Annemarie Meissner

Annemarie Meissner, 89, of Grand Marais died peacefully on Sunday, November 29, 2015 at home with her eldest daughter.

She was born on June 1, 1926 to Hermann and Elsa (Hannemann) Lipek in Stettin, Germany.  Annemarie, along with 3 brothers and 2 sisters, lived on an island located in a branch of the Oder River close to the mainland.  She readily shared stories of escapades with her siblings, the animals they raised and butchered, along with a small vegetable garden they tended to.  With the start of WWII, the older boys were drafted into the army while the rest of the family was scattered among relatives living further west of the area.  After WWII she met her future husband, Gerhard, whom she married in 1950 and they lived with his parents in Berlin for a while.  They then decided to immigrate to the United States to make a better life for their family.  Her husband came over in 1952, by cargo ship through Ellis Island.  Annemarie and their son joined him in Chicago in 1953.

For Annemarie, family was very important and came first in everything she did.  She was very involved in providing the support needed both by her husband and children.  Her pioneering spirit and ways proved to be instrumental in managing the household so efficiently that they were able to afford their first house in 1963 just 10 years after arriving in the United States.  She also played a huge role in helping Gerhard establish his own business at home and was very much, “a hands on” partner.  After Gerhard retired his business, the two of them moved up to Gunflint Lake to enjoy a Northwood's lifestyle at the cabin that they bought.  In 1998 they moved in with their daughter, Regine, and they all enjoyed a remarkable life's journey together.

For several years, when the children did not need her as much, she became a member of the Holy Family Hospital Lady's Auxiliary and was awarded pins for the many hours of service she volunteered there.   She became the first volunteer assigned to help in the Microbiology department of the Laboratory and it did not take her long to become a valuable asset and make long lasting friendships with the gals in that department.

Annemarie was an avid knitter and seamstress able to create virtually anything including wardrobes for dolls without any kind of help from patterns.  She sat down and just figured it out on her own, much to the amazement of others that enjoyed those same hobbies.  Her other love was being outdoors gardening and exploring nature.  She was very passionate about wildflowers and passed her love and knowledge on to not only her children but others she encountered in her life.  A brief overview of her life would not be complete without mentioning that she was quite the swimmer and did swim across the width of Gunflint Lake late one summer with Gerhard following her in a canoe.

Annemarie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and a brother.

She is survived by a son, Wolfgang; daughter, Regine; daughter Gabriele and her husband Randy, grandchildren Annemarie, Gerhard and Nathaniel; daughter Annedore and her husband James, grandchildren David and Steven with his wife Faith and great-grandson Levi.

A celebration of Annemarie’s life will be held in Spring 2016.