LAURA’S LEGACY AWARD – Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association

Laura’s Legacy Award

The Laura’s Legacy Award recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution toward the preservation of Laura’s legacy.

The award is presented at each LauraPalooza conference to an individual nominated by an LIWLRA Member and voted on by the Board of Directors. The nominee should be someone still living who has made a major contribution towards preserving the legacy of LIW in some way.

Past Recipients

Nancy Tystad Koupal

In 2025, there were two recipients of the Laura’s Legacy Award. The first was Nancy Tystad Koupal, director and editor-in-chief of the Pioneer Girl Project and founding director of the South Dakota Historical Society Press. Through her leadership on the Pioneer Girl Project, she brought a fresh scholarly lens to Ingalls-Wilder research, illuminating the path from handwritten drafts to the published Little House novels. Throughout this work, Koupal also maintained her blog and newsletter, sharing her insights about Laura Ingalls Wilder with readers around the world.

Jim Hicks

The second 2025 award was presented to Jim Hicks, a retired physics teacher who has brought an interdisciplinary approach—combining science, literature, and history—to every LauraPalooza, including the virtual conference. He enjoys solving literary landscape mysteries using principles of physics, and his engaging presentations have captivated audiences—even those who claim not to like science. He is also known for reminding us to “Take the Five Minutes.” Sometimes slowing down and stopping can make all the difference to someone.

Stan and Hazelle Gordon

Stan and Hazelle Gordon

In 2023, the Laura’s Legacy Award was presented to Stan and Hazelle Gordon, longtime residents and owners of the dugout property in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. In 1947, artist Garth Williams visited Mr. Gordon’s parents and informed them that their farm had once belonged to Charles Ingalls. The Gordon family graciously opened part of the farm to visitors wishing to see Plum Creek and the site of the dugout where the Ingalls family once lived. Stan and Hazelle supported the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and the Fragments of a Dream pageant. They were also good stewards of the former Ingalls homesite, introducing the planting of grasses and flowers familiar to the family in the 1870s, as well as adding signage to explain the dugout ruins.

We note with sadness that Stan Gordon passed away in 2024. His wife Hazelle and their adult children continue to care for and preserve the Plum Creek property, which remains open to visitors.

Dean Butler

In 2022, the Laura’s Legacy Award was presented to Dean Butler. Known for his portrayal of Almanzo Wilder on the NBC television series Little House on the Prairie, he has supported multiple projects at the Almanzo Wilder Farm in Malone, New York. His extensive television career and production experience include work on PBS’s Pa’s Fiddle: The Music of America, his own documentaries on Laura and Almanzo Wilder, the PBS American Masters program Laura Ingalls Wilder: From Prairie to Page, the Little House Homecoming documentary. He currently hosts the podcast Little House 50 for 50.

Ferneva Brimacomb

In 2019, the Laura’s Legacy Award was presented to Ferneva Brimacomb, former director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Park & Museum in Burr Oak, Iowa. After serving as director for eight years, she continued volunteering for another decade. Her many accomplishments include raising funds to acquire and preserve the Masters Hotel, acquiring buildings that would become the museum’s visitor center, helping secure the designation of U.S. Highway 52 as the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway, and bringing this little-known part of the Ingalls story to researchers and fans who were eager to learn more about this family beyond what was told in the books.

Jean Coday

In 2017, there were two recipients of the Laura’s Legacy Award. The first was Jean Coday, who joined the board of directors of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, in 1960, and eventually became the director of the museum. Her leadership led to the acquisition of the Rock House and many land purchases that were part of the original Rocky Ridge Farm. She launched improvements in the preservation of artifacts and oversaw the construction of a new state-of-the-art museum and visitor center. Through her many years of service, she helped preserve and promote the legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder for visitors from around the world.

We note with sadness that Mrs. Coday passed away in 2018.

Jean Elefson

The second 2017 award was presented to Jean Elefson, who was instrumental in establishing and developing activities at the Little House Wayside during Laura Ingalls Wilder Days in Pepin, Wisconsin. Other than her family and church, she often said that the most important thing in her life was organizing the Wayside Cabin Quilt Show and Sew. She worked to provide an authentic experience for visitors that introduced the life of the Ingalls family in a meaningful way, including teaching hand-piecing quilt squares and creating a quilting game called Trail to Pepin.

We note with sadness that Mrs. Elefson passed away in 2021.

John E. Miller

John E. Miller

In 2015, there were two recipients of the Laura’s Legacy Award. The first was John E. Miller, professor emeritus of history at South Dakota State University and author of several books pertaining to Ingalls and Wilder research. He frequently published articles about Laura Ingalls Wilder in scholarly journals, spoke at conferences such as Laura Ingalls Wilder: New Perspectives and LauraPalooza, and authored the first adult biography of Wilder, Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder, among his many other publications related to Wilder and South Dakota history.

We note with sadness that Dr. Miller passed away in 2020.

Sally House

Sally House

The second 2015 award was presented to Sally House, who, along with her late husband Larry, was instrumental in the restoration and preservation of the Almanzo Wilder Farm near Malone, New York. After the Almanzo & Laura Ingalls Wilder Association purchased the farm, archaeological work was undertaken to locate the original positions of outbuildings and the footprint of the house. Mr. and Mrs. House also worked to ensure that the museum would be located in a separate building from the house so that artifacts could be properly preserved and interpreted.

We note with sadness that Mrs. House passed away in 2018.

Barbara Walker

Barbara Walker

In 2012, there were two recipients of the Laura’s Legacy Award. The first was Barbara Walker, author of The Little House Cookbook. Her extensive research and experimentation in the kitchen enabled Laura’s admirers to experience the world of the Little House books through taste. Published in 1979, this award-winning book not only brought these pioneer recipes to life, but was also one of the first nonfiction books published about the Little House world, paving the way for much of the scholarship and interest that followed.

Shirley Knakmuhs

Shirley Knakmuhs

The second 2012 award was presented to Shirley Knakmuhs, an early board member of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. She was also the producer of the very first Walnut Grove Wilder Pageant, originally performed in the high school gymnasium. She served as director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum from 1974 to 1990 and also held the roles of secretary and treasurer on the board. For many years she was well known as “Mrs. Oleson” in the Fragments of a Dream pageant. Her dedication helped grow the museum from its small beginnings into the complex of buildings that exists today. She was also proud to be part of the group that secured the official Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway designation for the roads connecting the northern homesites.

We note with sadness that Mrs. Knakmuhs passed away in 2025.

Bill Anderson

Bill Anderson

In 2010, the first Laura’s Legacy Award was presented to William Anderson, whose groundbreaking research on all things Ingalls and Wilder has resulted in numerous articles, books, media appearances, and speeches that have enriched countless Little House readers, authors, and educators. His early work included interviews with those who knew the Ingalls and Wilder families personally, as well as his extensive correspondence with Rose Wilder Lane. As a college student, he spent summers giving tours and researching the Wilder sites in De Smet, South Dakota, and is still a longtime board member at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home & Museum there. He continues to share his research and experience with the other homesites and many Little House related projects.