Greta Maria Breyer, age 77, formerly of Stephenson, Michigan, currently of Ada, Michigan and Sun City, Arizona; passed away on May 27, 2012 at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan after a short bout with pneumonia.
She was born to John Anselm Hyypio and Olga Maria (Peterson) Hyypio on 29th of July, 1934 in Tapiola, Michigan in their home on the western shore of Otter Lake. Her father preceded her in death in July 1968 and her mother in October 1973. Her early childhood was constrained by her confinement to the hospital in Marquette with a congenital disorder that affected her hip. As a result, she didn't speak the Finnish language like the rest of her family due to the lack of exposure to her family members until age 2.
She graduated from the John A. Doelle School in Tapiola in 1952. It was there where she met her husband, Mister Breyer, the 1st year teacher of agriculture, general science, and industrial arts at the school. Their courtship began as he escorted her to the Chassell Strawberry Festival for the Queen competition on June 27th, 1952. He persuaded her to forego a job hunt in Detroit by convincing his superintendent to hire Greta for a secretarial position at Houghton High School. Following a 365-day courtship, Greta Maria Hyypio and Richard Armin Breyer were married on June 27th 1953 in the Apostolic Lutheran Church in Hancock, Michigan. (Saturday June 27th would become the day that her daughter Patti was married 28 years later and then daughter Jessica was married on June 27th exactly 40 years later – to a man whose parents were also married on June 27th.)
Soon after their wedding, Richard fulfilled his deferred obligation to the draft board, and entered into the Army in October 1953 for basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. Meanwhile, she stayed with her older sister in suburban Detroit. Following basic training they were rejoined and headed west as he was deployed in Army Engineering Intelligence, being stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington and Ft. Ord and Ft. Hunter Liggett in central California. She kept homes in Olympia Washington and in King City and Seaside California and also kept busy by making draperies and decorating for others while her husband served his active duty in the Army. She painted and wallpapered the apartment she lived in. In March 1955 her first child Daniel was born at the base hospital at Ft. Ord. After Richard's service ended in October 1955, the three returned to Michigan's Copper Country and made a home on the Tapiola Road about a mile north of the Doelle school, where he resumed his teaching career.
There they lived for the next eleven years, where she raised five of her infant children and they also fostered two young girls in need of full time parents before they were adopted out to another family. She became a 4-H sewing teacher (29 yrs) and participated in the upbringing of an even greater circle of young girls. She also led the youth choir and organized Christmas pageants at the Our Savior's Lutheran church in Elo Michigan.
In 1966, her husband retired from teaching and accepted a new job in the Extension Service which led them to relocate the family 26 miles to L'Anse. They quickly had a new home built at 25 Tuttle Avenue. They moved for the start of school in 1967 and their youngest daughter was born while they lived there. Greta became the catalyst for the neighborhood coffee club and transformed the neighborhood into an extended family of good friends that hadn't existed prior. Her ground rule for the club was that there could be no discussion about persons that weren't in attendance. That coffee clatch lasted for 18 years, even after she left after six years of living in L'Anse.
In 1973, they relocated to Menominee County for Richard's work and took residence at N113 Section Street in Stephenson. There she accelerated her activity as a 4-H sewing leader while running a child day-care service in her home. She also worked to remodel their home and demonstrated adept wall-papering, wood finishing, and painting skills that later earned her other decorating and finishing jobs in the neighborhood. She was also active in St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, leading and serving in the women's groups. In 1977 she ran (unsuccessfully) for a position on the local school board. All six of her children and three of her exchange student children graduated from Stephenson High School between 1974 and 1987.
Following his retirement in 1990, she and her husband began spending winters in Sun City where they were both active in various clubs. She was a harmonica player in the Sun City Harmonicaires – often playing 3 gigs a week for the benefit of senior citizens. With the ensemble, she was a featured soloist, donning costumes while singing Suzy Snowflake, Buttons & Bows, or The Happy Wanderer. She also volunteered weekly at the Friendship Center and Senior Citizen Center and supported Richard's club activities by volunteering to sell the wares that were crafted by the silverstones, the lapidarists, and the wood workers.
