Meredith’s Obituary Mayr, Meredith (Rusty) July 19, 1935 – January 25, 2019 ‘Rusty’ to her friends and family because of her beautiful rusty-colored hair in her earlier years, Meredith was born in San Jose, CA in 1935 to Ira Howland Nistle and Jennie Frances (Stillman) Nistle, and passed from this life into the loving arms of Jesus her Savior on the morning of January 25, 2019 at the age of 83. Good friend to many throughout her life, Meredith went to work while a teen as a telephone operator in the ‘number please’ days, and then as an insurance clerk as a young adult in California. She was a Coast Guard officer’s wife for 25 years, and gave birth to both of her children at the Naval Station hospital in Kodiak, Alaska.
She regretted not finishing high school and acquired her GED while raising her 2 young children. She was also a successful ‘Avon lady’ in Redford Township (outside of Detroit) and a Girl Scout leader in Staten Island, NY in the 60’s. In the early 70’s she wielded hammer, saw and drill to help to build the family retirement home in Interlochen, MI, and worked for a number of years in Accounts Receivable at the Interlochen Arts Academy and National Music Camp.
She especially loved camping, gardening, animals and nature. She found great fulfillment in worshipping God in choirs and as church treasurer at Lutheran churches she attended while living in Chicago and later, near Traverse City, MI. Meredith was a skilled seamstress, and created her own business in the 80’s, sewing (including wedding and bridesmaid dresses) and mending for very satisfied clientele.
In the 90’s she reinvented herself again, and landed a job as a sales clerk at H.C. Prange Co. (an upscale department store) in Cherryland Center in Traverse City, MI. When Prange’s was bought by Younkers in 1992, she continued on as a valued employee with the company until her celebrated retirement and subsequent move to WA, to be near her family in 2005. Meredith was preceded in death by her son, Frank Mayr (MI), her brother, Robert Nestle (CA), her sister, Shirley Cline (WA) and nephew Scott Cline (WA).
She leaves behind her daughter, Karen Yanklowitz (WA), two grandchildren, Katherine Chan (AZ) and David Coss (WA), as well as a great-granddaughter, Eden Chan (AZ) and nephews and nieces, Richard, John, Janice, Evelyn and Paul. Over the past 5 years, Meredith has resided in Tacoma Lutheran Home’s Alpine Wing (Alzheimer’s Unit) under the watchful and compassionate care of the wonderful staff there, with the added comforting care of Franciscan Hospice during her final weeks of life. The family would also like to give special thanks to Sharon Johnson of Sunrise Guardianship Services for her excellence in loving and dedicated guardianship of Rusty.
The family will remember Meredith privately in lieu of a memorial service.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
