Day Three of Laurapalooza Part 1

Part 1 of the first full day of the conference includes, in order, a look at registration; words from Amy Lauters and Sandra Hume;  samplings of presentations by Kelly Ferguson and Ann Weller Dahl;  museum staff greetings from Burr Oak (Steve Luse), Walnut Grove (Nicole Higgins Elzenga) and Pepin (Suzanne Ebersold); more presentation sampling by Michelle McCellan; LauraPalooza designer Kristina Sukalski; and a bit on Dale Cockerell’s presentation.

Day Three of Laurapalooza Part 2

Part 2 of today’s video features author/illustrator Cheryl Harness; snippets from presentations/speeches by John E. Miller, Jenna Hunnef, and Jim Hicks; the Harvey Dunn Plein Aire Event; and the Manchester Tornado.

Day Three of Laurapalooza Part 3

Pepin contingent with Kitty Latane, Barbara Mays Boustead, Lynn Urban, Homesite Panel, Author Panel, and Dale Cockerell.

Day Three of Laurapalooza Part 4

Connie Neumann at Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association Booth, Sue Duggan, Author Reception with Nancy Cleaveland and Penny Linsenmayer.

Sarah S. Uthoff blogs at TrundleBed Tales; look for her on Twitter and YouTube and Blog Talk Radio
Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, Vice-President and Membership Chair

Kitty Latane

I just got the sad news that Kitty Latane, the longtime editor of the Notes from Pepin — the official newsletter of the Laura Ingalls Wilder organization in Pepin, Wisconsin — has resigned from her position. Latane (pronounced Lah-tan-ay) has done a marvelous job with this newsletter, and I’m sure all of Laura fandom will join me in giving her a round of applause for all her hard work.

Kitty has been a major force in keeping the Laura in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Days in Pepin. She organizes the Buckskinner Rendezvous/traditional craft demonstration as well as the essay contest, and she presents a fascinating program on Pepin’s history at the time Laura lived there and which buildings still remain from that time. Kitty is also the co-author of  The Village of Pepin at the Time of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Kitty is known worldwide as a tinsmith, and she makes a limited-edition tin cookie cutter in a Laura design for each September’s Laura Days celebration. Here’s Kitty’s website about her tinsmithing.

Her husband, Tom, who also does a lot with the craft demonstration, has a separate page with photos of their shop and forge. Be sure to visit their shop on the main street of Pepin if you visit.

Sarah S. Uthoff, Trundle Bed Tales