Fern Agatha Bisbee was born in 1888 and lived her entire life in Merrill, Wisconsin. The author, Bea Lebal reveals Fern's Diary in the context of Merrill's history, presenting us with a sharply focussed picture of the town as backdrop, taken from the record and provided by Fern herself.

This well-written book contains many photographs, documents and first-hand stories that draw us into a remarkable time, mostly gone now, where hard work, common sense, caring attitude and gritty honesty were commonplace.

While we present a few exerpts here, Bea's book is available in its entirety in soft cover for $20 from the Merrill Hisorical Society & Museum or by calling them at 715 536-5652.

I've read Fern Bisbee's Diary and found it to be an engaging read, well worth the purchase price. --Rick Bisbee