Elfriede Metz Nollmann, 92, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend, passed away in the loving circle of family on November 25, in Huntsville, Alabama. Elfriede was preceded in death by her husband, Heinz Nollmann, her parents, Anna and Erhard Metz, and her siblings, Hugo Metz and Mathilde Albert. She is survived by her son, Ed Nollmann and daughter-in-law Betty; daughter, Nancy Waldron and son-in-law Randy; and grandchildren, Alex Nollmann, Jennifer Sapp, Emma Waldron and Maximilian Waldron.
Elfriede was a strong woman, loving and caring, and devoted to her family and friends. The love and generosity she showed others throughout her life were showered upon her in later years, by dear friends and family who called and visited regularly, some, every single day. Elfriede lived alone in her apartment in Yonkers, New York until just two months before her death. She would not have enjoyed that independence if not for those dear friends. When her eyesight finally failed her, Elfriede moved to Huntsville to live with her daughter and son-in-law.
Born in the city of Wuerzburg, Germany, Elfriede grew up in the small village of Langenleiten in the Rhoen region of Franconia. Her father founded a bakery that is still in the family today. Elfriede endured the hardships and sadness of the war years, and in 1951, sought a new life in New York. She worked first as a nanny and then as a waitress for several years. She married Heinz, also a German immigrant from Bochum, in 1953.
Along with her husband, Elfriede was the proprietor of Midland Wines and Liquors from 1979-1991. She was a faithful parishioner of St. Ann’s Catholic Church. She lived in Yonkers from 1959 until 1967, when she moved to Mahopac, New York. She returned to Yonkers in 1979.
Elfriede dedicated a great deal of her time and energy to her grandchildren. When they were young, she often travelled to Florida to visit and care for Alex and Jennifer; and to Virginia, Germany, Korea and Alabama to visit and care for Emma and Max.
In later years, when Elfriede’s daughter Nancy was stationed with the Army in Germany, Elfriede satisfied her urge to travel, visiting at least once a year, and exploring places in Germany and Europe that she had never been able to before. When granddaughter Emma was born in Virginia, Elfriede stayed with the family for 14 months to care for her. Her sense of adventure also led her to Korea, where she traveled for the birth of her grandson Max.
Elfriede loved classical music, opera, and New York City. She loved to drive, and many times drove alone to Florida to visit family, as well as to Syracuse and back in a day, just to spend a few hours with her daughter in college. She enjoyed travelling and experiencing new places, people, and foods. She had a strong sense of family and where she came from, but she embraced the new and the modern as well. She continued to nurture relationships with extended family in Germany.
Elfriede’s friends remember her hospitality, her beautiful garden, her homemade cakes and cookies and German food. She thought of others first – constantly seeking ways to bring them joy. She had a special passion for the elderly. She always was willing to spend time listening to her family and friends who needed honest and wise counsel, or simply a kind and patient ear. She will be held in loving memory always.
A Funeral Mass will be held on December 28 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Huntsville, Alabama. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Yonkers in Spring 2021.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to friendsofkaren.org in Elfriede’s memory.
