Johanna Elizabeth (Buchal) Ehart

September 10, 1928 - April 5, 2025

A longtime resident of Wayne, PA, Jo will be forever remembered for her generosity, hospitality, wisdom, empathy and unmatched practicality.

Born in Chicago to German immigrants, Bernhard and Anny Buchal, she returned with her parents to Glatz, Germany (now Klodzko, Poland) in 1931 during the turmoil and uncertainty of the Great Depression. Hanni (as she was then known) and her younger sister, Ingrid, enjoyed a normal childhood until the outbreak of World War II.

After the war, the Russian occupation expelled all German residents, and Jo spent two years on the move, living in refugee camps and in crowded homes with other displaced relatives. She often spoke of digging in farmers' fields hoping to find even a rotten potato to feed herself, her sister, and her mother.

As an American citizen she was able to precede her family to the US in 1947. An uncle found her a job as a maid in Baltimore, and her employer encouraged her to go to nursing school. After graduating with an RN, she joined the Air Force (because she liked the uniforms) as a lieutenant and was stationed in Washington state and Alaska.

In 1956, Jo met and married Daniel N. Ehart, publisher and editor of the former Suburban and Wayne Times.  They welcomed four children together, and Jo's generous heart and love of children led her to take in her niece and later another child when they needed mothering. For the last 20 years she happily shared her home with her granddaughter, Rachel, and later her great-grandson, Isaak, both of whom took loving care of her in her final years.

Jo was an excellent and resourceful cook, and was known for her rouladen, hot milk cake and Christmas stollen. She was a passionate gardener and took pride in her trees, flowers and vegetables, and enjoyed feeding and watching the backyard birds. She loved to attend performances of the Philadelphia Orchestra and for years subscribed to the opera (Tosca was her favorite).

Dedicated to her lifelong Catholic faith, Jo started the Bible Study Group at her parish, St. Katharine of Siena, drove those in need to appointments as part of Project HOPE, and opened her home to visiting seminarians and nurse-trainees as they learned their vocations.

She is survived by her four children: Mary Ehart, Christine (Ira) Fonorow, Daniel (Lisa Kolonay) and Thomas (Carol), nine grandchildren: Rachel Fonorow, Monica Fonorow, Irena Fonorow (Eric Lockwood), Emmy Fonorow (Adam Egizi); Judah, Lily, Micah and Lucy Ehart; James Ehart; great-grandson Isaak Fonorow, and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the nurses, doctors and staff at Bryn Mawr Hospital who gave her such compassionate care.

Services will be held at St. Katharine of Siena Church, Wayne PA, on Friday, April 11. Viewing at 9:30 a.m., Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30. Interment will follow in St. Denis Cemetery, Havertown, PA.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Fr. Beiting Appalachian Mission Center or to the St. John Neumann Shrine , Philadelphia.