Sad news

Dear users of the 75 book challenge. My wife, Anita Meulstee, has been a prowd and happy menber of your group.

It is with great sadness that I have to inform you of her sudden death this afternoon, ducht time 16.05 hour. She had a massive heart attack and died. Tha ambulance people tried to resucitate her but all of their efforts unfortunately were in vein.

All the books she wanted to read but never wil.Al the warm contacts she had with so manny of you. Your corner of the world was also her corner.

In hear name I wish you al well.

Frank Meulstee

>1 FAMeulstee: I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm so very sorry for your loss.

Oh my, what terribly sad news. My deepest sympathy to you and your family. Anita will surely be missed around the 75er book group.

I am so sorry for your loss.

Oh, what terrible news, I'm so sorry to hear this, Frank, and will miss Anita on LibraryThing very much.

What sad news. Anita will be greatly missed.

>1 FAMeulstee: So sorry for your loss, Frank. She was very beloved around here.

I am so very sorry for your loss Frank. We will all miss Anita here.

Dear Frank, I am shocked and so sorry to hear this. She has been a good friend on LibraryThing. My deepest condolences to you. I will miss Anita.

humouress/ Nina
(Sorry, wrong account)

Frank -- I am so very sorry for your loss. Anita was such a kind and welcoming presence on LibraryThing. I loved hearing not only about the books she read but also about her adventures walking with you. She will be very missed.

I am so sad to hear this and my heart goes out to you, Frank. Anita will be missed. I so enjoyed sharing books and talking about your walks together.

Oh no. Frank, I am so very sad to hear this news. My heart is broken for you and for her family (brother, father). Please accept my deep condolences.

Anita was a shining example of courage and strength in the face of adversity, yet also of positivity and good humour. She will be greatly missed by many here on LT.

That is heartbreaking news.
Thank you for sharing with us and please accept my sincere condolences - through her thread I feel we got to know both of you more than a little.
Anita was a prodigious reader, a warm heart and - even though virtually - a dear friend.

Oh, no! I cannot imagine more heart wrenching news. I am so sorry for your loss, Frank.

Anita has been a valued member of the 75ers group for a number of years now and her presence will definitely leave a hole in the heart of this group.

I am just heartbroken. Frank, I am so, so sorry for your loss. We will miss her so much.

Karen O.

Oh how sad! Shockingly sad. She was so very alive and full of things to say and enjoyed so very much!

I’m so very sorry, Frank. We will greatly miss Anita.

Frank, I'm so sorry to read this. My thoughts are with you and your family. Anita will be greatly missed.

I'm so sorry to hear this, Frank. My condolences to you. Anita will be missed.

>1 FAMeulstee: I wish you healing and comfort to come, Frank. I'm so very sad that Anita has died. I wish her a safe journey home.

Thank you for coming to tell us of this news.

I am so sad to hear this.

It has been a pleasure getting to know Anita over the past few years. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.

Very sorry to hear about the loss of your inspiring wife...so many beautiful photographs!

This is very difficult news to receive about such a wonderful leader and a person who provided much inspiration in this group. I am just so sorry for your tremendous loss Frank. I will really miss Anita's presence in this group. She was just so good at sharing her life with us!

Frank, I was astounded and saddened to read of Anita's passing. Such a brave soul in adversity, I found her a source of strength and encouragement. Indeed Anita was such a good friend on LibraryThing. My heartfelt sympathy to you and your family.

So sad to read this Frank, sending my sympathy to you as you cope with her loss. She was so kind. I will miss her.

Oh , I am so sad and shocked to read this , Frank. Anita was a bright light among the 75’s . My deepest sympathy to you . I’m so sorry.

I'm so sad to hear this news. Anita was a shining light through the years in our group, she'll be missed.

Hoi Frank. Gecondoleerd. Anita was zo toegewijd, trouw en moedig! Hier en ook steeds meer op Hebban,
ik zal haar nr. 1 en 2-topboeken nu zeker lezen. ( Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman en Menselijke voorwaarden - Junpei Gomikawa . Haar nr 3 was al mijn nr 1. ). Sterkte komende tijd en daarna.

Hi Frank. Condolences. Anita was so dedicated, loyal and courageous! Here and also increasingly on Hebban,
I will definitely read her #1 and #2 top books now. ( Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman and Human Conditions - Junpei Gomikawa. Her No 3 was already my No 1. ). Strength ahead and beyond.

Very kind of you Frank to let us know of this terrible news. I am so sorry for what you must be going through. I think we all will remember Anita fondly, she has been "one of us" for so many years now.

Beste Frank, wat een schok, dit nieuws. Ik wens je veel sterkte, en gecondoleerd. Anita was een prachtig mens, een goede vriendin. We zullen haar allemaal missen.

