Anna Keithly Hostetter Roland Waters 11/28/1805-2/13/1905. Daughter of Issac and mary Polly Keithly Hostetter 1st married Jacob Roland, father of her children. The widow Anna became 3rd wife of Reverend Waters/buried at Center. She was a charter founder of Salt River Christian Church. Children listed on Jacob R's stone-grand children include 1 Goldena Howard 2 Roberta Hagood Hannibal Historians.

Annie [Hostetter] born Nov. 28, 1805 in St. Charles County, MO, died Feb. 13, 1905.

She married (1) Jacob Roland, who was killed by lightning.

She married (2) Rev. George Waters. New London Paper, Feb. 14, 1905:

Annie was the fifth child of the thirteen children of Isaac Hostetter and Mary (Polly) Keithly. Her father was a native of Maryland. The Hostetters were Swiss. The Keithly family originally was in North Carolina and Virginia. The Keithlys were German, probably of the group of Paletines rescued by Queen Anne and taken to Ireland to help develop farming and industries in that part of her realm. The name appears to have been anglicized, probably from Kegly or Keightle or one of the other many variations. Both families were protestant and their language was German. After emigration to the United States, they are found dwelling together, migrating together, and often intermarrying. With them were the Rolands, who were also Palatines and therefore German.

In 1798, her father Isaac Hostetter, and two Keithly families came to Missouri. First they had been on the Licking River in Kentucky, where they made a pirogue 60 ft long out of a linwood tree, hollowed into a boat. The trip was dangerous and the craft crude, but they entered the Ohio River from the Licking, and came north from the Ohio up the Mississippi River as far as the Missouri River, and then turned upstream to settle at a place still called Hostetter's Spring.

From their arrival in 1798 to 1817, they lived there with related families who joined them. Annie was born there, and her first memories were of Indians and her father's participation in the War of 1812. The family had to stay in a fort; on one occasion they stayed 14 days. Her Uncle, Abraham Keithly was scalped while out hunting the horses.

Annie recalled the New Madrid earthquake which began in December 1811 with recurring shocks for a year. She recalled that some cabins fell down, as far north as St. Charles County, and that in their home (too sturdily built to fall, she considered) the back logs rolled out of fireplaces into the rooms, and items placed on shelves and mantles rattled or fell to the floor.

Her father, Isaac, paid $6 for a sizen pewter plates for their Sunday disses; most of the ware was made of lead. Once in a while a moulder came around and made all the metal ware in new designs. Every neighborhood had a potter who sold jars and crocks, but they lacked the smooth glaze of the crocks she had later in life.

Each member of the family was permitted to keep any money he or she had earned, for her parents had "means." When a girl, she paid $9 for a leghorn hat from a huckster from St. Louis. It was made with a wide brim, wider in front than back. A neighbor knew how to clean and reblock hats, so she had it changed each spring and had a good new hat every year for seven years.

Annie was an expert at coloring cloth with native dyes, and was consulted in this matter by those who made homespuns.

John Mallory a wandering schoolmaster with an extensive education, was suspected of being one of the young Eastern men stranded in St. Louis when Aaron Burr's plot failed there. Her father, schooled in the ways of the frontier, asked no questions and permitted no speculation about the past of persons he invited into their home. It was considered rude to probe into ancestry. The young man was hired to teach the Hostetter children to read, write, read music, and teach them anything considered honest and useful for frontier living. This education seems to explain the success of many of the family, for there were no schools at that time.

In 1817, the Hostetter family settled on a farm East of Frankford.

From 1798 to 1804 they lived under Spanish rule, but did not become Catholic as required. They had family prayers and services in homes. They had been in no danger, since the authorities were lenient. In Pike County, the Hostetter home was opened to all preachers and those who wanted to gather for Gospel singing.

