One of the region's oldest Girl Scouts, St. Ann's 99-year-old Anna Zanitsch, passed away on Saturday night. She was still involved with the Girl Scouts, and had passed that tradition on to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her granddaughter, Suzanne Salmo, is still a neighborhood chair in St. Charles.

"It is with a sad heart that I tell you that my grandmother, Anna Zanitsch, died August 4, just one week shy of her 100th birthday," Salmo wrote in an e-mail Monday morning. "She was an amazing woman and was so proud to be included in all the 100th birthday celebrations.  She was looking forward to the parade! This summer she fell quite a bit due to a low heart rate, which eventually affected her breathing.  She died at home under hospice care. I was with her the day before she died and arrived shortly after her death."

The Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri would like to offer condolences to the Salmo family, and a deep appreciation for Anna's participation in our council events.