Her hobbies included helping others, gardening, canning, cooking, couponing, crosswords, cleaning, refunding, singing, sewing and traveling. She travelled to Europe five times and also accompanied her husband on many domestic extension trips – two of which they traveled with the kids. She loved being a mother.
On an extension trip to Atlanta for a county agent's convention, she was late in making her way through the corridors of the convention center when she cut the corner and abruptly collided with a soft-spoken gentleman who had just given the welcome address to the delegates of the convention. The two of them spent some moments exchanging apologies for the collision and confirming that each other were not hurt. It turned out that he was the current Governor of Georgia who was making his way out of the convention hall. It wasn't such a significant meeting at that time in 1972, but when the peanut farmer-turned-governor emerged in 1976 as the 39th President of the United States, James Earl Carter was already a familiar personality to Greta.
Other famous people she has met (through Richard's associations) include many of the Governors of Michigan including G. Mennen Williams, George Romney, and John Engler. She attended the wedding of the daughter of lawyer F. Lee Bailey. She also acquired a personal signature in her paperback copy of Anatomy of a Murder from the author John Voelker (aka Robert Traver) when he was chumming around with her husband who was guiding personal mushroom hunts for the judge and author.
She was cherished as a mother by her children. She would read books to the family whenever there was a long car trip. She was remarkable in her spring and fall cleaning acumen – setting a standard for others to admire. Her leadership in 4-H clubs touched the lives of hundreds of youth between Tapiola, L'Anse, and Stephenson over 29 years of teaching.
Her home and beds were always open to the travelers and new arrivals to the area. She and her family took in fivr foreign exchange students during their life in Stephenson – Jorma Neuvonen from Finland, Amnon Michaeli from Israel, Britta Mueller from Germany, Pigio Pirani from Italy and Artur Hejdysz from Poland. She and her husband served as Matron of Honor and Best Man at Pigio's wedding in Italy in 1993.
During her life she has been a member of Apostolic Lutheran in Tapiola, Michigan; Our Saviour's Lutheran in Elo, Michigan; St. Johns (later United Lutheran) in L'Anse, Michigan; and St. Stephen's Lutheran in Stephenson, Michigan. In her later years, she was a member of Trinity Lutheran in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Peace Lutheran in Peoria, Arizona. She became a Sunday School teacher following her Holy Confirmation at age 15 and continued serving the Lord's children as needed for 55 years. She was very active in Christian Women's Club since 1976. She hosted bible study groups back then that are still meeting regularly today. She has a very strong faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
She is survived by six children – Daniel of Ada, Michigan; Patricia (William) Patton of Saranac, Michigan; Timothy (Dorothy) of Dover, Delaware; Jerome (Sally) of Gilbert, Arizona; Christopher (Gabriela) of Foothill Ranch, California; and Jessica (Roger) Marks of Ada, Michigan; two brothers, Karl (Evelyn) Hyypio of Weston, Wisconsin; and Paul (Chris) Hyypio of Tapiola, Michigan; two sisters, Rachel Grapentine of Utica, Michigan; Ida (Stanley) Michaelson of Tapiola, Michigan; two brothers-in-law – Glen (Virginia) of Birnamwood, Wisconsin; and William (Carol) of Appleton, Wisconsin; and two sisters-in-law, Rosemary (Jim) Toby of Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Helen Breyer of Antigo, Wisconsin; 11 grandchildren – John (Tiffany) Patton, Andrew, Benjamin, and Samuel Patton; Rachel and Hannah Breyer; Ian, Bianca, and Armin Breyer; and Tobias and Marilla Marks; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and a host of neighbors and friends.
Her dear Richard departed her on June 1st 2009 after a challenging 6-year battle with bone marrow cancer. He was a remarkable husband who would cook for the family whenever Greta was otherwise busy teaching 4-H seamstresses. As a couple they were an outstanding example of role-modeled leadership and character. She intensively cared for him at home during his last 5 years following his diagnosis – preparing him fresh fruit and vegetable cocktails each morning, and praying with him each bedtime. She kissed him on the forehead that night in the preceding moment that their heavenly Father welcomed Richard into eternal life almost 3 years earlier. She has since missed him dearly and longs to meet him, as well as Him, in heaven.
