Marion Witte

Marion Witte grew up on a farm on the North Dakota prairie in the 1950s, where she lived with her mother, father, older brother and younger sister until she was 18.

In her compelling memoir, Little Madhouse on the Prairie, Witte vividly describes how abandonment, alcoholism, abuse and unhappiness plagued her family for generations, creating a perfect storm of child abuse.

Witte’s great compassion and clear-eyed perspective elevates Little Madhouse on the Prairie beyond a story of violence. We learn of her parents’ and grandparents’ grueling struggles as they scratched out livings on the harsh Mid-western plains, where lessons were taught by beatings and children were seen, never heard.

Witte finally escaped her misery by going to college, where she excelled academically and graduated in three years at the top of her class with a degree in business administration and accounting. She passed the CPA exam while a junior, becoming the youngest CPA in the country that year.

Yet even as her career soared she was haunted by the emotional damage she had suffered as a child. In 1991, she began the long road to psychic repair. In 2005, Marion sold her successful business interests to provide the funding necessary to pursue her passion – empowering children. She established the Angel Heart Foundation, whose vision is “All Children Deserve A Safe and Just World.”