The Way Wendell Was: A Mostly Quiet Farmer

Wendell identified himself as Norwegian. He fit the mold of those who had come to the cold harsh winters of South Dakota from southern Norway. He was quiet and simple. He had a dry sense of humor and loved to make up jokes, or recall others from his joke books. The author reminisces about the things she and her siblings did to pass the long days, mostly with each other, on the farm. She relates events in her father's life that seemed to make him the quiet and unassuming man he was. Finally, she tells the story of how her relationship was re-made by a crazy trip to Mexico, looking for a cure for his incurable breathing problems, just because the men at the local cafe told him it was so.