Born in 1932, Wanda Harris Arnold (Wanda Gene) grew up in the Texas Panhandle and, as a child, witnessed the poverty, savage weather, and economic devastation of the Depression. These experiences shaped her life philosophy, which she imparted on numerous occasions to her children: “It's not what happens to you that's important; it's how you react to what happens to you.” In the 1980s, she served as president general of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, a reflection of her love of genealogy and history. She left one unpublished manuscript when she died in 2004. This is that story.