Anne Catherine Slaymaker was born June 7, 1885 and married Frederick Gardner on January 7, 1911 in Beloit. They had two daughters, Barbara born July 20, 1914 and died at age of 8 on March 25, 1922 and Mary Anne born August 3, 1915, who attended Beloit schools and graduated from Beloit College in 1956. Mrs. Gardner’s musical career began early with the Beloit Treble Clef in 1903 and she was a member 70 years. Her first public concert was in the old Baptist Church on December 2, 1903, when she played “Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude.”

She studied in Chicago under Fanny Bloomfield Zeisler, Howard Wells and Rudolph Ganz. It is told that on one occasion Mrs. Zeisler took her to a luncheon at Mrs. Potter Palmers and she was overwhelmed because the ladies wore hats and gloves at the luncheon table. Later when she studied with Howard Wells, she sometimes took her daughter Mary on the Chicago Northwestern train into Chicago. While she had a lesson, Mary listened, knowing her reward would be a lunch at Marshall Fields and then to Chicago Theatre before coming home.

In the fall of 1925 she was active in starting Beloit’s Civic Music Association with Leland M. Foreman, Mrs. Frank Wilford, Professor Max Miranda, William Schofer and Professor G.F. Rassweiler, members of the committee. After six years (1931) it changed its name to Community Concerts. She helped to select artists to perform in Beloit. She also played with the Fairbanks Morse Band under the direction of Fred R. Lhotak. Her daughter recalls when she was the only passenger on an airplane trip to New York because of a severe blizzard. She played with the Atwater Kent Orchestra and other symphonies in New York and Chicago. At a concert in Beloit it is said she gave a “glorious and commanding recital of gypsy music by Schumann.” She played two piano concerts with Della Sehrt, also a teacher of piano music. Anne was a member of Mendelssohn Club of Rockford and performed many times. She was interested in the Young Artists Program and was President of Wisconsin District Federation of Music Clubs.

Both of the Gardner’s were active for many years in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. He was director of the robed choir and she was the organist. Anne had a colorful career and was Beloit’s “Concert Pianist” of distinction. A great lady with a super sense of humor. Mr. Gardner’s parents were connected with the Gardner machine Company for many years and he was general manager for over thirty years, leaving in 1935. He died after a short illness at Beloit Hospital on December 22, 1948. Anne died on May 11, 1973 at age 87 when recovering from a broken hip. She and her husband are interned in Oakwood Cemetery.