They Named Me Marjorie - A Book Review

September 22, 2010

After the death of her grandmother, Ann Zemke found two shoe boxes filled with diaries Marjorie Peterson had written for over forty years. But along with those diaries, something even more precious was found, a small cardboard book entitled, My Autobiography, My Life—Marjorie Peterson.

After reading the book, Ann was filled with even more questions about her grandmother’s amazing life struggle. An orphan train rider, Marjorie’s story is one of courage and resilience. Taken to the Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children when she was seven years old,  Marjorie was selected as one of the children to ride on the train to find a home, hence the name, orphan train riders.

Orphan train riders gather every year for family reunions to reminisce about their common bond. At the 2002 gathering, along with a quilt she had pieced in honor of her grandmother, Ann Zemke shared her grandmother’s remarkable story.

They Named Me Marjorie: The Brave Journey of an Orphan Train Rider is a delightful book that will make you aware of the importance of recording those family stories before it is too late.