Anastasia D. Meyer's Obituary
Anastasia (Ann) Davis Meyer was born October 23, 1915 on a Farm near Huron South Dakota to an Irish Catholic family that had homesteaded the land. She passed to the next life on November 4, 2017 in Tucson, AZ at age 102.
She had two sisters and two brothers. She attended school in “Yale” elementary South Dakota. Her High School Graduation was at the famous “Corn Palace” in Mitchell, South Dakota. She attended “Notre Dame” teacher’s college. She became a school Teacher in a one room school house at the age of 19.
In her twenty’s she moved to San Francisco and met her husband Harold Leon Meyer who she married on September 16, 1944 in San Francisco. She raised a family of four children: Carol Meyer Schiavone, Terry Meyer, Jennifer Meyer Lee, and Debby Meyer Johnson in Fresno, California and Tucson, Arizona.
In Tucson, she went back to school and received Masters in Education from the University of Arizona. Her love of learning kept her taking classes to the point she eventually had enough credits for a PHD if she had wanted to go that route. She taught for over 30 years, spending the last 15 driving to Nogales from Tucson every day to teach 1st – 3rd grade English in their bilingual program. One of the cars she had was a yellow Chevy SS Malibu.
As a South Dakota farm girl, she loved plants, she had a green house where she grew plants that she sold at the Swap Meet on weekends for her “Mad Money”, they called her the plant lady. She also had many fruit trees including over 30 pecan trees which she harvested herself and then cracked all the nuts and gave them away. She loved to sew cloths and costumes for her children as well as embroider receiving blankets for her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She loved to travel. She frequently drove her family back to South Dakota to visit her beloved friends and family there. After she retired and Leon passed away in 1990, she began travel with her daughters and family. She traveled the US including Alaska and Hawaii. They went to Europe, the British Isles, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. Her last trip was at age 95 to Cancun. It didn’t matter where they were going she always said, “This is the best trip every”. She took pictures, collected brochures, made notes and then would do scrap books of the trips. She just loved being with her family and seeing the world and creating memories.
She loved having family come visit and loved feeding them meals and having everyone over for all the holidays. Just like the school teacher she was she always decorated her home for each holiday like Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. She loved to bake pies and birthday cakes, and knew the importance of ice cream.
She was the energizer bunny, and like a Timex watch took a licking and kept on ticking. When she fell and broke her hip at age 100 she told the rehab Doctor that she “Was fighting Irish and was walking out of here.”, and she did!
She loved people and especially her family. Everyone she met loved her back and was happier just from talking to her. She just made friends everywhere she went with her positive attitude. She thought of other people first and was famous for not eating anything until all her guests were served. As she got older and her appetite faded she was always trying to give people her food because she was worried they were hungry and she hated to waste anything. Anytime she was in a hospital, rehab, or care home the staff loved her because she was so happy, positive, and cooperative. She was always concerned about them. One of her caregivers a Elmcroft where she last lived said “One day Annie told me I looked tired and that I should lay down on her bed and take a nap while she sat in her chair.”
She is survived by her 4 children, 17 grand children, 24 great-grand children, and 2 great-great grand children. Plus, a huge extended and beloved family.
A visitation and viewing will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, followed by a prayer service and the Rosary from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on Thursday November 16, 2017 at:
Evergreen Mortuary
3015 N. Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85705
Phone (520) 257-4831
Funeral Mass Friday November 17, 2017 at 1:00 pm
Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church
1300 N. Greasewood Rd, Tucson, AZ 85745
(520) 884-9021
Burial and rite of committal 2:30 pm Friday November 17,2017
Holy Hope Cemetery
3555 N. Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85705
(520) 888-8060
Gathering and meal following burial
Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church
1300 N. Greasewood Rd, Tucson, AZ 85745
(520) 884-9021
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