Hannie Conely was born in 1895 in Morgantown, NC. She married Ben Rutherford; they moved to Raleigh, WV, where they raised three children. Ben worked in the mines. In 1932, Hannie came to work for Floyd and Winfred Sayre, who then had three children, the youngest only 2 weeks old. Eventually, two other children joined the Sayre household. To her second family, she was always known as “Annie.” As the five Sayre children grew up, they came to consider her to be their second mother who was always there with just the right balance of love and discipline. Annie had very little formal education, but every day she took time to read her Bible. She was an active member of Beckley’s St. Matthew A.M.E. Church. Members of the Sayre family established this fund to celebrate Annie’s life and to insure that she will be remembered. Income from Annie’s fund will support children in need as selected by the governing board of Beckley’s St. Matthew A.M.E. Church.
