Elsa Wolff Hartfeil's Obituary
Elsa Hartfeil (Wolff) of Denver, NC formerly of Charlotte and various northern suburbs of Chicago, IL passed away at the age of 92 on February 7th, one day after her 69th wedding anniversary.
Elli was born on May 20th, 1930, the 5th child of Gustav and Natalie Wolff in Posadas, Argentina. She grew up in Leanardo N. Alem in the province of Misiones where her father, of German decent, ran a plantation. Most of the family visited Germany to attend a funeral but were not allowed to leave the country. The family then moved to East Prussia/Mohlen October 1938, where her father died in a farm accident and later, both brothers who visited Germany with her died during the war. While fleeing from Russian troops in 1944, her family was captured. She was separated from her mother and sent with her two sisters to a camp in Siberia, where one of her sisters died. On May Day in 1947 she escaped to Lithuania and was taken in by a farmer for a year until his family was threatened. She met her husband, Kurt, in Germany and they were married in Stuttgart on Feburary 6th, 1954. With their two sons, they immigrated to the U.S. in October of 1955, sponsored by Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Evanston, IL.
Elsa briefly ran a business, The Artis Beauty Salon, in Chicago. As well, she worked in a number of factories over the years to help support the family. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and nanny. Her great grandchildren brought her much joy toward the end of her life. She was a spotless housekeeper, was famous for her cooking, especially her apple pancakes, gravies, salads and meats. She was a competitive card player and loved to travel to casinos throughout the country.
She was preceded in death by her husband Kurt by only a few weeks, and is survived by her children Karl-Heinz, and Guenther (Karen (Metzger)); grandchildren Lauren Merryman (Gregg), Kurt (Lisa), Robin Jake Genwun Moy (Lily); and great grandchildren Fiona, Landon, and Margot as well as her brother Herbert and his family still living in Argentina, her sister Hedwig and her family still living in Germany, and cousins now living in Canada.
James Funeral Home of Huntersville is serving the family.
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