Brunhilde Maria Atkinson

Brunhilde (Hilde) Maria Atkinson Fenton, MI – Once won a twist contest at 91, but she had her last twist on this earth on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at 97 years old, but that wasn’t even the half of it… Hilde passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by family. Memorial Services will be held 12PM Saturday, January 14, 2023, at Dryer Funeral Home, 101 First St., Holly, MI 48442; Father David Harvey officiating. The family will receive visitors 10AM – 12PM Saturday, January 14, 2023, at Dryer Funeral Home. Picture a 97-year-old, now scratch that and picture an energetic 30-year-old. That’s more like it. She’s been called an energizer bunny, an icon, a role model and who every single person who met her aspired to be. She befriended every single person she encountered. Doctors loved her, mailmen adored her, and neighbors wanted to be around her. She was nothing short of a charmer and someone you wanted to be around. Her energy, love for life and others was contagious. She was born on April 25, 1925, in Munich Germany and lived there into her twenties when she migrated to the United States through Ellis Island. She was very proud of her German/Bavarian heritage and passed along many of her customs to her family. Through the likes of baking German goodies, stubbornness, cleanliness, amazing work ethic and strength. If you have had the pleasure of shaking her hand you would walk away saying ouch and dang how old was that woman? She scared, amazed, and astonished her family by many of things she did. Some of them included moving a TV up two flights of stairs at 94, because she didn’t want to bother anyone, taking apart and putting back together her air conditioner because it needed a good cleaning and then bragging that she had the cleanest AC unit around town and cooking her family Christmas dinner just two weeks before she passed. She never ever stopped until the very end. The list goes on, but most importantly she loved her people fiercely and could run circles around every single one of them. If you asked her how she did it, she’d tell you it was due to the shot of rum she put in her tea every day at lunch, but really it was due to her loving spirit that will live on in all of us forever. She is survived by her daughters, Hilda Crawford and Barb Atkinson; grandchildren, Martin Alvarado, Allyssa (Tom) Holloway, Heather (Philip) Darby, Matt (Michelle) Wareham, Karen Cannoy, Jason Wareham, Brandon Wareham, Debbie Littleton and Krista (Johnny) Szafranski; great-grandchildren, Amanda (Andy) Lytle, Kayla Cannoy, Tyler Cannoy, Hailee Cannoy, Nova Cannoy, Calvin Szafranski, Grayson Szafranski, Megan Littleton, Josh (Kayla) Badgerow, Justin and Alex Wareham and several great-great grandchildren. Hilde was preceded in death by her parents, Leopold, and Maria; sisters, Frieda, and Annelies; brother, Siegfried; husband, Martin and daughter Brigitte Rapson.

Brunhilde Maria Atkinson

April 25, 1925 - January 7, 2023