In September, 1821, Annie married her first cousin, Jacob Roland, son of Elizabeth Keithly and Joseph Roland, who lived near Saverton, but still worked Joseph's mine back in Kentucky.
Annie was not yet 16 years old. Jacob had built her a one-room cabin on a tract of timber he was clearing for a farm. Early in the spring the cabin and all their possessions burned, so against her will he returned her to her father's home while he built another cabin. They stayed in the Hostetter home while he was clearing the timber and recovering financially. Their first three children were born in Pike County:Enoch (Squire) married Martha A. Rodgers, daughter of Baptist parson Timothy Rodgers of Pike CoElizabeth married Lohn Wilson and lived in Saverton TownshipJames McBride, named for a Christian preacher, married Bettie FordThey had six more children born in Ralls County:Isaac married Savilla InlowSamuel married Susan Mary ShulseWilliam married Lucy RosserEnos married Susan AlexanderMary (Polly or Pop) married Harve Moslely Davilla (the youngest) married James K Ely of Monroe City (a lumber man) The name Davilla is considered a Glascock name, but there is no relationship - Mrs. Davilla Glascock was a neighbor assisting at the time of her birth.In the spring of 1828 Jacob moved h is wife and three children to the home of Roland Keithly in Saverton Township for a short while and then to a farm of their own, a mile north of Baily Ford on Salt River. Jacob and the boys did the farm work. Jacob also made all the shoes for the family. In the summer of 1826 james Campbell, Cumberland presbyterian, preached in the Hostetter home and Annie joined the congregation. Sandy E. Jones was holdling a protracted meeting in the home of Roland Keithly. A few years later, the Salt River Christian Church was organized and the Rolands became part of it. The Jacob Roland farm on Salt River was considered fine, the young wife and children worked with the father burning brush and clearing fields. In 1852 they moved to a farm four miles south of madisonville, in Hays Creek community. In July 1854 he went out in the yard to get a mowing scythe and put it in the shed, a heavy rain was falling. Lightning struck him and ten days later he died.

Annie and the children left at home, stayed at Madisonville a while and then lived with other members of the family.

In 1859 Annie married a Christian preacher, Elder George Waters, who came to Missouri from Tennessee in 1829 and preached among the settlements. He was a member of the Sugar Creek congregation organized in 1830 near Center, now Olivet Christian Church at Center, and the oldest Christian Church in Ralls County. After that she went to live in Vandalia with Isaac in the old Waters home for thirty years until his death. Then she returned to Saverton Township and lived with Mr. and Mrs. John Wilson and her daughter, Polly, who was as yet unmarried.

Anna Hostetter Roland (known in her last years as “Grannie Waters”) was the last surviving charter member of the Salt River Church. Grannie Waters was vigorous in her churchmanship, and sang in a loud clear voice. She taught her children according to the scripture, but followed the admonition of St. Paul in regard to women keeping silent in the church meeting. In her day, no woman voiced opinions in church, but left them to the men.

A young preacher, delivering a trial sermon for the Salt River congregation, thought to curry favor with this aged charter member and said, “We will now be led in prayer by that saint who is bound for glory, Mrs. Annie Waters.” She eyed him calmly from her rocking chair, which she brought to services with her and placed in the middle aisle, down front. She said cheerfully, “Pray yourself, Preacher – that’s what we pay you for.”

The children of the charter members and their descendants, swelled the congregation of the Salt River and of all others in this section of Missouri. In 1900 Grannie Waters had 102 living descendants, all but one of them members of a Christian church, somewhere. She died in the winter. A few of her children made it through the snow drifts to see her buried, but there was no funeral. Her pastor, J.B. Corwine wrote a eulogy which appeared in the county paper. But her gravestone by the church, is as unpretentious as the people who founded the congregation. It says simply “Here lies a Christian.”

from "Ralls County Missouri" by Goldena Roland Howard (with some from Hannibal Courier-Post 8/24/1956), also by Howard.

"Mrs. Anna Waters, who was more than 99 years of age, died at her home six miles south of here Feb. 13. She was born in St. Charles Co. Mo. Nov. 5, 1805, and was known to be the oldest native Missourian. She was probably the oldest member of the Christian Church. She drew a pension by special Act of Congress for service rendered by her second husband in the war of 1812." Her children; Squires, Elizabeth, James, Isaac, Samuel, Mrs. Ely and two or three others. 6. Patsy born in 1807, married Killebrew. 7. Enoch born Jan. 6, 1810, died Dec. 5, 1897. 8 Ammon born Feb. 2, 1812, died Nov. 6, 1875. 9 Eliza born April 17, 1814, died May 25, 1894. 10 Isaac born 1816, died 1823. 11 Eunice born July 17, married Fields, died Oct. 31, 1896. 12. Enos born March 16, 1821, died Feb. 1901. 13 Gabriel born April 4, 1824.

From: "Some Missouri Pioneers," ("Some Missouri Pioneers, their Ancestors, Descendants, and Kindred from other States"). by Mary Iantha Castlio, 1923