Lieselotte Mahnke, 92, Raised 3 Children, Loved to Travel With Her Husband

Lieselotte “Lisa” M. Mahnke, age 92, passed away on Sunday, September 19th, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Lieselotte was born on January 19, 1929, in Germany, to Anna Martha Luise Reibe and Eric Hermann Karl Eichhorst. Lieselotte then had two younger siblings, her brother, Kurt, and Sister, Ursula. She married Otto Mahnke on March 15, 1957, in Germany, and had their first daughter, Marion, that same year. Later that year, Otto moved to Quebec, Canada with Lieselotte and Marion following soon after on the Arosa Sun. The family then welcomed another daughter, Barbara, in 1963 and relocated from Canada to the United States later that year. There, in 1967, Lieselotte and Otto were, as she put it, “happily surprised” by their third and final child, Michael.

After moving to Michigan, Lieselotte and Otto found their passion in traveling and attending bird shows around the world, where they showed canaries. They also found their love for dancing, the two of them going out to dance as much as they could. In Ann Arbor, they were also able to join the wonderful community of German Park, where they made many friends. Lieselotte was known in the family for her gardening and baking skills. When anyone ever walked into the house, they knew there would be raspberry jam or a cake waiting for them. Lieselotte also spent much of her time babysitting her grandchildren, who would fight over who got the most of Grandma/Oma’s cake.

Lieselotte is survived by her beloved husband of 64 years, Otto; her loving children, Marion (Dennis) Hartman, Barbara Lupi, and Michael (Mechelle) Mahnke; her cherished grandchildren, Lucas Hartman, Kacy (Christopher) Brown, Brooke Lupi, Bailey Lupi, Courtney Lupi, Sabrina Mahnke, and Braeden Mahnke; her great-grandchildren, Stetson and Conrad Brown; and her dear siblings, Kurt and Ursula.

The family will be announcing a Celebration of Life to be held in German Park at a later date. To honor the memory of Lieselotte, please consider a donation to German Park or the Alzheimer's Association. Please visit www.niefuneralhomes.com for more information and updates.

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