Obituary Coordinator: Dennis Bauer, PA - USA
Est. 13 May 2009 by Dennis Bauer, publication 13 May 2009 at DVHH.org by Jody McKim Pharr.

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Last updated: 19 Jul 2021

FABRITZ - Anton Fabritz, 89, of Trenton, NJ & Beach Haven,  NJ, died 12 March 1976.  Born in [Palanka] Austria-Hungary.  Survived by wife, Katharina Eisenman Fabritz; daughter, Anna F. Shur of Trenton; sisters, Mary Oswald of Levittown, PA &  Madeline Blasius of Trenton.  Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ.  Palanka OSB Family #2522.

FABRITZ – Frantzi Fabritz Feist, of Trenton, NJ, died 26 September 1961. [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary]. Widow of Frank Feist, survived by daughter, Mrs. Mary Rausch; sons, Frank & John Feist; sisters, Mrs. Madeline Blasuis & Mrs. Mary Oswald; brother, Anton Fabritz and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ. Palanka OSB Family #2520. The Trenton Evening Times, 26 September 1961 issue.
 
FABRITZ - Madeline Fabritz Blasius, 93, of Trenton, NJ, died 19 September 1977.  Born in [Palanka] Austria-Hungary, widow of Nicholas Blasius, Sr.  Survived by son, Nicholas Blasius, Jr. of Trenton; daughters Catherine Hodapp of Long Island, NY and Helen Geis of Yardley, PA and sister,  Mary Oswald of Levittown, PA.  Buried at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ.  Palanka OSB Family #1079 & 2520.

FAHR – John Fahr, 94, of Norwalk, CT, formerly of Hamilton, NJ, died 4 February 2002. Born in Cseb, Yugoslavia. Survived by wife, Hermina Thuranky Fahr [Palankaer]; daughters & sons-in-law, Hilda [Palankaer] & Steve Koukoulogiannia of Norwalk and Trudi & Jules Sombatti of  Ewing, NJ; son & daughter-in-law, Eric & Geraldine Fahr of Hamilton; grandchildren, George Kornutik, Christina Theriault & Danielle Brill and great-grandchildren, Nicholas & Lauren Kornutnik and Thomas Theriault.  Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton. Palanka OSB Family #2528. The Times, 5 February 2002 issue. 

FEIST – Irma Maria Fless (nee Feist), 95, of Chicago, IL, died 5 February 2010. Born [3 February 1915] in Palanka, Hungary, wife of late Michael Fless. Survived by children, Sigrid Markham & Gunther Fless and grandchildren, Hans, Kari, Michael & Gary Fless. Palanka OSB Family #2629 & 2956. The Chicago Tribune, 20 February 2010 issue.

FELDENZER – Anna Feldenzer Keller, 78, of Trenton, NJ, died 3 May 1975.  [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary of Jakob Feldenzer & Anna Erni].  Widow of Valentine Keller.  Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ. Palanka OSB #2691 & 5407. The Trenton Evening Times, 5 May 1975 issue.
 
FELDENZER - Antony W. Feldenzer, Sr., 66, of Trenton, NJ, died 3 February 1974. Born in  [Palanka] Austria-Hungary. Survived by wife, Mrs. Katherine Santivansky Feldenzer; sons, John Feldenzer of Washington Township, NJ & Anthony Feldenzer, Jr. of Hamilton Township, NJ and sisters,  Mrs. Anna Keller & Mrs, Mary Blechl, both of Trenton.  Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton.  Palanka OSB Family #2708.  The Trentonian, 5 February 1974 issue.
 
FELDENZER  - Frank J. Feldenzer, 71, of Trenton, NJ, died 12 December 1976. [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary]. Survived by wife, Elizabeth Feldenzer; daughters, Mrs. Dorothy Dixon & Mrs. Donald Pugliese of Hamilton Square, NJ & Mrs. Michael Issel of New York; sisters, Mrs. J. Hemnelstach (sic) of New York, Miss Catherine Feldenzer & Mrs. Anthony Muccie of Trenton; brother, John Feldenzer of California and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Buried at Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery, Trenton. Palanka OSB Family #2694. The Trenton Times, 13 December 1976 issue. 
 
