Marianne Meyer

Marianne Meyer, 88, of Rockford, passed away on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 with her family by her side. She was born in Hamburg, Germany on January 20, 1936 and moved to Rockford in 1958. She married the love of her life, Hermann J. Meyer, on November 8, 1958, in Rockford. Marianne was a P.E. teacher at St. Rita Catholic School, was a yoga instructor, and had a successful Shaklee business. Marianne and Hermann had a passion for sailing. They enjoyed traveling together, the outdoors, and she especially enjoyed spending time with her family.
She is survived by her sons, Thomas (Luz) Meyer and Andreas Meyer; daughter, Veronika (Greg) Markgraf; granddaughters, Gretchen (Zach) Buchanan and Brianna (Joe Novak) Markgraf; great-grandchildren, Adeline Buchanan, Isaac Buchanan and Lola Novak; and special friend, Anne Osterberg.
Special thanks to Serenity Hospice and Home in Oregon, especially Dr. Juliette Kalweit and Jen and April, for their compassionate care of our mother.
Memorial Mass will be at 11:00am on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 in St. Bridget Catholic Church, 600 Clifford Avenue, Loves Park, IL 61111. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Nikolas Ritschel Foundation, P.O. Box 8076, Rockford, IL 61126 or nikolasritschelfoundation.org.
Following are some memories from her granddaughter, Gretchen:
Early this morning my Grandma Marianne (or Oma to our kids) passed away peacefully. My grandma knew so much pain in her life yet she found joy and happiness in literally everyday. My grandma grew up in Germany during WWII and lost both parents by the time she was 13. She was taken in by a wonderful family who gave her job and home. Years later she met my grandpa and he brought her to the USA. They created a home full of love and adventure, which included their favorite thing sailing. Fast forward many years and my grandma suffered a massive brain aneurysm which left her paralyzed on half her body and caused her to relearn to walk and talk (two languages). Through all these bad times my grandma could have become such a negative person yet she chose to see all the good around her. She had such empathy for people who were down on their luck and she brought joy to almost anyone she met. My grandma loved the arts and wanted my sister and I to learn to appreciate the arts as well. After my grandpa passed, my grandma and I would go to trips to the city to see shows and spend time together. I loved every trip I had with my grandma. I will continue to pass along that tradition with my own kids. My grandma was such a special person and I am so grateful I am her granddaughter. She taught me so much and I will miss her so much. Be good and Ich Liebe Dich Grandma
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