Born Into a Pioneer Family Anna was the daughter of Clay Dean Burris (1871–1929) and Sarah Edith Leakey Burris (1868–1947), both from long-established Ozarks families whose roots stretched back to early settlers of Missouri and Indiana. She grew up in a bustling blended household with: • Older half-siblings from her mother’s first marriage • Full siblings Lou, Maggie, Eula, and Alva This meant her childhood was spent in a lively farmhouse where children spanned decades in age — a hallmark of rural Ozarks family life at the turn of the century. Marriage to Joe Stringer: Joining Two Historic Families On January 9, 1915, Anna married Joseph “Joe” Stringer (1888–1976), connecting the Burris and Leakey families with the deep-rooted Stringer line of Barry County. Together, they built a home that became the center of the Stringer family for generations. Their marriage was a partnership forged in the realities of rural life — farming, raising children, surviving economic hardship, and maintaining a household through some of the most challenging decades in American history. Mother of Ten Children Anna and Joe raised ten children, each of whom carried forward the strength and values they learned at home: • Aaron Clifford • Herchel Cline “Bud” • Elmer Cletus George “George” • Herman Lee “Sherm” • Elzie Lucine “Luke” • Joseph “Junior” • John Henry • Verlin Wade • Dorothy Lou • Elsie Their home was one of constant activity — meals to cook, gardens to tend, laundry to wash, and children to guide. Anna’s daily life was the quiet, steady work that held the entire family together. The WWII Stringer Brothers Five of Anna’s sons — Bud, George, Herman, Luke, and Junior — served in World War II, with John also answering the call but not deployed before the war ended. Their service became a defining chapter in Stringer family history. Behind their courage stood Anna, who raised them with: • Discipline • Respect • Duty • Endurance The strength her sons carried into wartime began in her home. Life in the Ozarks: Work, Faith, and Family Anna’s life reflected the rhythms of rural Missouri: • Seasonal farm work • Canning and gardening • Church-centered community life • Helping neighbors • Raising children and grandchildren She lived through World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and the postwar years that reshaped American families. Through it all, she remained the steady heart of her household. Family stories describe her as: • Practical • Strong • Soft-spoken • Deeply devoted to her family • A woman who worked hard without complaint Her legacy is not found in headlines but in the generations she shaped. Story goes that she once cut a toe off with an axe and didn’t tell her mother. After soaking her toe and dressing with kerosene, her toe grew back. She didn’t show her toe to her mother until later because she was not supposed to be using the axe. Whenever you would go to their house, there were always biscuits with butter and jelly avaliable. The Foundation of the Stringer Family Reunion The long-standing Stringer family reunion — held for decades in the Eagle Rock / Roaring River area — exists because of the home and family Anna and Joe built. Every year, when descendants return to Barry County, they return to the land where Anna raised her children, tended her garden, and lived out her life. Her influence continues in the traditions, stories, and values passed down through her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. A Legacy That Lives On Anna Burris Stringer represents the best of the Ozarks pioneer spirit: • Strength in hardship • Devotion to family • Quiet resilience • A life lived with purpose, even when the world wasn’t watching Her story is the story of countless women who held their families together through changing times — but for the Stringer family, her story is singular, cherished, and foundational.