Annemarie Kreutner Obituary

Dr. Annemarie Karen Kreutner Mt. Pleasant - Dr. Annemarie Karen Kreutner, 78, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, widow of Dr. Albert Kreutner, Jr., entered into eternal rest Saturday, May 13, 2017. Her Funeral Service will be held Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Lutheran Church of The Redeemer, 714 Riverdale Drive at 11:00 am. Interment will follow in Mt. Pleasant Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends Friday at J. Henry Stuhr Inc., Mount Pleasant Chapel from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Karen was born October 12, 1938, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, daughter of the late Frederick Kessler and Marie Schroeder. Both were immigrants from Germany, and their children availed themselves of the opportunities in America and contributed to the greater good of our country. She was an honors graduate of Milwaukee Downer Seminary (now University School of Milwaukee), which she attended on an academic scholarship. Karen was active on the newspaper staff, sports teams, glee club, and plays - passions she carried through life. She was offered full scholarships to Radcliffe College (Harvard University), Stanford University, and the University of Chicago. As one of the three national recipients of the Bausch and Lomb Science Scholarship, she attended Rochester University where she completed her pre-med training. In the first year of medical school at Rochester in 1959, she met her future husband, Al, and they were married the following summer. They graduated in 1964 as Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society members. To complete their medical training, Karen and Albert moved from Rochester to Pittsburgh, PA, and then to Charleston in 1970. On faculty in both the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina, Karen became a full Professor in 1981. She was one of the few female physicians when she arrived at MUSC. This could be challenging in many ways, but she possessed an iron will to advocate for her patients, to expand opportunities for women and others, and to champion what she felt was right. She was an active researcher, teacher, author, and collaborator, and she chaired the MUSC Admissions Committee from 1975-1979. Of special note, she led the delivery team for the "Thornton Quadruplets" in 1976, the first surviving set of natural quads in South Carolina. In 1985, she started a private practice in OB/GYN, continuing to care for her patients until she retired in 2010. A gifted physician, Karen (or Dr. K as she was known) specialized in both Adolescent and Pediatric Gynecology and Infectious Disease Obstetrics and Gynecology. She delivered thousands of babies and advocated for women's health issues throughout the greater Charleston area. She ardently supported People Against Rape, the Charleston County School Health Committee, and local free clinics. She loved bridge, coffee, needlework, ice skating, and all types of cuisine. Karen was an avid world traveler and enjoyer of the arts, and she was always in motion. She also loved swimming, and she shared this with her children through their participation in competitive swimming and her active presence. Karen and Al had five children together, but she was widowed in 1983. She raised and inspired her children by her example, and they aspire to her and Al's examples as smart, driven, curious, involved, and uplifting members of the communities in which they reside. She is survived by her four sons, Erik Kreutner (Katie) of Charleston, SC, Jason Kreutner (Tasha) of Mt. Pleasant, SC, Kevin Kreutner (Lourdes) of Washington, DC, Andrew Kreutner (Rebecca) of Charleston, SC; her daughter, Kara Montgomery (Jay) of Columbia, SC; a brother, Wisconsin State Rep. Frederick Kessler (Joan) of Milwaukee, WI; a sister, Suzanne Frost (Tom) of Wauwatosa, WI; and her grandchildren, Mary Clare & Owen Kreutner; Ally & Hannah Montgomery; Kessler & John Ross Kreutner-Eady; Trajan, Tomas & Belen Kreutner; and Kaden & Madison Kreutner. Two more grandchildren are expected this summer. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Albert Kreutner, Jr., her father, Frederick Kessler, and her mother, Marie Schroeder Kessler. Karen's family is grateful to caregivers at both Sweetgrass Village and Mount Pleasant Manor for their care of their mother and grandmother these past few years. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Lutheran Church of The Redeemer (Karen Kreutner Memorial Fund), 714 Riverdale Drive, Charleston, SC 29407. A memorial message may be sent to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston