Florence Theresa Spinneweber's Obituary
Florence T. (Blosel) Holbert Spinneweber passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at the age of 102 years, at Falls Run Nursing Home in Stafford, Va., surrounded by her son-in-law and his wife, Andy and Teri Shannon.
She was born on May 23, 1921, into the family of Agnes and Bill Blosel (a steelworker) and raised in the Baldwin Township, located now in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Penn. She was the eighth of ten children—eight boys and two girls. She graduated from Brentwood High School and attended St Elizabeth Church in Pleasant Hills. She served as an Air Raid Warden before enlisting in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC).
Seven of the Blosel children served in World War II at the same time, including Florence. “My brothers were going. I wanted to go, too,” she said. I guess I was a big tomboy,” she explained in a news interview for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2005. All the brothers came home from the Europe and Africa theatres and Florence recounted, “I’m just so proud of what they all did,” in a news interview with the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star in 2015.
Florence enlisted in the WAACs on 26 August 1943, that changed to the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) a year later when the auxiliary became part of the regular Army when President Roosevelt signed legislation in July 1943 allowing women to serve overseas and also receive the same rank, privileges and benefits of their male counterparts. She served stateside as a billing machine operator at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., interviewing Army recruits then typing medical and personal information into their official service records.
While posted at Ft. Oglethorpe, she joined a war bonds caravan, traveling from town to town as a “Bond Girl.” She sang and played guitar in uniform, encouraging Americans to support the war by buying war bonds.
Florence married Corporal Coy Holbert in 1944 at Fort Oglethorpe Private First Class Florence Holbert was discharged from the WACs on July 21, 1945, receiving the WAAC Service Ribbon and Good Conduct Medal. After her service to her country, she settled down with Coy in the Pittsburgh area and raised her two children, Ronald “Ron” and Janis with Coy, who died about 25 years after their wartime marriage. She later wed Raymond “Ray” Spinneweber, Jr., (who also predeceased her) in 1973 in Pittsburgh. Ray served as a Marine on D-Day in World War II.
Florence was very fond of animals including a groundhog she raised in her childhood home; and her German Shephard named Angel.
She was a life member of the American Legion and the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society.
She is survived by her son, Ron (Dee) Holbert of Cypress, Calif., and their daughter, Tamara (Jimmy) Storie and their daughters Eleanor and Beatrix, of Lake Forest Park, Wa.; and son, Devon Holbert of Santa Ana, Calif. Florence’s daughter Janis (Andy) Shannon passed away in 2012. She is survived by Janis’ husband, Andy; two children, Holly (Ted) Nelson and their daughters, Sophie Grace and Savanna; and Aaron (Claudia) Atteberry and their sons, Brook and Aden, all from Stafford, Va. Her many nieces and nephews and their families (many who predeceased her) were blessed to have Aunt Florence in their lives.
Relatives and friends are invited to join the family for visitation on Thursday, October 5, 2023 from 9:00 - 10:00 am at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, 301 Curry Hollow Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15236. A blessing service will be held in the chapel at the funeral home at 10:00 am. Burial with Military Honors will follow at Jefferson Memorial Park.
To leave online condolences please visit www.jeffersonmemorial.com
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