Florence Haussherr

Florence Marcianna Dombroski Haussherr was born on Sept. 22, 1917 in her grandmother’s house on Garden Street in Stamford, CT. She was the fourth child of the late Joseph and Sabina Poltrack Dombroski. As a little child she lived at the very end of the South End of Stamford in a house owned by the Phillips family (Phillips Milk of Magnesia fame). Her family lived there till she was about 10 years then they moved to Greenwich Ave. To an old sea Captain’s house. It needed work, but Florence’s father always had chores for the children to do on all the school holidays. The family turned the old house into a showplace full of flowers and trees. The family called it home for almost forty years until Florence’s parents and her sister Josephine moved to their new home on Davenport Drive on Southfield Point opposite the harbor from the little old home she lived in when she was a girl.

Florence graduated Holy Name of Jesus School and Stamford High School. Which was not an easy task during the middle of the depression. She worked for a boat company but it suffered the consequence of the depression, desperate for work she took a job at the Yale and Towne Stamford’s largest manufacturing company at the time. It was not an ideal job, but a job. She worked there for seven years through World War II when the company changed from lock making company to parts for bomb making. Florence said she would have to show her id each morning then enter into a cage and be locked in, there she would wrap unknown parts to go to unknown places. It was at this time she decided this was not the type of job she wished to have, so she went back to school to further her education in hopes of acquiring a better job. She went to Merrell’s Business School and from there she did find not only a better job but a more important and exciting career. Florence went to work for the Fleming Rutledge Oil Co. in Stamford. She became secretary to the President J. Fleming Rutledge, himself a local mover and shaker of the City and State Democratic Party. Florence attended many political events including that of Senator Abraham Ribacoff.

In addition to being involved in politics Florence and her family were active in their family parish, Holy Name of Jesus R.C. Church. Her sister Josephine was the organist there for 50 years and Florence and her sister and brothers and their spouses all sang in the choir for all the Masses, for Forty Hours Devotion, Vespers, and other special occasions. Florence also participated in all the fund raising for the Church, the dances, bingos, the shows they would put on such as the Hawaiian Show where all the girls in the choir danced in Hawaiian skirts to traditional Hawaiian songs. Josephine choreographed all the dance routines for the girls to dance too. I was told the show was a great hit.

Then, on Thanksgiving Day of 1950, Florence met the love of her life, my dad Charles Haussherr. They met at her Aunt Mary’s house at a small after dinner party she was having for some people she worked with and her family. Aunt Mary worked with Charlie and Florence her niece, well there was some matchmaking about. It worked. A year later they were engaged and decided to build their own house - Charlie’s idea, but board by board, nail by nail they did it. Two years later on Oct. 9 1954, they were married and moved into their new home. Florence still worked for Fleming Rutledge until February 1958, when she got a new job, me. I was a handful. She stayed home with me for about ten years until she got a part time job with Ryan Service Co. it was a flexible hours so it all worked until 1973. That’s when Charlie went to Heaven and Florence now had to go back to work full time, thankfully the Stamford Water Company offered her a job. Florence worked there until she was able to finally retire. That was just in time to take care of her two oldest granddaughters so I could go to work.

Florence moved with my family to Sherman, Connecticut in 1985. She was able to be right here to watch her beloved grandchildren be born and grow to the wonderful adults they have become. And to see her sweet beautiful great grandchildren and hold them in her arms and to know each and every one of them, from the oldest to the youngest, it doesn’t get much better than that. While her life was not without its sadness and pain, I know my mom had the joy and love of her family whom she loved so much right to the moment she went to heaven.

Florence is loved by the following people: Her ever grateful daughter, Maria E. Horowitz (late Alan C. Horowitz) Sherman, CT

Her Grandchildren and their Spouses:

Tricia Hughes and Jay LaFountaine, Centerton, AR

Kimberly and Jason Mylie, Osterville, MA

Holly and Eric Moore, Rogers, AR

William and Oligerta Hughes, New Milford, CT

Florence’s beloved great grandchildren:

Benjamin Warfield, NY, NY

Sabrina Warfield, Centerton, AR

Abigale LaFountaine, Centerton, AR

Ethan Moore, Rogers, AR

Alexander Moore, Rogers, AR

Hannah Moore, Rogers, AR

Edward Hughes, New Milford, CT

Isabella Hughes, New Milford, CT

Florence was also loved and survived by her sister Loretta Kondziela, her sister-in-law Eleanor Dombroski, her god children, nephew, Paul Kondziela, niece, Martha Dombroski, who will sing at Mass for my mom continuing our family legacy of singing in the choir at Holy Name. Niece Carolyn Darbanbi (Bruce), niece in-law, Maryanne (Scotty) wife of Florence’s late nephew Peter Dombrowski. Nephews, Philip Kondziela, David Kondziela (Cindy), Mark Oaks, Matthew Dombroki (Bo), Stephen Dombroski (LoAnne). She was also loved by her great nieces and nephews and great grandnieces.

She was predeceased by her husband, Charles J. Haussherr. Her parents, Joseph F. and Sabina M. Poltrack Dombroski, sister, Josephine C. Dombroski, brothers, Bernard Dombrowski and his wife Victoria, Edward Dombroski and his wife Maxine and Stanley Dombroski. Brother-in-law Stanley Kondziela.

I want to personally thank the wonderful help I had from hospice, RN’s Tim, Richard, and Kim & CNA Jodi. Those last days I must have called what seemed to me a million times. You calmed fears and helped me with comforting my mother. I don’t know what I would have done without all of you. You were my life savers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help. You are all angels.