Ursula (Annamarie Emma Steinbrich) Penix, The Villages, FL, was born in Liegnitz, Silesia, Germany to Gustav Adolph Frederich Steinbrich and his wife Sophie (Hess). She moved to Wiesbaden GE (her maternal home city) with her family after the Polish uprising in 1920-21 and was confirmed in the Deutsche Evangelishe Kirche. A diplomate of the German gardner and floral apprenticeship program she was a florist for over 55 years, culminating her career with her own near 2 decades-long floral operation in Duluth MN. Ursula was proud to be an American citizen and a German by birth. Ursula was a very adventurous woman who served both her natal and adopted countries. During World War II she was a postal clerk as a Stabhelferin (lady auxiliary) for the Wehrmacht in Paris FR. As the German armies retreated Ursula biked and walked from Trier to Wiesbaden through battle field combatants to rejoin her unit and family. After the war, she resumed her floral career while simultaneously serving the US occupation forces as a nanny and home maid. After almost a decade in service to American families she came to the United States in May 1956 to seek a better future. It was while in Texas that she married her American Airman. Together they lived in Texas, Japan and Minnesota for 33+ years. In Japan she was a volunteer English and German tutor for college students. Education was her passion for her family and was catalyst for them achieving advanced degrees. Ursula’s European approach to arrangement was nuanced by the methods and styles of the American Southwest, Japanese Ikebana, and American North Central schools of design. As proprietor of a floral operation, she specialized in wedding and other special occasion arrangements. She relished in creating the wedding flowers for both her sons’ (Billy and Norman) weddings. Never having a daughter of her own, she held Norman’s wife Susan (Lemke) in special regard. After retiring from her floral operation she took to being a full-time caregiver to her husband until his death; and periodically for her three grandchildren: Brandon, Ehren and Liselotte. “Oma” was pleased when Brandon added Mai (Hoang) to the family. Ursula lived with Norman’s family in Belle Mead NJ and Doylestown PA for almost 15 years; then, moved to Muscatine IA for the next 16 years — taking care of Billy’s home on his many corporate absences. While in IA she was an ardent supporter of Davenport’s German-American Heritage Center. Equally important to her were the arts: Ursula supported the local symphonies and museums in Muscatine and Davenport. She was an advocate for the University of Iowa’s R & A Gerdin HOPE LODGE, which provided her support and comfort as she dealt with extensive treatments for cancer. In 2013, Ursula moved with her son to the Village of Buttonwood FL where she became active in several clubs (Day Break, Deutscher, German-American, Iowa, Prius, Democrat); enjoyed performances of artists at the squares and various venues; experienced Zumba, water aerobics, Sumi-e painting, and trivia; and stoically watched Bill’s water volleyball, golf and billiards games. Her spiritual home was Hope Lutheran Church of which she was especially moved by its music program. Ursula was preceded in death by her husband Billy Emory Penix (Duluth MN); parents, a younger sister and brother Hans Steinbrich (of Wiesbaden GE), her nephew Walter Best, brother-in-law Helmut Best, and sister Ingeborg Best (of Bad Kreuznach GE). Ursula is survived — in addition to her direct family — by her cousin Christopher (Tina) Stone of San Diego CA and their extended family; a grand-niece Carolin Best of Hamburg GE; and, children, grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews and their children on her husband’s side. A Celebration of Life will be held at Hope Lutheran Church in The Villages, FL on 5 December 2014 at 4 p.m., followed by private internment at Fort Snelling VA cemetery in St Paul, MN. In lieu of flowers, Ursula requests that memorials be made to the Hope Lodge in Iowa City, the German-American Heritage Center of Davenport IA, the Villages Regional Hospital, or a charity of choice.
