Josie: A Pioneer Girl

Josie - a genealogical review of a young pioneer girl who was raised during the mighty settling of the Midwest. Like so many homesteading families, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Josie’s mom and step-daddy left the friendly farms of home. They sold off everything they could not carry, packed all of their possessions into a covered wagon and started west on foot walking beside the team of horses toward a new beginning. They were reaching for room to stretch, for better and richer land, for more opportunity to live a life of independence.Josie told stories about her life as a child. Many have been touched by her narratives: her vivid detail of herding cattle with her pony ’Maude’; scooting her school chum Clara off their study bench in an ornery incident; running with Josie through the prairie grasses of Oklahoma; and hunting Indian beads along the sandy creek bottoms. These are only a few of the events Josie told her listeners.This genealogical tribute to Josie is a poignant reminder about the life of a simple girl living at a time when early American settlers struggled to get a firm foothold on the land.

Donnis Slusser Crane is a professional storyteller, author, and inspirational speaker. Donnis loves tell stories; she quickly captures her audiences’ attention through vivid imagery and fascinating detail. She says ＂Storytelling creates an intimate, from you-to-me feeling that is satisfying to the teller and listener alike. When we hear a story, we find ourselves transported to a new place, carried away on a whirlwind of adventure, introduced to a different day and time. ＂ She believes that through storytelling we preserve our heritage, pass on traditions, learn skills, and enhance creativity in thinking, writing and oral communications. And in the process, we gain a better understanding of ourselves and the world in which we live.