Elisabeth Wiese Michaud

In loving memory of Elisabeth Michaud who passed away on June 29th, 2021 at the age of 97. She was born on December 15, 1923 in a small town in Holland near Amsterdam and lived a full and rather spectacular life.

Born in the midst of the roaring 20’s of last century, her life, like so many others of her generation changed with the “Great Depression” of the 1930’s and then again in her teens and early 20’s, her life was re-shaped by WWII.

A native of Holland, she survived the siege and privations of 1944 & 45, living in an occupied country and suffering through hunger and loss. With the war drawing to a close and the siege coming to an end, she worked for General Patton’s 3rd Army as a civilian translator. She was fluent in Dutch, German, French, English and spoke Russian as well and chose to contribute to the cause of freedom by aiding American and Western forces in this way. She told remarkable stories of the great hopes and despair of the people she helped and of her desire, above all things, to help them in any way she could.

After the war, she married, Edward Francis Michaud, a former U.S., Navy pilot who was then flying for Royal Dutch Airlines or “KLM”. They moved to America together in the late 1950’s.

Known to her close friends as, “Beppie”, she is remembered for her easy laugh, great understanding of people which made her easy to be around. She had a kind and humorous way of making her many stories and tales of other times and places relatable and people enjoyed her company. Not only friends, even casual acquaintances often remarked about her easy laugh and how entertaining it was to spend an evening with her.

Being the “stubborn Dutchman” as she called herself, she refused to evacuate during Hurricane Andrew and was in one the hardest hit areas in Miami. Without electric power and other conveniences for months, she and others in her closely-knit neighborhood pressed on, remaining a beacon of hope and light for many as they rebuilt. Ironically, she decided to move back to New Orleans in 2005, a city she has always loved, shortly before Hurricane Katrina arrived. She and her son escaped Katrina by the dark of night and were able to stay in Atlanta with relatives.

She loved travel both domestically in the US and abroad. While at home, she loved to cook. Her family learned through her many tales, that she learned to cook from her father who was a chef in Holland. Her favorite dishes were Indonesian which she enjoyed sharing with her family and friends and she was known for hosting an annual Indonesian Rice Table which required months of cooking and preparation.

As well as being an accomplished chef, she was also a collector of art. She had a story for each of the many pieces she had accumulated throughout her life. Visitors to her home would enjoy a tour of the world as she saw it through her art. She had a knack for bringing the art to life through stories. Her stories always began with, “I liked, “him”, “her”, “the horse”, “the dog”, “the house….” – never simply about a painting or an object. Her house was literally alive with history and people, places and sometimes just things - big and small. All had a story, if you were privileged enough to hear them.

She will rest in peace at Arlington National Cemetery and is survived by her daughter, Annie Yamamoto, her son, Tom Michaud as well as her grandchildren and their families.