Hanni Zimmermann Braun passed away on February 7, 2019, surrounded by loving family members and comforted by the thoughts and prayers of many other beloved family and friends further away. A celebration of her life will be held on Sunday at 3 pm at Advent Lutheran Church in Charlotte, with a reception to follow. Hanni was born on September 25, 1929 in Durlach, Germany, the second daughter of Philip and Emma Zimmermann.
As a young teenager, her life was disrupted by relocation to escape the frequent wartime bombings around Durlach. When the war ended, she was back at home, where her parents’ employment with a large household then occupied by American soldiers gave her the opportunity to learn English. From her mother, Hanni had learned to be an excellent cook, seamstress, and household manager by the age of 18.
Her skills in these areas (and as a ballroom dancer) caught the attention of a dashing young German veteran, Heinz Braun, and they were married in 1947. A lovely daughter, Heidi, was born in 1950, and three years later, the family took the opportunity to emigrate to America, where their oldest son Harry was born in 1953. Hanni quickly acclimated to life as an American citizen, but thankfully for all of those who were fortunate to know her as a mother or friend, she shared her excellent cooking of traditional German dishes and sweets; superb household management; love for outdoor activities such as skiing, swimming, and camping; and absolute wizardry with a sewing machine.
Her family continued to grow while she and Heinz moved with IBM through Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Two more sons, Heinz and Hanns, were born in the sixties. IBM brought the family first to Cary and finally to the Charlotte area in the seventies.
Heinz and Hanni became part of the Advent Lutheran Church family in the 1990s. Hanni was a loving and caring mother, which was always her primary occupation. When the children were older, she had several interesting jobs outside the home, spending many years as a swim instructor for the Y and for community pools.
Even in later years, already a grandmother, she enjoyed a second career as a substitute teacher with CMS, primarily at East Mecklenburg and Independence High Schools. In her final years she was blessed in being cared for by her youngest son Hanns and his wife, Mary, in their home. Her family will always remember the German Christmas cookies and gingerbread houses, her dumplings and spätzle, her beautiful crafts and sewing gifts, but most of all her love for them.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Heinz, and one granddaughter, Aprille. She is survived by her sister Traudel Vath of Frankfurt and brother Horst of Mockmühl, Germany. She will be missed by her four children, Heidi Braun of Charlotte; Harry Braun (wife Amy) of Matthews; Heinz Braun (wife Patti) of Little Rock, AR; and Hanns (wife Mary) of Charlotte.
Also honoring her life as the best “Oma” ever are eight grandchildren (Andrew, Alan, Harrison, Patricia, Stephen, Lindsay, April and Samantha) and eleven great-grandchildren. Memorials to honor the memory of Hanni can be made to Advent Lutheran Church of Charlotte, NC. Arrangements are in the care of Lowe-Neddo Funeral Home of Mint Hill, NC.
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