Erika Emma Rosenhammer passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, April 26, 2020 at the age of 94. Erika was a wonderful wife to Josef before his passing last year. Also known as Mom, Oma, Tante and friend she was a courageous woman with many talents. Someone we love and now miss so very much.
She was born to parents Hugo and Martha Grundmann on March 9, 1926 in Naumburg Am Queis, Germany. In her early years of growing up life was a happy home full of family and fun. Teenage years saw the war with its hardships. Erika was a Red Cross nurse for a few years while also learning to run a business and during that time also met Josef. Erika would cross borders back and forth to spend time with Josef and his family in Austria. In Germany, 1951, Erika married Josef and then moved to Austria for a short time. While living there Erika learned the Austrian kitchen from Josef’s mother and learned it well! With little money and no English Erika moved to Canada in 1953 to join Josef who had gone ahead to look for work and find a place to live. Both worked very hard to make a good life in Canada. In 1959 Erika became Mom to Ute, her “Schnecke”. In the years that followed came a new home, a cottage and then in 1970 a move to Combermere where Erika and Josef bought the Lucky Dollar Store and Erika became a business owner. She excelled and built a great business along with new and lasting friendships. In 1987 Erika became a proud Oma for the first time and again in 1989 and 1993. In the years that followed we
shared many visits between Combermere and Mississauga where we all created memories of summer swims, winter sledding, sleep overs, favourite meals (schnitzel, german pancakes, cakes, to name only a few), Bingo and card games. Erika loved the time spent with her family! Erika also enjoyed planting flowers and growing a vegetable garden as well as knitting and crocheting which she could do with her eyes closed. We have many memories that help us keep her alive in our hearts and help us move forward.
Erika is survived by her one and only daughter Ute Fenech, son-inlaw Noel Fenech, and her three granddaughters, Jenna Fenech- Trocchia (husband Giuseppe Trocchia), Lauren Fenech (fiance Mark Harris), Lindsay Fenech along with sister-in-law Renate Rosenhammer (Ali Rosenhammer), nephew Norbert Grundmann (Gisela), niece Vitti Michel (Olivier), nephew Wolfgang Gangl (Cornelia). She was predeceased by her loving husband Josef last year, her parents, Hugo and Martha Grundmann, brother-in-law Ali Rosenhammer, sisterin- law Rita Gangl-Hochmeyer and brother-in-law Helmut Hochmeyer.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.