An Introduction to
The Grannie Annie

The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration, founded in 2005, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its mission is to inspire young people to discover, write, and share stories from their family history, and to publish collections of their work.

The Grannie Annie invites young people in U.S. grades 4 through 8, and homeschooled and international students 9 through 14 years of age, to interview people from an older generation of their family and to write about something they learn from their family's history — a story from before their birth. Authors are encouraged to share their stories with their extended family and their community as well as with The Grannie Annie.

From the stories submitted each year, some are selected for publication in a paperback book, released in May, and on this website. Beginning in 2011, some stories are published in a PDF book as well. There is no submission fee; the annual submission deadline is February 1.

Submissions have been received from across the United States and from around the world. Published stories have taken place on six continents over a span of about 400 years. The Grannie Annie stories bring history to life, providing readers with a vivid glimpse of life in other places and other times, and revealing both the uniqueness and the commonality of people's experiences.

Young people who participate in The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration have an opportunity to preserve their family stories, strengthen family bonds and their sense of their own identity, hone their writing skills, and deepen their appreciation of history.

Directors of The Grannie Annie

Connie McIntyre, M.Ed., is President and Founding Co-Director of
The Grannie Annie.

Connie helps people capture their stories in unique books. She has authored, or edited, and published dozens of custom-designed books, including family stories, children’s picture books, collections of poetry, and more.

A former elementary school teacher, Connie has taught numerous writing and bookmaking classes and workshops for children and adults, has served as a freelance educational writer, and has authored and published several books for children, including Flowers for Grandpa Dan: A gentle story to help children understand Alzhiemer's disease.

Fran Hamilton, M.Ed., is Vice-President, Secretary, and Founding Co-Director of The Grannie Annie.

Having been involved with writing for more than forty years, Fran has taught students of all ages, and has written articles and conducted workshops about the writing process and writing instruction.

Fran has edited a variety of educational materials, and in 1998 she authored Hands-On English, an English handbook that makes grammar visual by using symbols to represent parts of speech. The handbook and its companion products serve as a curriculum for fourth graders through adults. In addition to her products, Fran offers a number of free resources at www.GrammarAndMore.com.

Maurice L. Hirsch, Jr., Ph.D., is Treasurer of The Grannie Annie.

Maurice (Bud) is Professor Emeritus of Accounting, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He is also an author, poet, and photographer. Bud has authored and coauthored numerous academic books and articles; his poems are published in several journals as well as in his three books of poetry; and his photography has appeared in juried shows and in his poetry books.

Bud is a founding board member and current business manager of Chesterfield Arts, and a director of the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library. He served for over twenty-five years as a board member of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and for seven years on the City of Chesterfield's Planning Commission.

Consultants to The Grannie Annie

Amy Gage, M.Ed., is The Grannie Annie's consultant for story
selection.

Amy is a lifelong educator, children’s author, poet and playwright, and curriculum developer. She has authored or coauthored over eighty works for children, including UpsideDownsideInsideOut: Poems About Being a Kid and Pascual’s Magic Pictures.

Over the past decade Amy has developed and taught programs in poetry writing and playwriting to students in grades pre-K–5. She has shared her knowledge of the writing process as a curriculum developer for Josten’s Learning Corporation and Brown Publishing, and by presenting lectures and professional development programs throughout Missouri.

Dail Chambers is The Grannie Annie's consultant for illustration
selection.

Dail is a multimedia community artist who exhibits widely, both regionally and nationally. Committed to social justice and serving unmet needs in the community, Dail founded the Yeyo Arts Collective, a nonprofit community arts center that creates arts and culture experiences within the St. Louis region. The collective is dedicated to women’s issues, and includes a focus on family, youth, and community.

Dail is a member of the Women’s Caucus of Art, Literacy for Social Justice Leadership team, and Organization for Black Struggle. She has received numerous awards for her work, as well as a Resolution from the City of St. Louis.

Jeff Hirsch is The Grannie Annie's consultant for book design and
production, and web design.

Jeff is cofounder of Graphic Panacea in St. Louis, a full-service communication design firm that produces high-quality graphic design, web design, marketing, and photography. The firm’s client list includes nationally and internationally known organizations and individuals.

With twenty-five years of experience in the field, Jeff spends his time on graphic design, including book and web design; photography; and Macintosh tech support. He also teaches Photoshop and Lightroom to individuals and groups.

The Story Behind The Grannie Annie

The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration honors Ann Guirreri Cutler, the original Grannie Annie, who was passionate about saving family stories. In 1996 she and Connie McIntyre began creation of a series of handmade books that captured Ann’s family’s stories. That's Ann in the photo on the left, along with several of the handmade books.

Through the years, Ann devised many innovative ways to inspire other families to preserve their own stories for future generations. When Connie McIntyre joined with Fran Hamilton to create a publishing opportunity for students, The Grannie Annie was born. Surprised by the honor, Ann was delighted by The Grannie Annie mission and quickly became an enthusiastic supporter. She generously shared her expertise through The Grannie Annie's first two seasons, until her death in 2007 following a lengthy illness.

The mission of The Grannie Annie — to discover, share, and celebrate family stories — springs from a belief in the transformative power of “story.” Imagine that you learn from a family member that your great-grandparents were treated with suspicion when they settled in a new country, that they were disliked and mistrusted because their speech, customs, and beliefs were different from those of people around them. After hearing this family story, you may notice that you feel more accepting of a new student in your school. When you look at faces in the news you may see the joys, sorrows, and families behind them. In some unexplainable way, you may feel unity with someone whose life seems very different from yours. Quietly, surely, the world moves one step closer to peace.