Nancy Essenberg

Nancyanne Essenberg's life story is a testimony to the impact she had on the lives of the people around her. As a daughter, a sister, a mother, a wife, and a friend, she showed immeasurable love and dedication to those she loved. Whether she was teaching her children the lesson that can be learned from making stone soup or handing down discipline, she did it all with a spirit of love and playfulness. From the wonder she felt when she saw all the colors of the trees to the feeling she got when she was able to share her reverence of nature with her children, she saw such beauty in the world around her and allowed that beauty to reflect in her life and soul. In the year 1931, the idea of having more children was a distant thought in the minds of most American families. The financial ruin of 1929 was still very fresh, in both minds and pocketbooks, as the depression era left few families unaffected. Burdett and Louella (Pankow) Warren were no exception to this. Not only were they living in the depression era, but they had three children already, and most of them were half-grown if not older. Nevertheless, sometimes it is not up to us, but rather nature, to decide when we are done having children, and nature decided that the Pankow family was not yet complete. On July 27, 1931, the couple's fourth child was born, a daughter named Nancyanne. Although the age difference between Nancy and her three siblings, Lila, Maxine, and Bud, was significant, there was an instant bond between them and their new baby sister. Nancy's father, a violin maker, passed away when she was just four years old, leaving her brother Bud to be the man of the house. Bud not only referred to Nancy by her father's pet name for her, "Nancyanne Warren, Fiddlesticks Jane," but he also perpetuated the love that her father had for her. As the sole provider for the family, Nancy's mother worked long hours at the Amazon factory and later at E.H. Sheldon. Living at 1464 Winter St. in East Muskegon, her mother did such a good job keeping the family clothed and fed that the old adage, "we didn't know we were poor until the neighbors told us," rang true. Nancy's mother may have been the traditional German matriarch, stern and strict, but the relationship between mother and daughter remained warm and loving. When she was born, Nancy's right arm was less than fully formed and she was left with only the remnants of fingers and a bit more of a thumb. With the exception of wanting to disguise it on occasion, she was not affected emotionally and it never even occurred to her that she was disabled. She could still play both the violin and the piano, albeit not very well, and would happily play Lara's Theme, "Somewhere My Love," from the movie, Dr. Zhivago, for anyone who wanted to listen. Due to her disability, Nancy would have been eligible to get her schooling paid for, but, again, she never considered herself disabled. So, in the summer of 1949, after graduating from Muskegon High School, Nancy began paying her way for secretarial school through Muskegon Jr. College. While at her locker one day in 1950, her eyes locked with the eyes of Marvin Essenberg, who was sitting in biology class. As Marv put it, "Our eyes met through the window and that was it." After a two-year courtship, Nancy and Marv were joined in marriage on October 4, 1952 in a ceremony held at Trinity Lutheran Church. On Nancy's 20th birthday the year before their wedding, the couple began building their first and only home at 185 Oak St. in Fruitport. When they first moved in, the house consisted of only a kitchen, bathroom, and utility room, but as children started to arrive, the couple added a second floor and began filling it with bedrooms. Nancy and Marv's first child, a son named Eric, arrived exactly ten months after their wedding. Nancy left her job in the office at E.H. Sheldon to focus on her new baby and eventually four more children. Marvin Craig, or Craig as he was called, was born in 1955, Marci in 1956, Melissa in 1957, and Laura in 1960. All in all, there were fifteen children between just three houses on Oak Street and while the kids played out in the yards, the moms enjoyed their coffee clutch. Nancy always made it her job to provide a fun-filled life for the kids. Nancy had a real passion for nature and made sure to share as much of it as she could with her children. In the summers there were trips to the beach, picnic outings, and nature walks in the woods, while in the winter it was days of sledding or ice skating. If ever they complained of being bored she would tell them, "Life is as