McKenzie Family Tales and Select Overripe Wild Persimmons

About the Book

This book is an attempt by a new American author with Scots-Irish ancestry, at the age of 70, to recount part of the history of his family of McKenzies, which touches eight generations. The story covers the time distance from the settling of the American mid-west (Washington County and Southern Illinois in particular), through the Civil War era (in which four of his great grandfathers fought, one against the others), through the Great Depression (in which he was born), through World War II (in which his father of four served), and into the recovery of the nation from that war and beyond. Mixed with the family facts are family tales, many probably told "out of school" by this humorist storyteller. A good sample of his aunt's poems are included, as well as some of his own juvenile verses. There are copious photos that tell a tale of their own. If you want to know what a one room rural school was like in the late 1930's and early 1940's through the memory of a child who was there, you will enjoy reading McKenzie Family Tales.

About the Author

Francis McKenzie is a retired pastor of 35 years having served in Wisconsin, Tennessee and Alabama, bi-vocational for many of those years. He earned a diploma at the Missouri Business School in St. Louis MO, a Bachelor of Theology in Apostolic Studies with honors at Apostolic Bible Institute in St. Paul, MN. He studied history at Union University in Jackson, TN and Gadsden State College in Anniston, AL. He did Creation Seminar work sponsored by South Florida Bible College and Seminary and received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from that institution. Francis has done considerable work with the denomination that he served, including five years as Director of Promotions and Publications and Director of the International Radio Division, also as AL District Secretary, Editor, Chaplain, Presbyter, and seven years as Volunteer Chaplain at Talladega Federal Prison. In the secular world he was in the insurance industry for eight years resigning as Secretary-Treasurer of a Life and Casualty company. He is a 20-year retiree of Wal-Mart. Francis married Elsie Lott of Laurel, MS and they have two children, Ruth and Michael, and a grandson, Jordan.