Anna de Riese was born in Filsum Germany on July 9, 1897 to Gretje Klover and Johann Weerts de Riese. Anna married Howard Wells (born June 26, 1870 in Baltimore) on October 10 1926 in Baltimore, and they were the parents of Nancy (married Garth Jensen), who did a great amount of genealogy work, and Mary Jane (born October 29 1927 in Baltimore). Hilda Bethke Zink exchanged letters through the years with Anna Wells, Tantje Antje, and Nancy, and all felt strong ties to their ancestors. Hilda’s and Nancy’s grandmothers (Lena Klover and Gretje Klover) were sisters.
Anna Wells immigrated to the US in 1924. She traveled from Bremerhaven on the Bremen and arrived January 1, 1924. She listed her last residence as Leipsig.
Anna Wells lived with her sister, Tante Antje, in St. Petersburg Florida (310 8th Avenue North). Tante Antje was a maid to a very wealthy woman. She took care of her wardrobe and bedrooms. She never married, and retired to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1960. She had been living at 4200 St. Paul Street in Baltimore, Maryland. Both Anna and Tante Antje exchanged letters with Hilda Bethke Zink. I have some of these letters and will include them soon.
1930 Census shows Howard Wells, age 59, Anna age 33, and Mary Jane, age 2.
1953 Postcard (The Incline Up Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, RN) from Anna Wells and Tante Antje to Hilda:
Our Nancy graduated in June from Tallahassee St. U. and god a job here with the T.V.A. She likes her work very much and we are here now visiting her. By the 1st of September we will be back in St. Petersburg. The mountains are very pretty and we do enjoy our trips around here. I hope you and all your Folks are well! I have a long vacation my Lady is in Europe. Love to all from Tante Anna and Antje.
