My great-grandparents, Charles and Elmira Ransom, lived in this farmhouse in Clear Lake, Iowa, from 1920 to 1936. My father, Jim, was born there in 1923.

The Past

As a writer and historian, I am drawn to the past like a child to a candy store. There’s an attraction that is easier felt than described.

What is a person’s past other than their collection of memories—good, bad, and in between—about people, places, times, and events that shaped their life?  I see my past as a multi-roomed, old farmhouse. The doors to many of its rooms open to bright sunshine, laughter, light summer breezes blowing through an open window, and sounds of birds singing in the nearby trees. I love those rooms and visit as often as I can. Behind doors to other rooms lie cold and darkness from which come sobs and tears. I cringe at the thought of even passing those rooms by, but there are times I visit to remind me of the sad things I, and others, have endured.

In 1997, I completed a memoir about my Ransom grandparents and my love for them and their farm. I intended the book to be my gift to them, a way to help keep their memories alive for future Ransom generations. It turned out to be their gift to me, because writing that book opened a new career for me as a memoirist, personal historian, and company historian. Since 1997, I have written more than thirty memoirs, six company and organization histories, a book to help our aging parents through their later years, nearly forty personal-profile magazine articles, and more.   

For clients who have little or nothing written about their past, I tape record conversations with them where they tell me their life stories. We usually sit in the quiet of their home, just the two of us, and through the course of several meetings—where I get to know them, and they get to know and trust me—they invite me into the rooms of their house and share stories that lie behind the doors. Some stories they ask we not include in the book. Others form the basis for what we include, written in their voice.

For clients who have begun or completed a draft of their life story, I work with them to “polish it” (organize, edit, add photos etc.) and get it printed or orderable on Amazon.

In his book Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury wrote: "Everyone must leave something behind when he or she dies. It could be a child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or flower you planted, you're there. It doesn't matter what you do so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you when you take your hands away."   

I firmly believe that what is written will be remembered.  A memoir is one way, but not the only way, to leave something behind that is truly you. What stories rest in the rooms of your house?  I would love you to share them with me so that together we could write the story of your life.   

Working with Ken Berge on his memoir Ninety Years and Counting

Though I have devoted most of my writing career to helping others write their life stories, I have written three books about my life that are available on Amazon:

Work Hard, Be Honest, A tribute to my grandparents James and Mildred Ransom

The Older I Get, the Better I Was, An aging athlete looks back

Loving What Death Can Touch, A father endures the loss of his son  

Also, I welcome you to explore my website pages:

Portfolio: Contains thumbnail descriptions of books I have written.

Company Histories: Though the majority of my portfolio consists of personal histories, I have written several company and organization histories.

Stories: Contains examples of stories I’ve written. Some are from my books, others from my magazine articles, and some haven’t been published in print. I hope you find them worth your time to read.

The Process: Provides an overview of the start to finish process of writing a memoir.

Musings: Quotes and cartoons about writing.

Testimonials: Feedback from my clients.

Contact: How to contact me. (The photo on my contact page is of me as an IBM technical writer in 1970.)