Anna Pankratz was born to John Andrew Pankratz and Justina Klassen Pantratz in Sagradoffka, Russia. Her father John Pankratz was born June 19, 1840. His father, Andrew Pankratz died when he was 14 or 15 years old. Because, his mother (name not known) was very poor, he had to work for his living away from home. He worked as a hired man until he was 25 years old when he married 18 year old Justina Klassen in 1865.

Justina Klassen was born July 20, 1844. When she was 9 years old, she was given to a family by the name of Dycks who had no children. This loan intented to be for a few weeks turned out to be 9 years until her marriage to John Pankratz. Records do not state the reason for this loan.

The Pankratz's lived in this place (name of the place is unknown) for one and a half years before they moved to Furstenlande, Nickolofelt. Here they lost three children - one as an infant, one at four years old, and a three year son who drown. They lived in Alexandrathal in the Molotshna Colony before they moved to Sagradoffka. Anna was 8 years old when they moved to Sagradoffka. Here 4 more children - Henry (1877), John (1881), Justina (1883) and David (1886) were born to her parents.

During a revivial in 1886 when Anna was 14 years old, Anna together with both of her parents found forgiveness for their sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. They were baptized into the M.B. church on July 20, 1886 - her mother, Justina's 42nd birthday.

Anna married Gerhard P. Derksen on December 10, 1891. After 14 years of struggling to support their family of 8 children, they moved to Canada to start a new life.

After the death of Anna's mother, Justina on April 30, 1900, her father married Margaret Giesbrecht (date of death 1937). John and Margaret had a son named Peter in 1904. Records show that John and Margaret also adopted a girl named Margaret who married Anna's brother David.

Nothing is known about the relatives born to this family except that they suffered greatly - losing everything they had when they had to flee for their lives. Communism had taken over and the political situation was very very difficult. Those who chose not to co-operate with the system suffered the consequences.

Records indicate that Peter married a girl named Mary. Peter was the one who took care of Mother Margaret until her death in 1937. In November of that same year, Peter was taken away and was never heard from again. Mary's relatives came to to see her and took Mary's son Henry with them for a week long visit. The train they travelled on was bombed and all the travellers were killed. She gave birth to a baby named Betty in June of 1938. Of all of Anna's family, only Mary and her daughter Betty came to Canada where Mary's brothers lived.

The future of the other members of her family remained a mystery though her records indicate that John and Peter became saved. We do know that Anna's brothers John, David and Henry together with their families had to flee for their lives and experienced much hunger. Of the three brothers, only the fate of brother David is known. Anna records that he was killed when a wall fell on him.

During the years that Anna lived in Borden, more sorrow came to the family. Her daughter Sara died in 1930 at 30 years of age followed by the death of her husband. After the marriage of her youngest son Henry, she lived with several of her children moving from place to place until she moved into the home of Jake and Agnes Stobbe where she lived for 20 years.

Her final years were spent in a nursing home until her death at 98 years of age on October 18, 1969 with her mind clear and sharp to the very end. Despite the fact that there were 80 grandchildren, she knew each and everyone of them. All one had to do was to tell her who their mother was and she knew more about you than you did perhaps.

While it seems she had a sorrowful life both in Russia and Canda - she also led an active life but her one regret was that she never learned to live by herself when she was able to do so. Her life - regrets and all - was not a wasted one. She encouraged their gifts. Each child had a different talent - Maria played the piano, Margaret had a good voice and so on. Anna raised her children to be hardworkers who in turn passed this trait down to their children.

Anna knew how to plan the order of her day well. Each of her children were given responsbilities. The oldest boy and girl at home were designated as the second in command. This meant that the younger siblings had to respect and obey their second in command. Hard work was not new to Anna. The feathers in the pillows that the family slept on came from the geese (yes, the geese were live). Anna would hold upside down or place them on her lap and pluck some of the down off the goose's breast. These down feathers in turn contributed to the down for the pillows stuffings.

She was an example for her children and taught her children well - how to love the Lord and live godly lives for their children and grandchildren. This example was caught by the grandchildren as well. Many of her grandchildren became pastors or missionaries while others became well respected members in their churches and choosen vocations.

We prayed very often that the Lord would give us grace so that our children would be saved also. The Lord brought brother John J. Lorenz to us to conduct services. The Lord blessed his work in the Word of God so that many of the children of the believers got saved and also our three children, George, Justina and Anna. Then on September 13, they were baptized by Elder David Dyck and they were accepted in the Mennonite Brethren Church in 1908. O Lord, rid us of our selfishness so that we will be rich and strong in You.

