Milton Franson

Farmer Nelson Had Four Daughters Milton Franson

Many small farms across America went belly-up in the years after the Great Depression and World War II. My grandparent's farm was one of the many that failed, but in this case for a different reason. It was a long, slow death that was all the more tragic because it could have been avoided. The cause was two-fold: first, the fact that my grandparents had four daughters, but no sons to carry on the work of running a farm. The second cause was grounded in human nature; in the character of the eldest daughter who could not succeed and would not admit to failure. She stubbornly struggled against all odds and failed to quit when she was ahead. In that sense, she shares some traits of human nature common to all of us. This family memoir is not all tragedy; in the bits and pieces of the family's memories are many bright spots and uplifting tales. It is a family history of both sad and happy times; fondly remembered by a grandson, thankful for the memories.