Ohio Girl

by Linda J. Pifer

A biography of the author and family history including stories and vintage pictures of the Pifer, Wanamaker, Guerin, Taylor, Green, and Gongwer families as they grew up, persevered, and flourished in 19th and 20th century Ohio. Currently available at author website.

123 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2013

About the author

Ohio-born, the author was fortunate to have a father and mother who loved to travel around the United States, Canada, and Mexico during summers. She enjoyed meeting new people at an early age and learned to appreciate their cultures and languages. The beauty of nature in the Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nova Scotia, the tropical jungles of South American countries, to name a few, remain embedded in her memory and frequently help her describe settings in her stories.

“I’ve filled many roles in life; as a nurse tech for senior care, a yeoman in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, a needle-arts manager and instructor, a sewing machine repair tech, an artist in acrylics and pastels, and finally as a healthcare risk manager in several hospitals. The people in these places taught me the value of the human spirit and I prefer not to write stories about negatives, but about people's power to push through and come out on the other side of adversity. I'm a Christian and appreciate the power of a smile, something that's been extremely useful in life.”

Linda lives with her family in west Florida.

Reviews

[Ilana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a personal book. A book dedicated to the author's family, current and near past. Ms. Pifer spent countless hours researching, gathering stories from family and friends, and putting it all together in her book. Is this book for everyone, probably not! There's no murder, intrigue, or aliens...however, if you are a geneology buff, like me, this is a must-have primer for referencing how to write a book dedicated to leaving a tangible historical footprint for your decendents. The Ten Commandments commands that we "honor our parents." Ms. Pifer has indeed met this challenge.

[storm grayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone interested in family history this is a gem. As I know the author it was all the more interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed her stories of her grandparents , uncles and aunts. Other peoples lives always appear more interesting than your own especially when you have few immediate family members as I do. Thank you Linda.

[Linda Pifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please forgive me, but like any author, I loved writing this book. It is all perfectly true and accurate with some laughs, some frowns, some tears.

I grew up in a farming community just outside of a booming industrial town, Mansfield, Ohio. Because we were country kids, we had the run of the fields, forests, and anything that could be climbed, waded, or eaten. My grandmother was a strong country woman and a great influence on my appreciation of all things living, including those who came before; great aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

It was the second marriage for my mother to my stubborn, opinionated, but loving father, so I was lucky enough to have two older Guerin brothers through her, otherwise to have been a solitary only child, last in the line of Pifers.

I invite the reader to share my early life via this book and hope you don't find its lack of zombies, space aliens, or murderers too alarming!