As Helen Kobyluck Woronik sat down to assess her life after her husband's death, she lit upon the idea of recording her memories for her children. And once she started writing, she just couldn't stop and finished the manuscript in four months.

Woronik says, "I was so obsessed, in such a state of energy, it was like my whole life was all I could think of."

The introduction to Woronik's book reads, "I was reading a little of Bill Clinton's book and he recommended that everyone over 50 should write the story of their life. Well, I certainly qualified, I was well over 50." And thus, what began as a document for her children grew into a 96-page memoir.

And what a memoir it was. In her book, "The Way It Was: God's Plan," Woronik tells the story of her parents' immigration from Poland, their purchase of the family farm in Salem, her childhood and adolescence with her three older siblings, and finally her marriage and extended family life. The most remarkable part of Woronik's tale is that the setting remains the same throughout: Woronik has been living in her same family house for 79 years.

She says, "I absolutely love my home. I was very fortunate that after my mother died, my husband agreed to live there, and came to love it as much as I did."

Woronik's life in her family home was initially quite rustic. She didn't have running water or indoor plumbing until she got married, and she didn't have electricity until she was 16. She started school in a one-room schoolhouse in Salem, and used to do her NFA homework by kerosene lamp-light. Woronik graduated NFA in 1948, and after raising her children and working as a secretary at the Salem Elementary School for 17 years, Woronik took a position as the secretary of the Norwich Free Academy's library, where she has worked for 23 years.

Woronik says, "I like it here very much, and I have no plan to leave."

Eugene Lynch, head of NFA's library, says of Woronik, "She has had a very interesting life and is a wonderful person. We call her the 'heart of the library.'"

Woronik raised four children, who now all live within a mile of her. Her youngest son is right next door, and he still keeps an active farm. All 140 acres of the original property have stayed intact within the family. Woronik says, "We all like the land."

Her hobbies include cooking and baking, which she started out of necessity.

"When I was young, with farming parents, Mom didn't have much time to bake, so I learned early," she says.

Woronik has had three recipes published and has achieved some local fame for her blueberry pies, of which she baked 38 last year. She bakes for library staff every week, and says, "Baking gives a lot of satisfaction, and puts my time to good use." Woronik is also very active in her church, loves to read, and wrote another book, "The Farm," about her experiences in Salem.

She asserts, "I love life."

What began as a keepsake for her family has become a chronicle of local experience. Woronik has already distributed 150 copies of her book and had 100 more printed. To purchase "The Way It Was," call Woronik at 860-859-1448.

"Everyone should write the story of their life," Woronik says. "Everyone has a story, it's just a matter of putting it down."

Amelia Parenteau is a senior at Norwich Free Academy. She lives in North Stonington.