EAST BERNE — Rita (née Lorenz) Hennemann, a talented seamstress and a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, died at her home in East Berne from cancer on Sunday, July 24, 2022.  She was 87.

She was born in Altenmarkt, Germany on January 20, 1935. After World War II, she apprenticed as a seamstress. She emigrated to the United States in 1952, settling in Queens, New York with her aunt who sponsored her.

“She married Fred Hennemann, a fellow German immigrant, in 1957,” her family wrote in a tribute. “Rita, Fred, and their daughters relocated to the Hilltowns of Albany County in 1967.

“Rita was a self-employed seamstress well into her 70s, working from their house and specializing in custom slipcovers and draperies. She learned how to cut a slipcover after being shown how only once.  She could sew anything from a briefcase to a wedding dress to toys for children. She generously shared her talent by fixing clothes for friends and making things to give to others, most recently tote bags for those who cared for her.

“She was a wonderful cook, specializing in traditional German foods. We will miss her roast pork with knoedel, potato pancakes, crepes, rouladen, strudel, and low-sugar jams. She also had a ‘green thumb’ and always had a big vegetable garden until recent years, and liked to grow flowering plants in her yard.

“Rita and Fred were avid world travelers who enjoyed seeing God’s creation and discovering interesting locales. Besides travels within the United States, they made numerous trips overseas to places such as Germany, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, and China and made friends wherever they went.

“Rita was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, and will be greatly missed by the many people who loved her. Her generous spirit and kind heart left an impression wherever she went. She was interested in people and enjoyed striking up conversations everywhere she went.

“It was her nature to help anyone in need and she had an incredible work ethic that will forever be remembered. She attended the First Baptist Church of Westerlo for about 50 years, where she enjoyed the blessings of fellowship and Christian love.”

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Rita Hennemann is survived by her daughters, Linda Rabeler and her husband, Paul, of Clifton Park, and Karen McDonald and her husband, James, of Altamont; by her four grandchildren: Christina and Lauren Rabeler, Erika Bryant and her husband, Patrick, and James McDonald; and by her great-grandson, Patrick “Paddy” Bryant.

She is also survived by her sisters, Hildegard Sonders and Gerda Neumeyer.

Her husband, Fred, died in 2021. Her parents, Albert and Francizka (née Hackenbuchner) Lorenz, also died before her, as did her half-brother, Fritz Hackenbuchner.

Special thanks to Yvonne Caunitz, Rita’s aide and companion during her last few months, for her loving care.

Cremation took place through the care of Simple Choices Inc. A memorial service will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at the First Baptist Church of Westerlo at 618 Route 143, Westerlo, NY 12193, followed by fellowship and light refreshments. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Capital City Rescue Mission, 259 South Pearl St., Albany, NY 12202 or to The Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org), 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306.  Flowers may be sent directly to the church.