(The Children of Greta Maria Breyer. "Greta Maria Breyer Memorial Obituary",Legacy.com Memorial Websites.http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/gretabreyer/homepage.aspx, 28 May, 2012. 29 May, 2012)
She was born to John Anselm Hyypio and Olga Maria (Peterson) Hyypio on 29th of July, 1934 in Tapiola, Michigan in their home on the western shore of Otter Lake. Her father preceded her in death in July 1968 and her mother in October 1973. Her early childhood was constrained by her confinement to the hospital in Marquette with a congenital disorder that affected her hip. As a result, she didn't speak the Finnish language like the rest of her family due to the lack of exposure to her family members until age 2.
She graduated from the John A. Doelle School in Tapiola in 1952. It was there where she met her husband, Mister Breyer, the 1st year teacher of agriculture, general science, and industrial arts at the school. Their courtship began as he escorted her to the Chassell Strawberry Festival for the Queen competition on June 27th, 1952. He persuaded her to forego a job hunt in Detroit by convincing his superintendent to hire Greta for a secretarial position at Houghton High School. Following a 365-day courtship, Greta Maria Hyypio and Richard Armin Breyer were married on June 27th 1953 in the Apostolic Lutheran Church in Hancock, Michigan. (Saturday June 27th would become the day that her daughter Patti was married 28 years later and then daughter Jessica was married on June 27th exactly 40 years later – to a man whose parents were also married on June 27th.)
Soon after their wedding, Richard fulfilled his deferred obligation to the draft board, and entered into the Army in October 1953 for basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. Meanwhile, she stayed with her older sister in suburban Detroit. Following basic training they were rejoined and headed west as he was deployed in Army Engineering Intelligence, being stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington and Ft. Ord and Ft. Hunter Liggett in central California. She kept homes in Olympia Washington and in King City and Seaside California and also kept busy by making draperies and decorating for others while her husband served his active duty in the Army. She painted and wallpapered the apartment she lived in. In March 1955 her first child Daniel was born at the base hospital at Ft. Ord. After Richard's service ended in October 1955, the three returned to Michigan's Copper Country and made a home on the Tapiola Road about a mile north of the Doelle school, where he resumed his teaching career.
There they lived for the next eleven years, where she raised five of her infant children and they also fostered two young girls in need of full time parents before they were adopted out to another family. She became a 4-H sewing teacher (29 yrs) and participated in the upbringing of an even greater circle of young girls. She also led the youth choir and organized Christmas pageants at the Our Savior's Lutheran church in Elo Michigan.
In 1966, her husband retired from teaching and accepted a new job in the Extension Service which led them to relocate the family 26 miles to L'Anse. They quickly had a new home built at 25 Tuttle Avenue. They moved for the start of school in 1967 and their youngest daughter was born while they lived there. Greta became the catalyst for the neighborhood coffee club and transformed the neighborhood into an extended family of good friends that hadn't existed prior. Her ground rule for the club was that there could be no discussion about persons that weren't in attendance. That coffee clatch lasted for 18 years, even after she left after six years of living in L'Anse.
In 1973, they relocated to Menominee County for Richard's work and took residence at N113 Section Street in Stephenson. There she accelerated her activity as a 4-H sewing leader while running a child day-care service in her home. She also worked to remodel their home and demonstrated adept wall-papering, wood finishing, and painting skills that later earned her other decorating and finishing jobs in the neighborhood. She was also active in St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, leading and serving in the women's groups. In 1977 she ran (unsuccessfully) for a position on the local school board. All six of her children and three of her exchange student children graduated from Stephenson High School between 1974 and 1987.
Following his retirement in 1990, she and her husband began spending winters in Sun City where they were both active in various clubs. She was a harmonica player in the Sun City Harmonicaires – often playing 3 gigs a week for the benefit of senior citizens. With the ensemble, she was a featured soloist, donning costumes while singing Suzy Snowflake, Buttons & Bows, or The Happy Wanderer. She also volunteered weekly at the Friendship Center and Senior Citizen Center and supported Richard's club activities by volunteering to sell the wares that were crafted by the silverstones, the lapidarists, and the wood workers.
Her hobbies included helping others, gardening, canning, cooking, couponing, crosswords, cleaning, refunding, singing, sewing and traveling. She travelled to Europe five times and also accompanied her husband on many domestic extension trips – two of which they traveled with the kids. She loved being a mother.
