“Publish my stories, Linda, and take good care of Honey,” my mother said to me right before she moved on to her Heavenly Home. At the end of her life, our mother was concerned that the living history of her 92 years be preserved in these stories that she wrote. Born in 1926 Mom’s most poignant memories were of growing up in a small northern Indiana town, with her parents, grandparents, and friends. Unusual experiences teaching school and traveling the world are recorded here, as well as navigating the world of competition dance after years of avoiding any type of competitive activity. But it was living through the depression and World War II that shaped her character and developed the value system she lived by all of her life and taught her four children. In her words, “Often I have longed for this kind of book written by one of my ancestors. So, hopefully, my descendents will enjoy reading about some highlights of my long life.”