Anne Mendenhall

Lansing, NY

In celebration of the life of Anne Mendenhall, of 456 Lansing Station Road, Lansing, NY, we acknowledge a life carefully lived and helpful to the earth. Anne was born March 20, 1930 and crossed the threshold of earth life on Wednesday evening, May 8, 2013. After College graduation at Duke University, Anne worked as researcher and writer for TV shows in NYC. Then in 1953 she decided to become a farmer. She took ag courses from the Cornell School of Agriculture and from Iowa State University. She did apprentice farm work for a few years before buying her own 167 acre farm on Britt Road, near Poplar Ridge, NY, where she farmed for forty years. She became a BioDynamic/organic farmer (raising hogs/poultry/beef cattle/lambs). She grew her own livestock feed and hay. During her farming years, she also served as a news reporter of local school and community events and School Board meetings. She helped found the Poplar Ridge Volunteer Ambulance service. She was a student of Austrian Philosopher Rudolf Steiner and an advocate of his educational work Waldorf Education. She had a Waldorf home-school in her farm home for several years. After semi-retiring from farming, Anne became National Director of the American Demeter Association which certifies BioDynamic and Organic farms in the United States.

When she left the Demeter work, Anne took up her love of creating beautiful pottery and photography.

Her most ardent retirement work was as guardian/political spokesperson for organic foods, for responsible care and protection of our earth, and for the protection of human freedoms. She notified many friends of bills in Congress that needed our attention, of petitions that needed to be signed, and of issues that needed our action. Her final work was to face the diagnosis of colorectal cancer with holistic, drug-free health practices. This allowed her to live her days in relative health and peace, as she chose.

Anne leaves behind her: her friend/companion of 40 years, Karen Menges; her brother and sister-in-law, Warner and Judy Mendenhall; her adoptive daughters Nica Weeks and Johanna Messer; plus many nephews and nieces and former farm apprentices/friends whose lives were touched by having worked with Anne on her farm.

There will be no calling hours, but there will be a Wake observed in her home in Lansing for three days to accompany her as she begins her new journey on the other side. If friends wish to visit in the home, they are invited to come Friday or Saturday (May 10 and 11) between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00. If friends want to make gestures of support, Anne would be grateful to have donations made in her name to one or more of the following: the Ithaca Waldorf School (20 Nelson Rd, Ithaca, 14850); - a great love of Anne’s; Hospicare, (172 E. King Road, Ithaca); and/or the Ithaca Cancer Resource Center, (612 W. State St. Ithaca) - both of which were true life-lines for Anne throughout the past 4 ½ years as she lived with her cancer; the United Ministry Church of Aurora (P.O. Box 91, Aurora, 13026) which provided delicious food and friendship to our home throughout Anne’s illness; or to the Poplar Ridge Friend’s Meeting (1868 Poplar Ridge Rd., Poplar Ridge, 13139) which will host Anne’s memorial service and where Anne participated for many years as a shepherd in an ancient Mystery Drama. .. The Oberufer “Shepherd’s Play” performed there every Christmas season for many, many years. These organizations have made significant contributions to Anne’s well-being and joy in living. There will be a memorial service celebrating Anne’s life, for friends and family members at the Friend’s Meeting House in Poplar Ridge, just East, off Hwy. 34B, 4 miles North of King Ferry. The service will be held on Saturday, May 18, at 1:00 pm with a brief reception following in the Meeting House basement for friends to have a chance to visit with each other.