Oma’s Story
by Peter and Toni Abresch

Annemarie was born on May 30, 1935, 18 minutes behind her twin sister Elizabeth. Their birth was front page news in the Washington Times newspaper, as their father was Anton Lang Jr., son of Anton Lang, impersonator of Christ in the famous Oberammergau Passion Play in 1900, 1910, 1922, and prolog in 1934 and their mother was Klara Mayr, the famous German folk singer and impersonator of Mary Magdalen in the 1934 Passion Play. Annemarie spoke German with a Bavarian accent before speaking English and reverted to that same German in her last days.

Annemarie grew up in Georgetown, where her father was a professor at Georgetown University. She grew up in tough times on the tail end of the Great Depression while World War II was raging overseas. Annemarie often shared stories of rationing supplies and running through the house to black out lights during the WWII air raid drills. In 1937, the family moved to a townhouse in Huidekoper Place where Elizabeth and Annemarie were joined by three more siblings, sister Roswitha (Dede), her brother Anton, III, and their youngest sister Nada. The family grew up at Huidekoper Place before leaving the home as adults.

Annemarie was working as a nurse when she met her future husband, Peter Abresch, at the Catholic young adult club at Holy Trinity in Washington, DC. They were married in 1960 and then, in 1962, they gave birth to twins, Peter, Jr. and Joseph. Marc was born in 1964, followed by Chris in 1966 and Stefan in 1967. At this point, Pete and Annemarie realized that a daughter was not in the cards!

In 1965 the family moved to the old Belt Farm on Broome’s Island, an isolated farm where the nearest neighbors were only reachable by boat. Even so, the Abresch family joined St. John Vianney Church in Prince Frederick, when Father Naughton was the parish priest. Annemarie ensured that her sons attended mass every week. Annemarie and Pete remained active members of St. John Vianney throughout their lives, until their passing.

There was never a doubt that Annemarie was the Matriarch of the Abresch family. As Pete was often away traveling, Annemarie was in charge of the household. She was devoted to raising her sons and teaching them independence. She taught her sons to be self-sufficient and self-reliant while living at the isolated Belt Farm, accompanied by her 3-4 Irish Wolfhounds that would more likely lick an intruder to death than tear them apart. The sons knew how to pour a bowl of cereal, make a sandwich, sort and do laundry, and cook meals at an early age.Annemarie mentored her sons during the school year and made sure all homework and chores were completed before any rest and relaxation. And in the summer, the boys had the run of the farm. The boys talk about living on the farm, a favorite place for them. They swam, picked berries, and explored the barns and fields. Sometimes, the berries would make it back to Annemarie, and she would make jellies and jams. She enjoyed growing vegetables too, learning to can and make pickles.

In the early 1970’s, Annemarie collected enough Kool Cigarette cartons (no small feat as she did not smoke) to send into Kool Tobacco Company for a 13-foot, Styrofoam, lateen rigged, Sea Snark sailboat weighing in at a mere 50 pounds. It was this small boat that ignited Pete’s and the boys desire to sail and explore the many tributaries along the Chesapeake Bay. Annemarie supported the various boat building projects that followed over the years and often sailed with Pete.

Eventually, Pete and Annemarie bought a parcel of land in a quaint community known as Harbor Hills, along Long Cove, off Battle Creek. There, with the help of their 5 sons, friends, and anyone that appeared bored, the family built their dream home known as “Shadow” (after the hymn “Only A Shadow”), completing it in 1980. It was a three-year build, from clearing the land by hand, to completing the house to be able to be occupied. They continued to work on the house through the years until moving back to Prince Frederick in 2002. Annemarie loved the property in Harbor Hills, she loved the water and would often go canoeing or lay out in the sun on the floating dock built for her by her sons Marc and Chris. She loved the outdoors, sitting out on the point, overlooking the water, and taking walks through the woods and down to the community dock.

Annemarie dedicated her life to raising her young sons until they became self-sufficient. As her sons grew older, Annemarie took a job as a school bus driver and as the sons hit their mid teenage years, Annemarie went back to work with the Federal Government Census Bureau where she retired in 1995. Annemarie and Pete then purchased a small camper and spent a year traveling the United States. She returned home and began volunteering for various Christian and charitable organizations.

When Annemarie and Pete’s sons married, she welcomed her daughters-in-law with open arms and loved them as if they were her own daughters. She was not your typical mother-in-law. Each of her "daughters" will tell you that Annemarie, or “Oma” as she is fondly called, has been a great friend and second mother to them through the years. She was wise, and kind. And loved to have a good time and share a laugh! Eventually, as grandchildren came along, she was excited with each one and loved them all, sharing with them her sense of humor and love for adventure.