FELDENZER – Mary Feldenzer Blechl, 75, of Trenton, NJ, died 26 November 1980. Born in [Palanka] Austria-Hungary and widow of Adam Blechl. Survived by son, Adam J. Blechl of Trenton [Palankaer]; daughter, Mrs. Marie T. Zeis of Morrisville, PA; grandchildren, Rev. Gabriel Zeis of Loretto, PA & Joseph F. Zeis of Morrisville. Buried at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ. Palanka OSB Family # 1150 & #2691. The Trenton Times, 27 November, 1980 issue.
 
FELDENZER – Wihelm Feldenzer, 91, of Giengen, Germany, died 6 November 2003. Born in Palanka 7 July 1911. Palanka OSB #2700. The Palanka Heimatbrief, June 2005 issue.

FELDHOFFER – Josef Falusi (birth name Feldhofer), 86, of Canada, died 10 May 2014. Born 30 September 1927 in Budaors, Hungary. Son of late Gabriel Feldhofer & Thersia Schilling. Husband of Christina Maria Hemeth of Palanka, Yugoslavia.  Children, Christina, Marlen & Michael.  Palanka OSB Family #10542.  Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands.org mail list.

FIHN – Anna K. Fihn Schmidt, 89, of Hamilton, NJ, died 31 August 1993.  Born in Austria-Hungary, wife of late Nicholas Schmidt. Survived by son & daughter-in-law, John & Marie Schmidt of Hamilton; brother & sister-in-law, Peter & Anna Fihn [Palankaers] of Germany; grandson & wife, John F. & Beth Schmidt of Hamilton and several nieces & nephews. Buried at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ. Palanka OSB Family #2775.

FISCHER – Maria Fischer Graef, 86, of Cleveland, OH, died 28 December 2011. [Born in Palanka, Yugoslavia]. Wife of late Michael  Graef. Survived by son, Frank, Michael, Joanna, Anton and late Lothar Graef and Oma of Jennifer, Adam, Sherry, Kerri; sister of Magdalena Hanftaler; aunt to, Robert Hanftaler, Edgar Hanftaler and Renate Geisler. Buried at Brooklyn Heights Cemetery. Palanka OSB Family #2855 & 3641. The Plain Dealer, 1 January 2012 issue.
 
FISHER (Fischer) - Jacob Fisher, of Trenton, NJ, died 17 July 1922. [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary]. Husband of Theresa Fisher [nee Schnell, Palankaer]. Survived by wife, children & Mr. & Mrs. Schnell. Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ. Palanka OSB Family #2829. The Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser, 23 July 1922.

FLESS - Anna Fless Tiefenbach, 80, of Allentown, NJ, died 21 February 1975. [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary 3 August 1894]. Widow of Frank Tiefenbach, survived by daughters, Mrs. Joseph A. Boy of Long Island, NY & Mrs, Albert Dix of Allentown. Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ.  Palanka OSB Family #2945 & 12158.  The Trentonian, 24 February 1975 issue. 

FLESS – Katherine Bier Possert (nee Fless), of Trenton, NJ, died 2 June 1944. [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary]. Wife of  late Frank Possert. Survived by sons, Joseph F. Fless & John S. Fless, both of Roebling, NJ, Private first Class Peter C. Fless of England and Frank Fless of Vineland, NJ; daughters, Mrs. Paul Frey of Lancaster, PA, Mrs. John Wargo, Mrs. John Hope & Miss Theresa Possert, all of Roebling; six grandchildren; sisters, Mrs. Wendel Hoffman of Trenton, Mrs. Apollonia Rohrbacher of Argentina & Mrs. Elsa Sabo of Palanka, Yugoslavia and brothers, John & Frank Fless, both of Palanka. Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ. Palanka OSB Family #2947 & 9159. The Sunday Times-Advertiser, 4 July 1944 issue.

FLESS – Michael J. Fless, 87, of Chicago, IL, died 19 June 2003. [Born 17 March 1916 in Palanka, Austria-Hungary], husband of Irma [nee Feist] Fless. Survived also by children, Sigrid Markham & Gunther Fless and grandchildren,  Hans, Kari, Michael & Gary Fless. Palanka OSB Family #2956. Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2003 issue.
 
