Eva Hartwich passed away on April 26, 2022, her 101st birthday.
Eva’s parents were well-to-do with three home staff members. In 1933, at the age of 12, Eva’s father died. They sold their large house, dismissed the staff and moved to a small apartment. Eva, her mother, and her sister braved the next five years in Hanover, Germany, and Peine, Germany. Negative propaganda and laws greatly influenced Jewish lives.
Kristallnacht in November 1938 was a turning point for Jews in Germany. Eva’s mother, Erna, made the decision to escape to Shanghai, China. Eva married Werner Hartwich in December 1942 in Shanghai. Life was extremely difficult for over eight years.
In March 1946, their son Ralph was born in Shanghai. The family landed in San Francisco, California, on July 3, 1947. Everything was closed on July 4, and the family didn’t know why. They were sponsored by the American Jewish Committee to Kansas City and made their home here. They stayed for the rest of their lives. Their son Steve was born in Kansas City in 1953.
The family wishes to thank Brookdale Overland Park, Brookdale Hospice and InsteadCare for taking care and making Eva comfortable towards the end of her life. Eva died on her 101st birthday.
Eva was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Werner Hartwich. She is survived by her sons, Ralph and Steve Hartwich; grandsons Korey (Kaori) Hartwich and Ryan (Rachael) Hartwich; and four great-grandchildren, Rowan, Sanae, Grayson, and Ezra.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Midwest Center for Holocaust Education https://mchekc.org/.
Online condolences for the family may be left at louismemorialchapel.com.
