“Climbing the Hills and Finding the Rivers” is a manuscript by Marji Smock Stewart and her husband William Stewart. The title phrases are touchstones of life for them, she said; his in the first part and hers in the second.

Finding the rivers came from Marji’s father – always his advice for when you’re in a new place. Rivers, especially the Ohio, played an important part in both Marji and Bill’s lives. This is the story of their lives, written for their family, serialized and shared here by me. I sometimes altered the arrangement of the content and edited for length, but the words are theirs.

The family photos are also theirs, but I added them and some others to these posts.

Climbing the Hills and Finding the Rivers: Parts 1-16







Part 7: 35 Cent Grilled Cheese

September 11, 2019



Part 9: Lum and Sarah McDonald

November 19, 2019





Part 13: English Channel 1944

November 11, 2019



Part 15: Ohio County Farm

August 22, 2020


bill and marji 1992 - finding the rivers

Part 16: After the farm

September 27, 2020