In Jean's community, everyone knew her hardheaded father and business-savvy husband. This book gave her the opportunity to describe her own role in the family's success, as a devoted mother, businesswoman and philanthropist.

Betty is a delightful English woman who came to America as a young war-bride. At the age of 93, she still has her charming British accent and sense of humor, which shine throughout this story.

Unlike the other books showcased here, this book is written as a third-person narrative. It was created as a tribute to the life of Mary Louise Hanson, a year or two after she passed away. We worked from some tapes made by her grandson and interviewed a variety of friends and relatives to tell this inspiring story.

This book started with a manuscript written by Ken and his wife. I gently polished the writing, identified gaps in the story, and organized a smoothly flowing narrative. Adding some 200 photographs made this a treasury of personal history.

The founder of Holiday Tree Farms, the world's largest grower and shipper of Christmas trees, worked closely with me to produce this informative, entertaining history of his family and the Christmas tree industry.  

This example shows how an organization can use a history of success to recognize past contributors and market its strength for the future. Cheryl McLean researched, wrote and designed this book for the Oregon State University Foundation.