Genell Dellin

Genell Dellin grew up in a household of seven, which included Grandpa Grady, who raised vegetables in a big truck patch and hauled fruit from the Rio Grande Valley to sell door to door and Gram (Ara) well-known for her down home Southern cooking. Some of her recipes are now Lilah’s. Genell’s great-grandparents, Frank and Talitha Alice (Briscoe) Robinson, sold their farm in Western Arkansas where they cultivated apple orchards and strawberry fields to pioneer raising oranges and grapefruit in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas early in the last century. Since she comes from the small-town of Poteau, in the Little Dixie section of Oklahoma, writing the stories of Rock Springs is so much fun for Genell. It brings back great memories and a sharp awareness that living in a close, warm community is a strength and a refuge.