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May 22, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family on Friday, May 24, 2013 from 3-7 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
A Funeral Mass will be offered 8:15 AM (please meet directly at church) on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at Holy Trinity Church, 226 Harrison Street in Passaic.
Interment will be in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Saddle Brook.
Theresa Schaffer (nee Schaffer) age 86 of Wallington, died peacefully on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
She was born in Kohanyas, Hungary (a town with 17 homes and buildings including a church and school) where she met her future husband John Schaffer. The two met in grade school when they were about 6 or 7 years old. John was always worried Theresa thought he wasn’t good enough for her so he went around her and tried to convince her father he was worthy of her hand. Theresa wasn’t impressed by money, but loved the fact that John had a great bicycle - it even had a seat! She was convinced she could convince her dad John had potential. They fell in love and married in the Kohanyas Church, that sat about twenty people, on March 29, 1948.
Theresa and John secretly talked about emigrating to the United States. Leaving Hungary was no easy task. At 3 AM on the morning they were heading for the boarder they told their family they were leaving for the United States. John’s father told him he would never make it with a wife and two kids in tow, but they were determined to make a better life for their children. Their journey started in November of 1956. They ran through fields, paid off people to keep their travels quiet, and eventually made it to the boarders of Austria. They were granted political asylum in the United States and took an eleven day trip on the USS Leon to America. They weathered heavy seas and were all seasick by the time they entered New York harbor. Laszlo remembers awaking early one morning and climbing the stairs of the ship to glimpse the Statue of Liberty. The family spent a few months in Camp Kilmer in New Brunswick, NJ. A family member, already in America, was to come and sign them out but the public address system was very poor and they kept mispronouncing the family name. Eventually the family was signed out and settled in Passaic.
Theresa found work at the Revlon Factory in Passaic and John found work as a steel worker. Eventually both found employment at the Hoffman LaRoche Corporation in Nutley. Theresa retired from Hoffman La Roche in 1981 as a Laboratory Technician.
Theresa has been a devoted parishioner of Holy Trinity Church in Passaic for over fifty years.
She was the quintessential mother who would do anything for her children. Her loving, sensitive, and caring way will be missed greatly. She had a motherly look that could simply make problems go away. Theresa took great pride in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren’s accomplishments. She was an avid reader, enjoyed crocheting, and was an excellent cook and baker. When she found out her children were having guests at their home she would simply show up with trays of homemade pastries and leave so as not to interfere. Her Black Forrest Cake, Apple Cake (where John would peel the apples and she would make fresh dough) will be truly missed. If you check back we may post a few of her recipes here. We just have to transfer them from the scraps of paper and lunch bags they are written on.
Theresa was the loving and caring wife of sixty-five years to John Schaffer; devoted mother of Elizabeth Celmer and her husband John of Andover, Laszlo Schaffer and his wife Patty of Wayne; cherished grandmother of John Celmer and his wife Anitra, Bonnie Batiuk and her husband Ray, Michael Schaffer and his wife Tammie, Dr. Christine Schaffer and her fiancé David Cazee, Christopher VanDalinda and his wife Kelly, and Lisa Napora and her husband Krys; much loved great-grandmother of Brandon, and Elisa Batiuk, and Ariana Schaffer.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Holy Trinity Church, 226 Harrison Street, Passaic, NJ 07055 would be appreciated.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family on Friday, May 24, 2013 from 3-7 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
A Funeral Mass will be offered 8:15 AM (please meet directly at church) on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at Holy Trinity Church, 226 Harrison Street in Passaic.
Interment will be in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Saddle Brook.
May 22, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family on Friday, May 24, 2013 from 3-7 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
A Funeral Mass will be offered 8:15 AM (please meet directly at church) on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at Holy Trinity Church, 226 Harrison Street in Passaic.
Interment will be in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Saddle Brook.
Theresa Schaffer (nee Schaffer) age 86 of Wallington, died peacefully on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
She was born in Kohanyas, Hungary (a town with 17 homes and buildings including a church and school) where she met her future husband John Schaffer. The two met in grade school when they were about 6 or 7 years old. John was always worried Theresa thought he wasn’t good enough for her so he went around her and tried to convince her father he was worthy of her hand. Theresa wasn’t impressed by money, but loved the fact that John had a great bicycle - it even had a seat! She was convinced she could convince her dad John had potential. They fell in love and married in the Kohanyas Church, that sat about twenty people, on March 29, 1948.
Theresa and John secretly talked about emigrating to the United States. Leaving Hungary was no easy task. At 3 AM on the morning they were heading for the boarder they told their family they were leaving for the United States. John’s father told him he would never make it with a wife and two kids in tow, but they were determined to make a better life for their children. Their journey started in November of 1956. They ran through fields, paid off people to keep their travels quiet, and eventually made it to the boarders of Austria. They were granted political asylum in the United States and took an eleven day trip on the USS Leon to America. They weathered heavy seas and were all seasick by the time they entered New York harbor. Laszlo remembers awaking early one morning and climbing the stairs of the ship to glimpse the Statue of Liberty. The family spent a few months in Camp Kilmer in New Brunswick, NJ. A family member, already in America, was to come and sign them out but the public address system was very poor and they kept mispronouncing the family name. Eventually the family was signed out and settled in Passaic.
Theresa found work at the Revlon Factory in Passaic and John found work as a steel worker. Eventually both found employment at the Hoffman LaRoche Corporation in Nutley. Theresa retired from Hoffman La Roche in 1981 as a Laboratory Technician.
Theresa has been a devoted parishioner of Holy Trinity Church in Passaic for over fifty years.
She was the quintessential mother who would do anything for her children. Her loving, sensitive, and caring way will be missed greatly. She had a motherly look that could simply make problems go away. Theresa took great pride in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren’s accomplishments. She was an avid reader, enjoyed crocheting, and was an excellent cook and baker. When she found out her children were having guests at their home she would simply show up with trays of homemade pastries and leave so as not to interfere. Her Black Forrest Cake, Apple Cake (where John would peel the apples and she would make fresh dough) will be truly missed. If you check back we may post a few of her recipes here. We just have to transfer them from the scraps of paper and lunch bags they are written on.
Theresa was the loving and caring wife of sixty-five years to John Schaffer; devoted mother of Elizabeth Celmer and her husband John of Andover, Laszlo Schaffer and his wife Patty of Wayne; cherished grandmother of John Celmer and his wife Anitra, Bonnie Batiuk and her husband Ray, Michael Schaffer and his wife Tammie, Dr. Christine Schaffer and her fiancé David Cazee, Christopher VanDalinda and his wife Kelly, and Lisa Napora and her husband Krys; much loved great-grandmother of Brandon, and Elisa Batiuk, and Ariana Schaffer.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Holy Trinity Church, 226 Harrison Street, Passaic, NJ 07055 would be appreciated.
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