Speaker, Karen Wyatt Drevo, will present a program, “Maria Rodaway: Prairie Pioneer”, on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. CT at the One Box Convention Center in Broken Bow in conjunction with the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway Annual Conference. This presentation is made possible by Humanities Nebraska, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway as part of the HN Speakers Bureau.
Maria (portrayed by her great-great granddaughter in period attire) looks back at her life as a prairie pioneer in Otoe County, Neb., where she homesteaded in 1867. Maria crossed the Atlantic Ocean with seven children to reunite her family after a 7½ year separation. She endured grasshoppers, hail, drought, tornadoes, blizzards, and the loss of her husband and six of her 13 children as she worked to become a citizen and a landowner in a new country. Resilient and resourceful, she lived a life of usefulness to her family and large circle of friends with her loving deeds and kind acts, delivering babies and nursing the sick.
“Maria Rodaway: Prairie Pioneer” is one of approximately 300 programs offered through the Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau. The more than 165 available speakers include acclaimed scholars, writers, musicians, storytellers and folklorists on topics ranging from pioneer heritage to ethics and law to international and multicultural issues, making it the largest humanities speakers bureau in the nation. Speakers are available to any non-profit organization in Nebraska. Each program lasts 30 minutes to an hour, plus a question-and-answer period.
The SJNSB Conference afternoon speakers and presentations are free and open to the public. Tickets for the evening banquet and awards program are available for $30 per person or $50 per couple by contacting Linda Teahon, SJNSB President at (308) 430-0786.
