Tell Others

By Marjorie Struck

At the age of 90, author Marjorie Struck was inspired to take up the pen. She felt the intense need to reveal very delicate family issues. These issues go back to the time of her grandparent’s life in Minnesota, and the saga of the generations since. She believes this story has to be told and in, “TELL OTHERS,” Marjorie, shines a bright light on her family history. This all too real-life story takes the reader through five (5) generations of depression, alcoholism, substance abuse and multiple suicides: 10+ suicides including the current generation and the youngest, a 16 year old boy. Her story is a history that most would deny, but that she bravely chooses to reveal. She makes it clear that depression is a disease, and when looked at as such, can be treated. But when family and friends, turn a blind eye, this disease will kill...by the hand of its’ victims.
“TELL OTHERS,” is Marjorie’s way of opening up the discussion, not just for her family and their future generations, but for OURS! In these days when depression and other mental illnesses have led to an increased rate of suicides and our current “Opioid Crisis,” reading this book, can possibly save a life!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Golden Quill Press
• Release date: Jan 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9780967625676

Marjorie Struck

Marjorie was born into a large family of nine living in rural Minnesota. At seventeen she moved to Pennsylvania and later to New Jersey, where she lived with her husband Joe. Happy to have family nearby, Marjorie is a mother, grandmother and a great-grandmother. From childhood to the present day, Marjorie has maintained her avid interest in the arts; the ability to express through creating. She has found that window of expression through her love of painting and through writing. When she was approaching her seventies, Marjorie was inspired to write about spiritual happenings she’d experienced during various periods of her life. Her experiences; understanding and conveying the ultimate message, presented a personal challenge which she explored in her first book, “Challenging Messages From Beyond.” "Believing that it is possible to see into the spiritual world leads to new discoveries within the human spirit; elevating the quality of life and how human beings treat one another; channeling the power of love and good in this universe to survive in this world and stay steadfast in the preparation of the next journey. Jesus' teachings as written in Matthew-Chapter 7: ' For everyone who asks receives; and the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.' Marjorie says, “This teaching is uppermost in the development of my spiritual gift; which changed my life forever. The Challenging Message, "TELL OTHERS," was the inspiration to share experiences I had had from 1945 until through the new millennium." Challenging Messages From Beyond was published in 2002 and remains relevant today It is now time for the message of Tell Others of 2017. With the passing of her beloved husband Joe and celebrating her ninetieth birthday, Marjorie was ready to write the family history of tragedy: suicide, addiction and to share the need for awareness. This history has spanned five generations, from 1934 to 2012. But now, in 2017, it is time that the words Depression, Addiction and Suicide which used to be words that everyone shied away from come out into the open. These words once conjured up images of, “Crazy People.” But today, modern science and medicine now prove it isn’t so! The evidence shows there is a strong genetic connection to depression These are real illnesses, ‘diseases that kill ....no matter by whose hand. They are no different than heart disease or diabetes or cancer. These are real killers, but they don’t have to be! Read this book and, “Tell Others,” and you just may save someone’s life!

Book preview

TELL OTHERS

By

MARJORIE STRUCK

"FUSION" ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISMORIGINAL WATERCOLOR

MARJORIE STRUCK  2014

My husband Joe named this painting ‘Fusion.’ He saw it as the, ‘coming together,’ of my life.  It was my last work before his passing in 2015.  Painting has always been a joy for me. I will continue painting as long as I can. It is the creative process that is most fulfilling!

Published by Golden Quill Press

a division of Barish-Stern Ltd.

P.O. Box 83

Troutville, VA 24175

Copyright ©2017

Marjorie Struck

ISBN 978-0-9847330-9-5

All rights reserved, except for appropriate quotes in reviews or scholarly works. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other without the written permission of the publisher.

This book is a memoir based on the life and experiences of the author and her family. Because of the very personal nature of these disclosures, the names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Cover by Art on Gold, Troutville VA.

DEDICATION

TELL OTHERS, is dedicated to the lives lost to suicide, caused by diseases unknown or misunderstood. 

By telling their stories, I hope to reach the hearts and minds of families and loved ones who have suffered because of these tragic deaths.

May the once disgraced memories of the lost lives be redeemed and lifted to their proper place in homes and society.

Science, research and treatment have brought enlightenment and hope for solving some of the mysteries of suicide and can now bring the joy of life to many of those so afflicted. 

I am most grateful for these new discoveries and want to share my joy through the message of, TELL OTHERS.

With Love and Thanksgiving

Marjorie Struck

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to thank my spiritual family for their encouragement and steadfast faith in the purpose of this work.

My personal thanks to Lois, Ade, Ken, Ray, Henry, Paula and her husband Darryl, for their contributions and always, to my Joe. 

But without the help of my sister, Marie, this book might never have been written. She has been so faithfully involved in our family life and I want to add a special thank you to her, for keeping in close touch with me all these years.  She has always been concerned with the health and well-being of the family and has shown it in so many loving ways. Marie’s love and determination gave people close to her the strength to conquer their individual battles, and her family now includes 35 great grandchildren.  Marie’s contribution to the success of TELL OTHERS is greatly appreciated, with love

To my brother Andrew, I look to you, with hope. I thank you for your contribution and am confident the information in this book will help you find answers for our family. When you share our astonishing family history and TELL OTHERS you will find your peace of mind and a positive outlook for our new generations …and many generations to come. This can change our family’s course! You can be the guiding light—Let’s make it happen!

