Few people meant as much to German Fest as Margit Heitmann, who passed away early Thursday morning.
Heitmann was the festival's volunteer coordinator, signing up and overseeing a cast of thousands that worked to make the annual event a success. She handed out the meal tickets, the admission and parking passes and took care of a host of different tasks ... all without a computer.
If you saw her motoring about the Maier Festival Park grounds on her golf cart, you knew to get out of the way. The woman had a job to do and she was in a hurry.
I knew that when I saw her, I would be greeted with a "Helloooo, Andy." She'd tell me she hears me on the radio, doing traffic reports on WTKM (the "polka channel"). Then, she'd ask me if I ate, and like all good German women, she'd proceed to point me in the direction of food.
I first met her while I was in my club's children's dance group. A South Sider, she always made sure that German Fest was represented in the South Shore Water Frolics Parade. We'd march our way through the parade and return to her house for a feast fit for a king afterwards.
She was everybody's friend. She didn't care for the petty rivalries and politics that are all-too-common in the German community. She was really one-of-a-kind and will be sorely missed.
Her loss is also a sad wake-up call for the German community. For a city that has such a rich German heritage, the number of young people getting involved with the various clubs and the events they host every year, is dwindling. The same could be said for just about any ethnic group in town, really.
Margit's passing marks the end of an era for the German community. Here's to hoping somebody will pick up and carry on where she left off.
