When I started this book, I wanted to create a glimpse of life as I knew it growing up in the small town of Maumee, Ohio. I left Maumee when I took a job in Miami, Florida. That led to my living in six different states and traveling around the world. My parents also moved away from Maumee. Shamefully, it was almost twenty-five years between visits. I returned to Maumee to hold a memorial celebration for my parents, and my wonderful memories rushed back. The city was even better than I remembered. I wanted my children and grandchildren to know the beauty, the historical significance, the northern culture and to love it like I do. I vowed to write a book. The book is not what I envisioned when I began my project, since it took on a form of its own. As I researched the city, I learned so much. What a fascinating place. With the help of many friends and other authors who read, suggested and searched for reference photos, the book finally became My Maumee. I hope you will agree, in the words of Alta Richardson, one of our teachers, speaking about Maumee, "grass is greener, the sky bluer, bird songs sweeter and the people the kindest in the world."