02/10/2026
My Grandma Anna lost her husband when she was in her 40s. At the time, she had 7 children. Two of them, including my dad, were still in elementary school. They lived in a small town near McGregor and work was scarce. She harvested wild rice and peeled popple to make ends meet, before ultimately taking a job cleaning hotel rooms in “the cities.”
I didn’t know her when she was young, and scrappy, and heartbroken, and worried. I knew her when she was soft, and warm, and happy to give away her last dollar. The Grandma Anna I knew moved from one family home to the next like Mary Poppins, watching grandchildren until the wind changed. Instead of a black umbrella, grandma traveled with a black garbage bag of quilting supplies and another bag of the few clothes she wasn’t “saving for good.”
She fried chicken, and donuts, and she wasn’t afraid to eat dessert first. She was 5 feet tall if she was lucky, with a round belly and a full heart. And as the skin on the back of her hands turned to paper, I knew even 104 years would not be enough.
I love today for the memories and for bringing you into the world, Gram. I will never stop posting this picture of you as the best maid of honor ever! You said you felt like a queen. You were, Gram…you were. ❤️ Love you!
Happy Birthday, Grandma!
Anna Berg 1912-2016
Cabana Anna’s