An Amish Boy and a Mother’s Prayer: The Founder of Graber Post Buildings Tells His Story

by Glen S. Graber

An Amish Boy and a Mother’s Prayer takes readers into the heart of Daviess County, Indiana, where Glen Graber was raised. His family was swiftly kicked out of the Old Order Amish church when Glen’s dad bought a rubber-tired tractor. Then Glen’s mother died, and left him with a She had been praying for a business that would alleviate the family’s financial hardship, and asked Glen to take responsibility for the family’s future. Despite the pressure, Glen and his family found hope and humor each day as God miraculously answered their mother’s prayer.More than a biography, this book is about a boy being determined to change his place in the world, and the miraculous reversals of misfortune. It’s about the prayers of a mother, the idiosyncrasies and love of a father, and the strength of a family. It is, in other words, the story of us.About the AuthorGlen S. Graber was born in Davies County, Indiana. In 1973 he founded Graber Post Buildings. The company went on to be a huge success, and in 1993, Glen received Indiana’s award for Entrepreneur of the Year. He now winters in Florida with his wife Mary Jane.

Genres: Amish, Ebooks, Nonfiction

163 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2015

Reviews

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jasper, IN (Daviess County,). When the fire died down it got cold in the house.
Simon Graber (oldest son/bruder) & the other boys kept it going.
The Graber family members consisted of: Simon J. (mann/Daett, carpenter/farmer), Mary (Frau/maem, nee Kemp), Glen “Slick” (oldest son/bruder), Don (younger son/bruder), Christopher “Chris” son/bruder, Leora (dochder/sister), Ann (dochder/sister), Stephen (son/bruder), Catherine (dochder/sister), Martin, & Margaret (toddler dochder/sister), & Jackson (son/bruder) had died. Mary was in bad health & later died.
The Graber family & friends had erected a house, a massive arched roof barn, & kept a huge haymow.

They had an orchard with peach; apple; & walnut trees. There was also a grape arbor.
There were 70 head of dairy cattle that the girls did most of the milking, horses, dogs, cats,
The Graber family left the Block Church & joined the Shetler Church, then the King Church.
School was attended in Shiloh, IN.
Laverne’s (16, son) had finished school & Simon (father) wanted him to find a job.
Glen opened his own carpentry business Graber Post Buildings & hired Laverne & now he was making $1.75 hr.
1986, Glen had branched out & was building structures out of steel.
9/11, Odon, IN. The FBI went to see Don about his plane.
Vincennes hospital. Glen had gall bladder problems & then a heart attack.
Later, what were Madge & Diane discussing?

I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.

An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written Amish family memoir book. It was extremely easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great Amish family movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an extremely easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Aneko Press; BookZio; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book.
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of this book in return for my honest review.

While I enjoyed reading about the life of Glen Graber and his family, I am not sure I went into this book with the right expectations so I don't know how to really review it. My expectation was that the mother's prayer was going to be that her son leave the Amish community for a different life. This is not the premise of the story.

(potential spoilers)

The focus of the story, a mother's prayer that her son, the oldest child, takes care of his siblings, is very straightforward from chapter one. The telling of the details is easy to read even if some of them are uncomfortable (financial hardship, death, etc). Graber goes into some detail of his life on his father's farm, working for his father, and starting his own business (which does answer his mother's prayer). There is also discussion of this particular Amish community churches as well as Graber's time during the Vietnam War which were both interesting to read.

(spoilers end)

I would recommend this book to those interested in the lifestyle of the Amish as well as individuals seeking a story about how one moment in a life can shape the future.

[BARBARA JO STAUDENMAIER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read



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Love you I 5

[Connie J Shofner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I seen this book in the physical therapy office one day. I live in Washington IN and I use to run around with Glen's brother Chris. I thought this ought to be interesting. I ordered it on my kindle and read it in two days. It was a very touching story of love, hard times and trusting in God. It was hard to put down. Thank you Glen for Sharing this amazing story of your life and your family.

[Cheryl F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strength of a family

Good story about family, dedication and hard work!
I feel it was a good read but maybe dragged a little.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice memoir of Glen Graber and his family business. I enjoyed reading this book about his family and his business. This is an easy read and one that will appeal to many people.

[Dusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet book

I enjoyed reading about a boy with character, good work ethics, a loving family and faith. I need four more words to submit this review.

[Fiona Cresswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very easy read, with a homely story!

[Julie D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Amish Boy and a Mother's Prayer is about Glen Garber and his very humble beginnings and how the faith of his mother and his own hard work and faith provided an answer to the prayer of his mother.

The book is in two parts. The first part is about glen's childhood and the things that made an impression on him and affected him in his adult years. His father trying to borrow money, once again, from the bank. The value of hard work instilled in him and the faith in God to see it through. The prayer and hope of his dying mother that he would find a business that would provide for him and his eight brothers and sisters.

The first part of the book is a little scattered to me. Going back and forth at different moments in time and some repeating of the same stories or situations. It was a bit confusing to me and a little stilted. The second part of the book moves along at a much quicker and smoother pace with things taking place in order, for the most part. I read the second half of the book in record time because it was much easier to read and more enjoyable. That being said, I did enjoy the book overall.

