Six Famous People From Nebraska

SIX  FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM NEBRASKAunknown.
STERLING MORTON  was Secretary of AgricultureWILELLA SIEBERT CATHER (Willa Cather) was born
under President Grover Cleveland .  He was born inin 1873 near Winchester, Virginia.  In 1884, she and her
Adams, Jefferson County, New York on April 22, 1832.family moved to Red Cloud, Nebraska.  This is where
and raised in Detroit.  After graduating from theshe spent the remainder of her childhood.  The town
University of Michigan in 1854 he and his wife, Caroline,was made famous in her writings that include “The
moved to Nebraska-before it was even organized asPrairie Trilogy”, “My Antonia”, & “The
a territory, and staked out a claim in Nebraska City. Song of the Lark”
He became the editor of the Nebraska City News.  InCather was elected to the Nebraska Hall of Fame,
1858, President Buchanan appointed him Secretary ofand in 1986 she was inducted into the National Cowgirl
the Nebraska Territory, an office he held until 1861. Museum and Hall of Fame.  She died on April 24,
He was also acting governor from 1858-1859.  He1947, in New York City.  She was 73.
was an agriculturalist who enjoyed instructing people inEDWIN ELIJAH PERKINS   was  born on January
the newest techniques of farming and forestry. One 8, 1889 in Lewis, Iowa.  His family moved to Nebraska
significant thing he accomplished was the founding ofin 1893.  As a child of eleven he started experimenting
Arbor Day.   He was well-known in Nebraska for hiswith different products.  By the 1920s, he had a line of
political, agricultural and literary activities.  From thereabout 125 items that could be sold door-to-door and by
he was appointed as Secretary of Agriculture. mail.  Of all these, the product he is best known for
Morton is a member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame. was his invention of  Kool-Aid in 1927, in Hastings,
His son Joy Morton was the founder of the MortonNebraska.  It became a household name and it made
Salt Company.  Sterling’s love for forest and fieldhim a rich man.  He died in 1961, after a long illness, at
and farm was passed on to his son Joy, who made athe age of 72.
living history museum out of his 1700 acre estate withJOHN WILLIAM CARSON   was born in Corning,
over 4,000 types of trees, shrubs and other woodyIowa on October 23, 1925.  When he was eight years
plants.  The mission of this enterprise was toold, the family moved to Norfolk, Nebraska where he
encourage the planting of trees and promote the lovegrew up. He started college, but left after a year to
of nature.  Morton passed away on April 27, 1902, atjoin the Navy in 1943. He began performing on radio
the age of 70.and television in Omaha.  He hosted several shows
SUSAN LaFLESCHE PICOTTE  was the firstbefore beginning The Tonight Show in 1962.  He kept
American Indian woman to become a doctor in thethat job for 30 years until 1992.
United States.  She was born on the OmahaHe died of complications from emphysema on January
Reservation  on June 17, 1865.  She went to school25, 2005, at the age of 79.
in Nebraska until she was fourteen and then went to  WARREN EDWARD BUFFET , American investor,
New Jersey where she attended the Elizabeth Institutebusinessman, and philanthropist was born in Omaha,
for Young Ladies.   She then taught at the QuakerNebraska on August 30, 1930.  He is considered one
Mission School on the reservation for a couple ofof the most successful investors in history.  He is the
years.  She eventually went back East to attend theprimary shareholder and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway,
Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania,and Forbes ranked him the richest man in the world. 
graduating in 1889 at the top of the class.  She did herHis estimated net worth is approximately $62 billion.  In
internship in Philadelphia and then went back to2009, after he donated billions of his wealth to charity
Nebraska to provide health care for her people on thehe was only the second richest man in the U.S.,
government boarding school there.  In 1913, sheoutranked only by Bill Gates.  Buffet is called the
opened up a hospital in Walthill, Nebraska.  She diedOracle of Omaha or the Sage of Omaha.
on September 18, 1915, at the age of 50, cause