About the Author

Carol was born September 3, 1925, on the family farm at the Lost Springs stop on the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas.

She was the middle of five children for Omer and Dorothy Shields. Their farm was next to her grandparents. Her childhood was pleasant until her mother died when she was 5 years old. 

"The stories of your travels are so interesting! I appreciate your honest and unpretentious, yet dignified way of speaking the truth."

"I am now 83 years old and your stories of life on the farm brought back many memories of my days on the farm."

"Your book has a true American flavor. My family was part of the 'old South' and part of rural Texas."

"You paint a vivid picture of the struggles in your life and your eventual triumph over obstacles...once I started it I couldn't put it down."

"It sure is wonderful that in the face of many adverse circumstances you made yourself a successful person."

" A book that contains history for the younger generations to to learn from wrapped in stories that inspire perseverance through hardship is beautiful combination."