FLESS - Peter Fless Sr., 86, of Hamilton, NJ, died 22 March 1984. [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary].  Survived by wife, Jewel Ilyes Fless; son, Peter Fless Jr. of Hamilton; daughter, Jane Perna of Hamilton and a sister, Rose Duittoz of France.  Buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Trenton, NJ.  Palanka OSB Family #2948. The Times, 23 March 1984 issue.

FLOTZ - George, age 82, of Crown Point, IN, passed away Tuesday, September 2, 2014 in Wausau, Wisconsin. George is survived by his beloved wife, Katherine Flotz; children: Peter (Debra) Flotz, Heide (Mike) Pagano, and Katherine (Jeff) Freedman; grandchildren: Daniel (Mandira) Stanko, Lynne Stanko, Clayton Flotz, Cole Freedman and Marin Freedman; brother, Larry (late Vivian) Flotz; sister-in-law, Erna (Matt) Sesek; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents: George Sr. and Anna Flotz, and brother, John Flotz. George was born in Bezdan, Yugoslavia on June 24, 1932. He was a German refugee, Austrian Alps Climber, Korean War Veteran, butcher, janitor, nature lover, coin collector, storyteller, and friend to all. George spent his final days with Katherine at the lake house they built for their family. Friends may visit with the family on Friday, September 5, 2014 at Geisen Funeral-Cremation & Reception Centre, at 606 E. 113th Ave./South St., Crown Point, IN from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral prayers will be said on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at 9:15 a.m. at Geisen Funeral-Cremation & Reception Centre in Crown Point, IN followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church, 321 E. Joliet St., Crown Point, IN with Fr. Pat Kalich officiating. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in Crown Point, IN. View directions and/or sign guestbook at: www.GeisenFuneralHome.com.

FODEN – Alberta Bier [nee Foden], of Hamilton, NJ, died 5 October 2012.  [Born in 1939, wife of late Jacob Bier, Palanka line]. Buried at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ. Palanka OSB Family #7330. The Times, 7 October 2012 issue and Find-a-Grave.com.

FRANZ - Christopher J. Franz, 49, of Pennington/Bayville has passed away 7 April 2013. Chrisopher was born 22 February 1954 in Trenton, NJ and resided in the area all of his life. Father of Veronica Franz and Bridget Franz. Also surviving are his father, Andrew Franz [Palankaer], of Pennington; his mother and stepfather, Barbara Ann and Michael Teichmann, of Bayville; sister, Susan Murphy, of Lumberville, PA; brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Mia Franz, of Fredricksburg, VA; nieces and nephews, Robert and Jacob Murphy, Anna Murphy and Owen Franz; several stepbrothers and stepsisters, aunts, uncles and cousins. Interment will be private. Palanka OSB Family #3080. The Times , 10 April 2013 issue & Funeral card of 13 April 2013 from Knott’s Funeral Home.

FRANZ - Gunter N. Franz, PH.D., age 83, of Morgantown, passed away Thursday morning, December 13, 2018 in his sleep at his home, with Wanda., his loving wife of 53 years, in attendance. 

He was born March 13, 1935 in Backa Palanka in the failed state of Yugoslavia. His parents, Anton and Therese Franz, were part of the German-speaking minority living along the Danube River. His parents ran a successful haberdashery shop.

When World War II began, the region was taken over by Hungary, and he learned Hungarian in his early grades, which helps explain his skill at imitating foreign languages. In early September 1944, when he was nine years old, he and his extended family left their home ahead of the Russian army. When it became clear that they would not be able to return to their occupied homeland, they escaped into Germany to be captured by the United States Army. Gunter never returned to his hometown. 

He grew up in Schwetzingen near Heidelberg and graduated from the Schwetzingen High School. He received a Dipl.Ing.degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1959. He became interested in applying his electrical engineering knowledge to understanding human biological functioning. In 1960, he left Germany to come to the United States to attend the University of Washington in Seattle. 

