Marianne Walker passed away Monday, July 1, 2024 in Whiting, NJ. She was born in a small village named Brinkum, outside the city of Bremen in Northern Germany. Her parents, Dietrich Busch and Adele Harjes were modest hard-working people. Like many in Germany at that time, Marianne and her family experienced many hardships during WWII from many times in bomb shelters, missed school, food shortages, cannons in the back yard and soldiers housed in the basement.
At age 16, Marianne took a job as a salesgirl at a bakery in Bremen. There she met the love of her life, a pastry chef in training, Karl Walker.
Karl was adventurous and ambitious and headed for Toronto, Canada in May 1954 on an old clunker ship. Marianne couldn’t stand to be apart from him so she followed in November 1954 on the very same clunker. They married in January 1955. Karl worked in a pie factory and then as a dump truck owner/operator. Marianne worked in a factory cafeteria and later at a meat-packing plant.
Without family to babysit, daughter Ilona’s arrival in October 1956 created extra challenges, but they found a way to make it work as they always did throughout their lives. Karl worked during the day and Marianne at night.
From Toronto they emigrated to Fort Lee, New Jersey where Karl was an apartment complex superintendent and Marianne was a housekeeper and childcare giver for another couple. Once again, they found a way to make it work.
In June 1963 Marianne and Karl moved to a new house in Colonia after the birth of their son, Bruce. Marianne stayed at home as a homemaker until Bruce was 13 years old. Karl had purchased a commercial laundry/dry cleaning processing factory and storefront in Bayonne in the meantime. Marianne then became its office manager, doing the payroll, and all the bookkeeping. They added on to the house over the years and hosted many New Year’s parties for the neighbors. Marianne regularly volunteered at the school library, with a group of neighbors providing physical therapy for a boy with Muscular Dystrophy and did fundraising for Deborah Hospital.
As time went on, they had two lovely houses built on a lagoon in Forked River. Being on the water and having a boat was Karl’s dream, not Marianne’s, but she went along for his sake. They spent many happy years in those homes hosting friends and family frequently. As often as they could, they visited friends and family in Germany, usually every two years.
At some point they joined the Schwaebische Saengerbund, a German-American chorus. Marianne was their membership coordinator for some of those years. They shared many happy times with their friends, practicing weekly, going on tours in Europe, and performing at the annual spring and Christmas concerts in Westfield.
After Forked River, Marianne and Karl moved to the Renaissance community in Manchester. Sadly, Karl passed away only a few months later. Marianne moved forward with difficulty but adjusted to life without him and took pleasure in card games, Mah Jong, bowling, exercise classes and visiting her grandchildren in Atlanta.
In May 2021, Marianne moved to Crestwood Manor and continued to enjoy participating in card games and events with friends old and new.
Marianne was predeceased by her husband, Karl, her brother Christian, and her sister Ursula Neffgen. She is survived by her daughter Ilona and her husband Randy and their adult children Alexander and Arianna, her son Bruce and his wife Pat, and many in-laws, nieces and nephews in America and Germany.
Those who knew Marianne knew her as one who kept an immaculate house, enjoyed gardening with flowers, dressing stylishly, crocheting and crafting and especially, hosting and entertaining.
Her family will always remember her as a very loving mother, grandmother and aunt. In fact, motherhood was her favorite role. She cherished her role as a mother and felt it was the most important role of her life.
She will truly be missed for her gentle, caring and empathetic nature. She truly epitomized the saying “If you can be anything in this world – be kind”.
A Memorial Gathering will be held
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