Lydia: Child of Westphalia

It is 1905. Lydia Ahlers is eleven years old and wants to do something no girl in her town of Westphalia, MO has ever done. She worries that her town and its values are holding her back. Through a family tragedy, she learns about Westphalia history and the people who form the town. She begins to understand that those qualities can help her succeed. Learn the history of Westphalia with Lydia and see what this small town gives to people who live there.

Cherie Hopkins Dupuis is the granddaughter of Martin and Mary Massman Veltrop and the daughter of Marine Veltrop Hopkins. She spent her childhood in Westphalia and her adult working life in large cities. She wrote this book to answer the question of what it means to have small town roots. She and her husband, Bob, now live in Westphalia as do her parents, sister, and countless cousins. She has two adult daughters, Anne and Claire, and a son by marriage, Scott.