Anna Mohr

Anna worked out as a hired girl for a number of years, part of the time for a neighbor, Mrs. Bohrer, who lived on the Cordes farm before and during the days of the Civil War.

She became the wife of Peter Mohr who then lived with his widowed mother on the farm where Lawrence Mohr now lives, and then they farmed for four years on a farm near home, on section 8, when they bought the home place where Elmer now lives. Here Grandpa Mohr died in 1892. Anna continued farming. In fact, if you had been well acquainted with her then, you would have expected her to. It was her nature to be intensely practical, to look at things just the way they are.

Anna learned to work and farm by doing, so she wasn't afraid to go ahead, kept on farming, bought more land and paid for it. In 1908 she moved to Normal, Illinois.

She was born endowed with remarkable health and vigor of body, so going to town couldn't be retirement. Instead she filled her house with girls from the University and more than provided for herself until she was 85. She was one of the last survivors of the men and women who grew up before machines and education overtook us, who had to learn to do things by experience and thus could take care of themselves and be useful wherever they were.

She was a Mennonite by birth, environment, and culture; and united with the old Rock Creek Mennonite Church as the nearest place of worhship where Jonathan Yoder was the Bishop. When this growing congregation built at North Danvers under the leadership of Father Stuckey, she was interested, and helped. She was still more interested when time brought the East White Oak Mennonite Church within two miles of her home.

Three children died in infancy.

Written by W.A. Ropp, 1934