Maryanna Anderson Popper

Maryanna Anderson Popper, almost 101, passed away peacefully in Shreveport, LA on April 9, 2022. She was born in Pontotoc, MS April 29, 1921, and graduated from Mississippi State College for Women (MSCW, now Mississippi University for Women) in Columbus, MS. She taught school in Hendersonville, North Carolina at Fassifern School for girls and was a tennis counselor at Camp Greystone. After studying Physical Therapy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, she took a job as a physical therapist at the VA Medical Center in Memphis, where she worked until she met the love of her life, the charming Austrian immigrant anesthesiologist/cellist Dr. Robert Popper. They were married in 1949 and had 51 happy years together, he with his thick Austrian accent and she with her sweet Mississippi drawl. He passed away in Nov. 2000. She was a dedicated member of Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN since Jan. 7, 1951 and watched the current steeple as it was raised. For 70 years she has been a member of Second Presbyterian Church where she taught Sunday school, received the Women of the Church Life Member Award and was the oldest member of the church. She survived tuberculosis as young woman and Covid as a 99-year-old. She swam a mile a day for 2 decades, then 1/4 mile in her last two decades until age 96, winning the Memphis YMCA medal each year for the most laps swum by a woman.

She was predeceased by her parents Mary Hulsey and John Henry Anderson, sister Lucy Anderson Burnam, and brothers Thomas Hulsey Anderson and John-Henry Anderson, Jr. She is survived by her sister Jane Anderson Ray of New Orleans, daughter Laura Popper Crawford (Edward) of Shreveport, LA, son Dr. John Robert Popper (Christiana) of Kingsport, TN, grandchildren Edward (Mary) of Dallas, TX , Robert (Gillian) of Shreveport, LA, Andrew (Shani) of Shreveport, LA, John-Henry Crawford currently of New York City, Nadia Popper Berkheimer(Ryan) of Asheville, NC, Yana Popper of Johnson City, TN, seven great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews including Lindley and Charlie Buchas of Memphis, TN who took special care of her during her years in Memphis. Other devoted friends who visited regularly were Mark Hendricks and Barbara Thompson.

Maryanna was a past President of the Memphis Youth Symphony Board during its formative years, and was a long-time classical music lover and supporter, regularly attending the Memphis Chamber Music Society and the Memphis Symphony. Maryanna played hymns on the piano routinely for Sunday School classes, but when asked if she played piano, in her modest way she replied, “for my enemies!” She was especially supportive of her professional cellist grandson John-Henry Crawford who performs on her late husband’s 200-year-old cello smuggled out of Austria in 1938. She was a member of the Commodore Perry Chapter of the DAR, the Beethoven Club, the Parkdale Garden Club, the Arts and Garden Club, and Chapter F PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization.)

Maryanna was a devoted daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, friend, and follower of Jesus Christ. She never started a day without reading her Bible and praying to her Lord and Savior, giving thanks for her blessings, and praying for each family member, church leader, friends, special missionaries, and anyone who needed prayer. In addition to maintaining the art of letter writing to all those she knew and loved, she was also an excellent calligrapher who gave friends and family beautifully written Biblical verses. She taught her children and grandchildren Bible verses and the Children’s Catechism and was a member of the Martha-Mary Circle at Second Presbyterian Church, where she visited shut-ins and those in nursing homes. She was active in her church stitchery group, creating elegant needlepoint pillows, ornaments, and a special prayer kneeling pillow. She loved her prayer partners of 40 years: Jo Threlkeld, Joann Flemming, Beverly Carrick, and the late Mary Lawrence Allen. Maryanna was a wonderful homemaker, wife, and mother, giving pearls of wisdom and advice about life to family and friends. She never went anywhere unless she felt like she “passed” or looked her best with the appropriate amount of makeup, “earbobs” and of course lipstick. In fact, she was known as “Miss America” by her sitters and friends at her assisted living, always wanting to look her best. She was the epitome of a lovely Southern lady, showing kindness, grace, and love to all those she met.

Prior to her Shreveport move, she lived at the Trezevant Manor in Memphis for almost 10 years. Her special friend/caregiver Rita Walker helped her move to Shreveport and spent three weeks getting her acclimated. The joke was that Maryanna from Mississippi and Memphis was now “Maryanna from Louisiana!” She celebrated a wonderful 100th birthday party last April with friends and family from afar, eating banana pudding (her favorite), having a hymn sing, and viewing a slide show of her life.

The family gives special thanks to Janice Latvala, former Director of Savannah Assisted Living at the Oaks and to her wonderful staff there including nurse Laurie Bijou. Additional thanks go to Elite Solutions caregiving services, WK Hospice (Dr. Robert Savory, nurses Christy Graham, Evelyn Anderson, and Kathy Furlow), Dr. Craig Miller, and longtime sitter companion Cyndy Bingham who watched opera and birds with her and helped with her correspondence. Truly special longtime caregiver Jeannie “Rose” Hicks danced with her, knew the names of all her family (living and deceased), called her by her childhood nicknames, and treated her like her own mother. Mrs. Popper renamed Jeannie “Rose” because she thought she saw life through Rose-colored glasses. Her longtime physical therapist Lance Tucker came to give PT twice a week until the week she died, and he said Mrs. Popper was one of the few people who remembered that his middle name is Christopher. Thanks to other dedicated caregivers Barbara Fortune, Felicia Carger, Shelly Babers, Tanya Howard, Betty Douglas, Christine Morris, and Leaiaeysha Akinninmade who took care of her every need cheerfully and loyally. Even in her final weeks of life, Maryanna witnessed to her caregivers, giving them Biblical advice, reciting scriptures by memory, and praying for them and their family members. She drilled them on children’s catechism questions, the ten commandments, remembering all the answers word for word until several weeks before her death. Maryanna shared her faith through her actions, writing, and especially prayers. She brought many to a knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ, including her dear husband, Robert Popper.

Many years ago, Maryanna told her first grandson, 4-year-old Edward, that she loved him “to pieces”, to which he replied that he loved her “all together.” In the last few weeks, she asked that we tell everyone that she loved them “to pieces and all together!” For the last decade she has joked to her second grandson Robert that she was not “going anywhere” until he married a sweet Christian girl. At her 100th birthday he claimed credit for “keeping Grandmama alive” by delaying his marriage as long as possible. At age 39, Robert Crawford finally got married on April 9th in Dallas at the Highland Park Methodist Church to the girl Grandmama had prayed for, Gillian Vanderslice. Earlier that day, in what would be her last hours, we had reminded Maryanna that the wedding was at 7:00 PM. She took her last breath at 7:30 when Rev. Paul Rassmussen pronounced them husband and wife. The significance of Maryanna reaching out for God’s hand near the same time Robert joined hands with Gillian to become one is profound beyond words and beautiful in its own poignant way.

Services will be at the Second Presbyterian Church Chapel on Friday April 29th, her birthday, at 11:00 AM with Rev. Gerry Peak officiating. A “celebration of life” reception for friends and family will follow in the Louise Salmon Room. An earlier private burial with family will be at the Historic Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, where she will be buried beside her husband.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial gifts may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Pontotoc MS, 124 S. Main St. Pontotoc, MS 38863 (the church that “grew her up”) or Second Presbyterian Church, 4055 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111.

Psalm 92:12-15 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ Romans 8:38-39

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