The Last Generation on the Farm

Six million family farms existed in the U.S. in the 1930s, and this is a heartwarming account of one of them. Married in 1930 at the start of the Great Depression, Clarence and Della Geissinger took up the traditions of their Mennonite and Schwenkfelder ancestors, raising children, crops, and animals on their small farm in Zionsville, 50 miles north of Philadelphia. They were sixth-generation Americans, following in the footsteps of their refugee forefathers and foremothers who settled...
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Six million family farms existed in the U.S. in the 1930s, and this is a heartwarming account of one of them. Married in 1930 at the start of the Great Depression, Clarence and Della Geissinger took up the traditions of their Mennonite and Schwenkfelder ancestors, raising children, crops, and animals on their small farm in Zionsville, 50 miles north of Philadelphia. They were sixth-generation Americans, following in the footsteps of their refugee forefathers and foremothers who settled in the area in the 1730s, prior to the American Revolution. The last in their family line to be farmers, Clarence and Della shared a frugal and simple lifestyle, centered around their family, church, and community. Within the pages of this book a window is opened to their world-the cycle of seasons, planting and harvesting, animal husbandry, the making and preserving of food, and the importance of family. Included is an extraordinary collection of 257 family photos, letters, and recipes that provide a remarkable century-wide view of historic Upper Milford and Hereford Townships from the 1860s through the 1960s-an era when modern ways and inventions gradually reached into these rural communities, and changed their way of life forever.