I really enjoyed seeing how Glen's faith and the memory of his mothers prayer keeps him going forward . I also loved seeing how the business that he starts basically on a shoestring, grows into the dream that his mother had for him and his family. I really liked how the love this family has for one another shines through and shows what hard work, strong family ties, and faith can do. They never give up on God or church despite some of the things that people in the church did. That was an important lesson I took away from this book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I believe you will, too. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by Aneko Press

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Amish Boy and A Mother's Prayers is the Biography of Glen Graber, the founder of Graber Post Buildings.

Glen Graber was raised in Daviess County, Indiana and is the oldest of nine children. His family was excommunicated from the Old Order Amish church when Glen's father procrastinated in taking off the "air-filled" tires from his tractor. They jumped from church to church as did many of the people in Daviess County when the rules of a church were to hard to live by. Simon, Glen's father, was known for never having money and always borrowing money that he could not pay back. Even though Simon seemed to always struggle with money, he taught his children to work hard and they knew that he loved them. During the family's financial hardships Glen was watching and learning from his father's example and his mistakes.

Glen's mother was sick for a long time. She had to spend a lot of time in bed. She was eventually diagnosed with cancer, but by that time the end was near. On her death bed she had one request: That Glen would take care of the family. She had one prayer: that God would provide a business for Glen that would provide for the family so they would no longer have the financial hardships.

Glen took his mother's dying wishes very seriously and became determined to reverse the hardships of his childhood and provide a better life for his family. He worked hard, trusted in the Lord and he succeeded.

I really enjoyed the story of the Graber family. I found the book to be a very quick and easy read and it seemed such a personal story that it was more like sitting down with a good friend and chatting about the old days. It is encouraging to see how a mother's prayers continues to bless a family even after she is gone.

[Patsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Daviess, County, Indiana where the Garbers lived and raised their children. This book is based on true events, Glen S. Garber had written about his life and his family's lives. Before Glen's mother passed away she spoke privately to each of her nine children telling them Good-night not Good-bye. She told Glen, the oldest child that she had prayed all her life for him to start a business that would take care of their impoverished family of nine children and their father.

Glen's father had taught each child at an early age to help with the work around the farm, building up hardworking skills with good ethical background. When Glen was grown he started building barns and other odd jobs. Later the business grew large enough to support all the children as they grew into adults and their families.

I found this was a very good and entertaining book, it was fast paced. The characters were real people. The way Glen started a business and the way it grew was completely in God's hands. This book would be good for any age group, an outstanding family, a family full of love for each other.

[Carol Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Amish Boy and a Mother's Prayer

I so loved this book. It's a story about strong family ties and a strong religious faith. Glen Graber grew up in a family of nine children. He was the oldest. His mother died when he was 22. On her death bed she asked him to take care of his siblings. Because of Devine inspiration he succeeded beyond expectations. At the age of 22 he started his own company. It grew to become a huge success. How did this come about and become so successful? His parents taught their children work ethics and morals. The Graber worked hard as a family. All the children had some kind of job to do. They also were a family that played together. They enjoyed each other's company. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a great example of spiritual and family life. This is a great example of what can be accomplished by having great family and moral values. A must read book.

[Dee Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

What's the point?

This story is a perfect example of the tragic consequences women and innocent children must often endure when their lives are steeped in ultra-conservative religious beliefs. The author romanticized his childhood in order to cope. He carries it even further, rationalizing that even his limited education was a blessing.

This man was definitely fortunate to be able to climb out of poverty. It could be helpful to those exploring a career in business. Yet the most valuable place for this book may be in academic circles for students in women's studies, sociology, and schools in counseling. It clearly shows the suffering that's compounded with the intersection of poverty and resistance to change that's propped up with an interesting interpretation of God's will.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Answered Prayers

This is an uplifting and interesting book. A large Amish family struggles to make a living in Indiana. When the mother of nine succumbs to cancer she tells her oldest son Glen that she has been praying that God would bless the family with a successful business. Glen would soon start his own building company that thru the years grew to be just what his Mother prayed for.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed, Enjoyed.......... Anything Amish and I want to read it. This book did not let me down. It has many paths it could take about Amish living. But he kept it simply as a way of showing just how simple a life can be and still work hard.

[Linda Heidelberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good read

It was a very interesting read I got lost in the book because I thought it focused to much on the past and I thought it was not enough of the future I skipped a lot of the pages because it focused o much on the past.

[V Luttrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good but not worth re reading!

[Carolyn Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice story

This story meanders along, telling the story of one family, and one son in particular, who worked hard and were very successful.

[Eva Ruff · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tale of the founder of a company. It was nicely written but not truly inspiring....just more of a record of how it happened.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this was an interesting story. I felt the book could use some serious editing -- some repetition and a bit disjointed.

[Lynda Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book

This story shows that you can always pull yourself up and succeed. Glen's faith was apparent throughout the book. Definitely recommend this.