This biography of Anna Maria Schmid Wanner was in a family history book that belonged to Golden Rulon Andra and was given to me by his daughter. I did not have this biography and am happy to share it.

“Anna Maria Schmid Wanner, my grandmother, was born in [Holzgerlingen], [Württemberg], Germany on the 21 of January 1849. She was the daughter of Jacob Friedrich Schmid and Solome Notter. Her mother died when she was two years old. She then had a stepmother who was very cruel to her. They were very poor, and she would go to her grandmothers place and pick over potato peelings for the want of food. She ate the potato peelings for food.

“She started school at the age of six. For years the people in Germany couldn’t grow a thing, and the schools had to feed the children soup in school.

“She was a member of the Protestant church.

“Her father was a linen weaver, and grandmother would walk miles and miles at night through the dark woods to deliver the linen to different people. She had to carry it on her head. She often would be afraid, but she always prayed, and never was harmed.

“She married John George Wanner on the 6th of June 1870. From this union was born to them 5 sons and 5 daughters. They buried 2 sons in Germany. They were married only a short time when her husband called to go to war.

“It was the custom for the women to do the farm work, cutting the hay with the scythe and putting it up by hand.

“When the children needed shoes or dresses the shoemaker and the dressmaker would come to the home.

“Early in the year 1873, the family moved to Greenkraut [Grünkraut], [Württemberg], Germany.

“In 1891, she and her family were converted to the Morman or Latter-Day-Saint church. In her home she had a large room where she would accommodate the missionaries with food and beds, and help them learn the German language.

“In May 1893, she with her husband and family of seven children left Germany to come to America. They arrived at Franklin County [then Oneida County], Idaho on Sunday the 18th of June 1893.

“She left a brother and sister and father in Germany when she came to America. She had a brother named Carl and a sister, Louise Sophia. Grandmother was the youngest child. She was the only one of her fathers family that joined the Latter-Day-Saint church.

“They lived in Glendale, Whitney, and Preston, Idaho and in 1910 they moved to Logan, Utah. She and her husband did lots of Tempel work for their own dead ancestors as well as considerable donation work in the Tempel for other people.

“She obtained many names from Germany which was promised in her Patriarchal blessing, and the work was done for all of them before her death.

“She took sick in December, and died on the 9th of December 1929 of Pneumonia. Her funeral services were held in the 4th ward of Logan, Utah in which she was a member. She was buried by her husband in the cemetery at Logan, Utah.

“NOTE: Her oldest son preceded the family to America. He came over 1 and 1/2 years before the rest of the family. Thus — they only brought 7 children with them.

“This biography was copied from a letter received from Clara Bodrero, 495 W. 5th No., serveral years ago. She does not remember who sent it to her. Logan, Utah.