Dear Frank, such a shock, this news. I wish you lots of strength, and my condolences. Anita was a beautiful person, and a good friend. We will be missing her.

I am so sorry to hear this news, Frank. Anita has been a good LT friend for many years. We will miss her here. Wishing you the best moving forward.

Dear Frank, I am so sorry for your loss, Anita was always so kind and thoughtful, and I loved reading of your walking adventures. May you know peace and comfort as you grieve her loss.

Dear Frank, I am so sorry to hear this terrible news of your loss, and ours. Thank you for thinking of us to let us know.

Frank - I can’t imagine the 75ers without Anita. We will miss her, and I’m so sorry this happened.

Dear Frank, i am so sorry to hear this terrible news of your loss, although i only knew you and Anita virtually, it always felt that we were close friends. Anita was a very good friend to me over the last eleven to twelve years and i loved her lovely descriptions of your walks together. If i ever felt down or was going through a tough time, she always had lovely words of comfort for me and the family.

Anita will be sadly missed both on LT but within this group, both mine and Karen's thoughts are with at this very sad time Frank. Anita was a prodigious reader and i am sure that she will be reading in the Library in heaven. Sending love and hugs to you from both of us Frank.

Paul C mentioned that he wants to do a memorial read for Anita from her 50 best novels: https://www.librarything.com/topic/361235#8551235

I'm hoping to join in.

How kind of you to share this news with us at such a sorrowful time. Anita was a vital part of this group, and her contributions to so many discussions were always interesting. I'm so sorry for your personal loss.

So sad to hear your news Frank, sorry for your loss. She will be much missed. My thoughts are with you.

Thank you, Frank, for sharing the loss of Anita with us. She was our friend, a brave and kind fellow reader. I am verklempt for you and your family. I hope that wherever Anita is now there are dogs, books, and peace.

Dear Frank, I am so shocked and devastated to hear of the loss of your dear wife. My deepest condolences to you and all of your loved ones. She was such an integral part of the TIOLI challenges which I started here on LT 14 years ago. I and so many others will miss her deeply.

Thank you for letting us know. What a shock!. Condolences to you and your family.

Oh Frank. My heart is breaking, both for you and for us. I adored Anita; she was such a bright and happy light, and she will continue to be so in my heart and in my memories.

I’m so sorry to hear of this loss. She will be missed.

Dear Frank -

So shocked by the terrible news about Anita. She was a kind person and always dropped by my thread faithfully every year. It will be very strange for her to be missing from LT and the 75 books group. I know she will be sorely missed by all of her many, many friends.

Dear Frank, I am shocked and stunned to hear this news. Anita was one of the very first to welcome me to the 75ers group when I joined it here last year. I have so much enjoyed following her here and seeing your adventures. I will miss her very much. My condolences to you and the family.

Very sorry to hear this news. Anita was always a welcome visitor on my thread, especially as we shared an interest in German pop and rock music. I also enjoyed following her reading and her hiking adventures on her thread. She was such a kind soul, and I will miss her presence here much.

So very sorry to hear this. My deepest condolences to Frank and the rest of Anita's family.

Frank, I'm sorry. I could write an essay, but it wouldn't help. You do see that we each valued Anita as highly as she valued the group. You have our sympathy and know that we mourn too.

>49 LizzieD: You echo our thoughts, but you say it so eloquently. Like I said on Paul C's thread, this is so much more than an online book group, and Anita was a founding part of it.

My heart is aching. Anita was indeed a VERY special person. One of the first members that I communicated with. I did not know about young adult books until Anita posted them. After that, I've read many hundreds of YA books. I am so very sad for your loss Frank. Members of this group share in your sad, sad news. Thank you for taking time to post your message regarding her passing. As I write this, I still cannot wrap my mind around this group without Anita.

Please know Anita was loved by so many. She was an integral part of this group. I remember her posts awhile back when your dog had a liter of puppies. She was so very excited.

Again, Frank, so many of us will miss her. I'm sure your grief is severe. Please know that the group would want to hear from you and welcome your thoughts.

Much Love
Linda

I just heard the news - thank you so much for letting us know, Frank, and sincere condolences for your loss. She will be missed here as well, Anita was always so welcoming and kind to everyone.

Thank you for sharing the sad news with us, we will miss her.
I wish you lots of strength for the time ahead. My thoughts are with you, Frank.

Dear Frank, I have sent you many virtual hugs over the years via Anita, along with the chows and the Pekingese in their time. I am desolate to send you this final one because of the occasion. Even though I have been less active in LT after my husband's death and my move, Anita was always one of my special friends that I checked in with every few months. I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I grieve our loss.

Love, Roni

Beste Frank. Wat een vreselijk nieuws. Mijn oprechte condoleances met het overlijden van Anita.

