Marion Momme Meier

Marion Meier passed away peacefully at her home in the Springmoor Retirement Community on Saturday morning, September 4, 2021. She was a remarkable woman, full of both conviction and fortitude and tenderness and warmth. A survivor of World War II and the Great Depression, she faced hardships with unflinching determination and felt deeply grateful for all of her blessings, big and small. Marion’s strength and positive outlook on life helped her overcome personal tragedies, including the loss of her husband and oldest son, as well as survive two major health crises, earning her the title “miracle patient” from one of her surgeons. Even when life was at its most trying, she appreciated all of the beauty it had to offer. Most of all, she took joy in caring for and spending time with her loved ones, a gift for which they will always remain deeply grateful.

Marion was born in Norristown, PA on December 18, 1923, where she spent her childhood. She lived in town but enjoyed visiting her grandfather's farm where she revealed an early, mischievous side, bombarding his unsuspecting chickens with fruit while perched atop an apple tree or taking on the project of painting the cellar walls with preserves.

During the WWII years, she did not hesitate to enter the workforce and formed a close, life-long bond with a group of fellow working gals assisting in the war effort. Marion stepped into a position traditionally held by men at the Chelsea Paper Company. This company was responsible for manufacturing the paper used for cigarettes air dropped on the Philippines with General MacArthur's message: "I shall return." During this time, Marion also took it upon herself to learn braille with the intention of assisting injured GIs at a Philadelphia hospital serving the blind. Where she saw a need, she was always eager to be of service.

After the war, her highschool sweetheart, John Meier, returned, and they began their life together at Penn State. There, John completed his degree in Forestry, and she assisted with research work in the Psychology Department. Afterward, they moved to numerous towns in Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina to raise their growing family, eventually putting down roots in Raleigh, NC.

Marion was the quiet support of the Meier household. Through numerous moves she learned how to handle real estate transactions and get the family up and running in a new environment. With John away in the field for much of the week, she often had to manage a houseful of kids on her own, employing gentle persuasive tactics while simultaneously laying down the law. She seldom used a harsh or profane word, but when she did, you knew she meant business. On top of her household duties, Marion was a skilled seamstress and made extra pin money completing repairs and alterations for local clientele. Following in her own mother's footsteps, she picked up quilting. She enjoyed volunteering with a quilting group at Grace Lutheran Church, and became close friends with many of the group's members.

Once the children had grown and begun lives of their own, Marion and John took on the project of building their dream home in Wake Forest. After many moves which had required them to adapt to whatever housing was available, this was a welcome change. Their Wake Forest home quickly became a popular destination for the next generation of grandchildren and was the site of afternoon bird watchings; children’s shenanigans; and many happy birthday, anniversary, and holiday celebrations. Dee took great care to make her home a warm and welcoming environment for all members of her family. She created a designated playroom with more toys and games than her grandchildren knew what to do with. She even made note of each grandchild’s favorites and took them out whenever he or she visited. Every winter she set up a Christmas village in the living room to put everyone in the holiday spirit.

It was at this point in her life that Marion was rechristened “Dee” by her eldest grandchild, Natalie, who was just learning to speak. Natalie was, as the story goes, attempting to call her “Grammie,” but “Dee” stuck. Those closest to her have affectionately addressed her by this title ever since. In fact, when deciding what her first great grandchild should call her, Marion settled on “Nana Dee,” and Matthew happily obliged.

Following John's death in 2001, Dee moved to Springmoor Retirement Community, where she began a new chapter of her life as an independent woman. There, she was popular among both residents and staff and gained many new friends from a variety of backgrounds. She proved a skilled mediator, occasionally (but firmly) putting a stop to squabbles and bullying among them, and she did her best to ensure that no one was treated poorly. She always ended her recountings of these stories with a grin and a faux-exhausted “Yeesh! Just like children!” At Springmoor, Marion took advantage of on-campus literature survey courses; participated in line dancing, Wii sports (a formidable bowler) and Yoga classes; and spent time soaking in the community gardens and nature walks. Her love of books and knowledge led her to take on a service position as a very motivated and protective volunteer for the library. She got a kick out of jokingly complaining when people misplaced books or forgot to return them.

Dee was an independent thinker. She treated all those in her path with respect and kindness and was not inclined to make judgements about others. She listened to and learned about people, always choosing understanding over prejudice and ignorance, and she was a firm believer in social equality. She advocated for her own (and others’) rights as a woman and refused to treat others differently based on characteristics such as race or class. Her children and grandchildren are grateful for the example she set regarding these qualities.

An intellectually curious person, Marion believed in solving problems via self-education. She was keen to do research and acquired practical knowledge in a number of areas. Always open to learning new things, she was quick to recognize the value of a home computer and taught herself how to use one--an early adapter while some of us were still dragging our feet. She was an avid reader, and remained informed about the world around her, educating herself on the events unfolding over the turbulent decades of her life. She was fond of British TV dramas, good old movies, and game shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, too.

As the eldest Meier, Dee enthusiastically embraced her role as the keeper of her family’s legacy. She was deeply devoted to her loved ones, and her family books and photo albums were among her most prized possessions. She was a fantastic teller and collector of stories, and she reveled in sharing and listening to them. At family gatherings large and small, she loved to tell tales about her own life, members of her family who were long gone, and raising a family of her own. Her animated storytelling kept the memories of her husband, John, and eldest son, Douglas, alive for her children and grandchildren after they passed away. We can trace a hereditary, mischievous streak in her stories of a teenage Doug (and friend) illicitly using heavy equipment on a construction site or misusing fireworks and nearly burning everything down. We can still hear John’s frustrated cursing upon hitting his head on a low-hanging fixture at the dining room table for the umpteenth time. These narratives have allowed all of us to know and hold onto our family and its history better--who our great grandparents were, what it was like to grow up during the great depression and live through WWII. We have stories attached to pieces of furniture and family recipes that we will carry with us the rest of our lives.

Dee’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were a constant source of joy for her. Despite her hatred of clutter and her propensity to get rid of anything she didn’t absolutely need, her apartment was littered with their photos, and she kept special blocks and toys around for visits from her great grandchildren. She loved hearing about everything her loved ones were getting up to. Seeing or talking to them was always the highlight of her day, and she relished hearing about and being part of their journeys along their very different paths. She never failed to make time for special outings--holiday and birthday shopping trips, graduations, celebratory dinners--or everyday quality time--cozy chats in her living room, quick or not-so-quick phone calls, or lunch at the Springmoor bistro just because. She has left them with more fond memories than they could have asked for.

Marion is survived by her daughter, Susan Scott of Greenville, NC; son, Dennis Meier of Seattle, WA; daughter-in-law, Ruth Meier of Raleigh, NC; grandchildren Mckenzie Eggers, Natalie Bowman, Ben Meier, and Brett Meier; and great grandchildren, Matthew Bowman, Aubrey Bowman, and Bailey Lynn Meier. Her oldest son, Douglas Meier, predeceased her in 2002.

Dee’s loved ones will always remember her for her kindness and generosity, and they will feel her absence sharply and deeply.

Her service will take place at the Raleigh Memorial Cemetery on Saturday, October 16th at 11:00 am. All who cared for her are welcome to attend.

Marion loved books so to honor her donations are accepted to WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES 4020 Carya Drive , Raleigh, NC 27610 Donations can be made by credit card online(https://wakenc.comprisesmartpay.com/Scripts/Smartpay/smartpay.dll) or mail check to Wake County Public Libraries PO Box 550 RALEIGH NC 27602. You can donate in memory of Marion Meier