Keep your fingers crossed that the two events on this year's Edelweiss calendar can and will take place! The Gedächtnismesse is scheduled for Sunday, November 14, with a mass at 2 pm followed by a luncheon. Sadly, since our last memorial in 2019 we've lost ten members who will be included in the Messe that commemorates all our deceased.

The Weihnachtsprogramm is being planned for December 5, the first Sunday in December. The musical program is always a beautiful way to start our Christmas season. A dinner afterwards and visiting with friends and family round out a lovely day.

The Committee will be discussing the events in more detail soon and information will be available in the Wegweiser going out this month and on this website. Stay tuned! 

We received word from Lore's daughter Elke that Lore passed away. Here's the obituary sent to us --

Lore Rosa Neidhardt FEBRUARY 14, 1928 – OCTOBER 2, 2021, wife, mom, and beloved Oma, died suddenly on October 2, 2021 at age 93. Lore is survived by her daughter, Elke Neidhardt DeFelice (Phil); son, Guenter Neidhardt; grandkids, Alyssa (Mark), Leanna (Peter), Krista, Ingrid, Heidi, along with great grandkids, Lucas, Gavin, and Carter. She is welcomed into heaven by her husband Heinz, daughter Renate Neidhardt Green, and mother Maria Preuninger. Born in Nurtingen, Germany, she followed her husband to America in 1967 for a better life. Known as Oma to so many, she was an avid gardener, reader, great cook, and the “card lady” at St. Peters Lutheran Church which was her second family. Family was most important to Lore and she was the epitome of grace and kindness and had a smile for everyone she came across. A funeral service is scheduled for October 9, 2021 at 11:00AM, at St. Peters Lutheran Church, 11423 Chicago Road, Warren, Michigan 48093. In lieu of flowers, a donation is appreciated to one of Lore’s many charities: the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, St. Jude’s Children Hospital, Michigan Vets, and The Salvation Army.

Edelweiss sends our heartfelt condolences to the family. Lore was a member of Edelweiss since 1977 and was given our highest award, the Golden Edelweiss, in 1988. We've missed seeing her the last few years. Her always positive and happy personality was a pleasure, as was her beautiful smile. Ruhe in Frieden, liebe Lore.

The GACC recently announced its German-American of the Year for 2021 -- it's our own Edelweiss Vorstand, Erwin Rauschendorfer! We're proud of Erwin for his long-time dedication to our own Verein as well as to the wider German-American community.  His active involvement in so many aspects of the GACC community's life -- music, dance, business, festival chair, technology -- has been done from the heart and benefitted all the clubs in the GACC.

The annual German-American Day celebration is Sunday, October 10. Please join the celebration as we honor Erwin's achievement. Call Rita by September 30 to let her know you'd like a ticket; she will make the final arrangements with the chairwoman so we can all sit together. 

The Carpathia Hall opens at 1 pm and the $35 ticket includes dinner and the program. Coincidentally, Erwin and Herb Gruber were signed up to play music that afternoon, so we have much to look forward to.

Not long ago we received notification that our member and friend Hubert Turner passed away on April 9, 2021, due to complications from Covid 19. Hubert was born on October 23, 1925, married Hermine Turner in 1952, and together they had two sons.  He was preceded in death by his wife and his son Alfred. Hubert is survived by his son Hugo and grandson. 

Our Ehrenmitglied, Anna Tatar, passed away peacefully in her sleep surrounded by her children on August 15. She was 94 years old and was in Florida when she passed. Mourning her passing and celebrating her long life are her four children and their spouses, five grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. Her husband, Ludwig, died in 2010. 

Anna was born in Pettenbach, Austria, in 1927. Her obituary says "she was a kind, hard-working Austrian-American woman who loved her family, her culture, and God." She and her husband were long-time, strong members of Edelweiss and were named Ehrenmitglied in 2009. 

Edelweiss extends its condolences to the family. Daughter Rose Sandercott is still a member of Edelweiss and two of her children, Natalie and Nicholas, danced with us in the early 2000s. We didn't get to see much of Anna in the last several years, but everyone remembers her fondly. May she rest in peace.

Funeral service is at 4 pm followed by visitation until 8 pm on Sunday, August 22, at Arthur J. Van Lergberghe Funeral Home at 30600 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores.  Here is the LINK to the Funeral Home.