Anne Marie Steiner

Anne Marie Frodesen Murphy Steiner was a hardy Norwegian soul, who fought the good fight with several bouts of breast cancer over a period of 50 years. She succumbed to bone cancer, in the company of her children, while living at her longtime residence on Sunset Hill in her beloved community of Ballard.

Anne Marie was born in Mjondalen, Norway, and immigrated to the United States when she was six years of age. She graduated from Ballard High School in 1937 and then accompanied her mother on a trip back to Norway, where she remained for 16 months, living with relatives and becoming fluent in Norwegian.

When World War II began, Anne Marie was a student at the University of Washington. Because of the German occupation of Norway and Denmark, she felt it her duty, after graduation, to join the Women's Army Corps. She was proud of being the first in her family to join the service. She repeatedly asked for overseas duty, and finally, in the summer of 1943 she was assigned to the legendary Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a secret intelligence service in London, and the predecessor of the CIA. Anne Marie's language skills earned her a position with the Norwegian and Danish Sections of Special Forces Headquarters for the duration of the war, translating and handling secret documents in the midst of the constant air raids, blackouts, blitzes and the German V-I and V-II rocket bombings. She met her first husband in London, an American soldier on leave from France, and they married in England on VJ Day. In 1946 she was awarded King Christian X's Danish Freedom Medal for her work during the war. In 1978 she received the Saint Olav Medal from the King of Norway for her involvement in the Norwegian-American community here, which included helping to deepen the relationship between the United States and Norway. Her parents each had earlier been awarded the Saint Olav Medal for their similar work. At the time that Anne Marie's medal was awarded they were the first multi-generational family to have received such an honor from the King of Norway. She had at least two separate audiences with Norway's King during her lifetime.

Anne Marie was a beloved member and leader in the Seattle Norwegian community, having served as president of The Norse Federation and the Inga Frodesen Guild of the Norse Home Retirement Center, where she was also a member of the Board. Her ties to Norse Home run deep in that her parents were instrumental in its founding. She was active on the committee for the creation of Bergen Place in Ballard and hosted Prince (now King) Harald while he was in Seattle for the dedication ceremony. She has been vice chairperson of the Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association, on the board of the Norwegian Commercial Club, a founding member of the Ethnic Heritage Council, past chairperson of the Edvard Grieg Festival and the 17th of May celebration in Ballard - and one-time grand marshal - as well as serving on the Seafoodfest committee. Anne Marie was inducted into the Ballard High School Wall of Recognition in 2002.

Her life-long dream was to become a published fiction author, working hard at it nearly every night as she raised her children. She never achieved that goal but was a regular contributor to the Western Viking and the Ballard News Tribune over the years. She also had published articles in the Seattle Times and P.I and was associate editor of the Ballard Voice newspaper in the mid-70s.

An indomitable spirit, Anne Marie worked in real estate for 30 years, finally "retiring" at age 89 when medical conditions dictated a change, which also curtailed her driving capabilities which she sorely missed and made sure everybody knew it!

Anne Marie leaves behind her children, Rose Marie, Larry and his wife Mary Beth Barney, Margaret Murphy Moffett and her husband Stan, Dan, Pat, stepson Dennis Steiner and his wife Heidi, 9 grandchildren, 17 great and great-great grandchildren, brother John Frodesen and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, Inga and Frode Frodesen, brother Fred Frodesen, husband Jim Steiner, former husband Daniel Murphy, and son Peter.

She will be dearly missed by her family and many more in the community she served so well. Odin welcomes Anne Marie to Valhalla!

The family wishes to express a special thanks to Jeannie Nahan, Anne Marie's hospice nurse, as well as the rest of the Group Health team for their kind support and comfort during Anne Marie's final months.