In a small village of Schwarzhaüsen, in the most northern part of Bern Canton, Switzerland, Samuel and Anna Zurlinden Gygax began their family. As was tradition, announcements were made that young Samuel and Anna were to be married and on 5 July 1833 they were united in the Evangelist Reformed Church of Niederbipp, in Bern Canton.

The young couple returned to Schwarzhaüsen where they made their home, and it was not long before they began added children to their family. Anna Maria Gygax was born on 24 Jan 1834. Then Anna followed a couple of years later on 17 Mar 1838. Two sons were born - Johnn Gottfried, born 11 Apr 1838, and then Johann Rudolf on 18 Dec 1845. Elisa was born 9 February 1851, and their family was complete with the birth of Maria, born 15 Jun 1853.

Photo taken 2005
by Allyson Hunt Wood.
This is the same church
Anna attended.

The Samuel Gygax family was a religious family and each child was faithfully taken to church to be christened when they were about one month old. There was not a church in their little village so they traveled the short distance to Aarwangen, where each of their children were christened into the Evangelist Reformed Church. Young Anna was christened on 3 April 1836. It was witnessed by Peter Gounihan (spelling needs to be checked), Maria Fridli and Maria Gygax.