Anna was born to Franz and Marie Kupgen Arensdorff in Olm, Luxembourg District, Luxembourg. She was married to Nicholas Arens on 18 November 1841 in the location of her birth.

About 1851 Anna immigrated with her husband and children to America. They settled with other families from Luxembourg in St Donatus, Jackson County, Iowa. The community was predominately Catholic as were the members of the Arens families. The little town now has the largest and best collection of 19th century Luxembourg architecture in America.

After her husband passed away, Anna moved to northwestern Iowa where her living children had all immigrated.

MRS. ARENS DEAD
Mrs. Anna Arens died at the home of her daughter Mrs. Nic Schroeder in Alton Friday night September thirtieth at ten-thirty after a short illness.

Mrs. Arens was born June sixth 1821 at Kapellen Luxemburg Europe. Her maiden name was Anna Arensdorf. At the age of twenty she was united in marriage to Nicholas Arens who lived at Olm Luxemberg.

In 1851, with her husband and five children she came to America and settled on a farm near St Donatus, The husband died on March ninth 1879 and after living on the farm with her four youngest children until 1884, she divided most of the estate among her children and has since lived here with her daughter, Mrs. Nic Schroeder.

Mrs. Arens was the mother of fourteen children, six of whom were waiting to greet her on the eternal shore. The surviving children are Theodore, John, John Peter, and Mrs. Mary Schroeder of Alton, Peter of Remsen, Charley of Woonsocket South Dakota, Math of White Lake South Dakota and Sister Melchiades who is Superintendent of St, Joseph's asylum in New York City and who visited her mother here last June.

The funeral was held from St. Mary's church Monday morning and was attended by a large concourse of relatives and friends. She was a devout and faithful member of the Catholic church. Rev. Brune in conducting the funeral services paid a beautiful tribute to the departed one. Deceased was a woman of strong character and spent her time in usefulness and unselfish devotion to those about her during her long life on earth. She died as she lived in the implicit faith of a better life to come. Through life she had a heavy burden to bear and carried it with her faith and patience and her last wish was that her God would be with her and that all her loved ones might meet her in heaven.

The remains were laid to rest in St.Mary's cemetery. The bereaved ones have the sympathy of the community in their loss.

From out of town attending the funeral were Math Fischand family, Mrs. Tony Weidenfeller, Mrs. Hansen and Mrs. Pletch of Le-Mars; Mesdames Peter Homan, NicKass, John Merch, Arens, Katharine Homan, Jake Manderscheid, Nick Miller and Mary Wagner of Remsen; Mrs. Robinet and son John, Mrs.Nic Jungers and Mr. and Mrs. Jemming and Matt Harnes of Hosperand John Arens, a grandson from Missouri.

Alton Democrat, Alton, Iowa,
Saturday, October 8, 1904.