My Little Shasta Valley

In 1920, a baby girl was born at Table Rock Ranch in northern California. In My Little Shasta Valley, she tells the story of growing up north of Mount Shasta and the adventures she had as she, just like her mother and grandmother before her, fell in love with the land, the people, and the animals that inhabit it.

In 1920, a baby girl was born at Table Rock Ranch in northern California. In My Little Shasta Valley, she tells the story of growing up north of Mount Shasta and the adventures she had as she, just like her mother and grandmother before her, fell in love with the land, the people, and the animals that inhabit it. Presented as a collection of short stories with a play in the middle, these memories will transport the reader back in time to life on a rural cattle ranch in Northern California in the early 20th century. The author relates the history of her family, who travelled across the plains in covered wagons to settle in the Pacific Northwest. The stories are brought to life by a diverse array of real-life characters—from multi-generational family members to hired hands, as well as a variety of horses, dogs and other animals. This endearing memoir paints a picture of a life barely imaginable to most people today, but the wholesome innocence and simplicity will appeal to all.

Lucille von Wolffersdorff was born in 1920 in Little Shasta Valley, north of Mount Shasta, California, and grew up on a cattle ranch. She spent her childhood there and after graduating from high school attended Stockton Junior College. She transferred to UCLA, where she studied for three years. She graduated from UCLA in 1942 with a BA in Art and Education. She joined the NYA (National Youth Association, which was part of the New Deal agency sponsored by Franklin D. Roosevelt) in the 1940s and worked with the Italian artist Benjamin Bufano painting murals for them. She taught elementary and secondary education throughout California, teaching every grade from kindergarten to twelfth. She also taught adult education. As an artist, she has worked in sculpture, printmaking, collage, painting and drawing. At the age of 98, she continues her work with drawing and painting in both oils and watercolors. She is currently living in Redlands, California and has two children—David, who lives in Seattle, and Joy, who lives in Pasadena. She has two granddaughters, Adrienne and Amelia von Wolffersdorff.