Anna Mae Wachter

Anna Mae Wachter, 78, of Jackson passed away Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau.

She was born March 29, 1947, in Cape Girardeau to William and Clara Ochs Bingenheimer.

Anna Mae attended Grace Lutheran Elementary School in Uniontown and was a 1965 graduate of Oak Ridge High School. She then worked a year at the Jackson Hosiery Mill before her marriage to Allen Wachter on July 23, 1966, at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. Four children were born to their union, Jeffery, Jennifer, Jerome and Jeremy.

The family first resided at St. Peters and then Peoria, Illinois. They returned to Jackson in 1971, and Anna Mae established a well-known infant daycare in her home, caring for children for 40 years. She then volunteered at Saint Francis Medical Center in the surgical waiting area and gift shop.

Anna Mae and Allen were 55-year active members of St. Paul Lutheran Church. Loving survivors include her husband of 59 years, Allen Wachter of Jackson; children, Jeff (Liz) Wachter of Marble Hill, Jenny (Terry) Byrd of Jackson, Jerome (Renee) Wachter of northern Indiana and Jeremy (Debbie) Wachter of O’Fallon; 12 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and three siblings, Verna (Arnold) Wachter, the Rev. Roy (Doris) Bingenheimer and Betty (Ruben) Wachter.

Visitation will be from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau and from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 2, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson.

The Rev. Joshua Schmidt will conduct the funeral service at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 2, at the church. A committal service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.

If considering a memorial contribution, the family suggests St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by scrolling to the guestbook beneath this article.