Her sisters often sang in church and by the time Anna was old enough to sing with them the only part left in the quartet was bass. Although she could sing almost any part, bass was fun and as she strummed her guitar singing seemed a natural expression of her deep faith. Her oldest sister, Ruth, sang alto and played the autoharp. The quartet grew in popularity and the sisters found themselves traveling by train to churches in the Delmarva peninsula. Ruth became an ordained minister and often provided the preaching for the services. Ethel, the second oldest sister, sang lead and Leah, the third in line, sang tenor. This was during the great depression so there was little monetary gain, especially in working with churches.

Nevertheless, Robert and Kathryn were proud of their children and their contribution to the ministry. Wilbert was to follow in his father's footsteps, becoming a minister. Congregations were pleased to discover that Wilbert's abilities were accentuated by his tremendous baritone voice. Singing solos in churches, his voice thundered with rich quality and strong emotion. It was to this talented family, that the Watts brothers formed a rich and lasting bond. The Mengel sisters found themselves singing in the church of Edgar E. Watts (the four Mengel sisters were destined to meet the four Watts brothers with one romance imminent).

Anna and Earl soon began dating and married in 1941. Earl, a young pastor, depended on his wife to play the piano, sing solos in church, teach him to sing (a major undertaking), teach Sunday School, and along the way, raise their four children. Anna loved to write and often wrote poems as a means of expression, receiving awards for a couple of the poems she submitted in contests. Married for 45 years, in one of his last sermons Earl expressed it best in stating, "During these years, faithfully toiling by my side has been my loyal wife, who played the piano in many of my pastorates. She has been Sunday School teacher, choir director, special singer, substitute preacher in my absence from the pulpit and church janitor...unsalaried, an unpaid worker in the church to whom I owe a tremendous debt for these 45 years of fruitful service."

After Earl's death, Anna continued to live with her daughters. In 2001 she started dialysis treatments, three times a week for 6 years. She was a blessing to all who came in contact with her and the light of our lives. In 2006, Anna left this world and went to be with the Lord. She is sorely missed to this day by all who knew and loved her.

The family planned a surprise birthday party for her when she was 80 and a beaming Anna recounted stories of her past. As an evening of fun concluded, it was clear that Anna's pride and delight will always be her children and grandchildren. Her years of Christian service may have officially ended with Earl's death but her love for family and friends is eternal.