“They Never Threw Anything Away” - The Story Behind Ed Linz’s New Book

In October of 1929, the most devastating stock market crash in U.S. history occurred. People hurried to banks to withdraw their funds, causing banks to fail due to the high demand, which triggered widespread business closure. These events led to the period in history known as the Great Depression. This was a challenging time for people all around the US. Many lost their jobs, families struggled to obtain basic needs, and homeless rates increased. 

Growing up, Ed Linz became interested in the Great Depression through the stories of his mom’s experience during the time. In 1991, Ed had a heart transplant and decided taking time away from his teaching career would benefit his recovery. With the extra time, he began traveling around the country. During his travels he would ask people who had lived during the Great Depression if they would share their story. Most gladly welcomed him to their homes and talked for hours about their life during the Great Depression. He recorded each interview on a cassette tape recorder. Not having a specific plan at the time for these interviews, he set them aside for safe keeping and continued to teach physics at a local high school.

Now, Ed is using the stories on the tape recorder to write a book titled, “They Never Threw Anything Away”.  This “Oral History of the Great Depression” includes three- and four-thousand word stories about where these people were born and what they did during the Great Depression. Through his research, Ed has met countless fascinating people. One young woman was the daughter of the chief engineer for the Panama Canal and was friends with actress Ginger Rogers. Another one-legged man was living the best time of his life during this period, working in a turpentine forest and saving money to buy cars. 

Ed is spending his summer in Maine writing the book. A former English teacher helps him edit the stories, while a friend in Washington state reviews them. His goal is to finish the book by October before returning to Virginia with 20-25 stories and their corresponding photographs.

Through meeting a variety of people, he has learned about different approaches people have to their faith and God. During the Great Depression, people often went to church for the sense of community. In one interview, Ed met impoverished people in Missouri who would go to church on Wednesday and twice on Sunday. He realized the constant in many people’s lives was their faith and choosing to believe in it during the most difficult times helped raise their spirits. 

This Abiding Story was written by Savannah Klassen, Abiding Presence Intern (Summer 2020).