Rod and Staff Books & More

Based on the life of Harry A. Stauffer (1910 - 1976)

Author's Note

With all undocumented historical accounts, there is much room for variation in the retelling of stories and events down through the years. The life story of Harry A. Stauffer is like that—the heartrending undocumented tale of a family that broke up following the death of the mother.

Harry was my paternal grandfather, yet I have no personal memories of him—he died before my first birthday. I have relied on others to get this story together as accurately as possible. What is fact and what is fiction? Names for the most part have been kept "real". Several secondary characters' names have been fictionalized, however. Minor details and conversation have been added to keep the story flowing.

Older readers who lived in the era of the story may challenge certain details as being different from the way they recall them. Some of these you may chalk up as the author's shortcomings. Others are the result of hearing slightly different versions of the same story from different people. As a writer, I had to choose one version and fit it into the remaining story as best as I could, along with the solid data from birth, death, marriage records, etc.

It is my wish that the story be read and enjoyed as an example of the way God can work in the lives of ordinary people. I trust the readers may receive encouragement they can apply to their own everyday lives, rather than rely on it for historical purposes.

—J. Stauffer
Tunas, Missouri

Contents

• Prologue

Part One: A Scattered Family

• Chapter One
• Chapter Two
• Chapter Three
• Chapter Four
• Chapter Five
• Chapter Six

Part Two: At Home in Kantz

• Chapter Seven
• Chapter Eight
• Chapter Nine
• Chapter Ten
• Chapter Eleven
• Chapter Twelve
• Chapter Thirteen
• Chapter Fourteen
• Chapter Fifteen
• Chapter Sixteen
• Chapter Seventeen
• Chapter Eighteen
• Chapter Nineteen
• Chapter Twenty
• Chapter Twenty-One
• Chapter Twenty-Two
• Chapter Twenty-Three
• Chapter Twenty-Four
• Chapter Twenty-Five
• Chapter Twenty-Six
• Chapter Twenty-Seven
• Chapter Twenty-Eight
• Chapter Twenty-Nine
• Chapter Thirty
• Chapter Thirty-One
• Chapter Thirty-Two

Part Three: A Place Called Oakley

• Chapter Thirty-Three
• Chapter Thirdy-Four
• Chapter Thirdy-Five
• Chapter Thirdy-Six
• Chapter Thirdy-Seven
• Chapter Thirdy-Eight
• Chapter Thirdy-Nine

• After the Story