Odd note, though she was Jewish, my mom and aunt's were raised Methodist because when they moved out of Philadelphia to Springfield, Delaware County, Pennsylvania (early 50s, right before Cara was born) the C.C. Hancock Church on Sproul Road (route 320) was being built. My sister, Stacey Colleen Barton (born January 22, 1971) and I were baptized there, and my mom and dad (Colette Greenacre Hammond and William Merrill "Chuck" Hammond (October 26, 1944 - June 28, 2022)) and my aunts and uncles were married (my parents on May 22, 1965). As a result, we celebrated Christian traditions/holidays. My nanny, who was a Jew, kept Christmas better than anyone I ever knew. She was insane with Christmas decorations/gifts/etc. I think because it was a time of family, which meant everything to her. She should be remembered for one thing above all else. Her love for family and friends. She was a giant among people because of how much she loved. Rita Blum Greenacre was one of the greatest people to ever walk the earth. Rest of her family: Colette married William (Chuck) Hammond, Rita's grandchildren: Colin Derek Hammond (3/18/1970) (I was Granddad's favorite...there, I said it out loud for the rest of you guys to know), married, Denise Marie (Koob) Hammond, 2 children, Ryan Connor Hammond, 8/8/2000, about to graduate from Shippensburg and become a teacher, and Maureen Alexis Hammond, 4/13/2002, rising 2nd classman (Junior) United States Coast Guard Academy); Stacey Colleen Barton (1/22/1971) (married Michael Barton in August 1997), 2 children, Jack Barton, 7/12/00, May 2023 graduate of James Madison with a business degree, and will be getting his graduate degree from there next year (2024), and Samuel Barton (Sammy), born 9/11/04, and about to graduate Downingtown East high school and will be attending Colgate University next year. Sandra married Joseph Walter (Wally) Kanhofer, Rita's grandchildren: Daniel Kanhofer (born 8/2/84) (married in 2019 I think, really cool place, at a shipwreck in Maine to Caroline, 2 children (Hal and Elizabeth Kanhofer, twins born 2020), Brian Kanhofer (married Corrine Casey Kanhofer, 1 child so far, son Trevor (TJ) born 2021, really cute kid, but he peed on me on his first Christmas, and I don't know if I can forgive him (wink, wink), 1 daughter on the way) Cara married Phillip Staurowski, Rita's grandchildren: Alysia Staurowski, married, born 4/9/1979, Michael Staurowski (born 5/10/1983), and Robert Staurowksi, born 10/25/1988. Now you know more than you ever wanted to know about Rita (Blum) Greenacre, and her descendants.

Rita T Blum of Sun Prairie, Dane County, WI was born on May 5, 1919, and died at age 74 years old on March 11, 1994.

Rita Blum of Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, FL was born on October 27, 1904, and died at age 87 years old on June 29, 1992.

Rita J Blum of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, OH was born on June 20, 1915, and died at age 79 years old on November 27, 1994.

Rita A Blum of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California was born on October 6, 1927, and died at age 82 years old on May 26, 2010.

Rita Blum of Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, FL was born on April 30, 1904, and died at age 73 years old in March 1978.

Rita R Blum of Bronx, Bronx County, NY was born on July 25, 1894, and died at age 96 years old on January 8, 1991.

Rita K Blum was born on September 2, 1914, and died at age 76 years old in August 1991. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Rita K Blum.

Rita K Blum of Great Neck, Nassau County, NY was born on July 15, 1919, and died at age 84 years old on December 17, 2003.

Rita Blum of Brooklyn, Kings County, NY was born on November 27, 1901, and died at age 88 years old in February 1990.

Rita E Blum was born on July 26, 1914, and died at age 75 years old on January 23, 1990. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Rita E Blum.