What led me to write Bring Me Back Home?
I authored this book to reconnect with the life and times of a bygone era that shaped the essence of who I am.
Events of the 1950s and 1960s
My memoir covers growing up on the farm during a period encompassing the 50s and 60s against a backdrop of national and global events.
1954
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The first U.S. atomic submarine was launched - SSN-571 Nautilus. There was the Jonas Salk Polio Vaccine trial involving 1.8 million children, and Public School Segregation was ruled struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
1961
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The infamous Berlin Wall was put in place by East Germany to prevent escapes to West Germany, Freedom Riders made history, JFK gave “ The Decision to Go to The Moon” speech before Congress, Peace Corp volunteer program was created.
1963
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President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald.
1968
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Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis Tennessee. Robert Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles.
“My boyhood home was gone. It was now just field. The only thing left was the barn.”
D. R. THATCHER | BRING ME BACK HOME
Where I Grew Up: Corydon, Iowa
Corydon is located in South Central Iowa in Wayne County. We are a small city of 1585 persons, the largest of 9 cities in the county. Corydon hosts the Wayne County Courthouse on a very charming square in the center of the city. There are two major parks, one with a nine-hole golf course and aquatic center, the other with a 58 acre lake with campgrounds, disc golf course, fishing and a nearby walking trail.
Major employers are:
- Wayne County Hospital; 5 family physicians; 1 surgeon; 2 PAs; 2 NPs & a midwife.
- East Penn Manufacturing; produced 1M batteries annually — Deka brand
- Shivvers Manufacturing; produces grain dryers & large lawn mowers
- Air Filtration; produces specialized paint booths
- Midwest Precase Concrete; specialized concrete construction
Corydon is home to the Wayne Community Schools. This district serves not only Corydon but Allerton, Cambria, Millerton and Lineville.
Corydon was established in 1851 as an agricultural community with railroad access and ties to nearby coal mines. Later, Corydon was a stop along the way for those using the Mormon Trail.
This community works hard at continuing to be a strong economic center for the county and also move forward to meet the challenges of the modern world.