Services for Anna Meyer

Visitation: Fusselman- Allen-Harvey Funeral Home in Weeping Water NE on Friday January 2, 2014,from 1 PM to 8 pm with family present 6-8, all at the funeral home.
Funeral services are at North Branch Lutheran Church, 1434 N 30th Rd (Highway 50) Avoca NE .at 10:30 AM on Saturday January 3rd.

Condolences may be sent to fusselmanallenharvey.com

Fusselman-Allen-Harvey Funeral Home, 108 North Elm, Weeping Water, Nebraska 402-267-2485.

In Loving Memory - Anna Belle (Voyles) Meyer

Anna Belle Voyles was born to Jesse and Margaret (Davis) Voyles on the 28th day of August, 1909 near Ramsey, Indiana. She passed from this life on December 28, 2014 at the age of 105 years and 4 months.

Anna moved with her parents to Avoca, Nebraska in the spring of 1919. They settled on a farm 2 ½ miles southeast of Avoca where they resided for 6 months. Jess then rented a farm on the west edge of Avoca from Bill Maseman. She was 2 ½ years old when the Titanic went down and 9 years old at the end of World War I. Anna attended grade school at Avoca and graduated from Avoca High School in 1929.

She was married to Fred Meyer January 23, 1930 at the North Branch Church in Avoca. One of the stories that Anna later shared with her children was that she and Fred were married twice! After being married and going home, the Pastor came knocking on the door the next day and told them they were not legally married. The marriage license had been acquired in the wrong county. The address of the North Branch Lutheran Church in Avoca is in Cass County. But North Branch Church lays 1 ¼ miles south of the Otoe County line, so the Church is actually is in Otoe County. So a trip had to be made to the Otoe County Courthouse in Nebraska City to obtain an Otoe County marriage license. Thus, they were married again…legally this time! That still did not prevent her kids from giving them a ribbing after the cat was out of the bag. Anna and Fred were blessed with 5 children – Orville, Delores, Josephine, Larry, and Shirley. She was a homemaker for many years raising the children. Anna had 71 gardens in her lifetime. She was a member of the Golden Rod Garden Club for 45 years. She began work at the Avoca Café for Helen Norrlinger and stayed on through several owners. In February 1968, she retired from work at the café. Anna began quilting as a hobby and in 1982 began quilting for other people. She was also involved in making quilts for cancer patients She made baby quilts for all of her grandchildren. She enjoyed giving a part of herself to each of them. Anna enjoyed crocheting, making many a doily and other crocheted items. She had a very enjoyable sense of humor. People loved to visit with her just to see what she could come up with. She told stories from past years. One story was of her oldest brother Ora who had received papers to join the Army near the end of World War I, but the war ended before he was to report. Anna remembered the celebration that followed.

A story she told Larry on day while driving past North Branch Church en route from Syracuse to Avoca was seeing one of the many team-drawn wagons of lumber that were being pulled past their home at Avoca. She got curious, went down and stopped a driver, to ask where all the lumber was going. The driver said they were building a new church south of town. That church happened to be this church, North Branch. Anna thought the year was 1923, when she was 13 or 14 years old. Fred and Anna were lifetime members of this Church.
Anna is survived by children Delores, and husband Pastor Robert L Sawall , Ft Worth Texas, Josephine Fricke, Lincoln NE, Larry and wife Judy Louisville Ne, Shirley Harbeson, Lincoln Ne, 11 surviving grandchildren, 6 step grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, 2 step great grandchildren and 5 great great-grandchildren

She was proceeded in death by her Parents- Jesse & Margaret Voyles, Husband- Fred Son- Orville, 1 grandson, 2 daughters-in-law, 2 sons-in-law, 3 brothers, 2 sisters, 8 sisters-in-law, and 9 brothers-in-law