Quilter, Granger, Grandma, Matriarch

Synopsis: I grew up in Sullivan, Indiana. Our family of five made quarterly visits to the Reiss Family Farm for 20 years to see Dad's parents whom we called Grandma and Pop. That family farm dates from 1838. They grew wheat, corn, and soybeans. They raised hogs, chickens, apples, veggies, and nurtured six incredible grandchildren. They butchered hogs and showed us grands how to gather eggs from the nest without mama chicken nipping our fingers. Pop farmed only with horses. He retired at age 75, never having owned a tractor.

Autobiography: I was born on June 12, 1944, while my dad was away in India and Burma serving in the US Army during World War II. Mom and newborn me were living in Atascadero, CA, with her parents. Dad and I met for the first time on Easter Sunday, 1945.

All of my books are extended histories about the Reiss Family. Several books involve the Reiss Family Farm, 12 miles south of Belleville in St. Clair County, Illinois. Our farm was founded in 1838 by my great-great-grandfather, Adam Reiss. It's my obligation to document all that history for future generations.