Jim Knoff, the youngest son of Ruth and Raymond Knoff, was born in 1944 and raised on the family farm outside of Drayton, North Dakota. After graduating from the University of North Dakota with his twin sister, Jeanne, he worked for the National Credit Union Administration and was later named president and CEO of Pima Federal Credit Union in Tucson, Arizona. Jim began writing The Life and Times of Ruth Dagmar, his mother’s biography, after he retired in 2008. Volumes 2 and 3 will cover Ruth’s life during World War II and the first four years after the war ended.
The Life and Times of Ruth Dagmar: Volume 1, The Prewar Years (1935-1938)
$33.95
Description
Ruth Birk came of age as portents of the next great war were broadcast over the radio. Though she experienced hardships, helping keep the family farm afloat when her father died and her brothers couldn’t be depended on, she didn’t give up on her future. Ruth dreamed of a life where she wasn’t tied to the place she’d grown up. After much soul searching, she dreamed of spending her life with Ray Knoff, despite his parents’ disapproval.
As she faced the challenges that the Depression presented to rural North Dakota, Ruth found reasons to keep smiling: parties to attend, neighbors who supported each other in times of adversity, and—surprise!—a baby on the way.
In turns somber and sweet, volume 1 of The Life and Times of Ruth Dagmar gives us a rare glimpse into a unique time and place, filtered through the eyes of those who were there.
