Growing up in rural western Pennsylvania

An advertisement for a book about growing up in rural western Pennsylvania.

Stories about a baby boomer growing up in the country
I grew up along dirt roads in rural western Pennsylvania in the 1953 to 1971 timeframe. Because times are so different now, I decided to write a book about what it was like growing up back then, and donated it to a western Pennsylvania historical society to publish. Titled, “In the land of used to be: Memories of a rural Pennsylvania childhood,” it describes the boyhood adventures, misadventures, and hijinks of several Boomers who were raised out in in the country — including me. I like to think the book will remind Boomers of their own rural childhoods in western Pennsylvania, and will also help more recent generations to better understand the Baby Boomer generation. The photo-illustrated book is available on Amazon in paperback format, and can also be purchased at the Mercer County Historical Society, 119 South Pitt Street, Mercer, Pennsylvania (724-662-3490). An e-book edition in Kindle e-reader format is coming soon.

Boyhood memories of a country kid
My earliest boyhood memories were formed while living on the dairy farm of my maternal grandparents in Somerset County with my parents. We moved from there to Mercer County in 1956, but took frequent trips back to Somerset County. My free-ranging days began when we moved to a place about five miles east of the town of Mercer Millbrook Road, where there were two boys my own age within walking distance. From about the age of six on, we neighborhood kids roamed wherever we pleased, and we were largely responsible for our own entertainment and safety. We did great with the entertainment aspect of being country kids. On the safety thing – well, we got lucky and survived — sometimes by the thinnest of margins. Not everyone did.

My story of coming of age in rural western Pennsylvania covers things like driving a tractor for 25 cents an hour to bale hay on a neighbor's farm, learning to shoot a rifle, receiving my own sheath knife and hatchet to play in the woods, and building a two-story tree house with my friends — all at the age of six. The book describes a variety of coming-of-age experiences in Somerset and Mercer counties that range from tame to extreme. My experiences are probably generally representative of a typical boy growing up anywhere in rural western Pennsylvania in the 1950s and 1960s — but they are strikingly different from the experiences of more recent generations. In that sense, I suppose the book is ancient history. Just think of it! No cell phones or tablets, no apps, no internet, no personal computers, and no smart televisions!

Lannie Dietle, September 12, 2024

“In the land of used to be” is memoir about growing up in rural western Pennsylvania during the Baby Boomer era. It describes how things used to be back then — from everyday life, to creative childhood adventures, to dangerous teenage hijinks. For Seniors who grew up out in the country, the stories in the book are sure to bring back good memories. For everyone else, the stories provide a fascinating escape back to a simpler place and time. It's an entertaining read, whether or not you are from western Pennsylvania. Order your copy today! (ISBN-13: 979-8327495098.)

Lannie Dietle in the library of Lakeview High School, in western Pennsylvania.

This photo shows me as a teenager, back in the good old days, studying in the library of my rural western Pennsylvania high school. At present, mid-20th century rural life exists primarily in the memories of surviving Boomers. In a few more years, it will only exist in the written words of authors. I like to think my new non-fiction book “In the land of used to be” helps to assure that a record of that long-ago rural lifestyle will survive.

A 2024 photo of the author, Lannie Dietle.

This is me in the summer of 2024. I hope you like my book about the childhood adventures of a western Pennsylvania kid growing up out in the country!