This page will chronicle the life of my mother, Anna Lott Bergen, daughter of John Lott Bergen and Caroline VanSinderen Wyckoff.  The more I think about various things she did in her life, the more impressed I get.  Just quickly, will fill in dates as I find them.

Born on January 5, 1911, Jamaica, NY
Spent summers at Asbury Park/Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Quarantined a few weeks with smallpox
Graduated Jamaica High School
Graduated William Smith College in Geneva, NY
  Sang in Glee Club in college
  New York State Womens Collegiate Archery Champion (never mentioned it)
Late teens/early twenties:
  Traveled by ship to Bermuda
  Traveled cross country by train to San Francisco, then by ship to Hawaii
  Traveled by ship to Germany, toured Italy, even saw the Passion Play at Oberammargau, Austria
President of New York State Chapter, Christian Endeavor Union
Worked at 1939 World's Fair in Queens, NY
During World War II, drew actual bombing maps of Japan from aerial photographs
Married Milton Goldsmith Billard on September 23, 1945
Bore and raised three boys
Manager of Five Towns Womens Exchange in Cedarhurst, NY
  Baked dozens (60 for one holiday season alone) of pies and other pastries
Part-time sales at A&S department store in Hempstead, NY
Sunday school teacher
Christian Endeavor group leader
Following death of her mother, started 'Ancestral Antiques', traveling around the area doing antique shows
Learned a LOT about antiques, even went to night school to learn how to re-cane chairs
Proficient at playing piano AND multi-keyboard organ (subbed at church some Sundays)
Developed substantial stamp collection and LARGE collection of United Nations First Day Covers
Did considerable genealogical research on the family history
Active Member of Daughters of the American Revolution
Loved reading murder mysteries
About age 75, suffered a stroke, lost speech and ability to walk, both regained with therapy
Following a second stroke, admitted to a nursing home where she passed on at age 79.

     May God Bless You and your gentle soul.

OK, dear reader, since you made it this far, you will now be rewarded with a few<g> pictures of Anna.

   Wow, my poor skinny Grandma gave birth to this fat baby.

A bit unusual, here is a letter to my Grandmother from the nurse/midwife listing the items required to prepare for the birth.

   nice mother & baby

  that's her standing on the chair             three years old

              Anna, with baby brother John

                         Anna, John, and Dolly Healy 'ready for the parade'

  as Martha Washington?               as Little Dutch Girl

     early teens?                             RARE photo with loose long hair

On finding these two pictures, I asked her who had Scarlet Fever. She nonchalantly replied, "Oh, that was me. I was quarantined for a while. I was fine."

   late teens?                                flapper era?

                                                          with her parents

        in Berlin for Christian Endeavor Convention                 

she NEVER ONCE mentioned she had ever been on a golf course 

   with her mothers Aunt Sarah (DeBevoise) Blair

   bride with mother and bridesmaids, 1945