After this we came to a new chapter in life. One day a young man by the name of Peter Bergman came to our house and asked whether he could speak to our daughter Justina. We gave him permission and he asked her whether she would be willing to go with him through life. Before God she became convinced to say "yes" to Peter. Now we had to get ready for the wedding, which was planned for the twenty-fourth of November 1912. Pastor David Klassen served as they made their wedding vows. Peter was happily accepted in the family and in our hearts.

They built their home about two miles away from our place. The first years were not very easy for them on account of the misfortunes they had with their horses. During that first year ten or eleven horses died on them and the cost was huge, besides they were hard to come by. However, they did not lose courage altogether, they held on and after a while things changed so that they got ahead. Neither were they spared from sickness as Justina had problems with her gallbladder. There was no other way but for her to have an operation and she suffered for a long time after that. But the Lord helped and made her well. The years following she suffered with severe rheumatism but here the Lord also helped so that she got well again. Peter was not spared from sickness either. He suffered with a rheumatism of the nerves and here too the Lord helped. The Lord gave them four healthy daughters. Further the Lord supplied them with earthly as well as spiritual blessings so that they had enough to give the needy. Peter was born January 13, 1889, and Justina was born August 4, 1893.

Son George also thought of getting to his own home. One day he went to the Abram Nickel's place and asked for permission to speak with their daughter Maria to which her parents consented. He told Maria of his intentions that he would like to have her hand in marriage and then together they would build a home. The Lord gave assurance for her to consent to his proposal. December 25th the Nickel's had prepared the wedding for them and they were married by Pastor David Klassen. We accepted Maria into our hearts and family. They built their home near to our place with a very meager beginning but the Lord blessed their work so that they had enough for themselves and something for the needy. The Lord gave them five healthy children - four boys and one Selma.

After they celebrated their silver wedding anniversary they experienced their hardships. Maria became ill. Even though they went for help to the doctors, it seemed to be without success; they had to go for an operation. Maria's operation took place in 1939, but it did not turn out as hoped for. The operation had failed; she got a shaking in her right hand and it got worse as the disease seemed to go deeper into her body affecting her nerves.

In 1944 they went to B.C. where it got so bad that she could not dress herself anymore and she also had to be helped with eating. Here they went to a doctor, but he gave very little hope for improvement. They bought some land in Yarrow but she did not find many friends there. George took care of her and often took her for rides, but that came to an end too. She prayed much and told George one day that she had a feeling that they would experience difficult times. She told him to be strong and quoted Hebrews 10:39, "We are not of those who shrink back." In 1947 it got so bad that George took her to the hospital therapy center for her cramps. After that there was pain in her head so that she could not think clearly.

Often when George visited her she did not recognize him and he prayed that the Lord might deliver her from her suffering. It was very hard for the family. Often when George prayed with her she was aware of it and cried. In 1948 she was taken to the Government Psychiatric Center where she received care for a whole month. January 31 she was delivered from her pain and the Lord took His sickly child home where there will be no more pain or sorrow. On February 5, George came here with his dead wife in the coffin. She was buried (at Borden) on February 6, where they had lived for 32 years - two of their sons were living there also. Maria got to be 56 years old and they were married 35 years and several months.

The Lord permitted the sun to shine again. He comforted George by giving him Justina Siemens to further live together in fellowship. He wanted to give the children another mother. They welcomed her as they came home and we also welcomed Justina in both heart and family.

1915, at the end of February, one evening another young man came to our house and shared with us his concern, namely, that it was not good for a man to be alone. He had a home and was alone. His name was Peter Rempel. He asked what we would say if he wished to speak to Anna and we gave him permission to do so. He shared his proposal with Anna, whether she would be willing to travel life's road together with him and she gave him her promise to get married to him. We got ready for the wedding on March 18 and it was David Klassen who performed the ceremony. Peter was well accepted in our hearts and in the family.

