Annie Waterfall was born to John William Waterfall II and Susannah Bacon on 24 November 1866 in Deptford, Kent, England. Annie's father was a marine engineer in England. He worked for the Thames Conservatory there. His children, including Annie, were fascinated with their father's diving gear.

Annie's mother Susannah joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1868. Susannah wanted to gather with the Saints in the United States, in the state of Utah. So the family left for Utah on 10 April 1883, leaving the father (John William Waterfall II) behind in England. John was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He wanted to stay in England for one more year, so that he could get his pension from his job. Shortly after Susannah and Annie and the other children left, John was baptized five days later into the LDS Church. He decided it was not worth it to stay in England for a lonely year, and left England in May of 1883 for Utah.

Annie and her family ended up living in Salt Lake City, Utah. She met and fell in love with another person from England. His name was Edward William (Edwin) Kearsley. The two were married on 2 January 1894 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They made their home in the Salt Lake area and Annie gave birth to their first six children in that area. It wasn't until around 1905 to 1906 that Annie and her husband Edwin moved to the little town of Victor, Idaho. Annie had three more children while living in Victor; however, one of those three children (while living in Victor) was born in Salt Lake, Utah; possibly because Annie was visiting relatives when she gave birth to Alice.

Annie and Edwin Kearsley had the following children:

1. Beaulah Annie Kearsley, born 1 Feb. 1895
2. Edward John Kearsley, born 26 Nov. 1896
3. Benjamin Richard Kearsley, born 24 May 1898
4. Susannah Frances Kearsley, born 22 Sept. 1900
5. Violet Mary Kearsley, born 17 June 1902
6. Hyrum Lambert Kearsley, born 1 March 1904
7. Edith Flora Kearsley, born 12 April 1906
8. Alice Louise Kearsley, born 11 Dec. 1907
9. Arthur Wallace Kearsley, born 6 Nov. 1911