much fun as you make it." If they couldn't find their own fun, she would hand them a saltshaker and tell them to shake it on a robin's tail to keep it from flying. It might not have been true, but it sure kept them busy. And at the end of the day, the kids would wash their hands in the bucket of ivory soap Nancy had left outside the door for them and come inside for some of mom's home cooking. Fortunately, her cooking had improved from the early days of her marriage and a fairly awful meatloaf that still sticks in Marv's memory. Once all of her kids were in school, Nancy returned to work as a bookkeeper. Eventually she became an office manager at Manpower in Muskegon, and for whom she opened new offices for them in Grand Haven and Holland. Her career, however, never took away from the job she had as a mother. Whenever one of the kids became involved in an activity either in school or out, Nancy became involved as a parent. She was in the PTA, a Cub Scout and Brownie leader, and even coached the girls' softball teams, more because she had a loud voice than for her athletic ability. Her voice may have been loud, but it wasn't her weapon of choice for disciplining the children. If they were fighting with one another, she made them sit on the couch and hold hands until they could say, "I love you" to one another and hug. Vacations were always a memorable time for Nancy and her family. Every summer they went on a trip, sometimes to places nearby like the many state parks located across western Michigan, and other times to places farther away like Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. The trip to the Gettysburg battlefields was especially memorable where they found a monument dedicated to the Michigan Battalion that counted Nancy's grandfather as a member. Another favorite memory was watching the moon landing while at camping at Silver Lake State Park. Nancy liked to go camping and when the children were younger, they always made a pot of "Stone Soup." As in the famous story by that name, one of Nancy's guiding principles was that everyone had something to contribute. Even as Nancy got older and the kids moved on, camping was still something that she enjoyed. She and Marv had a trailer permanently hooked up at White River Campground and spent most every weekend there, where they also made many friends. In 2001, Nancy's life was forever changed when her son Craig passed away from cancer of the brain. Even after the kids moved out of the house, the family was still very close and had always gotten together for Sunday dinners. With Craig's death the family changed and Nancy was never the same. The stress, worry, and overwhelming sadness, took a toll on her life. She'd had significant health problems for over 15 years, and had even "died twice on the table," but had always managed to rally back and resume her normal activities. With Craig's death, the journey of this life became much more difficult for her. But Nancy has left her family with a wonderful gift to take on their own life's journeys - no matter where the road takes you, see the Beauty in All. Mrs. Nancyanne Essenberg, age 74, died Sunday, April 30, 2006. She was born Nancyanne Warren on July 27, 1931 to Burdett & Louella (Pankow) Warren. She graduated from Muskegon High School attended Muskegon Junior College. She was married to Marvin W. Essenberg on October 4, 1952. Together they had 5 children, 2 sons & 3 daughters. She was a loving wife & devoted mother. She was the manager for Manpower, Inc. in Muskegon & opened the offices in Grand Haven & Holland. She volunteered her time for Adult Literacy in Muskegon & the Hackley Cancer Center. She was active in Fruitport as an election official & as Secretary of the Library Board. She & her husband were elected this year, 2006, as the King & Queen of Fruitport Old Fashioned Days. Together they attended Fruitport Congregational United Church of Christ. SURVIVORS Husband, Marvin; 1 son Eric of Muskegon; 3 daughters, Marcy (Jon) Tiles of Nunica, Melissa (Fred) Featherly of Spring Lake, & Laura (Jim) Virga of Grand Haven; & Daughter-in-law Judy Essenberg of Grand Rapids; grandchildren, Patrick, Sheila, Nicole, Taylor-Anne, Jason, Paige, Heather & great-grandson, Jarred Jon; many nephews & nieces. She was preceded in death by son, Marvin Craig; sisters, Lila Venne, Maxine Johnson, & brother, Bud Warren. MEMORIAL SERVICE Wednesday, May 3, 2006, 12:00 p.m. at Fruitport Congregational United Church of Christ with Pastor Don Wood officiating. VISITATION: Wednesday, May 3, 2006 one hour prior at the Church. MEMORIAL: Hackley Cancer Center.