Anna Janatina Van Dalen was born on March 11, 1906, in Bejou, Minnesota. She moved to Lynden, Washington in her late teens with her mother, father and four sisters. A brother was born a few years later.

She met and married Julius Vander Meer in 1929. Her only son was born the following year.

During the depression, she went to work candling eggs when her son was small and continued in this profession until her late fifties.

Anna and her husband moved to Bellflower, California in 1984 and joined the congregation at Bethel Reformed Church. They moved to the Bethel Manor shortly before Julius, her beloved husband of 56 years died in 1985.

Anna enjoyed traveling whenever she could and delighted in showing pictures of herself riding a camel in Jericho when she was ninety years old. Among her other accomplishments were crocheting gifts for her friends and making her famous custard for the church potluck dinners. Her church friends and activities were a big part of her life.

Anna Janatina Vander Meer entered glory in Murrieta, California, on June 28, 2001. She is survived by her son, Sam and his wife Sharlene; her grandson, Ken Vander Meer and his wife Lori; her granddaughter, Gloria Choma and her husband John; her great granddaughters, Molly, Lara and Grace Choma; her sisters, Sue Schouten and Martha Plaatsman; her brother, John Van Dalen: and a host of cherished church family and friends.

A funeral service to celebrate her life was held on Tuesday, July 3, 2001, at 1:00 pm at Bethel Reformed Church, in Bellflower, CA, followed by interment in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Cypress, CA.

The following was written by Anna's 12 year old great granddaughter to her grandparents the day her great grandmother (Anna) died.

"Dear Gramma & Grampa,
Oma is in the arms of the angel. She is probably giving Opa a nice big juicy kiss right as we speak!

I am more excited for her than anything, but I took the news pretty hard. I'm crying as I write, my tears hitting the keys. She was such an encouragement to me. I will miss her more than anything, Mommy, well, she was just as happy for her as I am, but you could see in her eyes the regret that she couldn't say good bye. Just like Vira, she will get to meet Christ, and will live forever in heaven as the happiest Oma ever!