7In 1901, Stefan and Helga Schmidt along with their infant daughter, Christina and Stefan's mother, Olga, immigrated to Northwest Nebraska from Germany. The crossing was long, hard, and fearful. Stefan worried about their safety at sea, the health of his family, and every expense along the way. He was afraid they wouldn't be accepted as Americans to the point of denying their German heritage and culture. Stefan dreamed of starting a horse ranch with land that wasn't financially obtainable in Germany. His dreams as large as the land he would work. Land that offered challenges Stefan and Helga couldn't begin to anticipate. Their American neighbors surprising them at every turn. Helga had her dreams too. Would their dreams become reality? Helga prayed they would. Would Olga's fears of the new country stand in their way? How would wars in Europe affect them and their family? Would the hardships in a hard land get the best of them? What blessings would God provide? What secrets lie in the shadows of their lives? What evil awaits them? Clare Hulseman McCullah was raised in Chadron, Nebraska. She graduated from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas. She is an author, retired social worker, Sunday School teacher, Children's Church director, Vacation Bible School director, and member of the West Ridge Free Will Baptist Church in Fayetteville, AR. Clare and her husband, Gary, reside in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The couple have 3 sons and 5 grandsons.