And, I wish to extend special thanks, to Francine Bray, my editor and publisher. Her heartfelt efforts, extra help and suggestions in writing have given me assurance, TELL OTHERS, will accomplish my goal and be a work to be proud of.  My thanks and appreciation. 

FROM THE AUTHOR

TELL OTHERS is a non-fiction account of the history of my family from 1934 – 2017.

This book is written from my point of view and is based on realizations that could no longer be ignored. I have gone back over actual events and looked at how the times, the beliefs and opinions, made these realizations so impossible then. Things have changed so drastically from 1934 until today, that re-examination has led me to believe I was meant to write this book at this time.

Once I understood more about the turbulent road my family took, and how in each generation it was repeated, then I knew what I had to do, and this became my mission!

In 1998, when I was completing my first book, Challenging Messages From Beyond, I was drawn deeper into my family history, as my father’s memory guided my way. Then talking with my sister about those messages, set me on the path to discovery. I have pursued this course to try and understand for myself and to relate to others, the reasons why we are so driven in our lives that we set ourselves on a path of self-destruction, and what it is that we are really searching for.

For me, this book represents the possibility of shedding light on those issues and providing a better awareness, that unfortunately my family did not have.

But there has also been a personal mystery I encountered as early as seven years old. My first, why, in this puzzle was, how could something possibly interfere with Christmas? Now I understand, that was the least of the problem!

As you join me on this revealing family journey, my hope is that it will reveal for you a path to understanding! One that leads to the importance of TELL OTHERS!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 CHRISTMAS EVE 1934

CHAPTER 2 WILL 1934

CHAPTER 3 BYRLTO BILLIE 1935-1936

CHAPTER 4 A POSITIVE CHAIN OF EVENTS

CHAPTER 5 MARIE AND AUNT ANNA

CHAPTER 6 HIGH SCHOOL YEARS

CHAPTER 7 EXPERIENCES IN LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA

CHAPTER 8 MY FATHER 1953

CHAPTER 9 APRIL 1953

CHAPTER 10 UNCLE BERTRAN 1958

CHAPTER 11 MY BROTHER CHARLES 1975

CHAPTER 12 CARLA 2001

CHAPTER 13 BOOK SIGNING IN MINNESOTA 2003

CHAPTER 14 BILLIE AND SUSAN’S 50th ANNIVERSARY PARTY 2003

CHAPTER 15 MEETING WITH MISSY 2003

CHAPTER 16 RECALLING PLAINVIEW

CHAPTER 17 RETURNING HOME

CHAPTER 18 THREE MORE SUICIDES 2003 - 2005

CHAPTER 19 FROM CHARLES TO RICKY 2012

CHAPTER 20 THE MESSAGE FROM BEYOND, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS!

CHAPTER 21 OTHER STORIES

CHAPTER 22 ANOTHER STORY

CHAPTER 23 LETTERS FROM MY SIBILINGS

CHAPTER 24 LAST WORDS

EPILOGUE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BOOKS BY MARJORIE STRUCK

ORDER PAGE

INTRODUCTION

My paternal grandfather and one of his brothers were my only relatives that came to America from Germany. My grandfather, Albert was born December 21,1858 in Pummel, a small German farming community, located in the southernmost part of Germany, close to France.

He immigrated to America when he was just 16 and settled in a farming community, called, Hoosier’s Ridge, located outside Plainview, Minnesota. A large number of Protestant German families had already settled there from a previous generation, but it was that generation that had established a Lutheran Church.

The church and its teachings were the center of the lives of the German community, so much so, that if anyone left the church and married into the Catholic Church, they were immediately, visibly shunned. Many times, because of the strength of the church, they were disowned by their own Lutheran family. This radical practice continued into the 2nd and 3rd generations.

Grandfather, Albert was 6 feet tall, very lean and very strong. These were beneficial qualities that helped make him an excellent farmer and landowner. But it was his proud German heritage that gave him his confident manner. His strict Protestant, Lutheran upbringing, made him a determined, responsible man of upstanding character. But he was also quiet and humble, not self-righteous. Grandfather Albert, felt a great appreciation for America and its opportunities, and he became an American citizen as soon as he could.

His farming accomplishments and good looks; blue eyes, medium complexion and thick head of brownish hair, offered him good marriage prospects. In 1881, he met and married Minna.

My grandmother Minna, came from a well-established religious Lutheran family, in Altura, Minnesota. She was born in 1865, a first-generation American with a proud German family background. Minna was given a very strict Lutheran upbringing. She was a hard worker, not very social, but very much a real homebody. She was very clean and neat, and believed, Cleanliness is next to Godliness, which became the family motto to live by.

Albert and his new wife, Minna settled on a farm near Plainview and became well respected members of that rural community.

In those days, farming was called, general farming, mostly for the independent lifestyle it offered and the freedom to be your own boss. Daily farm life was routine, but it required, 24-hour attention and supervision.

Crops were grown mostly for feed for the cows, horses, pigs and chickens, which then supplied the dairy and meat products to feed the family. Large fruit and vegetable crops were both for seasonal use and also were made into preserves to be used during the long cold winters.

Cream was sold to the local creamery for cash or for butter and cheese. And the local grocery exchanged farm eggs for sugar, flour and other general provisions needed.

Minna