Anna Margaret Barbara Weber
Born: June 22nd, 1848
Died: October 11th, 1952
Obituary
Mrs. Anna Weber, Burlington's oldest resident at 104, died at 9:45 a.m. Saturday in her home at 1965 Bertsch street after two years of failing health. The centenarian, a native of Germany who came to this community at 16 in 1864 during the height of the hard-fought Civil war, had been bedfast about two years. Still, at 101 she was hardy enough to recover from a serious attack of virus pneumonia and never had observed a birthday anniversary in bed until her 103rd. Much of her life was not particularly easy. She had been a widow longer than most couples are married, 56 years and managed to hold her family together after her husband died three years after buying a farm. Mrs. Weber was born June 22, 1848, in Sondelfinger, Wurttembergm Germany, the youngest of 11 children. She arrived in Burlington July 3, 1864, with her parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Johan Schenk, later settling at Pleasant Grove. Three older brothers had arrived in this country 11 and 15 years previously. The two most adventurous ones took part in the famous California Gold Rush of 1849. The centenarian was married to Henry Weber Aug. 6, 1871, at Pleasant Grove. The couple moved to Burlington where their six children were born. in 1893 the family purchased a farm near Memphis, mo. Mrs. Weber lived the rugged life of an early settler. In addition to farm work, she often was called out in all types of weather to tend the patients of physicians in the area. She earned the complimentary nickname of "Mother Weber." Her husband died in 1896, but the family stayed on the farm until moving back to Burlington in 1915. Mrs. Weber had been a member of Oak Street Baptist church since 1921. Three of her four surviving children made their home with her. They are John H., Clara and Anna M.E. Weber. Another son, Oscar W. Weber, lives in Keokuk. Two daughters are dead, Mathilde, who died at four, and Mrs. Katherine Smith, who died Sept. 5, 1939. Six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren also survive. The body is at Prugh's chapel. Services will be announced later. Burial will be in Aspen Grove cemetery.