Barbara Nielsen

An Oklahoma Soldier: a Ride in One Man's Saddle Barbara Nielsen

An Oklahoma Soldier An Oklahoma Soldier is a family memoir brought to life by a bit of fiction and the use of a father's voice to recount his tales. From the Oklahoma land runs through the Battle of the Bulge to an everyday life in Kansas City, Mrs. Nielsen's father's remembrances capture classic 1890 to 1960 moments. Mrs. Nielsen's father, Bert Brooks Jr., wrote a letter to her, stating, "To me, genealogy should be more than a record of births, marriages, and deaths. I've always believed that if I am not in your heart, I never existed. If I am in your heart, you will find me there now and forever." Shortly after his death March 29, 2001, his daughter decided to edit and retouch his stories, most of which he had not shared before. Mrs. Nielsen hopes she has done justice to her father's renditions and to his hope of making past generations seem more than dates. Family pictures of many of the people in the stories visually enhance the father's memories. Genealogical charts gathered from old papers and notes are at the end of An Oklahoma Soldier, tracing family roots to hand them on to those who care.