An Old Minnesota Town

Below the surface of ordinary daily life in this 1930s Minnesota town runs a hidden struggle between the unforgiving conservatism of church and town and the desire of certain of its citizens to find another way to live. A deeply confused Eva finds her identity in the discovery that her grandfather was a scholar. Townsfolk rally when the churches deny services to a suicide. Grace Krahn fights the town council for the right to build a public library. Then there are those looked down on: the simple woman who will never find a husband, the scrawny son dominated by his rigidly conservative mother, the little-noticed worker in the Old Folks Home. The most highly regarded in the town’s social structure are successful businessmen like Johann Jungas and, perhaps, ministers. In spite of inner tensions, the town holds together. One cohesive force is the compassion of ordinary folk who, aware of all that’s going on, give immediate support to those in trouble. The other is the general belief that above them all is God keeping an eye on the town—on those receiving small reward in this life, but also those who, hard-working and upright, rise to the top. Several stories are based on actual events and persons in old Windamer: Tante Lieze and her troublesome daughters, Taunte Joht who lived by the swamp and brought bags of vegetables to people, the young girl tricked into a disastrous marriage, the cold January day the Jungas hardware store burned down. Some stories were inspired by life in other Mennonite towns. Most names have been changed, including the name of the town itself. “Phyllis Martens’ vivid story-telling is propelled by her search for the truth of ourselves. Her characters, set in the small town of my own childhood, come alive in the ethos of an earlier immigrant generation. Yet, with elegant writing and subtle humor, Martens draws us into a clearer vision of struggle and grace in the wider human community.” – Jean Janzen, poet, author of Paper House, Piano in the Vineyard, Entering the Wild “This collection of stories provides the setting for families who are part of the Low-German community in the small Minnesota town of Windamer. In a town of many churches and a few businesses, some persons struggle to be accepted, others to break free of the web of cultural and religious rules and traditions. These are fascinating stories with unique and memorable characters.” – Wilfred Martens, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Fresno Pacific University, author of a novel, River of Glass

Phyllis Hiebert Martens was born in Minnesota but grew up in India, the daughter of missionary parents. She returned to Kansas to attend college, spending summers with her grandmother, Helena Jungas, in a small Minnesota town, where she worked in the town hospital, heard Low German spoken, attended a conservative Mennonite church. She listened to her grandmother’s stories about old times and met Jungas family members, including the gossipy Frieda. Phyllis has master’s degrees in English and counseling. She taught English and ESL, has published four English teaching games. She is married to Dr. Elmer Martens, whose writings she edits. They reside in central California.