It is good that the Lord veils his plans from us for the future. They had a very good beginning and they were very happy together. But then after four years a sudden accident came upon them. Peter happily left home that day. He was on his way to town, about two miles from home, when the pole on the sleigh came loose. The horses bolted and he could not hold them from running away. They ran onto the yard of our Assembly House and at the corner of the church building there was a deep snowdrift. The sleigh catapulted over and he came down on the frozen ground. The neighbors saw that he could not get up and went to help him. They called by telephone and Father drove over as fast as he could and the people were already there to help him. He had to be loaded onto another sleigh and that is the way they brought Peter home. Father had gone ahead to prepare Anna for the bad news and it was a severe shock. They got a doctor to set the bone but the vertebra was broken and his back was severely wounded. He did not get well again. He continued to suffer and finally learned to walk on crutches.

Such promising young life, in the wink of an eye, broken up. He was, I believe, 31 years old. They sought the doctor's help a lot but with no good results. It developed into tuberculosis of the bone. One doctor operated, opened the leg up and cleaned it all up around the bone. We never heard him grumble. He wanted to get well so very much and stay with the family. After nine years of suffering the Lord took him home where there will be no more pain on August 28, 1929. The Lord gave Anna health and strength to take care of him since he did not want to go to the hospital where he would be attended by others. The Lord had given them four children, 2 boys - Menno and John who was a little over a year old, and the girls were Susie and Rosie Anna. So Anna stood alone as a young widow with her children.

But the Lord took care of Anna during her one year and nine months as a widow. The Lord led it so the she was brought in contact with Henry Block who was a widower with five children. He needed a mother for his children and she needed a father for her children and they agreed together to love them and rear them in a loving home. They had their wedding May 18, 1930 and it was Reverend John Harder who married them. The Lord gave them another six children - three girls and three boys. The one son, Henry, from Father Block's first marriage, died in March of 1938.

Things went well and the Lord blessed them both in the spiritual way and in the material, so that they had a fairly good life together. It was only eighteen years sine their marriage when on December 14, 1947 Anna became sick with a very hot fever and with very bad headaches. We thought it was the flu and she would get better. But the Lord thought it would be different. Her fever increased and her lungs hurt her as well. She said that she was so busy and she would not get everything ready for Christmas. She was making all kinds of little things - she wanted to bring joy to others. She said she was so happy for Christmas for they had worked together to buy the presents for the children.

Henry had to bring her to the hospital on December 18th and the doctor examined her immediately and said it was double pneumonia. On Saturday Mrs. Hein phoned the Block residence and said that Anna would be very happy if Henry would come into town to see her. The horses were quickly hitched and he phoned his brother, Isaac Block who went along with him. At eleven o'clock they arrived to see Anna and she said, "Well, you have come." Anna was very sick but they managed to discuss a number of things yet. For me, it was so difficult. I prayed, "Lord, let that mother get well, don't take her away." But the Lord had a different path in mind. In the morning at 8:00 a.m. Henry phoned the children that they should come down right away and then we knew what was going to happen. They all got ready and went to see Mother but I stayed home alone in the house. About 11:00 a.m. the Isaac Block's came over and then at 12:00 noon, Henry phoned that Anna had gone home fifteen minutes before. I looked for peace, but I found none, it was such a burden and it was so stormy within me. She had been such a support to me and now she was gone.

In the evening Henry and the children came home with their dear mother in the coffin. A number of dear brothers and sisters came over for which we were very thankful and they helped to carry the casket into the house. Then she was got ready, dressed, laid in the casket again and carried into the car shed. She went home on December 21st and we all celebrated Christmas in deep mourning. I prayed, "Lord, help us - give me the strength and health during this time of grief to be with the family." The Lord answered and I could stay with them during that difficult time. On December 27, Anna was escorted for the last time and it was a large funeral congregation. Even the John Stobbe's had come from B.C. During the process of time the Lord helped again and gave Henry another spouse and a loving mother for the children who took the place of Anna to give the children their upbringing, and she did it gladly. Yes, it was a great big mission to my grandchildren and all of us are thankful to Elizabeth and we accepted her in heart and home. Anna was close to 53 years old, born 1895, January 15 and Henry Block was born June 2, 1895.

Our son John also left the parents' place to build his own home. He found Lena Odenbach for his loving life's companion and got married January 23, 1921. It was Rev. John Harder who did the honors in marrying them and Lena was lovingly accepted into the hearts of all family members. They rented their land and began farming to which the Lord gave His rich blessing in both the spiritual and the material, so that they would have enough to give the needy. They were able to give a home to two lovely little girls and they brought sunshine into their hearts and house. Rubina came to them shortly after birth when her mother died and Helen was a little girl of one year and four months. In that way we got two grandchildren more. Life does not seem to go by without difficulties. Lena suffered from severe headaches, which lasted three days at a time, and in addition to that she could not hear very well. She often had her problems when people did not talk loud enough so she could understand. However, that will not be so in Heaven. John Derksen was born June 15, 1897 and Lena was born August 8, 1898.

