Author: Barbara Arnold

Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing

Published: 2008-05

Total Pages: 78

ISBN-13: 1598586254

I am Daniel Hertzler tells the story of a 19thcentury Mennonite farmer. He left his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with his wife and young daughter to start a new life in Ohio. His years in Springfield were spent developing a sawmill, a grist mill, a brick distillery, a whiskey distillery, and a bank as well as accruing over a thousand acres to raise crops and livestock. (He lived in several townships throughout Clark County before building a bank style home and barn on the Valley Pike in Bethel Township which he referred to as his retirement home. The house features many built-in cupboards, painted woodwork and other innovations to proclaim his wealth without foregoing his plain Mennonite background.) His life was cut short during a botched robbery. As he is dying, he remembers the events of his life. His frustration with five daughters before finally the joy of a son. The growth of his prominence in the Clark County arena, the death of two infants, two daughters, and two sons, including his namesake haunt his memories as he wonders if his life was meaningful. Although Daniel's thoughts cover many years, the wounds he received during the robbery would have killed him in about five minutes according to the coroner's report, the bullet opening an artery in Hertzler's leg. All the Hertzler names and dates are based on fact, but other characters and events are the fruit of the author's imagination. BARBARA STUDEBAKER ARNOLD is a retired Language Arts school teacher with an avid interest in history. She is a member of the Hertzler House Advisory Committee which is dedicated to the protection and preservation of the Daniel Hertzler House, a Pennsylvania bank-style home built in 1854 by a Mennonite entrepreneur from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Her interest in the history of this family led her to explore more about the Mennonites, the history of the Clark County and Springfield, Ohio areas and the life style of women in the 1800's. The result of her interest and research became the foundation for her first fictional biography, Catharine Hertzler's Journey which inspired her to look further into the Hertzler saga and develop the companion book I am Daniel Hertzler. Barbara Arnold's ancestors also came from Pennsylvania, and several of her family names are used throughout the books. Historical references to the time and events are true as are names and dates that refer to the Hertzler family. Conversations and personal references are from the author's imagination. Barbara lives in Enon, Ohio with her husband of 49 years and two very spoiled cats. She has three grown married children, three grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren. She has a teaching certificate from Wittenberg University in Springfield, a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Antioch University in Yellow Springs, and a Master of Science Degree from the University of Dayton in Dayton, all in Ohio. She spent almost 15 years as a substitute teacher before teaching 8thgrade Language Arts in the Greenon Local School System for 29 years. She also served as cheerleading advisor, student council advisor, and cheer aide advisor as well as the drama club advisor at Indian Valley Middle School and Greenon High School for 25 years. Now retired from teaching she has time to pursue the many activities she had no time for earlier. She enjoys taking watercolor painting lessons, garden clubbing, crafting and traveling.She has taught graduate level classes at Wittenberg University and has also supervised Student Teachers for Wittenberg. She is an active docent for tours at the Hertzler House, the Frank Lloyd Wright Westcott House, and Cox Arboretum. She has composed many poems, scripts for tour guides at the Hertzler House, and scripts for various performance events at Cox Arboretum and others. She readily admits she is so busy she doesn't know how she had time to teach.