Journal-Advocate Sterling, Colorado 10-13-01 village: Volmer Anna Gertner to celebrate 100 years of living By CAROL BARRETT Journal-Advocate Community Editor She was born a century ago, halfway around the world in Volmer, Russia. On Sunday, Oct. 14, Anna Gertner will celebrate her 100th birthday at Devonshire Acres. Her family and friends are planning a surprise birthday party and card shower for her at 2 p.m. at Devonshire's Coventry Dining Hall. Anna's father, John Ertle, left Russia and came to the United States in 1910. A year later, Anna's mother Mary Ann, boarded a ship bound for America, bringing with her Anna and her five other children. They moved to Colorado, where Anna grew up in the Iliff and Proctor area and went to the one-room Dillon School. The family eventually had thirteen children; six girls and seven boys. The Ertles stayed on farms and worked beets during the summer and lived in Iliff in the winter. As Anna was growing up, she helped out with the family's expenses by taking in laundry. John Gertner's family had also come to the United States from Volmer, Russia, arriving in this country in 1912. Anna and John met, and on Feb. 16, 1920, they were married at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Sterling. Anna was 18 years old. Their first child was born a year later, in February 1921. The young couple lived and worked in the Padroni area until 1928. Then they rented a farm, where they stayed until 1955. They moved into Sterling then, and John worked at the sugar factory, the McDonald Hay Mill and Sterling Alfalfa Mill. He retired in 1964. Anna was the homemaker, raising their 13 children: John Gertner Jr. of Sterling, David Gertner of Castle Rock, Ben Gertner and Mark Gertner of Sterling, the late Anna Mary Bretz, Josephine Amerin of Plains, Kan., Sister Leonette of Milwaukee, Virginia Amerin of Johnson, Kan., Clarence Gertner of Sterling, Margaret Clapham of Denver, and Clara Mae Marie, Lawrence Gertner and Don Gertner, all of Sterling. Anna Gertner became a United States citizen on Dec. 11, 1956. Her husband John became a citizen on June 11, 1941. They had been married 68 years when he died in 1988. Anna spent most of her long life working hard and going through hard times, raising and loving her family. Some of her favorite pastimes then were sewing, embroidery work, baking, canning, baby-sitting her grandchildren and attending family functions. Now, because of poor eyesight and arthritis, Anna has lived at Devonshire Acres for the past two years and eight months. She spends her days quietly, watching mass and the "Price Is Right" on TV. A member of St. Anthony Catholic Church since moving to this area, she also says the rosary and reads the Bible. A highlight of her days is visiting with her children and their families. After 100 years of living, Anna has one brother, John Ertle, 12 living children, 65 grandchildren, seven step-grandchildren, 110 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren to wish her a wonderful birthday.