Such a terrible news, Frank. My thoughts are with you and the family. I hope you find all the strength you need to give this big loss a place.

Dearest Frank.

Thank you for telling us about Anita. I am deeply sorry for the loss of your wife and soulmate.

She was interested in so many things and was a dear friend to me here on LT for many years.

oh Im so sorry to hear the news. Weve chatted many times on these threads over the years. My thoughts are with you and your family and all who mourn her. May memories bring you peace comfort and strenght

Frank,
We'll all miss Anita. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. I always followed her reading even though I knew I'd not find English equivalents for many of the book she read.

Dear Frank, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, and our own. Anita will be greatly missed.

Dear Frank
My deepest condolences on the death of your beloved Anita. I am shocked and deeply saddened. I appreciated her very much and it was very nice for me to be able to talk to her on the phone and get to know her voice.
I am thinking of you very much and wish you much strength and courage in these dark hours. May the many good memories of her bring a smile to your face.
Hugs Barbara

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, Frank, and our loss too. Thank you for letting us know. My deepest sympathy to you and your family. Anita was such a friendly person. She will be missed.

Thank you for letting all of the 75'ers know about this. We tend to miss our regulars and know when something is wrong, so thank you for posting the news, even when it must have been painful to do so. Book people might not be considered to be "active" by many, but know better. We know the presence of many people from all over the world and they are missed when they stop their regular posting. I am thankful that you thought enough of all of us 75'ers to take the time to let us know.

I, like everyone who has posted above, are saddened and diminished by this loss. I am sorry for you and know that you will feel the loss every minute of the day. Book people are caring people so keep in touch with us here and let us know how you are doing.

Frank -- sometimes, in spite of all the books, and the words they contain -- there are no words left to capture a feeling. Anita was a joyful light on LT and a constant inspiration -- she read even more than I did, and was constantly in search of new and interesting books and the ideas and characters they contained. But having followed her thread, I know her "real" life was also incredibly rich and crowded with friends and loved ones. I wish their was a way we could do more than just share a part of your grief, and go beyond to lessen it, but I pray that time will highlight the joyful memories and help you move forward. All our lives, however, will be the poorer without her presence.

Very sorry to hear your sad news. Will be thinking of you and her family. I enjoyed reading her posts so much: she will be missed.

I am so very sorry to hear of Anita's sudden passing. Deepest condolences for your loss.

I'm very saddened by Anita's passing. Frank, I hope you can feel our hugs for you across the oceans as we give you our love and support.

So so sorry to read this. I was out of touch last week and am just now seeing this. She was a wonderful friend.
Love and prayers to you and your family.

Deepest sympathy on the loss of Anita. She was a wonderful addition to LT and, in particular, the TIOLI Challenges. She will be greatly missed.

What sad, sad news. My deepest condolences to you Frank, and the rest of your family. Anita will be deeply missed by myself and her many,many friends on Library Thing.

Dear Frank, I'm very sorry to read this terrible news about Anita's passing. I fondly remember the numerous times we met in The Netherlands, beginning in 2015 when you & Anita met Tad (@TadAD), his wife Julie and myself in Amsterdam. I greatly enjoyed and appreciated the good times you spent with me, and I'm sad that I won't be able to see her again. My thoughts and prayers go out to you.

I have several pictures of Anita that I could post here, and I'm happy to do so. On the other hand, I'm not sure if it's appropriate at this sad time. I'll look for advice, especially from Frank, first.

Frank,
I am so sorry to read this sad news. I enjoyed talking to Anita over the many years we’ve been on LT.
I hope you take comfort in the fact that she touched lives all over the world through LT and will be missed.

Dear Frank, I am so very sorry to hear this news. Anita was a very special person who I am honoured to have been friends with. Even when she was struggling with her health she still took the time to meet us and make us welcome in the Netherlands. Our day in Rotterdam is a great memory. I am sure she is now reunited with Ari and her other canine friends. You will be in my thoughts and prayers in the days and weeks ahead.

I am so sorry for your loss. I haven't been on LT in several years, but Anita was always someone I looked forward to chatting with about books. The world will be a little less bright without her.

Dear Frank, I’m so sorry to read your sad news. Anita will be missed here. Sending my deepest condolences to you and your family and friends.

Anita was loved very much here by many and LT is diminished by her loss. It hurts my heart to know she's no longer with us.

I know there are really no words that help when someone loses a spouse. I think the one thing that did help a family member a little was letting them know that there is no "right way" to grieve.

Take it day by day and know we hold you and your family in our thoughts.

Frank, I am so sorry for your loss. Besides a mutual love of books, Anita and I also shared a love of animals, particularly dogs. She was almost always the first to comment whenever I posted a photo of my pup. I will miss her warm and encouraging presence here.

