Elroy Haverlah, a native Texan who has lived in various locations across the state and served as a minister for over four decades, half of which were spent at Palm Valley Lutheran Church, Round Rock, Texas, a congregation founded by Swedish pioneers. His personal conversations with descendants of those settlers, plus extensive research led him to a deep appreciation of those immigrants and a desire to share the story of their journey. He and his wife have two married children and four grandsons.