Anna Hillmes was born on February 14, 1875 in Effingham County Illinois; probably in Bishop Township. Her parents, John Hillmes and Elsie (Casjens) Hillmes were German immigrants. Anna and her family moved to Owl Creek, Woodson County, Kansas (a few miles west of Humboldt) in 1879 when she was four years old. They made the trip by covered wagon. Anna's father died when she was twenty-five years old. Anna never married. Most of her life was spent helping her mother manage the farm. The old archived newspapers show that they were very successful farmers. Anna had lots of friends. Anna was actively involved in her church and attended many social events in the community. She had a leading part in a play at the Otter Springs Grange. She evidently was a member of the Grange, since that was mentioned several times. It's an organization made up of farmers. She would give talks and read poems at special events. She attended many picnics and had friends and family over for dinners. I received a touching story about Anna. It was from Henry Setter, the nephew of Andrew Setter. Henry was told by his mother, Helen Wagner Setter, that Andrew had worked for Elsie and Anna. The 1930 Census record shows that he was living on the Hillmes Farm. His nephew told me that Andrew would work there during the week and then go home on the weekends to help his own mother. The Setter family were friends of the Hillmes family as evidenced by the newspaper articles. Henry was told by his mother that Elsie and Anna would pay Andrew with calves that he kept there on the farm. She figured that he must have worked there for some time, since he had about ten cows when he moved East of Humboldt to the Hess Farm. His mother also said that Anna Hillmes was buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in Humboldt without a tombstone, and Andrew said she should have one and paid to have one placed on her grave. This shows how well liked she was. I'm thankful to him for his thoughtful act of kindness. My dad was close to his Aunt Annie and thought fondly of her; they even had the same birthday. After my grandparents separated, Dad said that his mother and Aunt Annie (her sister) bought the old Hamilton place in Noel, Missouri. It had lots of acres and a creek. They sold some acres and had about 14 acres left. A newspaper article from "The Iola Register" dated April 15, 1944, says that Miss Anna Hillmes has rented her farm to Charley Hartwig and gone to Noel, Mo., for the present. Some time after that she returned to Humboldt. She was a neighbor to her niece Ruth Shultz and family. An old Christmas card sent to my parents in 1953 has her living on Osage St. in Humboldt, Kansas. She spent the last four months of her life at the Grand Rest Home in Joplin, Jasper Co. Missouri. Her sister, Margaret Barnby (my grandma) was living in Joplin at that time. Anna's funeral service was conducted by the Rev. Francis Hay at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Humboldt. Anna was 81 years old.