BESS STREETER ALDRICH, 1881-1954

Aldrich, who wrote more than a dozen novels and more than one hundred and sixty short stories, gave literary life to Nebraska pioneer memories. One Aldrich novel, A Lantern in her Hand, was translated into many languages. Another, Miss Bishop, was made into a movie. The small Cass County town of Elmwood was the setting for many of her stories, which featured strong pioneer women and their families. Aldrich was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1971, the second woman to be so honored, and remains one of the state's best loved authors.