Daughter Sara got married to Paul Wiebe from Main Centre June 19, 1921 by Rev. John Harder at Borden. They settled in Main Centre and Paul worked for his parents on the farm for about a year. From there they moved to Rosthern where Paul finished his high school. The next year he took his Normal School (Teacher's College) in Saskatoon. The year after that he taught his first school in Mennon, Sask. and later he taught in other schools. Two sons were born to them - Alvin and Walter. Sara became ill so that she had to have an operation and she got better. But in 1929 she began to suffer from a weak heart and her lungs gave her problems too, so that she often complained about being tired. They often went to see the doctor but without good results. By March of 1930 she was mostly confined to her bed. Paul brought her to Herbert, to his parents where his mother, who was a nurse, offered to take care of her and the doctor was also near by in town. Paul was teaching.

Three days after Sara got there she suffered a stroke on her right side so that she was paralyzed and could not speak. They called us by telephone to come to see her. We immediately left by train because the ferry across the river was not operating yet. When we arrived, Brother J. Wiebe got us from the station and told us that Sara could not talk. As we came to Sara's bedside, it was so sad that she could not recognize us and it was difficult for us to see her so sick. We all prayed that the Lord would deliver her from her suffering. But Paul could not accept that. He believed that the Lord would still heal her. It was very difficult to see Paul in such deep sorrow. The two boys, Alvin, eight and Walter, five, stayed just outside Sara's room. Already Sunday afternoon we returned and did not think that she would be taken from us so quickly. As we were on the train leaving Regina, a telegram arrived that Sara had died. As we came home Monday morning we immediately got ready to go to the funeral and there were a number of us who went. She died April 6, and was buried April 9.

Now Paul was alone as a young widower with two little boys. But, also here, God healed the wounds. He brought to Paul another life's partner, Sara Balzer, who adopted the boys as her own and, even though there were some difficult times, she gave them their home training. The Lord rewarded her. Again all of us welcomed Sara into our hearts and into the family. Paul Wiebe was born January 3, 1900.

Our daughter Elizabeth got married to Isaac A. Willems from Waldheim in the year 1935, February 28th. Rev. Jacob Wiens conferred the marriage rites upon them. Elizabeth moved with Isaac to Brotherfield where he already had a home. The Lord has blessed them richly and they built a lovely home not too far from the church, where visiting preachers could come to relax when they came to serve. They also bought a good car with which they could make many mission trips. We need to be very thankful when the Lord blesses us with earthly goods. They are there to be passed on. Yes, also Isaac was accepted into our hearts and into the family. Elizabeth was born January 12, 1901. Isaac Willems was born 1898.

Margaret, our daughter was married to John Stobbe, February 17, 1924 and our preacher, Rev. John Harder, performed the marriage. They made their home on one of our farms, which they rented, but they left after a few years to buy a farm at Langham. They did not get a good beginning there, so they gave the farm back and then they moved with his parents and brothers and sisters to Aggassiz, B.C. Here they worked very hard and poverty was always at the door because it was very difficult to find work. John finally got work on a dairy farm and received $40.00 a month and a house to live in, after which things went a lot better. Margaret had problems with her gall bladder and had to have an operation, which turned out successfully and got well again. Then they bought 40 acres of land south of Abbotsford. The early years here were also difficult but as the children grew and helped, things soon ran a lot easier. I went to see them in 1942 in the winter. They were happy that living conditions were improving. I enjoyed my fellowship together with them and also visited a number of other brothers and sisters - many are already with the Lord. We did not think that this was the last time that we would be together.

On January 30, 1944, the Lord gave them another little son. Everything seemed to go all right, but Margaret developed a blood clot in her leg. The doctor let her go home on the ninth day but the leg would not get better and she experienced a lot of pain because the blood could not get to the heart. She believed that she would die, but John did not want to hear that. February 15 she had another attack; the children were called to her bedside and she said her farewell to all of them. During the last days she discussed many things with John and with her counselor. Yes, again the doctor was called but he could not give her any help. Then she said, "Lord, take me home; I am ready." The Lord took her home, redeemed from earth's suffering and all the pain on February 15 and John stood alone with nine children. She was buried February 20, 1944 and from here (Borden) only Jake Stobbe went to the funeral. On February 6 Margaret was 41 years old and on February 17 they were married twenty years. I went to B.C. in summer to be together with them in those days of deep sorrow and to take part in their mourning.