On an extension trip to Atlanta for a county agent's convention, she was late in making her way through the corridors of the convention center when she cut the corner and abruptly collided with a soft-spoken gentleman who had just given the welcome address to the delegates of the convention. The two of them spent some moments exchanging apologies for the collision and confirming that each other were not hurt. It turned out that he was the current Governor of Georgia who was making his way out of the convention hall. It wasn't such a significant meeting at that time in 1972, but when the peanut farmer-turned-governor emerged in 1976 as the 39th President of the United States, James Earl Carter was already a familiar personality to Greta.
Other famous people she has met (through Richard's associations) include many of the Governors of Michigan including G. Mennen Williams, George Romney, and John Engler. She attended the wedding of the daughter of lawyer F. Lee Bailey. She also acquired a personal signature in her paperback copy of Anatomy of a Murder from the author John Voelker (aka Robert Traver) when he was chumming around with her husband who was guiding personal mushroom hunts for the judge and author.
She was cherished as a mother by her children. She would read books to the family whenever there was a long car trip. She was remarkable in her spring and fall cleaning acumen – setting a standard for others to admire. Her leadership in 4-H clubs touched the lives of hundreds of youth between Tapiola, L'Anse, and Stephenson over 29 years of teaching.
Her home and beds were always open to the travelers and new arrivals to the area. She and her family took in fivr foreign exchange students during their life in Stephenson – Jorma Neuvonen from Finland, Amnon Michaeli from Israel, Britta Mueller from Germany, Pigio Pirani from Italy and Artur Hejdysz from Poland. She and her husband served as Matron of Honor and Best Man at Pigio's wedding in Italy in 1993.
During her life she has been a member of Apostolic Lutheran in Tapiola, Michigan; Our Saviour's Lutheran in Elo, Michigan; St. Johns (later United Lutheran) in L'Anse, Michigan; and St. Stephen's Lutheran in Stephenson, Michigan. In her later years, she was a member of Trinity Lutheran in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Peace Lutheran in Peoria, Arizona. She became a Sunday School teacher following her Holy Confirmation at age 15 and continued serving the Lord's children as needed for 55 years. She was very active in Christian Women's Club since 1976. She hosted bible study groups back then that are still meeting regularly today. She has a very strong faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
She is survived by six children – Daniel of Ada, Michigan; Patricia (William) Patton of Saranac, Michigan; Timothy (Dorothy) of Dover, Delaware; Jerome (Sally) of Gilbert, Arizona; Christopher (Gabriela) of Foothill Ranch, California; and Jessica (Roger) Marks of Ada, Michigan; two brothers, Karl (Evelyn) Hyypio of Weston, Wisconsin; and Paul (Chris) Hyypio of Tapiola, Michigan; two sisters, Rachel Grapentine of Utica, Michigan; Ida (Stanley) Michaelson of Tapiola, Michigan; two brothers-in-law – Glen (Virginia) of Birnamwood, Wisconsin; and William (Carol) of Appleton, Wisconsin; and two sisters-in-law, Rosemary (Jim) Toby of Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Helen Breyer of Antigo, Wisconsin; 11 grandchildren – John (Tiffany) Patton, Andrew, Benjamin, and Samuel Patton; Rachel and Hannah Breyer; Ian, Bianca, and Armin Breyer; and Tobias and Marilla Marks; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and a host of neighbors and friends.
Her dear Richard departed her on June 1st 2009 after a challenging 6-year battle with bone marrow cancer. He was a remarkable husband who would cook for the family whenever Greta was otherwise busy teaching 4-H seamstresses. As a couple they were an outstanding example of role-modeled leadership and character. She intensively cared for him at home during his last 5 years following his diagnosis – preparing him fresh fruit and vegetable cocktails each morning, and praying with him each bedtime. She kissed him on the forehead that night in the preceding moment that their heavenly Father welcomed Richard into eternal life almost 3 years earlier. She has since missed him dearly and longs to meet him, as well as Him, in heaven.
(The Children of Greta Maria Breyer. "Greta Maria Breyer Memorial Obituary",Legacy.com Memorial Websites.http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/gretabreyer/homepage.aspx, 28 May, 2012. 29 May, 2012)
Greta Maria Breyer, age 77, formerly of Stephenson, Michigan, currently of Ada, Michigan and Sun City, Arizona; passed away on May 27, 2012 at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan after a short bout with pneumonia.
