Annie was no doubt devastated by having to put her husband \u201caway\u201d, especially considering the stigma associated with mental illness in those days. \u00a0I imagine that his behavior must have been pretty bad for her to decide it was better to raise three small children alone than live with him in the house.\u00a0 John died in September of 1900, presumably from his illness.<\/p>\n
Faced with this overwhelming loss, Annie might have chosen to do what so many Victorian women did when their husbands died \u2013 don a black dress and stay home for the rest of her life.\u00a0 But Annie was not a typical woman.\u00a0 She made the decision to keep her husband\u2019s jewelry store open and manage it herself.<\/p>\n
In a book published in 1918 about the early history of Willows and its inhabitants, the authors noted that \u201cAnnie Billiou Hoever\u00a0took over the management of\u00a0her husband\u2019s jewelry store after his death.\u00a0 She has demonstrated her ability as a business woman and won\u00a0great success through her own efforts\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 That was quite a high endorsement for a woman to receive in 1918.\u00a0 Heck, it\u2019s a great compliment today.<\/p>\n
Annie not only became a successful business woman, she also excelled in raising her three children.\u00a0 Two of the three graduated from Stanford University (our grandmother, the rebel, being the lone exception) and they all went on to lead rewarding lives.\u00a0 She was active in the community and enjoyed a wide circle of friends until her death in 1940.\u00a0 She is buried in a joint grave with John.<\/p>\n
Which brings me back to the ring.\u00a0 The diamond had been re-set over the years and the latest iteration \u201csmothered\u201d it.\u00a0 So for our anniversary last year my husband had it put in a new setting so that I could wear it as my engagement ring.\u00a0 Every day when I look at it I think of Annie and of all that this diamond has \u201cseen\u201d in its lifetime.\u00a0 I think about her joys and her sorrows and how she persevered through it all.\u00a0 I wish that I had known more about Annie when I was younger \u2013 somehow it gives me strength to know that I come from such an inspiring woman.<\/p>\n
So on this Mother\u2019s Day I hope that somewhere Annie knows that she is still remembered and makes her family proud.<\/p>\n
Annie with her three children<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson When we left Annie in Part One, she had just witnessed the shooting death of her mother and was, in the norms of that time, a spinster.\u00a0 But that was about to change. In the late … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/annie-billiou-family1.jpg\" "\\"ANNIE")
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