Again the Lord was gracious and took the family into His care. The Lord in His grace showed to John a widow, Mrs. Friesen, who had six children and they needed a father. So the Lord brought them together, so that John had another partner to travel through life with, and the children received a loving mother as well as her children received a loving father. May God reward dear Susie for her great mission service she rendered to my grandchildren.

"Those who practice both prayer and work have a treasure - wealth, which is a never failing spring of strength."

John Stobbe was born on July 18, 1902. Margaret was born on February 6, 1903), and Susie was born on October 29, 1906.

Our next daughter, Agnes, was united with Jakob Stobbe who, for three years, was a diligent worker at our place. During that time he wooed Agnes and she agreed to enter a life of marriage with him. We did all the preparing for the wedding and Rev. John Harder administered the marriage vows. They also began farming on our land, which they rented about four miles away from our place. This gave them a place where they could earn their own living and finally buy their own land. The Lord gave them seven children - three boys and four girls - of which one died as an infant of three months. They did very well until 1943 when they had a big accident. On March 19, Jake was cutting feed at the Peter Bergman's when his right hand got caught in the gears of the machine and it got cut off, up to six inches below the elbow. It was only the next day that the arm got proper medical care and the operation was not very successful. He continued to have severe pain and even though the operation was repeated at three different times after the first, he continued to suffer. There will be no pain in Heaven. Jake Stobbe was born November 24, 1905 and Agnes was born February 1, 1905.

Our daughter Tina met a young man who had recently come over the ocean as an immigrant (Ukraine in the USSR) and his name was Frank Peters. He asked whether we would give our daughter Tina to him in marriage that together they could share happiness and sorrow, and we gave our consent. Again we were in the process of preparing for a wedding during the cold of winter, for January 16, 1930. Rev. John Harder did his professional duties again and they made their home in Saskatoon. They rented a small house and Frank got work with a contractor to build a big building. Soon after that he got work in an O.K. store, and from there he got work in Schellenberg's Warehouse. In 1943 they moved to B.C. The Lord blessed them with five boys: Ben, John, Alvin, Herb (Harry), and Frank and then daughter Josephine. Yes, Frank was also heartily accepted in heart and home as a member of the family. Frank Peters was born June 23, 1903 and Tina was born July 17, 1904. To bring our lives, in every detail, into harmony with our confession of faith is the greatest challenge of life.

After that a young man came across the big ocean from a foreign land (the Ukraine) and became a friend of our daughter Ella. He arrived at our house one day and laid his concerns before us. He wanted to know if we would entrust our daughter Ella to enter the vows of marriage together with him. We agreed to do so. This resulted in making preparations for another marriage for our daughter Ella to Isaac Block on June 8, 1930 and Rev. John Harder served in administering the marriage vows. For three years they moved onto a rented farm and then they moved to Mullingar where they had a lot of bad things happen. They moved back and rented land again to which the Lord gave His blessing, so that they could finally buy the property of Ella's parents. The Lord blessed them with eleven boys and two girls, of which one died as an infant. The Lord also brought Isaac through a period of sickness but the Lord heard their prayers and gave Isaac his family again so that he could bring them up in the fear of the Lord. Ella was born November 19, 1909 and Isaac Block was born May 24, 1905.

Mary got married to Peter Wiens from Glenbush. He came and asked me the question, since Father was away on business whether he would be welcomed into our family. He was so alone, his father as well as his mother had been banished to Siberia. The answer was "yes" and we also welcomed Peter into our hearts and home. Again a wedding had to be prepared which took place October 7, 1934 and Rev. John Harder did the honors again. They made their home about 90 miles from here, in Glenbush, where Peter had his land. Things went very well for them on their chicken farm, which gave them a good income. In 1946 their chicken barn burned down and they lost it all. After that they gave up chicken farming and spent their energies in grain farming. The Lord blessed them with eleven children: six boys and five girls. In the material realm the Lord blessed them and they had a fair living. Mary was born November 2, 1911 and Peter Wiens was born January 17, 1908. (Translator's comment: After this writing they had three more children and in the 1950's Peter was killed in an explosion on October 25, 1961)

