Sheryl Schmeckpeper, a Norfolk Nebraska native, journalist, and historian, is coming to the Columbus Public Library on March 19 at 2 pm to talk about World War II and how it affected the lives of the people of Nebraska, especially the women.
She has written a book titled "These Three Things", which is a fascinating historical fiction book that contains a lot of factual information that she will cover in her program. The book begins by introducing us to the main character, a 47-year-old widow named Clair. Clair, along with her mother, manages their family farm near Hastings, Nebraska. Clair’s father died in the pandemic of 1918 and her husband was killed in WWI, when she was expecting their child. She raised their son alone during the Great Depression, and then her son joined the war in WWII. Now she and her mother are home alone trying to deal with the food and supply shortages, political tensions, and lack of workers as their corn crop comes due for harvesting. She receives a telegram from the army that her only child is missing in action. German POW camps are being built around Hastings and the townspeople are scared. We learn that the locals' fear of the German prisoners of war melted away as these captives began to fill the need for laborers. Despite all the troubles Clair faces, she perseveres and gets through the tough times. Not perfectly, but in ways that make her more relatable. All of these trials ultimately made Clair stronger and she became an example and source of comfort to those around her.
Sheryl will be selling copies of her book at the program for those wanting a signed copy.