She was born to John Anselm Hyypio and Olga Maria (Peterson) Hyypio on 29th of July, 1934 in Tapiola, Michigan in their home on the western shore of Otter Lake. Her father preceded her in death in July 1968 and her mother in October 1973. Her early childhood was constrained by her confinement to the hospital in Marquette with a congenital disorder that affected her hip. As a result, she didn't speak the Finnish language like the rest of her family due to the lack of exposure to her family members until age 2.
She graduated from the John A. Doelle School in Tapiola in 1952. It was there where she met her husband, Mister Breyer, the 1st year teacher of agriculture, general science, and industrial arts at the school. Their courtship began as he escorted her to the Chassell Strawberry Festival for the Queen competition on June 27th, 1952. He persuaded her to forego a job hunt in Detroit by convincing his superintendent to hire Greta for a secretarial position at Houghton High School. Following a 365-day courtship, Greta Maria Hyypio and Richard Armin Breyer were married on June 27th 1953 in the Apostolic Lutheran Church in Hancock, Michigan. (Saturday June 27th would become the day that her daughter Patti was married 28 years later and then daughter Jessica was married on June 27th exactly 40 years later – to a man whose parents were also married on June 27th.)
Soon after their wedding, Richard fulfilled his deferred obligation to the draft board, and entered into the Army in October 1953 for basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. Meanwhile, she stayed with her older sister in suburban Detroit. Following basic training they were rejoined and headed west as he was deployed in Army Engineering Intelligence, being stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington and Ft. Ord and Ft. Hunter Liggett in central California. She kept homes in Olympia Washington and in King City and Seaside California and also kept busy by making draperies and decorating for others while her husband served his active duty in the Army. She painted and wallpapered the apartment she lived in. In March 1955 her first child Daniel was born at the base hospital at Ft. Ord. After Richard's service ended in October 1955, the three returned to Michigan's Copper Country and made a home on the Tapiola Road about a mile north of the Doelle school, where he resumed his teaching career.
There they lived for the next eleven years, where she raised five of her infant children and they also fostered two young girls in need of full time parents before they were adopted out to another family. She became a 4-H sewing teacher (29 yrs) and participated in the upbringing of an even greater circle of young girls. She also led the youth choir and organized Christmas pageants at the Our Savior's Lutheran church in Elo Michigan.
In 1966, her husband retired from teaching and accepted a new job in the Extension Service which led them to relocate the family 26 miles to L'Anse. They quickly had a new home built at 25 Tuttle Avenue. They moved for the start of school in 1967 and their youngest daughter was born while they lived there. Greta became the catalyst for the neighborhood coffee club and transformed the neighborhood into an extended family of good friends that hadn't existed prior. Her ground rule for the club was that there could be no discussion about persons that weren't in attendance. That coffee clatch lasted for 18 years, even after she left after six years of living in L'Anse.
In 1973, they relocated to Menominee County for Richard's work and took residence at N113 Section Street in Stephenson. There she accelerated her activity as a 4-H sewing leader while running a child day-care service in her home. She also worked to remodel their home and demonstrated adept wall-papering, wood finishing, and painting skills that later earned her other decorating and finishing jobs in the neighborhood. She was also active in St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, leading and serving in the women's groups. In 1977 she ran (unsuccessfully) for a position on the local school board. All six of her children and three of her exchange student children graduated from Stephenson High School between 1974 and 1987.
Following his retirement in 1990, she and her husband began spending winters in Sun City where they were both active in various clubs. She was a harmonica player in the Sun City Harmonicaires – often playing 3 gigs a week for the benefit of senior citizens. With the ensemble, she was a featured soloist, donning costumes while singing Suzy Snowflake, Buttons & Bows, or The Happy Wanderer. She also volunteered weekly at the Friendship Center and Senior Citizen Center and supported Richard's club activities by volunteering to sell the wares that were crafted by the silverstones, the lapidarists, and the wood workers.
