Anna Laura Meisinger, GW #84 

Anna was born on 27 March 1893 (some say 1894) in the Pittsburgh area to (German immigrant) George and Julia (Kwelaski) Meisinger.  Anna was only 15 when her father died in 1908.  By 1910, Anna has joined the Gospel Worker Society and was living in Williamsport with Hattie Musselman, Cora Felty, and Laura Ebersole.  She was not there for long since she is listed in the Cleveland city directory in 1912-1914 with the address of the Gospel Worker Society.  She is with the main group in the 1920 census.  She appears in the 1925 Cleveland City directory as a Gospel Worker.  Her whereabouts for the 1930 and 1940 census remain a mystery.  In the 1944 obituary of fellow Gospel Worker Emma Reiff, she participated in the funeral service and is listed as being from Pittsburgh.  However, before 1951 she gets a Social Security number in California.  In the Bakersfield, CA, city directory she is listed as a cashier in 1951, a missionary and also a “bmo” in the general mortgage company in 1952, and an assistant pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in 1955 and 56.   In several of those city directories she has the title “Rev.”  From 1957 to 1964 she has the same street address (2512b Niles) with the title “Rev” and working as a bookkeeper.  In 1958 she registered to vote in Kern County, CA, (where she is listed as “Anna Laura Meisinger”) but declines to select a political party.  At some point she moves back to Cleveland with the Gospel Workers.  She died in Cleveland on 17 April 1987 and is buried in the Brooklyn Heights cemetery with other Gospel Workers.