About the Author

Darrell Norrod was born on a cold and snowy February day in 1947 in Dayton, OH, the second child of Denzle and Jewel Norrod. The Norrods lived life simply, first in a 2 room cabin without electricity or indoor plumbing, and then in a 4 room house with 4 electric light bulbs and 4 electric outlets. In those days, breakfast was white gravy made from lard, whole cream, and water. The bread was biscuits made from flour and water. Supper was cornbread, fried potatoes, and pinto beans. And good cooking meat was sometimes a groundhog or a raccoon.

No job was too small or didn't pay enough for Denzle and his young son, Darrell. No job was too dirty or too ill smelling to make the money needed to survive on. No job meant no food and no money and no medicine for Darrell's disabled brother. Although Darrell's father could not read or write, he taught Darrell the most valuable thing in life, "Common Sense". Darrell's father told his son the most prized things in life started with your family, God, and country, and the Norrod's handshake was a contract with your good name written on it.

Darrell attended Mad River Elementary School and Stebbins High School in Mad River Township, now the City of Riverside, Ohio.

On a warm Sunday night in July 1965 Darrell eloped with his childhood sweetheart, Donna Martin. After helping Donna from her bedroom window, the two young lovers ran through the backyard for the getaway. Darrell was eighteen and Donna was sixteen when they both said "I Do" the next day in front of an unknown pastor on a front porch in Harveytown, West Virginia. After a one-night honeymoon, the two young married fugitives began the struggle of their young life. Darrell says, "The day I married Donna was the happiest day of my life."

Darrell landed his first full-time job a few weeks later in August of 1965 at the McCall Corporation in Dayton, Ohio working on the assembly line. During the next 4 years Darrell and Donna welcomed 3 children, Julie, Kimberley and Teddy, and saved enough money for a down payment on their first home. Eventually Darrell became a jack-of-all-trades, doing lawn care, home repair, and buying and selling used cars. With his knowledge and passion for automobiles, Darrell took on a new profession as an automobile parts sales rep. With the southern manners that his parents taught him, his humor, warm smile and honest talk, Darrell soon became one of Ohio's most respected sales reps.

Darrell and Donna live in Riverside, Ohio, have three children, eight grandchildren and have been on the roller coaster ride with no hands since their wedding day, now for forty-three years. Darrell says, "That's got to be some kind of a record, for a roller coaster ride."