Snurpa of Stoughton

This is both a tribute to my extraordinary mother, and inspired by her memoir of her first 22 years, which is the backbone of the book. I have edited it, added over photos, chapters summarizing the rest of her 100-year-long life, and completed it with an index and list of images. 

Marion’s delightful and charming memoir of growing up in the small town of Stoughton in southern Wisconsin with her loving extended Norwegian American family shines with details and is enhanced by over 500 photos she, her father and other family members took. The life of the 1920s and 1930s, her experiences at the University of Wisconsin in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and her determination to complete her education are enriched by an account of the latter 78 years of her long life as a mother, biologist and world traveler.

Her stories of school, church, play, friends, neighbors, and her feisty fights with a host of bothersome boys are entertaining. Her account of dorm life, dating, and studying to be a medical technologist offer a view of college life around 1940. Also included are a map of Stoughton, her neighborhood and home floorplan; a selection of her mother's beloved recipes; and a list of the Norwegian words her family used daily, often unaware of their origin. This book is a historical treasure.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1DNLB7Q