A Name for Herself

A Dutch Immigrant's Story

By: K. A. Van Til

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Paperback | 31 July 2020

At a Glance

Paperback
234 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.25

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Grandma Zwier was a remarkable woman. At ninety she was as sharp as one of the pins she used to hem her dresses. While serving tea and cookies in her little senior apartment one day, she abruptly turned to me and said, ""Well, I sure haven't made a name for myself; maybe one of you grandkids will."" That struck me forcefully, for two reasons. First, why would a poor immigrant woman with an eighth-grade education even think she could have made a name for herself? Second, grandma and millions of women like her should have made names for themselves. They were pioneers and saints who made America what it is today. Like many, she was born abroad, labored, struggled, prayed, loved, laughed, bore children, tilled virgin soil, sent sons to war, was widowed, cared for others' children, and much, much more. This book is my effort to honor her name and those of others like her. I hope that readers who not have ""made a name for themselves"" may also take comfort and inspiration from the story of her life.

Industry Reviews

“Kent Van Til has a knack for telling a story. This one follows a Dutch immigrant family from the 1890s to the 1990s, as told vicariously by a daughter who lived into her ‘90s. The Reckers, like many blue-collar immigrants, were rolling stones, going back and forth between south Chicago suburbs and Wisconsin and Montana. The men ride the rails as hobos, dabble in farming, building Pullman Palace cars—anything to get by. They see Chicago mobsters rob a bank and run booze, all the while trying to live as faithful Dutch Reformed Christians. Grandson Al, a WWII vet, commits suicide, grandson Don marries a Jew, and there are foibles galore. Most important, Van Till gets inside the head and heart of this immigrant family and shows what makes them tick. This is a great read.”
—Robert P. Swierenga, Professor of History Emeritus, Kent State University, and author of Holland, Michigan

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