Gravedigger’s Daughter: Growing up Rural

I'm related to Debra and my dad's photo is in this book. As a child, I remember going to the farm mentioned in this book.

It was such a neat experience to read this book. I just saw the author, Debra, at my grandparent's funeral. I'm a first cousin to Debra, once removed (she is my dad's first cousin). Debra grew up on a farm in Wisconsin that I visited as a child. I met her father and mother and could picture some of the scenes she described on her farm. It was so interesting learning about Debra's family, seeing my own family members mentioned in the book (father, grandparents, aunt), and learning about the farming life of Norwegian immigrants living in Wisconsin. It was interesting to learn that Debra's great-grandfather moved to Wisconsin from Norway in 1858 to almost immediately begin serving in the army for four years during the Civil War.

The descriptions of rural farming life, community engagement, and Debra's own hopes and dreams were very interesting. This is how many in my family line lived. It was a life of hard work, deep family connection, joy, appreciation, and rootedness. I loved reading this book.