Obituary of Elsie Clara Blacher
On Friday, February 23, 2024 Elsie Clara Rudolph Blacher passed away at age 91. Born in Mount Green, Saskatchewan Canada on August 20, 1932, to German immigrants Ida Hilse and Richard Rudolph, she grew up on a farm where she worked picking fruit and hops, in addition to babysitting and waitressing to afford to follow her dream of traveling to the United States. In June of 1953 she achieved her goal taking a Greyhound bus from British Columbia, Canada, into Washington state. Elsie traveled across the United States all the way to the east coast to reside in Irvington, New Jersey with relatives. She took a job as a factory worker and met her future husband, Philip Blacher whom she married in 1954. They moved to Dunellen, NJ and started a family. Elsie proudly became a US citizen in June of 1959.
As a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker, who always put her family first, she raised four children teaching and leading them by example to develop the character traits that made her so spectacular; independence, accountability, honesty, kindness, compassion and gratitude.
Her love for travel and adventure took her and the family across the United States - with a special love for the National Parks - and around the world to six continents, always embracing, enjoying and appreciating the cultures and cuisines of all the different lands she visited. With a love for music and the arts, she learned to play the violin, the guitar and the organ and made sure the family was exposed to both music and dance as part of their education.
She had a fabulous sense of style and was always a beautiful “Lady”, (who could rock a choker or a scarf and some leggings and boots like no other), enjoyed a good cup of coffee and the beauty of God’s hand in sunrise and sunset.
Her childhood roots gave her a love of the outdoors, nature, gardening, and animals. She was an advocate for the welfare of abandoned domestic animals, nursing and adopting a few strays along the way, including two beautiful and loving alley cats – Bull and Babe.
With stunning blue eyes, a beautiful smile, an infectious laugh and a keen sense of wit and humor she shared her life passions with all of us including her love for her freedom which she was always thankful for and never took for granted.
After raising her family, she worked as Vice-President of a very successful, woman-owned and -operated, family business, E-Z Roller Inc located in Gilbert PA for 22 years. Upon retiring from this business, she enjoyed keeping busy working as a greeter for services with Bongiovi Funeral Home in Raritan NJ.
Elsie is preceded in death by her mother Ida, father Richard, sister Louise and husband Philip. She is survived by her sister Dorothy Brigden, her four children Maurice Blacher, Katherine Young, Philip Blacher Jr. and Elizabeth Rifino, and their spouses; Bea Blacher, Jack Young, Kim Blacher and Jerome Rifino. She also leaves behind four grandchildren; Jack, Curt, David and Katie and five great-grandchildren; Kiana, Hunter, Austin, Clark and Sloane. She was our angel on earth, and now she is our angel in heaven.
It is the wishes of the family that services remain private.. In lieu of flowers please donate to the following charity in her name CAPIC Cats Raritan NJ https://www.capiccats.com or The Plainfield Area Humane Society https://pahs.org
"FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS"
In Loving Memory
Elsie Blacher
1932 - 2024
