Despite it all,  Joe was a pretty good guy, really.  But he had a time of it… I’ll tell you.  Joe’s Grandparents came to America on a big boat around 1825.  They left the Oldenburg, Germany area to seek a new life here in the states.

And so they did.  They settled right down in Ohio.  They did what they knew best.  They started farming.  They were very good at it.  Over time, and a couple of generations, they amassed a good about of farmland in Auglaize County, Ohio.

But fast forward to Joe.  Joseph Anton was his given name.  He was one of ten children, born in 1891.  He took to farming like a fish to water.  Or more appropriately, like a turnip to dirt.

But then trouble started happening in the world.  The first world war broke out and Joe enlisted in the United States Army.  And away he went.  While he was serving overseas, his dear mother, Mary Elizabeth… … (everyone called her Liza) …. died.  She fell victim to the flew epidemic of 1918.  The family took a photo of Liza in her casket.  When Joe came home from the war, they showed him the photo.  This made him sad.  He loved his Mom.

But Joe got back to being a farmer.  And a couple years later, he met a girl.  He was head over heals for her.  The girl’s name was Katie.  (Her real name was Katherine.)  Katie and Joe got married…. and… well…. they got busy.

They had five kids in just under five years, including a set of twins.  They were happy, and in love…. and all was good with the world.  But then another flu epidemic hit.  This time in 1929.  And Katie died, she did.    Joe was very sad again.

A few months later, he hired a housekeeper named Rose.  She took great care of the family… of Joe and the five children.  For a long, long time.  It was obvious that Rose loved Joe very much…. and the children as well.

But Joe could not bring himself to love another.
And that made Rose sad.

It is a true account.  I know of Joe…. I do.  I learned a whole lot of this just today…. the details of this winding and interesting story.

It wasn’t all sad though.  It had a few happy turns, here than there.  For instance …. Joe and Rose would go to Bingo every Friday night at the local church.  Joe was a real Bingo Wizard.  Mr. Lucky Numbers.  He won loads and loads of money at bingo, each and every week.  He kept Rose happy with an ample supple of Fanny Farmer Chocolates.  She liked the kind with caramel centers.

Joe was the inspiration for the book: Rose with the Big Fanny and Farmer Joe.

Yes indeed.  So many people in all the world, through all of history… each with their own lives, and their own stories.  We are all here together.  Bumping into one other.  Learning each other’s stories, and sharing one another’s lives.

It is limitless, and infinite.  That is the world.  That is the universe.  Lucky numbers,  chocolate covered caramels….. and silver linings.

“I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.” – Herman Hesse