Anna Balmer Myers

Born in Manheim, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1884, Anna Balmer Myers grew up close to the world she would later bring to fiction. She attended Drexel University, then spent much of her working life in Philadelphia, where she taught for more than 35 years at the Widener School for Crippled Children, now known as Widener Memorial School.

As a writer, she became known for novels and poetry rooted in the local color of Lancaster County. Her best-known books include Patchwork: A Story of the Plain People and Amanda: A Daughter of the Mennonites, both of which helped introduce readers to the customs, speech, and daily lives of Pennsylvania Dutch and Plain communities.

Myers died in 1972, but her work still offers a window into a particular region and way of life. Her stories are remembered less for grand drama than for their warmth, observation, and strong sense of place.