Wooster woman celebrates 100th birthday, reflects on journey from Nazi Germany
More than 120 family members and friends gathered at St. Mary School gymnasium March 1 to celebrate the 100th birthday of a Wooster woman whose life began in Berlin, Germany, during one of history's darkest times.
'My mom was born in Berlin, Germany, where they were very wealthy,' said Karen Pendolino, about her mother, Rita Clarke. 'But her father was Jewish and she was Lutheran, and when she was 14, Hitler came to power. She remembers hiding her father. After a year of trying, they were finally able to buy their way out of Germany.'
The family fled to Pittsburgh where they had relatives.
'At that time, you had to be sponsored to come into the country,' Pendolino said. 'The family sponsoring you had to prove that you wouldn't be a hardship on the United States.'
Once in America her mother was able to build a new life.
'She went to college at the University of Pittsburgh, where she met my aunt, who's turning 100 soon, and they became very good friends,' Pendolino said. 'That's also where she met my dad.'
The couple eventually moved to Wooster, where her father took a job at the former Apple Creek State Hospital. They raised 10 children, first living on Mill Street before settling into a big white house along US Route 250, where she remained for 65 years.
'She is always strong, always loving,' Pendolino said. 'She had such a rich life, with all the history she lived through.'
At the birthday celebration 120 people came together, nine of them were her children, along with numerous grandchildren, 11 great-great-grandchildren and family friends, some of whom traveled from across the country to be there.
'We had family from California, Florida, Colorado, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and more,' Pendolino said. 'It was incredible to see so many people come together to celebrate her.'
The night was filled with laughter and memories.
'She wasn't allowed to take her wealth with her when they left Germany,' Pendolino said. 'They had to leave most of their things behind. But they took what they could and were able to get out.'
Despite the struggles her mother built a life of love, family and community in Wooster.
'We were so blessed to have this moment with her,' Pendolino said. 'To have her surrounded by the people who love her, celebrating a full century of life. It was truly special.'
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Rita Clarke's 100th birthday honored in Wooster with family, friends
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