The Richest Soil Grows the Deepest Roots: Life in Platte County’s Missouri River Bottoms

"The Richest Soil Grows the Deepest Roots" is a compelling historical memoir that intertwines Ruth's memories growing up on her family farm in the Missouri River bottoms of Platte County during the Great Depression and World War II with her family saga spanning five generations. Ruth's story gives rich personal insight into the complex intermingling that occurred in Missouri among Southerners who had been traveling west since the founding of Jamestown and mid-nineteenth century immigrants from Germany. Whatever the differences, Ruth's ancestors found much in common as hard-working people building a farm community in the fertile Missouri River Bottoms.

This insightful book shares rich details about the region's history and its complexities. Meandering, treacherous, and full of sediment, the Big Muddy, as the river is called, has been a central feature of Ruth's family for over 200 years. From 18th century Boonsborough Kentucky, to the California Gold Rush, and the brutal Civil War in Missouri, readers will be enlightened by the rich history and deeply unique experiences shared in this memoir.

Ruth Marr is a retired home economist, community volunteer, and mother to five adult children as well as a foreign-exchange daughter, fourteen grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. A descendant of early Platte County farm families, she served as a volunteer educator and board member at the Weston Historical Museum, Weston, Missouri. Ruth is a graduate of Christian (now Columbia) College, Columbia, Missouri, and the University of Missouri, Columbia, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in vocational home economics and a Master of Science in clothing and textiles. After enjoying her retirement years with her late husband in Weston, Ruth now lives near two of her daughters in Osage Beach, Missouri.Liz Marr is a registered dietitian who specializes in food, nutrition, and agriculture communications. She has written extensively for consumer, professional, and trade media. She holds a Bachelor of Science in home economics (clothing and textiles) from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a Master of Science in food science and human nutrition from Colorado State University. She lives with her husband and three cats in Boulder County, Colorado.