The harsh Kansas prairie winds swept mercilessly over the little town of Pittsburgh. High up in the sky, some spiteful giant was pitching icy handsful of sleet against the windows of the little gray clapboard house. Bertha woke to the sound and shivered under the covers, snuggling a little closer to Lula, her big sister. … Read more

The hills close in on us as we turn off 93 North at Exit 28 and wind our way along the road that follows the river. We pull off to the side of the road at just the right spot and carry our gear down the path through the woods to the river’s edge. The … Read more

She was a beautiful baby, this firstborn little girl, with a head of dark curly hair and sparkling blue eyes. But as she grew and began to toddle around on her fat little legs, her mother noticed a certain turn of her head that seemed to say, “I’ll do it my way.” Her name, Kathleen, … Read more

My mother’s father, my beloved “Poppy”, knew little if anything of his Virginia ancestors. His parents came across the country from Ohio with their families as teenagers, in covered wagons. Love blossomed somewhere along the Oregon trail, and they were married near Birch Bay, Washington, where the families settled. Their first child, Dwight Rucker, was … Read more