Anna Deranja Lusicic Inducted - Kansas City 1977
	Anna Deranja Lusicic was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on March 14, 1911.  She is the wife of the late Ivan Lusicic, Sr., and mother of Eleonora Eaves and Ivan Lusicic, Jr.  She has three grandsons, Darryl Evon Eaves, Daniel Lusicic and Michael Lusicic.  Her two great-granddaughters are Danielle and Nicole Lusicic.
	Ivan Sr. was the first in the family to be inducted into the Tamburitza Hall of Fame, and Ann was active along with him in almost all the groups that have been in and around the St. Louis area.  She was in dramatic groups, such as Slavulj, Jadran, Iskra Slobode, Primorac, and Jedinstvo.
	In 1935, Ann and Ivan Sr. organized the Hrvatski Pomladak Tamburitza Orchestra, consisting of young boys and girls in grade school and high school.  She wrote all the musical parts and originals by hand, made costumes and transported the group everywhere for programs and WTMV dances.
	Ann helped her husband with the Croatian Radio Hour, live every Sunday morning over WTMV in East St. Louis, Illinois.  The Hrvatski Pomladak performed each week, along with other youngsters who were talented in music.
	Included in the tamburitza group was daughter, Eleonora, who is Musical Director of the Croatian Junior Tamburitzans of St. Louis and also Musical Director and pianist of the Vila Singing Society and Tamburitza Orchestra of Croatian Sokol Dalmacija.  Ann's son, Ivan Lusicic, Jr., was also with the original Hrvatski Pomladak and the Croatian Junior Tamburitzans of St. Louis, first director of the Happy Strings of Madison, Illinois, and present director of Danica Tamburitzans of Granite City, Illinois.
	In 1961, when their youngest grandson was old enough to be taught the tambura, Ann and Ivan Sr. renewed the Croatian Junior Tamburitzans.  They invested their own money in instruments and started rehearsals in the basement of their home.  The parents were told it was a trial of six months to see if there was interest, and if not they would quit.  The Junior Tammies have just celebrated their 16th anniversary this February.  A roster of students lists over 250 names of those who have gone through the group, and all of the junior groups in the area have either students or instructors with them as a result of being associated with the Croatian Junior Tammies of St. Louis.  Professional groups in this area are composed entirely, or have at least one former Junior Tammie in them.
	Ann belongs to many groups and organizations.  She is a charter member of the Vila Singing Society since 1942, and has learned to play the tamburitza with the Vila Tamburitzans, taught by her daughter.  This is a senior group of 18 ladies and three men, over the age of 40!
	Ann has been the Treasurer of the Tamburitza Association of America since its inception in St. Louis and is still very active in it.  She is also active in the Primorac Club, CFU Lodge 50, Club Novi Vinodol, St. Ann's Sodality, Croatian Sokol Dalmacija, Soroptimist Business Women's Club, A.A.R.P., International Folklore Federation, C.C.U. and is also on the board of Slavic and European Friends at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois.
	Ann was instrumental in pushing through a grant for three tamburitza workshops held at Southern Illinois University, taught by her daughter Eleonora.  She also helped to establish a Slavic Library there, where music, books, instruments, newspapers, costumes, and lodge events are being preserved.  This material is available to everyone.
	Among the honors she has received are Woman of the Year (1970) by Club Primorac.  In 1971, the Croatian Fraternal Union, Central Committee, and during the concert tour of Yugoslavia with the Croatian Junior Tamburitzans in 1974, the entire town of Novi Vinodolski honored her at the 4th of July celebration and gifted her with a set of sopile.
	Ann worked as a saleswoman at Bumsteads, and in the fancy meats departments of Independent Packing Company.  For 30 years, she was the only woman monument dealer in this area, and owner of the Lusicic Monument Company.  After retirement in 1973, she has become even more active in trying to acquaint other people with our heritage.  She travels all over, presenting programs, showing instruments, costumes, and explaining our culture.
	The C.F.U. Junior Tamburitza Festival was held at Stouffers Riverfront Towers on June 24 - 26, 1977, and Ann was General Chairman of this event, hosted by the Croatian Junior Tamburitzans.  A joint performance of 900 junior tamburitzans was held on Sunday afternoon, and was conducted by her daughter Eleonora Eaves, who was chosen as guest conductor for the year.  This was a huge undertaking, with over 3,000 guests attending the festival.
	Ann also plays in a family tamburitza group called the BELLS -- for Bilich, Eaves, and Lusicic (the Bilich coming from Linda Lusicic, who was a Bilich, and played in the Happy Strings, and is married to Ann's grandson).
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