Anna Maria Pröse was born the 24th of April, 1861 in Gladbeck, Westfalen/Westphalia, Prussia near Essen to Johann Bernard Henrich Pröse and Anna Maria Holländer. She married 1) Bernhard Wilhelm Sommer May 08, 1884 in Essen. Wilhelm was born August 11, 1859 in Essen to Jacob Sommer and Anna Maria Temlohr. They had at least five children: Wilhelm Bernard "Webs", Anna Maria Marguerete Augusta Victoria "Mia", and Johann Heinrich Sommer who died when young. The 5 children were all born in Gelsenkirchen-Schalke, Nordrhein-Westfalen Lande, Germany where Wilhelm worked as a miner. Wilhelm and Anna also owned and operated the largest bakery in Essen. It was a three-story building with brick siding and a beige studio front. The family lived in comfort on the second and third floors; a cook prepared meals for the them as well as the workers in the kitchen on the ground floor where the pastry shop was also located. The bakery itself was in the basement. As their business prospered Wilhelm and Anna employed twenty-three people in the bakery and their living quarters, including: bakers, bakery apprentices, clerks, deliverymen, housekeeper, housemaids, a cook, a dressmaker, and nursemaids for their four living children. Wilhelm died from a heart attack at the age of thirty-three, about 1892 while out on a morning walk.

Anna then married 2) their head baker, Johann Gerhard Hofacker the 8th of June, 1893 in Münsterkirche St. Johann Baptist Hohe Domkirche in Essen. Gerhard was born March 07, 1864 in Menzelen to Gerhard Hoffacker and Anna Catharina Büssing. They had three sons who were all born in Essen: Hermann Johann, Heinrich Bernard, and Alfred Wilhelm Hofacker. Gerhard sold their home and business and moved the family to America in 1903. The family settled in the German section of St. Paul, Minnesota where they rented a house. It wasn't too long after they arrived that Gerhard took all the money and left. He returned when the money ran out and took any money Oma had saved and soon took off again. Anna divorced him. Life was very different and difficult in America than it had been in Prussia. She went hungry many a time. She was so happy when the family was fed.

In about 1922 Anna and her youngest, Al traveled to California and boarded with Mia and Karl Henning in their new home in Richmond, California. Anna and Emil Petry lived on Barrett Avenue in Richmond. Al and Mary Hofacker/Hofer lived in Richmond on 40th Street and then in San Pablo on Road 20. Henry and Helen Hofacker moved to Alameda, California in 1932. Webs and Ida Sommer moved to San Bernardino, California from Palo Alto. Hermann and Ovidia Hofacker moved to Montana from Minnesota. Only August and Lucy Sommer remained in Minnesota.

Anna lived the rest of her life in the homes of her children who lived in the San Francisco Bay area. She died of uterine cancer the 22nd of February, 1932 in Anna Petry's home in Richmond, Contra Costa County, California. She was buried the 25th of February, 1932 in the Adult J Section, Row 8, Grave 107, Sunset View Cemetery, El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California.