Our very special friend, Ann

 What can I say about this wonderful, unassuming little woman that hasn't been said already? She was the most thoughtful, sincere, caring and compassionate person that you could ever meet. Your problems were her problems, or perhaps, her problems to help you with. Immediately after we moved here with the National Park Service, and because of our shared religious affliation, we instantly had something in common with Ann. She became one of the few co-workers that I had regular contact with outside of the Monument, every weekend at St. James. Actually, because of the nature and location of our respective offices, we saw more of each other away from work, than we did at work. Conversely, because of her quiet, reserved demeanor, we didn't get to know her that well at first. But when she went to work at the Monument Headquarters, our paths crossed a bit more often. As her travels to other Parks became more frequent, so too did our encounters. She always, always asked about my family, and was very concerned about my children. when Kathy's dad died, she cried with Kathy as if it were her own father. I could go on with literally pages of other examples, like when Kristine had a seizure at church, Ann stayed with us long after everyone else had left. She had a way of making you feel like your burden was the only one in the world that was of importance to her. She could always find the words that made you feel better, no matter how great your troubles were. She may have been small of stature, but she had a heart as big as this world. She was a genuinely sincere person, and a very good friend. We will all miss her,

Mike, Kathy, Kristine and Justin Thompson