Böcker av Alvin Fuhrman

"This one has it all - resilience, candor, and dignity. The text offers us a unique glimpse and experience into a world very different from ours."

This is the story of Alvin and Ellen Grace Fuhrman. It is about growing up on the family farms . . . how they lived before the age of electricity and indoor toilets . . . the various ways they made it to school-both graduating from Sacred Heart High School. It recalls their courting days-and the disapproval of Alvin by Gracie's parents. Alvin tells about starting with the telephone company during the ice storm days of the 1940 years. He tells about being drafted into the army and his two-year army life, before returning to the phone company and Gracie. He tells about their marriage and how Gracie became part of the company, and about their attempt to start their family. He tells about the adoption of one son, Kent, and the birth of a second, Gene, who grew up to be a model child and became the Chief Operations Officer of the company. He tells about the tragic accident that killed Gene. Alvin tells about other activities that he has been involved in through the years. Oh, by the way, I am Alvin.

Alvin Fuhrman began a storied career with MuensterTelephone Company during ice storms in 1949. "The Way It Was" is Alvin's story of how the company, under his leadership, ultimately went from just 12 telephones still working because of that tell-tale freeze to the primary communication provider not just for Muenster but for the surrounding area, as well. It's the story of how Alvin and his wife Gracie teamed to weather their own unthinkable personal storms and emerged closer and stronger because of their shared commitment to one another and to those who looked to them for leadership. It's the story of the people who joined Alvin and Gracie over the years to create a better company, a better community and a better life for thousands of family members, friends and neighbors. Mainly, "The Way It Was" is a story about life - as it was, as it is, and as it should be lived.