Mary Sue Anton has lived through the Great Depression, World War II, the 60s, and the space age. In her captivating memoir, she shares a heartfelt and often humorous account of her varied life in a small Missouri town, next to NASA, and into the 21st century.

In 2015, New Madrid County, Missouri celebrated its historic courthouse building centennial. To commemorate this event, the author focuses on stories about this distinguished Classical Greek Revival style white sandstone and glazed brick building in downtown New Madrid.

New Madrid, Missouri, an often-overlooked town along the Mississippi River, unveils itself as a microcosm of America's multifaceted history, resonating with the tales of intrepid explorers, westward-bound pioneers, Indigenous communities, and enslaved individuals.

After Mary Sue’s cousin Tom Brown inherited a store of genealogy and research from his mother, Mary Sue carried on the Phillips line. Archival photos and first-person stories add interest to a data base of 1,860 names, involving many past and current area residents.