May 17, 1937 – December 23, 2025
Anna Hartmann died on December 23, 2025, at Christ’s Home in Warminster. She was 88 years old.
Born in Nero, Banat, Romania, on May 17, 1937, Anna was the daughter of Nikolaus and Elisabeth Krachtus. During the war years, the Krachtus family traveled from Romania for work, living for a time near Berlin, where they witnessed the Allied bombings. Eventually, authorities instructed families like theirs to return to their home countries. When they reached the Yugoslav border, they were told to turn around and return to Germany. Throughout their travels, food was scarce, and when they did have some, Nikolaus often gave his portion to the children so they could eat. The family eventually made it as far as Burgenland, Austria. When When construction work became available in Vienna, they were housed as refugees in the Russian zone.
Returning to Romania was not possible, and Austrian citizenship was costly, but they longed for a place to belong. Nikolaus applied to emigrate to Australia or the United States. With U.S. quotas still open, they found sponsors through the American Friends Service Committee, run by the Quakers.
Traveling to the United States aboard the troop ship USS General C. H. Muir, each passenger received a 24-piece box of Hershey’s chocolates—a stark contrast to their time as refugees in Vienna, when a single bar had to be shared among the entire family.
The ship arrived in New York Harbor on March 31, 1952, in the early morning. Anna often spoke of the sight of the Statue of Liberty with the sun rising behind it: “To us, it was a true sign that we were beginning a new life here.”
As their American sponsor family lived in Iowa, the family traveled by train to Cherokee. They were greeted with fruit, cheeses, meats, and many gifts—dishes, flatware, linens—and provided with a large four-bedroom farmhouse to live in. In Iowa, Anna learned English and sewing from the teacher next door. Sewing became a lifelong hobby she loved.
After a year, the family moved back East to Philadelphia in April 1953. At sixteen, Anna left school and began working in a factory, earning $26 a week. In 1956, the family moved to a new house in Franklinville, NJ, and in 1957, they became full U.S. citizens. Anna and her family, who had traveled across the world, were now Americans.
In 1956, Anna met Josef Hartmann, who had recently arrived in the United States, at a Saturday dance at the United German Hungarians in Philadelphia. That November, they marched together with the Kirchweih couples. They remained active members of the German Hungarians for the rest of their lives, attending events together until Josef’s passing. Anna often lent her sewing skills to the club for costumes and other projects, including most recently for the 30th Gaufest held in Newark, DE.
Anna and Joe continued their relationship through his service in the U.S. Army, writing letters to each other. They married in 1960 and danced their first dance to a song by the Heimatklänge. Their marriage lasted happily for 57 years.
Anna worked as a buyer for the AARP Pharmacy for over 20 years. She also devoted time to charity work, collecting clothing and blankets for war-torn Kosovo.
Anna was preceded in death by her parents, Nikolaus (1960) and Elisabeth (2000); her brother, Johann (1944); her sister Elisabeth (2007); and her husband Josef (2017).
She is survived by her brothers John (Corinne) and Peter; her children Monica (Phil Simon), Lisa (Werner Fricker Jr.), & Joe (Susan née Schütz); her grandchildren Werner III, Michael (Allyssa Schulz), & Karina, and Anneliese (Parampreet Saini), Zachary, & Jesse Simon; and her great grandchildren Michael K. and Penelope.
Relatives and friends are invited to Anna’s Life Celebration on Wednesday, January 7, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Christ’s Home, 1 Shepherd’s Way, Warminster, PA 18974. A service will begin at 11:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Anna’s name can be made to the Children’s Village at Christ’s Home or The United German Hungarian Children’s Cultural Group. Donations payable to “United German Hungarians” can be mailed to: PO Box 838, Horsham, PA 19044
This obituary written by the family was also published at www.lifecelebration.com by Givinish
