Person:Anna Krejca (1)

Raised in Two Rivers. For some reason, she always celebrated her birthday on September 8, which, accordinmg to the Liturgical Calendar (1993) is the Feast of of the Birth of Our Blessed Mother.

In 1900, she was living with her parents on Williams Street in Two Rivers. At the age of 17, she was a day laborer, could read, write and speak English.

Anna met her future husband Tom Ray in Two Rivers. One story was that she and Tom worked for a family living on Jefferson Street where she was employed as cook and Tom was the butler (houseman). The name of the family was similar to her own but may have been spelled "Krejci." This conflicts with data shown in 1910 Census. Anna was excellent cook and provided excellent meals of both Czech and English origin.

According to Rosalie Beale Kracha, Anna's parents told Anna that she could marry Tom Ray if they would stay in Two Rivers. The local newspaper, The Chronicle, reported in May 1902 that "Miss Annie Kretchi was married last Wednesday (21 May) to Mr. Thos. Ray, a young man who recently came here from Chicago. The wedding was performed at the residence of the Pastor of St. Luke's church. This was probably because Tom was not a Catholic and they could not be married in the church. The witnesses of the wedding were John Marak and Anna's sister, Mary.

After moving to Chicago with Tom, she cleaned houses to supplement the income from Hamilton's.

Anna moved to Menlo Park, California in 1951 to be near her son and his family. Anna often used to take a neighbor to St. Raymond's Church in Menlo Park on Sundays. One day, Jessie Ray received a call from this neighbor and told her that she should probably get over to the house because the lights were still on in the bathroom and Anna had not come by to take her to church. There may be some problem. Jessie raced over to the house hoping to be followed by the police but no luck. Jessie had gone through the whole house and when she got to the bathroom she saw that Anna had apparently fallen over backwards and hit her head. She called the doctor and related her discovery. She was pronounced dead at her home.

She was a member of the Peninsula Women's Club, St. Raymond's Soldality and the Rennisance Club of Chicago.

Funeral Director: Johnston Colonial Mortuary, Menlo Park. Buried in Rosehill Cemetery, Lot N1/2, Sub 4, No. 56, Sec 119.

!BIRTH: Register Nr.18 Roman Catholic Rectory, Pelhrimov, page 55

!IMMIGRATION: "Czech Immigration Passenger Lists, New York 1881-1886, Galveston 1880-1886" Volume VI by Leo Baca, 1707 Woodcreek, Richardson, TX 75082

!CENSUS: U.S. Census 1900, Two Rivers, Manitowoc, WI, S.D. 3, Sheet B, E.D. 89 Page 8.

!CENSUS: 1930, U.S. Census, Illinois, Cook, Chicago, District 1886

!NATURALIZATION: Certificate No. 4334890, Petition No 157666, Nov 2 1937

!MARRIAGE: "The Chronicle" page 5, May 1902, Two Rivers, WI, Reel p80-1509

!MARRIAGE: Marriage Register, St. Luke's Catholic Church, 1902. Copy from Catholic Archives, Green Bay Diocese, Page 328

!MARRIAGE: Wisconsin Marriages, Pre-1907, Manitowoc, Vol 5, page 243

!CENSUS: U.S. Census, 1910, Two Rivers, Manitowoc County, WI, Ward 4, E.D. 41, Page 19B

!CENSUS: 1920, U.S. Census, Illinois, Cook, Chicago, District 1159

!CAUSE: Heart attack

!BURIAL: Rosehill Cemetery Interment Record #148519