Pete of the Hill

A Memoir by June Morgan

By: LeAnn L. Morgan

Narrated by: Stacey Milochik

In 1866, young Peter O. Peterson Jr., with his parents and siblings sailed the high seas from Sweden to the United States and settled in the Oquawka, Illinois area. Peter, later known as Pete of the Hill, married Emma Polka in 1882, whose German family also lived in Oquawka.

Their life together was told through the eyes of two of Pete and Emma’s daughters, Agnes and Edna, 97 and 91 respectively, in 1983, when June Morgan interviewed her mother and aunt. Poignant, and sometimes humorous, their recollections will take the listener back to the eras when social classes ostracized loved ones and harsh winters had to be waited out. They paint a dismal picture of families barely surviving the Great Depression, and F.D.R.'s astounding "New Deal" that saved the country. Many memories came flooding into the sharp minds of the elderly women as they shared their story.

©2021 LeAnn L. Morgan (P)2023 LeAnn L. Morgan

Wonderful Story and Narration

Stacey Milochik brought this story alive with her distinctive and pleasant voice. June Morgan should be commended for her interviews with her mother and aunt so their memories for future generations will not be forgotten.