Her hobbies included helping others, gardening, canning, cooking, couponing, crosswords, cleaning, refunding, singing, sewing and traveling. She travelled to Europe five times and also accompanied her husband on many domestic extension trips – two of which they traveled with the kids. She loved being a mother.
On an extension trip to Atlanta for a county agent's convention, she was late in making her way through the corridors of the convention center when she cut the corner and abruptly collided with a soft-spoken gentleman who had just given the welcome address to the delegates of the convention. The two of them spent some moments exchanging apologies for the collision and confirming that each other were not hurt. It turned out that he was the current Governor of Georgia who was making his way out of the convention hall. It wasn't such a significant meeting at that time in 1972, but when the peanut farmer-turned-governor emerged in 1976 as the 39th President of the United States, James Earl Carter was already a familiar personality to Greta.
Other famous people she has met (through Richard's associations) include many of the Governors of Michigan including G. Mennen Williams, George Romney, and John Engler. She attended the wedding of the daughter of lawyer F. Lee Bailey. She also acquired a personal signature in her paperback copy of Anatomy of a Murder from the author John Voelker (aka Robert Traver) when he was chumming around with her husband who was guiding personal mushroom hunts for the judge and author.
She was cherished as a mother by her children. She would read books to the family whenever there was a long car trip. She was remarkable in her spring and fall cleaning acumen – setting a standard for others to admire. Her leadership in 4-H clubs touched the lives of hundreds of youth between Tapiola, L'Anse, and Stephenson over 29 years of teaching.
Her home and beds were always open to the travelers and new arrivals to the area. She and her family took in fivr foreign exchange students during their life in Stephenson – Jorma Neuvonen from Finland, Amnon Michaeli from Israel, Britta Mueller from Germany, Pigio Pirani from Italy and Artur Hejdysz from Poland. She and her husband served as Matron of Honor and Best Man at Pigio's wedding in Italy in 1993.
During her life she has been a member of Apostolic Lutheran in Tapiola, Michigan; Our Saviour's Lutheran in Elo, Michigan; St. Johns (later United Lutheran) in L'Anse, Michigan; and St. Stephen's Lutheran in Stephenson, Michigan. In her later years, she was a member of Trinity Lutheran in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Peace Lutheran in Peoria, Arizona. She became a Sunday School teacher following her Holy Confirmation at age 15 and continued serving the Lord's children as needed for 55 years. She was very active in Christian Women's Club since 1976. She hosted bible study groups back then that are still meeting regularly today. She has a very strong faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
She is survived by six children – Daniel of Ada, Michigan; Patricia (William) Patton of Saranac, Michigan; Timothy (Dorothy) of Dover, Delaware; Jerome (Sally) of Gilbert, Arizona; Christopher (Gabriela) of Foothill Ranch, California; and Jessica (Roger) Marks of Ada, Michigan; two brothers, Karl (Evelyn) Hyypio of Weston, Wisconsin; and Paul (Chris) Hyypio of Tapiola, Michigan; two sisters, Rachel Grapentine of Utica, Michigan; Ida (Stanley) Michaelson of Tapiola, Michigan; two brothers-in-law – Glen (Virginia) of Birnamwood, Wisconsin; and William (Carol) of Appleton, Wisconsin; and two sisters-in-law, Rosemary (Jim) Toby of Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Helen Breyer of Antigo, Wisconsin; 11 grandchildren – John (Tiffany) Patton, Andrew, Benjamin, and Samuel Patton; Rachel and Hannah Breyer; Ian, Bianca, and Armin Breyer; and Tobias and Marilla Marks; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and a host of neighbors and friends.
Her dear Richard departed her on June 1st 2009 after a challenging 6-year battle with bone marrow cancer. He was a remarkable husband who would cook for the family whenever Greta was otherwise busy teaching 4-H seamstresses. As a couple they were an outstanding example of role-modeled leadership and character. She intensively cared for him at home during his last 5 years following his diagnosis – preparing him fresh fruit and vegetable cocktails each morning, and praying with him each bedtime. She kissed him on the forehead that night in the preceding moment that their heavenly Father welcomed Richard into eternal life almost 3 years earlier. She has since missed him dearly and longs to meet him, as well as Him, in heaven.
