Obituary: Prochnau, Anna Christine
She was 49.
Anna was known for her sense of humor, love of animals, and the ease with which she made friends with nearly everyone she met, no matter what their station in life.
Even in her final weeks, when she cried out in pain as paramedics carried her into the hospital, she immediately apologized and assured them: “I’m not yelling at you.
I’m yelling at the pain.”
The paramedics were so taken by her composure, they brought her two bouquets of flowers and a DVD of the movie, Frozen, featuring “Princess Anna” as the heroine.
“I love your sassiness and your attitude,” Anna’s youngest niece, Sarah McMaster, told her.
“I love how much of a smart-ass you are.
I love your beautiful giant heart of gold that you share with everyone.
You are one of the strongest women I know and you inspire me to be strong when I am weak.
I will live a happy life knowing I have your love in my heart.”
Those are the ways Anna affected those around her.
From the moment she was diagnosed, her two sisters, Jenny McMaster of Spokane and Monica Bradley of Cocolalla, Idaho, lovingly stayed by her side, giving her round-the-clock comfort, nursing and aid through her final days.
Anna was born in 1965 in Washington, D.C. and grew up in a wooded fairyland in the city’s outskirts before moving to suburban Seattle when her parents, both Washington state natives, returned to the Pacific Northwest in 1973.
A beautiful woman with stunning blue eyes, Anna was named for her great-grandmother, Anna Strehlau Prochnau, who emigrated to Spokane from Prussia in the late 1800s.
Like her namesake, young Anna pronounced her name AHnah, the European way.
From the moment Anna could talk, she relentlessly corrected everyone who mispronounced it, patiently schooling teachers, friends and, later, her bosses until everyone had it right.
Anna earned her GED and worked as a waitress and a caterer.
She also occasionally worked as a caregiver for the elderly and cared for her grandmother and family matriarch, Florence Prochnau, through her final months.
Her hobbies included cooking, which she perfected to gourmet level, and travel.
Her favorite destination was Hawaii, where she drew sustenance from the sounds and breadth of the ocean.
In 2009, Anna met the love of her life, Fred Sinn, of Spokane.
They remained together as partners for the rest of her life.
In her twenties and thirties, Anna confronted and overcame challenges that robbed her of her health.
Time and again, when doctors predicted she would not survive, she showed great resilience and courage.
In late 1999, she received a liver transplant and enjoyed almost 15 years of good health.
Her favorite saying, hanging on the wall in her home, was from Mother Teresa: “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle.
I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.”
In addition to her partner and sisters, Anna is survived by her mother, Lani McFarlane, of Spokane; her father, William Prochnau, of Washington, D.C.; a nephew and two nieces, Jesse, Melissa and Sarah McMaster, of Spokane; and an extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins.