Robert McFarland was born in Superior, Nebraska, in the midst of the Depression. He was the youngest of three sons born to Pastor A. J. McFarland and his wife, Sylvia (Hutcheson). As a two year old, the author moved with his family to the small Western Kansas community of Quinter. Then during World War 2 the family moved to Topeka, Kansas, where Robert worked at his first job-a bicycle delivery boy for the Topeka State Journal newspaper. From the 7th grade until leaving home for marriage, he lived in Sterling, Kansas. High School was filled with athletics: football, basketball and track. Musical interests were shown in winning a state medal for trumpet and singing in the high school music groups. All of these interests continued in his years at Sterling College and Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