(The Children of Greta Maria Breyer. "Greta Maria Breyer Memorial Obituary",Legacy.com Memorial Websites.http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/gretabreyer/homepage.aspx, 28 May, 2012. 29 May, 2012)
She was born to John Anselm Hyypio and Olga Maria (Peterson) Hyypio on 29th of July, 1934 in Tapiola, Michigan in their home on the western shore of Otter Lake. Her father preceded her in death in July 1968 and her mother in October 1973. Her early childhood was constrained by her confinement to the hospital in Marquette with a congenital disorder that affected her hip. As a result, she didn't speak the Finnish language like the rest of her family due to the lack of exposure to her family members until age 2.
She graduated from the John A. Doelle School in Tapiola in 1952. It was there where she met her husband, Mister Breyer, the 1st year teacher of agriculture, general science, and industrial arts at the school. Their courtship began as he escorted her to the Chassell Strawberry Festival for the Queen competition on June 27th, 1952. He persuaded her to forego a job hunt in Detroit by convincing his superintendent to hire Greta for a secretarial position at Houghton High School. Following a 365-day courtship, Greta Maria Hyypio and Richard Armin Breyer were married on June 27th 1953 in the Apostolic Lutheran Church in Hancock, Michigan. (Saturday June 27th would become the day that her daughter Patti was married 28 years later and then daughter Jessica was married on June 27th exactly 40 years later – to a man whose parents were also married on June 27th.)
Soon after their wedding, Richard fulfilled his deferred obligation to the draft board, and entered into the Army in October 1953 for basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. Meanwhile, she stayed with her older sister in suburban Detroit. Following basic training they were rejoined and headed west as he was deployed in Army Engineering Intelligence, being stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington and Ft. Ord and Ft. Hunter Liggett in central California. She kept homes in Olympia Washington and in King City and Seaside California and also kept busy by making draperies and decorating for others while her husband served his active duty in the Army. She painted and wallpapered the apartment she lived in. In March 1955 her first child Daniel was born at the base hospital at Ft. Ord. After Richard's service ended in October 1955, the three returned to Michigan's Copper Country and made a home on the Tapiola Road about a mile north of the Doelle school, where he resumed his teaching career.
There they lived for the next eleven years, where she raised five of her infant children and they also fostered two young girls in need of full time parents before they were adopted out to another family. She became a 4-H sewing teacher (29 yrs) and participated in the upbringing of an even greater circle of young girls. She also led the youth choir and organized Christmas pageants at the Our Savior's Lutheran church in Elo Michigan.
In 1966, her husband retired from teaching and accepted a new job in the Extension Service which led them to relocate the family 26 miles to L'Anse. They quickly had a new home built at 25 Tuttle Avenue. They moved for the start of school in 1967 and their youngest daughter was born while they lived there. Greta became the catalyst for the neighborhood coffee club and transformed the neighborhood into an extended family of good friends that hadn't existed prior. Her ground rule for the club was that there could be no discussion about persons that weren't in attendance. That coffee clatch lasted for 18 years, even after she left after six years of living in L'Anse.
In 1973, they relocated to Menominee County for Richard's work and took residence at N113 Section Street in Stephenson. There she accelerated her activity as a 4-H sewing leader while running a child day-care service in her home. She also worked to remodel their home and demonstrated adept wall-papering, wood finishing, and painting skills that later earned her other decorating and finishing jobs in the neighborhood. She was also active in St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, leading and serving in the women's groups. In 1977 she ran (unsuccessfully) for a position on the local school board. All six of her children and three of her exchange student children graduated from Stephenson High School between 1974 and 1987.
Following his retirement in 1990, she and her husband began spending winters in Sun City where they were both active in various clubs. She was a harmonica player in the Sun City Harmonicaires – often playing 3 gigs a week for the benefit of senior citizens. With the ensemble, she was a featured soloist, donning costumes while singing Suzy Snowflake, Buttons & Bows, or The Happy Wanderer. She also volunteered weekly at the Friendship Center and Senior Citizen Center and supported Richard's club activities by volunteering to sell the wares that were crafted by the silverstones, the lapidarists, and the wood workers.
Her hobbies included helping others, gardening, canning, cooking, couponing, crosswords, cleaning, refunding, singing, sewing and traveling. She travelled to Europe five times and also accompanied her husband on many domestic extension trips – two of which they traveled with the kids. She loved being a mother.
