Anne Lubrecht

Anne Lubrecht passed away on Tuesday, April 21. She was 97 years old.

Born Johanne Marie Ficke on October 19, 1911 in Oldenburg, Germany, Anne came to New York, through Ellis Island, in 1923 with her mother, brother and sister. Her father, a soldier in the German army, was killed during the First World War. Anne graduated from Washington Irving High School in New York City. She and Heinz "Harry" Lubrecht, who became an editor at Hafner Publishing Company, were married in 1937. It was around this time that Harry Lubrecht began his long and close association with The New York Botanical Garden as an editor and distributor of New York Botanical Garden publications. Both Anne and Harry served on the Library Visiting Committee at the New York Botanical Garden for many years. Their two sons, Charles and Peter, were enrolled in gardening classes at the New York Botanical Garden during the 1950's.

After Harry retired in the 1960's he and Anne formed a publishing company in partnership with J. Cramer. Through their work as Lubrecht and Cramer, they were able to continue their interest in botanical publications.

Anne and Harry became close friends with some of the great names in 20th century botany including Joe and Nester Ewan, William Steere, Emanuel Rudolf and Richard Cowan and Frans Stafleu of TL2 fame. They made insurance appraisals for the New York Botanical Garden books sent to Ellis Island for display in the 1990's. They became involved with The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries early on and, after Harry died in 1998, Anne continued to attend annual meetings up to 2005. Anne traveled to an early EBHL meeting in Berlin when she was well into her nineties. Anne was also a member of the North American Mycological Association, the Northeast Mycological Federation and the Mycological Society of America.

Anne organized the Seizure Clinic Parent's Association at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital as a volunteer and continued working for the Association as a Tour Hostess. She worked in public relations for the hospital from 1960 - 1976. Because of her long association with the hospital, first as a volunteer, then as an employee, she donated her body to the hospital for research.

Anne continued to live in Forestburgh, New York, near Port Jervis, where she and Harry had lived for many years.  Just last year Anne organized a nature trail in Forestburgh which was dedicated by the town earlier this year as the Anne Lubrecht Nature Trail.

Anne's family has asked that any donations in her memory be sent to the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at The New York Botanical Garden through this address:

Office of Planned Giving,

The New York Botanical Garden.

2900 Southern Blvd.

Bronx, New York 10458

Compiled by:
Shelly Kilroy, Librarian
Peter M. Wege Library, Frederik Meijer Gardens Grand Rapids, Michigan