Now I had the two youngest children at home. Henry took care of the farm after Father's death. But Henry also wanted to bring a life's partner into our home. Henry went to our neighbors, brother and sister Goertz, and told them of his intentions - whether they would be willing to entrust their loving daughter Hulda to him and accept him into their family. They discussed the matter and agreed to permit Hulda to enter into marriage together with this man. They prepared a lovely wedding for them and Rev. Jacob Penner married them, September 5, 1937. Henry brought his wife, Hulda, into our home where she was also welcomed into our hearts and family. The Lord also took them through deep valleys as the Lord took their newly born son home to be with Him. Hulda also was near death, but the Lord gave her health again. The Lord gave them four healthy girls and gave them spiritual as well as earthly blessings so that they could have their own home and they also had enough for the needy. Henry was born November 12, 1914 and Hulda May 31, 1915.

Then I still had Susie the youngest of our children. Here also, there came a young man from the neighborhood whose name was Jacob Hamm. He got acquainted with Susie and came with a similar proposition that together they wanted to make their marriage vows and I agreed with them to do so. For them there was also prepared a wedding for October 27, 1940. Rev. Jacob Penner also served them in making their marriage vows and they made their home close to our place. Again the Lord blessed them with spiritual and earthly means so that they could get their own home and have a good living. The Lord blessed them with three healthy children: Donald, Evelyn and the friendly Leslie. Susie was born December 30, 1915 and Jacob Hamm was born May of 1916.

To the grandchildren who lived close by, she and her husband were special people. Christmas was always a special time in their home. As the family increased in size, Christmas was divided into two days. Christmas Day was reserved for the aunts and the uncles plus the younger children while the older children would arrive on New Years Day for their special time with the grandparents.

One grandchild described Christmas as a day of singing Christmas carols plus chorsuses they had learned followed by recitations of things they had memorized. Following this Grandma Anna would disappear and bring out big bags of peanuts. The grandchildren played many games while visiting the grandparents. Those Sundays with the grandparents were very special.

She always had a treat for a visiting grandchild in her writing desk. During the course of the year, if there were enough children present, they had enough people to play ball especially when the Rempel-Block family came over. For a period of time, she lived with daughter, Anna Block and her family. One member of the family described her as a busy woman who did whatever she could to contribute to the household. She was never a guest but rather was treated as a member of the household. She'd sit in her rocking chair and knit stockings or mittens for the children. She encouraged her grandchildren in their school work and influenced their Christian life.

Perhaps the best word picture painted of Grandma Anna was that written by Sarah, another grandchild. Grandma was living with her daughter, Anna Block, Sarah's mother, at this time. Grandma Anna was a woman who loved her Lord very much and lived what she believed leading by example.

If one went past her half-opened door, they would often find her in her rocking chair holding her "Precious" Bible in her hands on her lap reading God's word. Her face was often one of prayerful meditation. She would pray for each of her grandchildren wherever they were. She encouraged her grandchildren in what endeavor they choose to take - even supporting those that went out as missionaries as one grandchild recalls.

When one of the grandchildren gave into the temptation of taking some candy from her drawer, she was quick to forgive the little offender giving the child a warm and tender embrace that warmed the soul.

She made the time to have a quiet time of devotions with adult children that she lived with each day. This was a high point of her day - each adult encouraging and instructing the other. Another grandchild recalls that she enjoyed nothing better than to be asked about her pioneering days. It seems she had an intution about where each of her children, grandchild and great grandchildren were spiritually.

Another grandchild, Esther, recalled a few of her grandmother's character traits. She described her as a woman who honored and glorfied God. She had a listening ear, a firm restraint on evil, a forgiving spirit, yet she was also respectful, hospitable and compassionate and easy to get along with.

On one occassion, Esther was in the gooseberry patch. All but one of the bushes had been picked. As the girl started to pick some of the berries off the bush, she was attacked by a swarm of wasps. Her grandmother was compassionate toward Esther helping her as best she could.

Grandma Anna was also interested in everything that went on outside. She'd walk from the house to various parts of the farm and watch what was going on or assist the grandchildren in some of their chores such as picking fruit from the garden.

At the time of her death, she had already lost a number of her own children but she had been blessed with 80 grandchildren - many of whom were married with families of their totalling 187 great grand children and two great great grandchildren. She was the last charter member of the original Borden M. B. church to buried.

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