Sons of the Soil

Healy and Schoepf are names not likely to be found in history books but they belong to families who make up the fabric of the American dream shared by millions of 19th century immigrants to the United States. They left Europe in escape mode with hopes and some plans of finding a better life in America. They arrived in the U.S. with far more grit and determination than resources. Indeed, ignorance may have been their greatest blessing. Had they known what lay directly ahead, they may well have stayed where they were born. For over 100 years, these hearty families traveled parallel paths, each liberally paved with challenges, hardship, triumph and loss. Though neither family can boast of a character like today's action heroes, all of the characters in this story were heroic in their own way. "Sons of the Soil" is their story.