Frank, I am so sorry for your loss.

Oh, Frank, I am so very sorry to hear this news. Anita and I were LT friends for many years and she was so very kind. I have the Pieterpad on my list of places I would like to walk because she so often shared your walking adventures and photos. I will miss her very much and I hope your grief may be eased by hearing from the many people here to whom Anita was so very special. Thank you for sharing this.

I just had a lovely 10 minute conversation with Frank just now, as I have his cell phone number as a result of previous visits to The Netherlands. He was happy to hear from me, and he has greatly appreciated the outpouring of support from Anita's friends on LibraryThing (he has been reading the posts in this thread). He said that LT was hugely important to Anita, and that it was a source of comfort and camaraderie for her, in good times and bad. He described himself as "numb," as he is still in shock over the death of his beloved Anita. He is grateful that she didn't have to suffer, or spend her last days in the hospital.

I promised Frank that I would stay in touch with him, as I greatly enjoyed his company and friendship, and I'll call him again in a week or two.

This is a photo from one of our last meetings, in mid September 2018, in the 4'33 grand café in Amsterdam, just before Frank and I saw a jazz performance in the Muziekgebouw aan't IJ, the music building on the IJ. Anita is wearing an orange sweater, Frank is seated directly across from her, Debbi & Joe Welch are seated on the side of Anita, and Ella (@EllaTim) is seated between me and Frank. I had dinner with Anita & Frank the following evening in Utrecht, which was the last time I saw them.



This is a photo I took of them outside of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam on the first day we met in late June 2015:

>80 kidzdoc: - Thank you, Darryl, for the update. I am happy to hear you were able to reach out and speak to Frank and I am sure he appreciates that, too. *Numb* is part of grieving and everyone grieves differently and at their own pace. I hope he has good support for the times he needs it.

Thank you for being in touch with Frank and letting us hear about the conversation, Daryl. I love the pictures of happier times. Most of us would never have expected to meet Anita in the flesh, but we knew her heart and mind. Reading her favorite books is a fitting tribute to her. Trying to grow into her genuine warm and friendly spirit is another.

>81 kidzdoc: Well done Darryl, I’m glad you have reached him, and will do so again!

Darryl, thank you dear fellow.

Frank, I was grieved to hear about Anita. May your memories of her be a blessing and a balm. She was such a wonderful person. I’m so glad she shared her love of books and life and you and her photos of your walking tours and art and museums with us here on LT. She will be missed.

>80 kidzdoc: >81 kidzdoc: Thank you, Darryl. Please give my heartfelt condolences to Frank when you talk with him next.

I am copying here the Award from the TIOLI challenges for Anita. To those who are not familiar with the TIOLI challenges, it is a semi-hidden challenge in the 75 books group each year. Each month I select certain TIOLI challengers for awards, usually quite humorous. This time an award went to Anita, but it was filled with sadness. :(

The Golden Friendship Award is the saddest award I've ever presented. It's to honor the hard work, dedication, and love that @FAMeulstee (Anita Meulstee) put into the TIOLI challenges since she joined us here years ago. It is with shock and deep sadness that I learned from her husband Frank about her sudden tragic death of a massive heart attack in June. The challenge Anita presented for us to read a paper book was the last challenge she offered us. Thank you to those who completed books for her challenge. Rest in peace, dear friend. We miss you so much.

>80 kidzdoc: Thank you so much for the update, Darryl! I am glad that you got to reach out to Frank and express to him how much Anita was loved here.

>81 kidzdoc: Thank you for sharing the pictures as well.

I'll miss Anita so much! We didn't interact a whole lot, I'm not on LibraryThing nearly as much as she was, but she was usually the first to congratulate me on 75 (or more) books and I'll remember her everytime I reach 75 books.

Anita was such a vibrant member of this community, always welcoming and joyful.

>81 kidzdoc: Thank you for sharing the photos and memories.

Thank you, Frank, for posting here, and for being such a great support to Anita. She was a special person and I will miss her here on LT.

If you are reading a book in Anita's memory and/ or participating in the TIOLI challenges in her honour you are welcome to add your name to this wiki:
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/User_talk:FAMeulstee

Please note that it is on the discussion page of Anita's original wiki and is a copy of the list she made there. Please do not change her original.

- Nina/ humouress

What heartbreaking news. I am so sorry for your loss, Frank. I have fond memories of my discussions with Anita, and am another one who will miss her presence here. I hope reading some of your shared books will be a tiny bit of consolation to you.

We will sorely miss Anita.
My deepest condolences.

My condolences to you Frank. Anita will be missed terribly around here xx.

I am so sorry to hear the news. Prayers.

Im very sorry for your loss, your wife was a wonderful lady to everyone here