Mathias Krewenka

Mathias Krewenka, age 83, passed away Friday, October 12,2012 at his home in California. He was born August 23, 1929 in Miletitsch, Yugoslavia Son of Johan and Catherine (Low) Krewenka. As a 16 year old boy in southern Austria, during WWII he was living at a school for boys. Having no idea where is family was, and only the clothes on his back and a worn out pair of shoes he solved his problem by finding scraps of material and maid himself a pair of shoes. This bit of ingenuity is what eventually led him to California, Missouri as the new designer for the California Mfg. Company. Matt's story is much like those that came out of Europe during the war. Being born in Yugoslavia, his father was German and his mother an American from Philadelphia. They met while she was attending school in Europe and the family was living in Yugoslavia when the war broke out. Because they were of German descent, everything they owned was confiscated and they were forced to leave the country. Matt was put in school, his father went into service, and the rest of the family eventually ended up in northern Germany. Explaining further about the shoes, Mr. Krewanka said, "All I had to wear in school were two shirts, a pair of pants, two changes of underwear and socks and a ski suit and that one pair of shoes. To save our shoes, we went bare-foot in the snow but no one ever got sick, it was like God was watching over us. The shoes I made were a big hit with the rest of the boys so they all wanted a pair like them. There was a girl's school nearby and they asked for some also." When Matt finally was reunited with the family he learned his father had been killed during the war. At that time he was not sure what the future would bring so he attended custom tailoring school in northern Germany for a year, then at age of 19 the family moved to New Jersey. He was in New York for a time designing and making costumes for dancing schools and masked parties. He also worked in the costume design department for the Metropolitan Opera Company and while in the East belonged to several little theater groups. The first big clothing company he worked for was Forstmann Woolens in New Jersey. In 1960 he became assistant designer for Target Sportswear in Pennsylvania, a company that manufactures the same type outerwear as the company here. In order to advance in his profession, Mr. Krewenka joined Pilgrim Sportswear as a designer of children's clothing and department manager.
"I enjoyed my work then very much," he said, "but I wanted to go with a bigger company so I placed an advertisement in a trade magazine. The California Mfg. Company had this opening in California, MO so they contacted me. I went to St. Louis to confer with the official and there I was." He loved the people of California, Missouri, living in the Midwest and never regretted it. Matt is survived by his wife, Catherine "Kay" Krewenka of the home, a daughter, Monica Owens of Jamestown, a brother Erich Krewenka of Fort Pierce, Florida, two sisters Cathy Swentzel of Fort Pierce, Florida, and Hildegard Schimpf of Lake Hoptsong, New Jersey and two grandchildren Haily Owens and Austin Owens. Private funeral services will be held at a later date. Donations are suggested to the American Cancer Society or Hospice Compassus

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