Elfriede Wurzbach

Elfriede Mathilda Emmy Wurzbach, of Park Slope, Brooklyn, passed away peacefully on August 26, 2019. Elfriede was born on February 17, 1928, on the island of Amrum, part of the Frisian Islands. She immigrated from Germany with her mother; two sisters, Else and Clara; and brother, Helmuth “Dutchy”, to America. On December 7, 1931, they entered New York Harbor and Ellis Island on the ship MS Saint Louis and settled in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Freda grew up during the Great Depression and, had many stories of both the struggles and joys that defined her childhood. She was especially proud about how she and Dutchy would figure out ways to go to the movies by collecting bottles or using chewing gum attached to string to fish for lost change out of the sidewalk grates. As soon as they raised 60 cents, enough to buy two tickets and some candy, they would escape to the movies for the rest of the day. It was this ritual of going to the movies that led to Freda’s voracious love and encyclopedic knowledge of Hollywood. Her recall of the films, songs and actors, at the age of 91, was amazing. She often joked that this was because both she and the Oscars shared the same birthday (the first Academy Awards were presented in February 1928). She grew up with the movies, so they were part of her family. In 1946 she met Ernest Wurzbach, Sr., shortly after his discharge from the army. They fell in love and were married on September 7th, 1947. They were happily married for 66 years, until Ernie passed away in May 2013. They raised four children in Park Slope. The steps of their house on Seventh Street was the most popular "stoop" on the block: the front porch of the neighborhood. People would stop by on their way home after work to talk and laugh, and have a good time. And on the weekends, Prospect Park, where so many picnics were had and games played, was their backyard. Freda was a dedicated member of the Park Slope community for many years. She worked as an administrative