LLCGS Educational Programs for 2009
Bob FitzSimmons, Program Chair
January 13 – Bob and Anne Diffendal
Lewis and Clark: The Geology and History of the Great Plains 1804-1806
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were astute observers of the
Nebraska landscape that can be toured today. Bob and Anne Diffendal
did just that. They have written a book describing the geologic
processes that shaped the land along the routes taken by the explorers
in 1804-1806 along the Missouri River to its source in Montana. Bob
is Professor Emeritus UNL Conservation & Survey Division and last
spoke to our group in June, 2008 on Understanding Maps.
February 10 – David Marsh
Music of the Plains
David Marsh, a musician residing in Denton, will play more than 10
musical instruments and educate us about the people of the Midwest
Plains through music and songs, including lifestyle, games and immigrant
origins. He will share stories of the various cultures that helped to
develop the Music of the Plains. David
Marsh’s musical presentation
will be sponsored in part by the Nebraska Humanities Council.
March 10 - Pippa White
The Story of the Orphan Trains (1854- 1929)
Pippa White is back to showcase her one woman theater show
and storytelling skills. Her Orphan Train theatric presentation will tell
the true stories of seven brave young Orphan Train Riders from their New
York City beginnings to starting new lives in the Midwest. Pippa’s research
and storytelling skills will again be on display, as she uses diaries,
letters, memoirs, and journals of the thousands of orphans that came to
Nebraska to create a moving, entertaining and memorable production.
April 14 – Mary Jane Nielsen and Jon Roth
“Lincoln Looks Back”
Mary Jane Nielsen has completed two books on the city of Lincoln,
Nebraska. Her first book covered the unique history of “O Street”; the
second book covered “Life in Lincoln…as we remember it.” To help
Lincolnites celebrate our 150th birthday in 2009, Mary Jane is editing
a new book, Lincoln Looks Back, which is scheduled to be released April
1st, 2009. She and Jon Roth will be sharing key stories and photographs
covering 150 years of Capital City history.
May 12 – Gloria Hall
“Grandma is a Bag Lady”
Gloria Hall is a national and international lecturer on the history
and uses of feedsacks by our ancestors. With the 1846 invention of the
sewing (aka, stitching) machine, feedsacks could be used to transport
flour, sugar, meal, grain, salt and feed from the mills. In the late 1800s
the Northeast textile mills began weaving inexpensive feedsacks; used by
our parents/grandparents to make: clothes, toys, underwear, pillowcases,
diapers, laundry bags, table cloths, towels and dish cloths in family
life for more than fifty years. Gloria resides in Palmya.
June 9 – Todd Arrington, Historian,
Homestead National Monument of America
Details of the July 2009 Land Symposium
What family information is typically contained in an original
homestead file? How do you apply for a homestead file? With the
Homestead National Monument of America Land Records and Genealogy
Symposium in July, Todd will review the program. He will also share
how to request original homestead files and learn your family’s initial
activities during the first five years they lived and farmed their new
homestead land.
July 14 – Ed Zimmer, PhD
“Six Degrees of Separation”
Ed Zimmer, Lincoln’s Historic Preservation Planner, returns for an
encore presentation on how he approaches his work (really his passion)
of discovering the clues to Lincoln’s historic past. You will also learn
more about the social research notion that anyone can form a chain of
personal contacts leading to any other person, with no more than six
links in the chain.
August 11 – Kevin Smith
The Meaning of Flowers: Love, Romance and Devotion
Kevin is back for a second presentation sharing his insights on why our
ancestors (as well as you and I today) extensively used flowers to
express love, romance, and devotion. The next time you give a gift of
flowers, consider the meaning of flowers before you buy. Kevin can help
you choose the flower that is closest to the message you (and possibly
your ancestors) want to convey. Kevin is a floral design instructor at
Southeast Community College, an inductee into the American Institute of
Floral Designers, and retail manager for Flowerama of Omaha.
September 8 – Bill Lock
Family History Reported in Small Town Newspapers
Bill has researched his family history details with the help of personal
columns in small town newspapers across Nebraska. Bill will show how you
can use personal newspaper columns to gain insights into who, what, why,
when and how personal events occurred in the lives of our family members.
Bill Lock is a Research Analyst with the Nebraska State Legislature’s
Revenue Committee.
October 13 – Jim McKee-- Nebraska and Lincoln Historian
His topic will be selected closer to Jim McKee’s presentation date. Jim
is always researching and writing about events that occurred in Nebraska or
Lincoln, its unusual people, and early history buildings and houses.
November 10 – Diane R. Bartels
Researching and Sharing the Life Story of Evelyn Sharp
Diane has carefully researched the life and times of a pioneer, teenaged
aviatrix who became a World War II war hero from Nebraska. Diane was
successful in urging the 2008 Nebraska Hall of Fame Committee to consider
Evelyn Sharp for inclusion in the Hall of Fame at the State Capitol. Diane is
committed to aerospace education and the preservation of Nebraska’s rich
aviation history. She is a Nebraska Humanities Scholar.
December 8 – John and Dawn Nielsen
Voices from the New Land: Danish Immigration to Nebraska
Explore Danish immigration to Nebraska through dramatic readings from
immigrant letters, journals and dairies, as well as slides of old
photographs, drawings and scenes of present day Denmark and Nebraska.
The program will be sponsored in part by The Nebraska Humanities
Council. Dawn is a teacher and John is Professor of English at Dana
College in Blair, Nebraska.
