Hannelore Mayer

Hanne was born in Marbach am Neckar, Germany, in 1930. She had a wonderful young childhood with her parents, 3 brothers, sister and grandparents. Many of the stories she would share were about happy times in Germany with her grandparents, picking apples, eating bread and jam, going with them to church services at Christmas. She lived through the horrors of World War II as a young teenager and had many terrified memories of wartime. Despite this, Hanne carried a childlike wonder with her throughout her life.

In 1949 she married Steve Mayer who had fled to Germany from his native Hungary after the war. Their marriage would last 69 years until his death in 2018. In 1950, Hanne and Steve had a son, Rudi, their only child. In 1955 the young Mayer family left Germany and moved first to Toronto and then to Chicago where Steve and Hanne would live for the next 54 years. In 2012, they left Chicago for Pulaski, TN, in order to live close to Rudi and his wife, Betty.

Hanne worked outside the home in various jobs, but her true happiness came as a homemaker. She was a wonderful cook, mastering German, Hungarian, and American cuisines. The meals she prepared were works of art and made totally from scratch. She loved gardening, a talent she brought with her from Germany to Chicago to Pulaski where she won the Pulaski Garden Club award for Yard of the Month.

After Steve’s death, Hannah continued to enjoy gardening, cooking and caring for her many stray cats. She loved her neighbors and cherished time with her family. In 2024, at age 94, Hannah moved to Ivy Crest Assisted Living where she said they treated her like a queen. A combination of medical problems resulted in a final move to NHC Pulaski where she received attentive and loving care. She died peacefully, with German folk music playing in her room.

Hannah will be missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her son, Rudi, and his wife Betty, two step-grandchildren, Jonathan Ford (Elizabeth) of Atlanta, GA, and Kathryn Mills of Davenport, FL, and two step-great-grandchildren, Jack and Anna Ford of Atlanta, GA.