Grete Fries

In loving memory of Grete Anita Milda Alpers Fries, who passed away on May 15th, 2025 surrounded by loved ones in her home.

Grete was born October 14th, 1926 in the small farming village of Winkeldorf, Germany and was raised by her Oma and aunt until age 9. In 1936 she was reunited with her parents and they crossed the Atlantic to New York City. She would later recall with laughter a desire to jump in the ocean and swim back home. Her children are happy she didn’t try that, though they’ve all been imbued with her strong-willed nature.

Aided by her Yiddish-speaking teachers in America, Grete learned English and went on to graduate Valedictorian of her high school class. She studied bookkeeping and worked as a hairdresser on 5th Avenue before meeting her husband Walter at the neighborhood dance hall in Yorkville. She could tell you, with a glimmer in her eye, exactly what he was wearing that night. They shared an extraordinary marriage of 70 years – filled with love, music, adventure & devotion to family. On long family road trip across the country, Walt began the tradition of taking Grete into his arms and dipping her back for a kiss at various historical sites. With six children laughing and shouting “Give her the big kiss, Dad!” Grete would always act playfully resistant and say “Oh Walter, stop!” The love between Grete and Walter was an endless poem, and their children learned from their example.

An expert seamstress, Grete made tailored clothing for herself and her children. She crafted colorful handmade quilts for her children & grandchildren, and as raffle items for the Lansing Liederkranz Club. She was known for her perfect attention to detail, and she used her talents to inspire others, as a resourceful employee at Joann Fabrics and member of the Lansing Clippers Sewing Guild.

She recalled being 5 years old and enjoying a warm coffee in the mornings with her Tante Anna, and she spoke of those moments in her last days. In the home she created, the dining room was the heart and soul. Her cooking and baking were adored by all - especially her Spitzbuben cookies – and many hours were spent with family and friends over a cup of hot coffee and delicious cakes.

Grete kept in step with the changing times, was a soothing voice for her children, a generous friend, a wise woman and a patient listener. She took great pride in her children and taught them to be strong, to persevere through hard times, and to “eat, drink and love”.

Grete will always be the guiding light to her 6 children & their partners: Gretchen & Harry, Ellie & Clyde, John & Angelica, Billy, Lori & David, and Amie; 10 grandchildren: Galen & Rebecca, John, Ben, Toni, Jackson, Violet, Raven, Trish, Clarisse, and Ethan; and 2 great grandchildren: Jonathan and Clary and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Walter and younger brother Herb, and is survived by her cousins Marianna, Elsie and Annagret.

A Memorial Celebration Honoring Grete will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Good Shepard Lutheran Church, 7000 W. Saginaw Highway, Lansing. Donations to honor Grete can be made to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church or to the Lansing Leiderkranz Club.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Grete Fries, please visit our floral store.