Annemarie also passed on her German heritage to her family, teaching them to make gingerbread houses, and sharing memories of her family and stories of the life and culture. And recipes! She loved to cook, always bringing some new dish to try out with the family on holidays or at summer gatherings. Some were simple, like peanut butter bars that tasted better than Reeses! Some were more exotic, like her Chicken Pacifica. And some were traditional, like her infamous German Potato Salad. We all compete to try to make it just like hers! (So far, Stefan’s was the best!) Her pickles and jellies that she learned to make all those years back on the Old Belt Farm were always a tasty treat. If you find an old St. John Vianney, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Northern Virginia Women's Club, or Cursillo cookbook, you will likely find in it a recipe of Annemarie's.

Annemarie shared her love of good food with her friends too. She and Pete became a part of a
“traveling” dinner group of friends who met at each other’s houses once a month. The host planned a theme and sometimes picked the recipes, and everyone brought a dish. This was right up Annemarie’s alley. She also enjoyed fine dining, and over a period of 20 or more years, she was a member of a group which fondly referred to itself as the "Dinner Bunch." The group met monthly, picking a different restaurant each month in the DC, Virginia, Maryland area to have dinner. Annemarie enjoyed critiquing the restaurant and the food. They often joked that she should have been a food critic. Who knows, perhaps she secretly was!

Annemarie loved traveling. She loved the beach and made it a point to always join the family during beach vacations at Ocean City, Bethany Beach, and for the last 28 years, the Outer Banks. Annemarie was the first on the beach and the last off the beach. She would stake the claim for the family on the beach to ensure everyone had a spot and that the kids had room to play. She monitored the grandkids playing and could pounce at a moment’s notice if a rogue wave found it’s way too close to one of them.

Over the years, Annemarie visited many places. She joined the Northern Virginia Women's group with her sister Elizabeth and went on countless trips. Annemarie also shared her love of travel with her "daughters" and granddaughters, inviting them along to travel with her. There were many trips with "just the girls,” to the mountains, horseback riding, and visiting caverns, the ocean, Disney World, and many historical places. Yes, there are a lot of fond memories of these trips with Oma through the years.

In retirement, Annemarie and Pete traveled and camped across the country and traveled to Europe many times. She and Pete, and sometimes other family members, frequently returned to Oberammergau, Germany, where her parents were born and grew up. On many of these trips, she attended the world-famous Passion Play that was held every 10 years. Though they traveled many other places, such as Alaska, Jerusalem, Turkey, Ireland, and various Caribbean Islands, Annemarie often remarked that Bavaria was the most beautiful. Annemarie considered herself a daughter of Oberammergau, the small passion play village where her parents were from.

Throughout her life, Annemarie remained very faithful, serving her community through her Church and the Cursillo Movement of the Archdiocese of Washington. She supported her husband Pete when he began the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. John Vianney, joining the team and sponsoring many candidates as they joined the Church. She was a member of the Ladies Guild, served as the Secretary of the Parish Council, and volunteered in the office each week, counting the collection. In the community, she volunteered for the Crisis Pregnancy Center, helping young mothers-to-be. She also traveled on a mission trip to help repair homes in Mississippi! After making her Cursillo weekend in the late seventies, Annemarie became an active member of the movement, serving on committees, on the Secretariat and eventually coordinating a Cursillo weekend. Annemarie embraced the Cursillo way of life, joyfully sharing her faith with her family, friends, and anyone she met. Cursillo has a saying, “Make a friend, be a friend, and bring a friend to Christ.” This came natural for Annemarie. She was a welcoming figure wherever she went, whether it was at Church, or in the community, at a family gathering, on a trip, or even bowling! (Yes, she loved bowling too and bowled on a league for many years!) Whenever or wherever you happened to run into Annemarie, you could count on a big hug, a smile, and maybe a joke or two! She was kind and witty, and a bright light to us all.

Annemarie’s light continues to shine; kindness and humor are her legacy. She is and will always be the beloved matriarch of the family of 5 sons and their families. She embraced her sons’ wives as these were the daughters that she never had. She greatly loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren, passing on her wisdom and great love for adventure. Annemarie lived a joy-filled life based in her faith, she was a dedicated mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend to many. Annemarie follows her parents, Anton and Klara Lang, her husband Pete, and son Stefan into the next phase where peace and happiness abound. She is greatly loved and missed by us all.

I wanted to come up here to pay tribute to you today Mom. Where do I begin Mom? It's been so great being a part of your family. You touched our hearts in so many ways! You raised 5 boys into respectable loving men. Each of your sons have a little of you in them. Sometimes a little mischievous, sometimes a little stern. Your sense of humor can be found in each of them. We were privileged to have you for our Mom, Oma, Great Oma, Sister, Aunt & Friend. You may not have given birth to us, but you had 4 daughters that loved you and appreciated how you accepted us with open arms. We always felt your love. You embraced us with such strong loving hugs! I'm sure that's how you greeted Dad,Stefan, and all your family & friends in Heaven! God Bless you Mom! Heaven has a beautiful Angel to watch over all of us! We love you! As you would say, muah!