Memories of the Great Depression: A Time Remembered

Parishioner John Donald O’Shea has written a new book, available for purchase now! John Donald O'Shea is a retired Circuit Judge. He is a Sacred Heart parishioner, and has been active in community theater for over 50 years, as an actor, singer, and director. He writes op eds for three Quad City newspapers. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame (BA) and Notre Dame Law School

The 24 stories gathered here, abundantly recall life in America nearly 100-years ago. But these memoirs are less a nostalgic journey, than a memorial to the courage and toughness of our grandparents. We see word-pictures of survival during the decade of American greatest social and economic collapse — the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The first-hand accounts of hardship here, intermingled with wonderfully warm recollections of faith, family, neighbors and friends, make this book a must-read for teens and young adults who have enjoyed living through a period of unbroken prosperity. The human decency of the storytellers is evident throughout, as they tell of shared experiences that are becoming increasingly rare in our polarized America. Neighbors raising neighbor’s a barn …. Feeding the hobo at the back door … The country church harvesting a disabled farmer’s crop ….

These remembrances inspire us to focus on things in life that really matter: loved ones, family, true friends, courage, faith, and hope. The brief memoirs recounted here, challenge us to lead less-selfcentered lives.

“Even stronger is my recommendation that it be made available as an historical reference book for the generations to come, so, that we never forget.”