The Free Press, Mankato, MN

October 11, 2008

Your View — Touring fifth graders appreciate Betsy, Tacy

Julia Weidner and Olivia Anderson, Roseville

We are in the fifth grade at the Minnesota Waldorf School in Roseville. We recently came to Mankato and learned about Maud Hart Lovelace, her family and friends when they lived in your town long ago. Their lives are a part of the Betsy, Tacy and Tib series of books.

We heard about their childhoods and lives in the time period from 1892-1900’s. Knowing that Maud Hart Lovelace was nominated as one of the top 10 most influential Minnesotans of all time is really cool. The Betsy, Tacy and Tib books are treasured around the world, and we know that Maud would be delighted if she knew that her house and stories were being enjoyed by people today.

The Betsy-Tacy Society is trying to raise money to renovate the house that Maud Hart Lovelace lived in (Betsy in the series). We feel it is important for children of today to learn and look into a window of the past. We are planning a fundraiser to raise money for the Betsy-Tacy Society.

The Betsy-Tacy Society also works very hard to raise money to make the lives of these historical people a wonderful learning experience for children around the world. We volunteer at Murphy’s Landing, a re-creation of a village in Minnesota during the 1870s, and feel it is important to keep history alive.

Because you have living history in your town through these houses, why not try to keep them the same for the tourists? We are only fifth graders but we know we can make a difference in the world. You can, too, by helping keep these houses and the Betsy-Tacy Society important and alive in Mankato.