Review of "Church: A Fascinating Journey," edited by Andy Cubit

Review of

Church: A Fascinating Journey, edited by Andy Cubit 

Four out of five stars

 This book is an edited compilation of contributions by a staff of three others and it reads like that. It is the life story of Churchill (Church) Williams, a man that lived most of his life in Oelwein, Iowa. He grew up under tough circumstances, losing his mother at the age of six and his father at the age of nine. His older sister took over leadership of the family until she was killed in an industrial accident when Church was fourteen. Taken in by a kindly farm family, he worked hard on the farm and was barely able to scrape up enough to attend and graduate from what was then known as Iowa State Teachers College in 1938.

 Church served with distinction as an airman in the Second World War in the Pacific theater and was transferred back to the mainland to serve as an instructor well before the war ended. Once he was discharged, he was employed at a bank and was very successful. His development of personal resources and relationships with others provided the tools he needed for a life of leading programs that led to success in the development of important community improvement projects. He was so successful in these endeavors that the name of “Church” was known throughout the Oelwein community.

 This book is a factual recapitulation of the life of Churchill Williams and his accomplishments. There is very little in the way of embellishment or laudatory opinion, it is simply the story of the life of a man that made a difference.