Anne Greta Bremner's Obituary
The world lost one of its loveliest smiles on Friday, May 23, 2003 with the passing of Anne Bremner, who died peacefully in Seattle at the age of 94. To those who did know her, these few words can never convey a full picture of her long life of caring and sharing; to family and friends, no words are necessary to explain why she was admired and loved.Anne was born into a large Finn farm family in Runneburg Township, Becker County, Minnesota, in 1908. Her father, Matt Baso, was born in Finland, her mother, Emma, whose maiden name was Mattila, together bore seven children, two of whom, Selma Anderson and Olga Baso, reside in Seattle. In her early teens, with an 8th grade diploma from Midway School as her credentials, Anne left the farm to begin a life of taking care of herself, and caring for others. In 1933, in Billings, Montana, Anne married Eric Bremner, a native Scot who immigrated to America in 1922. He was a lineman for the Northern Pacific Railway, and she was a waitress in the Depot Café. In 1937, following the birth of their son, Eric Jr., the couple moved to Tacoma. It was the depth of the Depression, and Eric Sr. was almost totally incapacitated by a stroke. In the years that followed, through WWII, Anne worked full-time as a waitress, Eric Sr. as a shipyard electrician, and together they ran a small boarding-house and, in time, rental properties. Their home became a frequent way station for friends and family, often working their way through the harvests in the Dakotas, the mines in Butte, to the ship and rail yards in Tacoma. Eric Jr. grew up in the company of a marvelous cast of friends, relatives, roomers and boarders.Eric Sr. died in 1974. Anne continued working as a waitress at JohnnyÂ's Dock in Tacoma until she tossed in the apron at age 75. In 1993 Anne moved to Seattle to be closer to family and, following major strokes, spent the last four years in the loving care of adult family homes.The smile survived and warmed hearts through all the preceding wars, the Great Depression, waiting tables as a proud profession, and raising a son who is still realizing how lucky his life has been.Anne is survived by son, Eric and his wife, Bobbie; grandsons, Davin, Eric and Scot; great-granddaughter, Erin Williams; sisters, Olga and Selma; and beloved friend, Helen Hansen, all of Seattle; and a host of cousins; nephews; and nieces. We will miss her because we will always remember.Memorial services will be 2pm, Wednesday, June 11, 2003 at the Mt. View Garden Chapel.
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