Del Kehl

Years of Grace and Grit: Growing Up on an Illinois Farm Del Kehl

YEARS OF GRACE AND GRIT: GROWING UP ON AN ILLINOIS FARM written in collaboration with siblings, relates the story of what it was like growing up on a midwestern farm during and following the Great Depression. It describes a close-knit family led by parents whose faith, creativity, and grit enabled them to retain ownership of the farm when scores around them were losing theirs to foreclosure. Beginning with a description of the picturesque region and historic small town of Mt. Carroll, the narrative traces the family's sense of roots from German immigrants, then characterizes each of the six siblings, focusing on significance of birth order and interrelationships, along with a fascinating discussion of unique family expressions. One chapter deals with what it was like to attend a small, one-room country school with one teacher for all eight grades. Another chapter, "The Flavor of a Family" discusses how this family raised almost everything needed, buying only staples, and is filled with nearly fifty recipes, ranging from kuchen to rivel soup to cheese pie. A climactic chapter focuses on the family's legacy of faith. Narrated with tenderness and humor, this family memoir depicts a life of grace and true grit, which can be appreciated even by those who do not have country origins.