Hannelore Denk, 94, passed away on October 30, 2020 at Panorama. She was born on August 4, 1926 to August and Frida Hartmaier in Sindelfingen, Germany. Hannelore met her husband Russell while he was stationed in Germany and moved to Alaska with him and their first child, Linda in the 1950’s. They moved back and forth between Germany and the States many times and she loved the adventure. She did not enjoy flying however, and in 1963 travelled from the USA to Germany on an ocean liner, the SS United States. She and Russ had two more children, Barbara and John and all her children were well travelled at a young age.
Hannelore’s long career in banking started with an apprenticeship in Germany. She worked intermittently while raising children and when Russ retired and moved the family to Tumwater in 1967, she worked at Capitol Savings and Loan in downtown Olympia for many years and ended her career at Washington State Employee’s CU at the age of 70. Hannelore belonged to the Washington Mortgage Women’s Association and also to the Salvation Army. She felt it was important to be active in her community.
Russ sadly passed away at the age of 52 and Hannelore raised Barbara and John as a single mother. She was always busy doing something, loved to go on road trips, knit, sewed and was an excellent cook and baker, and every holiday was an event. Hannelore loved to read in both German and English and retained that love throughout her life. Hanne had a wicked sense of humor and loved sharing German folk wisdom through sayings, songs, and poems. She loved nice clothes and decorating her home.
Hannelore suffered from dementia the last 10 years of her life, but she always knew who her kids were and expressed her love for them. She will be sorely missed.
Hannelore is survived by her three children, Linda Strader, Barbara Greig and John Denk, her grandchildren Tami Whitney, Alexander Greig and Andrew Foster, as well as a great-grandaughter, Amelia Whitney.
Special thanks go to the staff at the Panorama Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center for their excellent care of our Mom through these last few months.
Due to the pandemic, there will be no public service.
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