He always praised the American system of advanced degrees for the huge amount of mathematical and scientific knowledge available and the accessibility of the professors. He took full advantage of what was offered and earned a doctoral degree in physiology and biophysics in 1968. 

He loved ballroom dancing and attended the dances put on by the Foreign Student Club at the University. He served as President of the Club, where he met the clubs secretary, his future wife. He always maintained that American women were the best organizers and, with her help, they ran the club very efficiently. He wooed her on the dance floor and was married July 24, 1965. He said it was the best decision of his life. She introduced him to backpacking, and together they spent weekends in the summers packing into the gorgeous Washington mountains. 

Dr. Franz was hired to teach physiology at West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, West Virginia in 1968. He has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications in physiology and systems biophysics and is the co-author of the textbook Electronics for the Modern Scientist. He is an associate professor emeritus of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. 

He loved teaching medical students and eagerly embraced the American open-door system of working directly with students. It was a joy for him to share the experience of learning with his students. He helped the learning process with his many jokes and great sense of humor and received the Outstanding Teacher Award in the School of Medicine in 1996. His students admired him and thanked him for his ability to inspire them. Dr. Franz served for 23 years as Chairman of the Academic Standards Committee. He spent a lifetime working to create good doctors, who could take care of him in his old age, which they did. 

Dr. Franzs life experiences taught him to respect the dignity of each human person. He was a member of St. John University Parish and the right to life movement. He contributed by writing extensively for speeches and publications. He loved English for its ability to express ideas clearly. He became an expert at writing in his second language. When he became a citizen in 1971, it was his fourth (and final) citizenship. 

He loved to travel and take photographs. In addition to traveling through the United States with his family, he toured Turkey, Greece, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, and Austria. He also visited Peru and cruised around South America.

Dr. Franz is preceded in death by his parents, his brother-in-law, Hans-Dieter Schrader, and his sister-in-law, Irmgard Franz.

 He is survived by his wife, Wanda Franz, Ph.D., his three children, Lt. Col. Anthony Franz, Ph.D., and his wife Theresa Franz, BSN, of Dayton, Ohio; Angela Franz Franks, Ph.D. of Boston, MA; and Erika Franz, M.A. and her wife Katie Strohl of Baltimore, MD. In addition, he has twelve grandchildren.

In Germany, his surviving family members include his three siblings, Anton Franz and his wife Marga Franz, Irene Schrader, and Helmut Franz, along with seven nieces and nephews and their six children.

Friends may join the family to honor Dr. Franzs life legacy at Smith Funeral Cremation Care, 108 Holland Avenue, Westover on Sunday, December 16th from 1 to 3 pm and from 6 to 8 pm. A Scriptural Wake Service will be held at 8:00 pm Sunday in the funeral home to conclude the evening visitation. On Monday, December 17th, Dr. Franz will be moved to St. John University Parish, 1481 University Ave., Morgantown where additional visitation will be held from 10 AM until the celebration of his Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM with Reverend Father Justin Blanc as celebrant. Interment will follow in the East Oak Grove Cemetery. Guests are invited to a luncheon in the Parish Hall following the Mass and interment. Source: www.smithfcc.com.

FREY (Fraj, Freyer) - Carl Frey, 80, of Hamilton, NJ, died 5 September 1981.  Born in [Palanka] Austria-Hungary.  Survived by wife, Eva Hartmann Frey; daughter, Hilda Szmutko of Trenton, NJ; sisters, Eva Schmidt of Hamilton & Rosa Spildener of West Germany and grandsons, Steven & Lawrence Szmutko of Trenton.  Buried at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ.  Palanka OSB Family #3148.
 
FREY - Eva Frey Schmidt, 98, of Hamilton, NJ, died 13 March 1995.  Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary, daughter of late Anton & Theresa Relinger Frey, wife of late Johann Schmidt and mother of late Hans Schmidt.  Survived by son & daughter-in-law, Joseph A. & Wilma L. Schmidt of Hamilton; nieces, Hilda Szmutko of Trenton, NJ, Clara Berner of Trenton & Rosina Berner of Germany and nephew, Joseph Berner of Germany. Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ.  Palanka OSB Family #3139 & 10392. The Trenton Times, 15 March 1995 issue.

