The author retired in l995 after spending his working years in the accounting field, with sidelines in insurance and real estate. He began writing a column for the local newspaper shortly afterward, presenting stories about his early experiences while growing up on a small farm during and after the Great Depression.

This became a regular feature, and he was encouraged to “put them in a book” by family and friends.

Except for two years of military service, he never left “home,” living and working in his hometown, Fairfield, Illinois, where he and “the lady” still reside.