Ruth Marr had wanted to write a memoir for as long as her children can remember. Preserving her family story for her grandchildren and future generations was very important to her.
Ruth and Liz Marr
Recently, she and her daughter, Liz Marr, made that dream come true with their book, “The Richest Soil Grows Deepest Roots.”
After the two women researched their family history for about eight years, Liz suggested that she and her mom work on the book together. Ruth had started drafting short family biographies in the 1980s. They began writing the book in 2016 and finished in 2021.
“By adding the historical narrative to Mom’s personal memories we hope we’ve provided richer context for readers,” Liz said. “It was truly a labor of love for the two of us and neither could have written the book without the other.”
Some of Liz’s ancestors on both her mother’s and father’s sides of the family were early pioneers in Platte County, while others arrived later in the 1800s.
“They were all part of the great westward expansion,” Liz said. “Dad’s family came to Weston, while Mom’s family farmed the river bottoms near East Leavenworth, Farley and Beverly.
Ruth has many memories of the years during the Great Depression and World War II. The book intertwines Ruth’s memories along with the family saga that spans five generations.
As many aspects of farming were a family affair, Ruth especially remembers the hog processing that resulted in delicious foods, some of which were only available for a short time once a year.
“Hog processing was quite a production, involving not only my parents but also my aunts, uncles and grandmother. Everyone had a specific job from slaughtering and butchering to processing,” Ruth said. “Aunt Bertha always made the sausage, while Mom made the blutwurst, which Dad really loved and had never experienced growing up, because his mother’s cooking was Southern not German. We had a smokehouse and I remember the delicious bacon, ham and smoked sausage. I have vivid memories of the 1940s-1950s floods, especially the one in 1952, which went into our house. But despite the floods, our family stayed, made repairs, and continued farming.
“Some of my fondest memories are family gatherings. At Christmas we attended Christmas Eve service at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Farley. Then we went to my grandparents’ home. In the parlor, we gathered around the Christmas tree decorated and lit with candles. There everyone opened presents and received gift money. And we all enjoyed Grandma’s cookies and Grandpa’s wine (even the children).”
Some of the family arrived in Weston as early as the 1840s due to the area’s status as a growing river-port town.
During the first half of the 20th century, the Marrs were the proprietors of the St. George Hotel.
“My dad and his twin brother, Mike and Pat Marr, grew up in Weston,” Liz said. “Both my parents (as well as Dad’s brother) graduated from West Platte High School in 1951. My parents decided to retire in Weston in the antebellum home my father inherited from his mother. My parents were very active in the community during their retirement years, and we children made frequent visits with our growing families during that time.”
The book combines unique personal stories, some handed down from one generation to the next, along with the backdrop of broader American historical context. “One branch of Mom’s family had been migrating westward (via Kentucky and Tennessee then Missouri) since arriving in Jamestown from England in the early 17th century. Others were German immigrants who arrived in the 1840s-1860s.”
Ruth notes that there were a lot of people of German and Southern ancestry who moved into, and farmed the river bottoms.
“German was the predominant culture in my mother’s family, and my grandmother’s family spoke German at home when she was growing up,” Ruth said. “However, because Fort Leavenworth and the busy port town of Weston were nearby, many European immigrants came to the area for work, so our family definitely connected with different cultures. And I remember my father asking people when he met them, ‘What nationality are you?’ which surely was a reflection of his interest in and awareness of the many different European immigrants over generations.”
When Liz and her siblings moved to other locations, some of their favorite memories are of visiting Platte County for large family gatherings at their grandparents’ farm and eating some of their favorite meals such as fried chicken and their grandma’s cookies.
“As youngsters we met so many relatives while visiting, and we couldn’t keep them straight until we got older,” Liz said. “We would go to Leavenworth, and invariably Mom would run into someone to whom she was related. We kids got the biggest kick out of that because it was so different from our suburban lives.”
Because the family had been in one area for several generations, they had nearby, extended relations and deep connections through church, school and neighboring farms.
“The distances between farms were much greater than in suburban and city communities, but that didn’t stop us from helping on one another’s farms,” Ruth said. “Everybody pitched in to help, whether it was planting, harvesting, butchering or flood mitigation. There was a deep caring and sense of community, whether we related to each other or not. I think that was a reflection not only of the multi-generational ties to the area but also the hard times brought on by the Great Depression and World War II.
When Ruth was growing up she quickly learned the importance of hard work and education. Neither of her parents went to school beyond eighth grade, but they encouraged her to pursue her educational interests, which led to Ruth going to college. “Both my parents grew up taking music lessons, Mom on piano and Dad on violin, so music was an important part of our family culture, and I took piano lessons for many years,” Ruth said. “And now all my children and grandchildren enjoy music. And from my Dad, especially, I learned the importance of storytelling.”
When Liz listened to her mom’s stories and asked probing questions while researching for the book, she was continually impressed by how her family and others in the area worked so hard and persevered in the face of adversity.
“Often that was because extended family and neighbors provided a vital and enduring support system,” Liz said. “Also, I have been amazed at the remarkable deeply rich history of Platte County and how our ancestors’ individual lives intersected with that history, from the Platte Purchase, Fort Leavenworth and the Civil War to the Great Depression and World War II.”
Ruth came up with the title of the book, “The Richest Soil Grows Deepest Roots,” a reflection of the Missouri River bottoms of Platte County having some of the richest farming soil in the U.S. “That’s what allowed our family to stay for so many generations, creating our strong roots or ties to the area,” Liz said.
Books can be purchased from the Platte County Historical Society with 100% of the sales going to the organization. Call 816-431-5121 to purchase and pickup at the Ben Ferrell Museum in Platte City or make a check payable to PCHS Internet Book Sales and mail to Book Sales, PO Box 103, Platte City MO 64079-0103; $15/book plus $10 postage/handling for first book, plus $5 for each additional book.
Books are also available for purchase at the Weston Historical Museum (with 100% of the proceeds going to the organization), which is seasonally closed and will reopen March 16, open Thursday-Sunday 1-4 p.m. The book is also available online via BookBaby and Amazon, both as paperback and e-book.