Grandma was known as Anna Pene when she was born July 23, 1905 in Eveleth, Minnesota and also on her 8th grade graduation certificate. Later, after she moved to Milwaukee, The Milwaukee City Directories of 1933 and 1934 list her as Anna Pennee and Anna Penne, respectively. But just one year later on her wedding day, July 6, 1935 she became Anne Hiller when she married my grandfather, Don C. Hiller.
In an effort to improve my genealogy citations, I sent for Grandma's birth certificate and was surprised to see her listed as "Anna" and after questioning her children, it became obvious that this was a surprise to them also. Everyone had always thought her name was "Anne", pronounced "Ann" not "Annie", she didn't like that. As much as my Grandmother liked to talk and fill my notes with family history, she didn't speak much of herself or her early life and I guess I always thought there would be plenty of time, until there wasn't. She died in 1995, outliving her husband by almost ten years.
This situation is a perfect example of how important it is to ask the "right" questions when interviewing for genealogical purposes. I missed my opportunity with my Grandma and now am trying to piece the information together with documents. Little is known about her decision to move from Eveleth, Minnesota to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 1930 United States Census does not show her living in Eveleth. In fact, I haven't found her listed in 1930 anywhere yet. She shows up next in Milwaukee in 1933 working for Reliance Laundry & Cleaning Company and living at 1501 W. Greenfield Avenue, the home of her sister Mary and her husband Frank Zupancic who owned a tavern, Frank & Mary's, at the same location. The Milwaukee City Directory of 1934 shows a change of employers for Grandma, National Family Laundry Company, where she was a press operator and still living with her sister and brother-in-law.
By this time, her brothers Louis and Albert Penne had also moved from Eveleth and were employed by Frank at the tavern. Eventually, Frank moved all Grandma's siblings and her parents from Eveleth to Milwaukee.
Family members have told me that my Grandmother may have also worked in the tavern, maybe as a waitress and that is where she met my Grandfather.
So, as of today, my research continues for information about my Grandmother's journey from Eveleth to Milwaukee and the few years she spent there before getting married. Once married, she and my Grandfather made Milwaukee their home for the remainder of their lives.