Rosemarie Pence

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Rosemarie Pence
Bornc. 1938 (age 85–86)
Nationality
Holocaust survivor
SpouseWayne Pence
Children1

Rosemarie Pence (formerly Hannah Pence; born c. 1938) is a German-American woman who posed as a child

check fraud and the theft of more than $20,000.[2][3]

Claims

Pence claimed that as a three-year-old she was taken from her family of

nuns who taught her how to ski. Using those skiing skills, Pence claimed that she competed on Germany's 1956 Olympic ski team in the 1956 Winter Olympics
.

Other claims included living in a

Queen of the Netherlands."[4]

Building on her claims, Pence earned speaking fees at schools and other organizations because of her incredible life stories.[citation needed] One such school was the University of Colorado, where Pence led a seminar called "A Horrifying Experience."[5]

It was revealed that her husband Wayne Pence, who had supposedly been shot down during the war, was actually living in another state and had been searching for their son Brian that Pence took from him when Brian was still a toddler. Rosemarie had made an engraved headstone for her husband to corroborate her story, even though the Air Force master sergeant was alive. He stated that Pence suffers from schizophrenia and had been institutionalized in the 1960s. He also stated that Rosemarie was indeed ethnically German, but that she had no Jewish ancestry.[3]

Messinger's biography of Pence

Jean Goodwin Messinger, a local Colorado author, wrote a biography on Pence in 2005. The book was titled Hannah: From Dachau to the Olympics and Beyond.[6] Messinger failed to investigate the claims that Pence made, however, and took Pence's stories at face value. When information came out that Pence had lied and the biography was then fictional, Messinger stated, "I was terribly embarrassed. Not only for me, but for everyone else touched by this."[2]

Messinger continued with "I regarded this woman as a sister for the years I have known her. This revelation is shocking and disappointing to all of us who knew her and loved her, and counted her as a trusted friend."[7]

Criminal charges

A woman in

check bounced as Pence was unable to cover the funds.[8]

check fraud.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Shields, Pierrette J. (7 May 2010). "Accused Holocaust pretender found in Butte: Updated". The Montana Standard. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b Whaley, Monte (7 February 2012). "Longmont author, duped by Holocaust huckster for one book, focuses on other lives and stories". The Denver Post. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Author recants Holocaust tale - Biography's subject believed to be a fraud, has fled Longmont". Kuruc. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  4. ^ Greene, Susan (17 September 2009). "Greene: Holocaust survival tale took in many". The Denver Post. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  5. ^ "'Schindler's List' Survivor To Speak At CU's Holocaust Awareness Week, April 18–23". Be Boulder. University of Colorado. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  6. ISBN 978-0615128665
    .
  7. ^ Boniface, Dan (19 September 2009). "Heroic WWII tale proves false". 9 News. Archived from the original on 23 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  8. ^ "Accused Holocaust pretender from Longmont found in Montana". Associated Press. May 7, 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Woman wanted for Holocaust hoax found working at Butte motel". Missoulian. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  10. ^ "The incredible life of Rosemarie Pence". Deceptology. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  11. ^ "Self-professed Holocaust survivor wanted". Times Call. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
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