Great Depression Survivors: Lulu V. and Big Jim Boswell - pocketboek

This book is an attempt to show two real life people, who happened to be our mom and dad as survivors of the Great Depression. Not only does it do this but it portrays that the couple was typical members of the Great Generation. They reflected the honest hardworking Protestant Ethic of that time. Their mores, culture, and religious beliefs were of those days. The book mainly focuses on Lulu Van Boswell as her children, friends, and grandchildren remembered her. Though Lulu and Jim had only some grade school education they were intelligent, loving, knew how to make and keep friends, as well as live happily in the context of poverty exemplifying that what you are in more important than what you have. Lulu was compassionate, friendly, very religious, and considerate of everyone. Jim was a very strong man with an iron will. He was very just and could not tolerate injustice. He was a helper and defender of the poor and needy. He would literally "give you the shirt off his back." They made sure that their three children had a place to live, food, medical care, education, and clothing. All three children became professionals in their respective fields and two earned graduate degrees.

Both Lulu and Jim were proud people who did not like "handouts" and sought to earn their living by the "sweat of their brows." Though they were the typical "Blue Collar" people of that day they had the fortitude, courage, and beliefs to become true survivors of the Great Depression. It is hoped that the people of that generation will remember how it was in those days and that those of this generation will research, understand and emulate people like Lulu V. and Big Jim Boswell. They lived at Boswell's Corner in Virginia.

Author Biographies

James Beryl Boswell was born in North Stafford, Virginia. He attended Virginia Military Institute, Bluefield Baptist College, Lynchburg College and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He recently was awarded the DMIN degree from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War and has five power lifting titles in the U.S. and Peru, South America. He has been a Gospel Minister for over 52 years including 30 years as a Southern Baptist Missionary to Peru, SA. He has written three books including "Gringo Cholo, A Tale Of Missions," and "America Wake Up." His doctoral thesis project is "A Strategy For Training Latino Laymen for Ministry In the United States." Beryl is brother to the author of this book Marlene Boswell Davis.

Marlene Boswell Davis was born in North Stafford. She moved to California and attended De Anza Community College and San Jose State University. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Business "With Great Distinction" and then a Master's in Business Education. She taught at West Valley Community College, Heald Business College and at San Jose State University She worked for 20 years as Human Resources Manager and retired in 1999. She currently spends her time volunteering at Kaiser Hospital, ushering at two local theaters, taking classes and hiking with other Seniors, and is very active in the Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church. She is the sister of the other author of this book, James Beryl Boswell.