Comments I made at the funeral

More could have been said. I did not read this word for word. So I did very from it some. =-)

Mom was kind of quiet, and I think she didn’t tell her story much, so I’d like to give you a short version of her life story:

I know a lot of moms story, yet not all. Mom was born at home on a farm in Michigan. When I thought this strange mom assured me this was normal, doctors came to the home back then. Her dad, Bower Walters, was a farmer who farmed with horse drawn equipment, while she was growing up. While her mother was a house wife. Living on the farm was hard work for the family. One of moms jobs was to sweep, mop and paint the back set of stairs on the old two story farm house and make sure they were kept clean. A job she did not care for one bit. Mom found trouble as well, there was one time she went out and rode one of the draft horses, without permission. She broke her arm and it resulted in mom not liking horses. While school aged mom had some health struggles too. She was anemic and was not allowed to participate in physical education classes. In high school she was a passenger in an auto that was involved in accident, her injuries left her blinded for some months, I think it was about 18 months. While being born 3 months after dad, she graduated 2 school years behind dad, she missed a lot of time because of the auto accident. She may have been 1 year behind to start with as Michigan has a different cut off date for starting school than Iowa’s. Mom was the 6th child born to her parents. The first 5 are fairly close in age then they are more spread out. Mom was 8 years younger than Flossie and 4 years older than Bill. While the other 5 were born between 5/1923 and 12/1928. Mom graduated salutatorian in her small class. Dad liked to tease mom that her education washed off her sleeve when she graduated high school. She also won a Cherry Pie Baking Contest. I once read a comment in her year book that she would marry Melvin Moschke and make him her award winning cherry pies. I do not remember her making cherry pies in particular but she did make many good pies.

Mom met dad on a blind date while in high school. A man named Bill Bromley asked mom and then another lady out the same evening. Since he wanted to date the other lady more, and his friend was home on leave he asked his friend, Melvin Moschke to come along and help him out. So they had a double date. Then, there is part of the story missing I have no more details and just know this much. They were engaged to be married, even printed invitations and mailed them out. I have a invitation asking people to attend the marriage of Ann(a) Marie Walters. to PFC. Melvin G Moschke, Friday 7 December 1956 at 7 p.m. Then my aunt wrote postponed on it. Mom had mentioned this a couple of times but never said why. Then they did get married in August 10, 1957 when dad was out of the military. In the seven years before I was born I know they moved 26 times and had most of the 27 foster children they took care of for varying times. In the moves I know they started in a trailer on Grandpa Moschke’s place, made the move from Michigan to Iowa Falls, Iowa for dad to start engineering school there before being hired at John Deere in Waterloo in January 1959. I do know they rented an apartment near East High, and lived in Drosties Trailer Park. Mom baby sat as well as taking care of foster children. They were trying to adopt one of their foster kids, a boy named Timmy, yet his parents would not allow that. One of my cousins said Timmy was the apple of dads eye, he was 3 years older than I, and he lived with us 7 years.

While traveling with my parents and my children, dad once commented how thankful he was of mom. Mom conditionally accepted accepted dad’s proposal provided she met his dad and he approved. Dad was from a broken home and did not care for his dad, blaming the break up all on him. By going there he started a relationship with his dad, he would not have had otherwise, thanks to mom. In the midst of having her children all under the age of 5 her parents got sick, in Michigan. My parents made the arrangements so mom could go help her parents.

It ripped my parents heart out when Timmy was removed from our home. He did stay in touch with us for the rest of his life.

A friend of mom’s was widowed young, she said mom was “a very good friend”,. Mom would go out of her way to help her. She was always someone mom could talk to once being left single. She knew when to call and was good company, just before moms health declined she was good fun in exercise classes she also stated.

Mom had not learned to drive before living in Iowa. Dad teased mom that she forced 7 police officers to leave the force. Dad had hired them to teacher her to drive. While she did learn to drive I would not say she was comfortable driving, she did all to avoid driving on highways and the open road.

Mom like most of us was a creature of habit. She car pooled with the neighborhood moms as they did not bus Kindergartners home mid day then. While some children went home for lunch we ate the same thing in our lunches she packed every day: a sandwich, apple, celery, and thermos of milk. fine yet got tiring. After many years we got her to add a piece of cake or brownie.

Brian commented “she made sure each of us knew our way around the kitchen and nurtured us. Mom and dads desire for us to be at church every time the doors were open, gave Brian the desire to continue. “

Mom loved to do many things - gardening, canning, sewing, embroidery, care for children, build 1500 piece puzzles, cook from scratch, as she aged she enjoyed search word books and collecting dolls. Mom had the most uniform beautiful stitches in hand sewing, I always asked her to do that part for me. Her handwriting as well was lovely.

One thing I loved about mom was her availability. If we missed the bus, forgot a paper/ report, or books, something for sports, or came down sick at school. We knew a call home and mom would be there for us.

Rod said ‘Ann has been special to me for as long as I have known her. I started dating Angela 29 years ago, and from the first Ann made me feel welcome in her house. She was always quick to make sure you got fed when you came over, and to a teenage boy, that's one of the most special 'love languages'. While Ann was never one for a lot of long conversations with people outside of her family and close friends, she was sweet, caring and kind. She will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Diane called me to say mom really loved the grandkids, and being around them. A woman of few words. She could tell she loved them, her garden and flowers. Mom took care of Matthew at farmers Market while they both worked. Mom provided many meals as Craig did not want to cook after work, so she feed them.

One of my aunts said to me you know that special relationship between a mom and her sons. I long saw mom loved Rod, Brian and Craig. While I never doubted her love for me.

In all the times we asked mom to watch the boys for us I can only think of 1 or 2 times she said no only because her schedule could not be moved to make it work out. Mom was a care taker with babysitting, taking in foster children, raising her own children, more babysitting and grandchildren. She met another good friend babysitting.

We all heard no about things she did not aprove of, or wanted no part of. as she aged she would say “ No” and I did not know why.

Here are what some others said

John - ( grand son) Always arguing with grandpa, gave us food. He also commented that she watched a lot of soap opera’s.

Ellie & Melissa- (granddaughters) like grandma’s Kool-aid.

Enoch- Grandma showered us with treats, oatmeal cookies and or fudge sickles.

Paul- Grandma could be quiet, and bossed around by grandpa. He made mention of the cookies and splitting twin pops. He told how she would get two out split both give Paul one, keep one, give grandpa one and let Paul have the other one getting two flavors.

Johnathan - (was born living far away) so he remembered bringing gifts when they visited.

Elisha - remembered talking them into having grilled cheese for breakfast. (something he could not do at home.)

Bonnie's niece said she had put her hands on some glasses to move them and mom said to the niece. ‘ Those are mine, No those are mine.” so the niece pulled her hand away.

Others- Bonnie slipped me a piece of paper as just before the service with two more stories that finished it nicely.


It has been hard watching her health decline the last few (6) years. Still I will remember her being in the Ladies Missionary Group at the Covenant Church, teaching VBS or helping, studying her Bible and being at church or always wanting to be at church. In her last months, she became quite fond of singing ‘Jesus Loves Me” with me at the end of our visits. I remember one special time when Rod and the boys were with me and we all sang as a family. I’ll very much miss my mom...thank you all for coming.