Kent O. Stever

Kent Stever Ph.D. was born in Winona, Minnesota.

A longtime educator and sometime writer, he published his first book Growing Up On the Mississippi in June, 2013, with Kinder Gentler Ways following in 2014 and Tomatoes Free for the Asking in 2015 - all by North Star Press of Minnesota. Historic Tales of the Hiawatha Valley followed in 2019 by Arcadia History Press at www.historypress.com

He is a person of multiple interests and hobbies, especially relishing the memories and joys of neighbors, friends and community members who mutually supported one another in the 1950's. He follows an "era of value" of small town life - a decade of challenge and opportunity. Leftover values of parents who had only recently lived through a Great Depression and a World War were not easily lost. Those of us who lived the time learned the values at home, school, church - and across the community. Everywhere we looked, it was the same thing. Tomatoes and Hiawatha Valley are just more fun. His stories abound on desktop - with his fifth book is in process.

His books offer researched histories of small town life, charming stories of learned values and some modern "lessons of life" based upon learned values. He describes his first book as "a joyous autobiography." Kinder, Gentler Ways has its own unique reason for being. It’s an upward and outward extension of time and place. Stories and themes age the author to include adult experiences that bring forth his perspectives based upon earlier established values.

According to one reviewer, he "opens the floodgates of memory and kick-starts a time machine that sends all readers back to vivid scenes of small town American life" - mixing extensive research and personal narrative.