It all started a long time ago in a little white house made of boards that I discovered Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. Before anyone knew what was happening, I was “playing Laura,” visiting the Laura sites, and learning how to do the things Laura did around her family farm. In the words of my cousin, “Laura took over her life and everybody’s who knew her.” When I grew up, I got my degree in history education, got actively involved with living history and historic foodways, and began to research the history around Laura Ingalls Wilder. My “real” job is as a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and I formerly served as director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library, so I’m always on the lookout for a new piece of research to share. Take some time to explore this blog and my website.
Sarah S. Uthoff received both her BA in history education and her Masters of Library Science from the University of Iowa. Uthoff is an active Wilder researcher and a well-known Wilder authority. Currently she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and is the former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library. In addition, Uthoff is actively involved with several national and regional organizations and serves as an officer in various capacities. She is a former president of a national Laura Ingalls Wilder organization, social media chair of the Country School Association of America, and is the Foodways Resource Chair for the Midwest Open Air Museum’s Coordinating Council or MOMCC.
§ Uthoff was the featured speaker for 11 years at the annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Remembered Day – Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa and has returned twice more since then. She has also spoken at: § Ingalls Homestead in De Smet, South Dakota § Laura Ingalls Wilder Days in Pepin, Wisconsin § Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Festival in Walnut Grove, Minnesota § Little House on the Prairie Museum in Independence, Kansas § Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum in Burr Oak, Iowa § Laura Ingalls Wilder Girl Scout Patch Day at Ushers Ferry Historic Village in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Previous major appearances.
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.