John Harden Lushbough wrote his memoirs in 1939 and described growing up in the late 1800s with his parents and siblings. He is a delightful storyteller, with a sense of humor. The family moved often - to Illinois, Kansas, and Iowa - trying to find good farmland. He described his schools, farm life, and encounters with rattlesnakes and other critters in colorful detail. His exploits included shooting chickens, hunting geese, and fishing for eels. As a young man, J.H. was noted for being one of the best with a thrashing machine. He traveled from farm to farm working with the crews to harvest wheat and other grain crops. He was very poor and did many odd jobs to make money, including chopping fire wood, taming mules, cutting ice, and digging up graves in a cemetery. He writes of his early years with his wife Gertie and living in Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota and Nebraska.
