EMMIE BOESE
Hutch Post
NEWTON, Kan. — The Newton Public Library hosts a program for adults every third Tuesday of the month. The program consists of a discussion and presentation about geology, a local author talk, or a presentation about local or Kansas history.
This month, the library will host a presentation titled Author in Conversation: Lois Preheim on “Trailing the Schoolchildren’s Blizzard" on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
Adult Services Librarian Sam Jack, said the program had taken place prior to when he joined the library's staff. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he said the program had to move to Zoom.
"We kept doing it as long as its suitable for what we are doing and the presenter is good with it," Jack said.
People can listen to and watch the free program through Zoom, Facebook Live or in-person.
B. Lois Thieszen Preheim's novel is about the Jan. 12, 1888 blizzard. The storm passed through the the Great Plains of Canada and the United States. The book is written into poems of personal stories through ten communities.
The Heritage Hall Museum interviewed Preheim about her book two years ago. In the interview, Preheim said she became aware of a story from the blizzard of 1888 as she grew up in Henderson, Nebraska. She said when she married into the Freeman, South Dakota community, she learned of another tragic story regarding the blizzard from her late mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law lived about a fourth of a mile from where five boys were found frozen to death after trying to walk home from school in the blizzard.
"So this story had a very personal effect on me and I wanted to know more," Preheim said. "This blizzard is memorable because it came quickly and it caught people off guard and it was during the school time. Hence the name title of the Schoolchildren's Blizzard. And so it affected a lot of children. I was aware of the lack of scope and scale of the blizzard, the entire blizzard. And In doing research, this became quite obvious."
Jack said Preheim came into the library to research historical weather data. Jack helped her find weather report data from the U.S. Army. The Army would have an officer who would give a daily report at their outposts in the late 1800s.
The Newton Library obtained scanned documents of the reports from a government entity that helped with Preheim's research.
The decision to have Preheim give a presentation about her novel was made after another Adult Services Associate at the Newton Library, Kristin Kliewer, hosted Preheim as an expert for her nonfiction book club. The club read a different book that was based on the 1888 blizzard.
"That was really neat," Jack said. "And then I was like, well we should have her come back and actually come do a talk about her book and she kindly agreed."
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