But He's a Hard Worker: Life in Richey-A Small Village in the Missouri Ozarks--1925-1950

Set in the small town of Ritchey in the Missouri Ozarks, this series of short essays is a true depiction of rural life in the southwest Missouri Ozarks in the l930’s. Honest and humorous, “But He’s a Hard Worker” describes life growing up in a farming community and highlights the work ethic, values and traditions that have helped shape life in our country today. These personal stories share monumental memories of a time that many of us can relate to but may have forgotten. Ritchey, a once thriving village of 300, is now a fourth that size — like so many that were the heart of America and have all but disappeared today. Older generations, particularly those with a rural heritage, will relate to the stories, while younger generations will gain insight into the hard, yet good experiences of their grandparents. The author born in a farmhouse on a record cold January night in 1930, spent his early life on the family farm graduating in 1947 in a high school class of 18. He received his BS in engineering in I951 from the University of Missouri and spent over four years in the Air Force during the Korean War. After earning his doctorate in philosophy, he spent a distinguished career as a university engineering professor and water resources researcher and later as a university administrator. Over four decades, he periodically traveled to dozens of countries conducting research and providing advice to rural farmers on water management. He observed that the common concerns of families, although different in some ways, have many cultural similarities concerning love and family. He developed a deep sense of appreciation of the value of his childhood experiences and determined to write on life in In the 30s and 40s in Ritchey, Missouri, the setting of his youth, so others might better understand the work ethic of the generation before them and better appreciate the lives of their predecessors.