Jerilyn “Jeri” McIntyre, daughter of former Norfolk Junior College dean Frank McIntyre, has published a new book reflecting on her Nebraska childhood.
Jeri McIntyre spent her early years in Norfolk, where her father served as dean from 1942 to 1949 before the institution later became part of Northeast Community College (1973).
Her latest work, Heartlands, Memories from a Nebraska Childhood Long Ago, compiles personal essays previously published in literary journals and recounts her experiences growing up in Norfolk. Although her family moved to California more than 70 years ago, McIntyre continues to draw inspiration from her early life in the community.
McIntyre and her husband visited Norfolk in 2023 following the release of her novel Four-Leaf Clover, a fictional story influenced by her recollections of the Midwest, though not based on specific individuals.
Both Jeri and her brother, Joel, attended Stanford University as undergraduates. She later earned a master’s degree in journalism from Stanford and a Ph.D. in history and communications from the University of Washington. McIntyre went on to teach and hold administrative positions at several universities and is now president emeritus of the University of Utah.
McIntyre has donated a copy of Heartlands to the Northeast Library. The book includes reflections on her education, including learning to read. “Chicken Fried Steak” was the first phrase she remembers reading.
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Jeri McIntyre’s latest book is “Heartlands, Memories from a Nebraska Childhood Long Ago.” It is available at the Northeast Community College Library and on Amazon.
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