On an extension trip to Atlanta for a county agent's convention, she was late in making her way through the corridors of the convention center when she cut the corner and abruptly collided with a soft-spoken gentleman who had just given the welcome address to the delegates of the convention. The two of them spent some moments exchanging apologies for the collision and confirming that each other were not hurt. It turned out that he was the current Governor of Georgia who was making his way out of the convention hall. It wasn't such a significant meeting at that time in 1972, but when the peanut farmer-turned-governor emerged in 1976 as the 39th President of the United States, James Earl Carter was already a familiar personality to Greta.
Other famous people she has met (through Richard's associations) include many of the Governors of Michigan including G. Mennen Williams, George Romney, and John Engler. She attended the wedding of the daughter of lawyer F. Lee Bailey. She also acquired a personal signature in her paperback copy of Anatomy of a Murder from the author John Voelker (aka Robert Traver) when he was chumming around with her husband who was guiding personal mushroom hunts for the judge and author.
She was cherished as a mother by her children. She would read books to the family whenever there was a long car trip. She was remarkable in her spring and fall cleaning acumen – setting a standard for others to admire. Her leadership in 4-H clubs touched the lives of hundreds of youth between Tapiola, L'Anse, and Stephenson over 29 years of teaching.
Her home and beds were always open to the travelers and new arrivals to the area. She and her family took in fivr foreign exchange students during their life in Stephenson – Jorma Neuvonen from Finland, Amnon Michaeli from Israel, Britta Mueller from Germany, Pigio Pirani from Italy and Artur Hejdysz from Poland. She and her husband served as Matron of Honor and Best Man at Pigio's wedding in Italy in 1993.
During her life she has been a member of Apostolic Lutheran in Tapiola, Michigan; Our Saviour's Lutheran in Elo, Michigan; St. Johns (later United Lutheran) in L'Anse, Michigan; and St. Stephen's Lutheran in Stephenson, Michigan. In her later years, she was a member of Trinity Lutheran in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Peace Lutheran in Peoria, Arizona. She became a Sunday School teacher following her Holy Confirmation at age 15 and continued serving the Lord's children as needed for 55 years. She was very active in Christian Women's Club since 1976. She hosted bible study groups back then that are still meeting regularly today. She has a very strong faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
She is survived by six children – Daniel of Ada, Michigan; Patricia (William) Patton of Saranac, Michigan; Timothy (Dorothy) of Dover, Delaware; Jerome (Sally) of Gilbert, Arizona; Christopher (Gabriela) of Foothill Ranch, California; and Jessica (Roger) Marks of Ada, Michigan; two brothers, Karl (Evelyn) Hyypio of Weston, Wisconsin; and Paul (Chris) Hyypio of Tapiola, Michigan; two sisters, Rachel Grapentine of Utica, Michigan; Ida (Stanley) Michaelson of Tapiola, Michigan; two brothers-in-law – Glen (Virginia) of Birnamwood, Wisconsin; and William (Carol) of Appleton, Wisconsin; and two sisters-in-law, Rosemary (Jim) Toby of Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Helen Breyer of Antigo, Wisconsin; 11 grandchildren – John (Tiffany) Patton, Andrew, Benjamin, and Samuel Patton; Rachel and Hannah Breyer; Ian, Bianca, and Armin Breyer; and Tobias and Marilla Marks; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and a host of neighbors and friends.
Her dear Richard departed her on June 1st 2009 after a challenging 6-year battle with bone marrow cancer. He was a remarkable husband who would cook for the family whenever Greta was otherwise busy teaching 4-H seamstresses. As a couple they were an outstanding example of role-modeled leadership and character. She intensively cared for him at home during his last 5 years following his diagnosis – preparing him fresh fruit and vegetable cocktails each morning, and praying with him each bedtime. She kissed him on the forehead that night in the preceding moment that their heavenly Father welcomed Richard into eternal life almost 3 years earlier. She has since missed him dearly and longs to meet him, as well as Him, in heaven.
(The Children of Greta Maria Breyer. "Greta Maria Breyer Memorial Obituary",Legacy.com Memorial Websites.http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/gretabreyer/homepage.aspx, 28 May, 2012. 29 May, 2012)
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