FREY – Hild Frey Szmutko, 85, of Hamilton, NJ, died 1 April 2014. Born in Trenotn, NJ on 28 April 1928 of late Carl & Eva Hartmann Frey and wife of late Frank Szmutko.  Survived by sons and daughter-in-laws, Deacon Steven & Mary Szmutko of Ewing, NJ and Lawrence & Paula Szmutko of Bartlesville, OK; grandchildren, Emily Szmutko Dempster and her husband Joseph Demspster of Mt. Penn, PA, Eva Szmutko & Steven Francis Szmutjko of Ewing, NJ and Carl & Lauren Szmutko of Bartlesville, OK and great-grandchildren, Joseph, Cailin & Jacob Francis Dempster. Buried at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, Hamuiltyon, NJ.  Palanka OSB Family #3148.  The Times, 8 April 2014.
 
FREY - Rosa [nee Frey] Spidener, 89, of Aidlingen, Germany, died August 1994. [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary of Anton Frey and Theresa Rehliner, family in Mercer Co., NJ]. Palanka OSB Family # 3139 & 11362. From a published newspaper thank you note from Maedi Kraus, 8 August 1994. * 

FRICK – Edward John Frick, 88, of Berea, OH, died 29 December 1999. Born 17 November 1911, Cleveland, OH [son of late Nicholas & Virginia Makowski Frick, Palankaers, husband of late Viola Agnes Postnak]. Palanka OSB Family#3154. Social Security Death Benefit Index & Ohio Deaths 1958-2002,  Ancestry.com.

FRIEDMAN - Theresa Friedman Eisenman, 90, of Trenton, NJ, died 12 December 1986.  Born in [Palanka] Austria-Hungary, daughter of late John & Magdalena Fischer Friedman.  Survived by daughters, Anna E. Yeager of Bedford, NH & Theresa Opperman of Pompano Beach, FL and a  brother, Peter Friedman of Bristol, PA.  Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ.  Palanka OSB Family #3163.
 
FRITZ – Adam Fritz, 70, of Trenton, NJ, died 1 February 1953.  [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary]. Husband of Katherina Fritz [second wife]. Buried at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ. Palanka OSB Family #3255. The Trenton Evening Times, 2 February 1953 issue.                  
 
FRITZ - Anna Fritz Pentz, 79, of Key West, FL, died 27 March 1988. [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary] Formerly of Trenton, NJ, widow of Jacob Pentz.  Survived by son, George J. Pentz of Key West; brother, Joseph Fritz of Trenton, NJ; sister, Rose Kish of Trenton and granddaughter, Laura Tams of Trenton.  Buried at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ. Palanka OSB Family #3255 & 8882.
 
FRITZ – Anna Fritz Zwolsky, 83, of Medina, OH, died 4 June 2006. Born 8 May 1923 in Palanka, Yugoslavia of late Matthew & Katherine Eich Fritz and wife of late Frank Zwolsky [Palankaer]. Survived by son and daughter-in-law, Donald & Louisa Zwolsky; grandchildren, Jessica & Amanda Zwolsky and sisters, Rose Leidel of Austria & Mary Fritz of Hungary. Buried at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Medina. Palanka OSB Family #2255 & 3257. The Medina County Gazette, 8 June 2006 issue.
 
FRITZ - Elizabeth Fritz Klein, 78, of Trenton, NJ, died 12 July 1965. [Born in Palanka, Austria-Hungary of Josef & Rosalia Stettner Fritz, widow of Palankaer Stefan Klein]. Survived by daughter, Mrs. Mary Grove of Levittown, PA.  Buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, NJ.  Palanka OSB Family #3241 & 5760.  The Trentonian, 13 July 1965 issue.

FREUND - Ema Freund of New Oxford, Pennsylvania died on August 17, 2002 at the age of 80. A native of Sekitsch, Yugoslavia, she was the widow of the late Anton, devoted mother of Anton and Robert Freund; also survived by one grandchild. Interment in Linden Hill Cemetery. Times Newsweekly, Ridgewood, NY, August 22, 2002. Submitted by Noelle Giesse.