'Nebraska Spirit: The North Platte Canteen' presentation set for McCook Public Library

Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Charlotte Endorf of Norfolk, Nebraska, presented an "Orphan Train" program in Benkelman in December 2010. She plans a presentation, "Nebraska Spirit: The North Platte Canteen," at the McCook Public Library on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 6:30 p.m. There will be no admission charge. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Gazette)

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook, Nebraska, Public Library will host a presentation called "Nebraska Spirit: The North Platte Canteen" at the library on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 6:30 p.m.

Nebraska Humanities speaker Charlotte Endorf of Norfolk, Nebraska, will tell the story of American soldiers who rode troop trains through North Platte, Nebraska, during World War II en route to Europe and the Pacific, and their reception by North Platte-area residents at the train depot.

Endorf will describe the story of the community that turned a railroad depot into a legend and touched the lives of more than 6 million soldiers from 1942-1946.

She will be dressed in era attire and bring some artifacts to look at.

There will be no admission charge.

This presentation is made possible by Humanities Nebraska, the Nebraska Cultural endowment, and sponsored in part by First Central Bank.

Endorf is a lifelong Nebraskan, a member of Toastmasters International (earning the Distinguished Toastmaster award twice) who specializes in speaking to elementary schools, museums, town festivals and the elderly throughout Nebraska. She has authored nine books on the Orphan Train, the North Platte Canteen and her journeys to research both.

She developed a documentary on the Orphan Train riders for the Madison County Historical Society. After a trip to New York City, she and an actual orphan train rider created a poetry CD of history and their time together.

"Nebraska Spirit: The North Platte Canteen" is one of approximately 300 programs offered through the Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau. The more than 165 available speakers include acclaimed scholars, writers, musicians, storytellers and folklorists on topics ranging from pioneer heritage to ethics and law to international and multicultural issues, making it the largest humanities speakers in the nation.

Speakers are available to any non-profit organization in Nebraska. Each program last 30 minutes to an hour, plus a question-and-answer period.

The most frequent users of the HN Speaker Bureau are primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, libraries, museums and historical societies, agencies for the elderly, rural organizations, churches, arts organizations and ethnic organizations. Humanities Nebraska sponsors the largest Speakers Bureau program in the U.S. according to the National endowment for the Humanities.

For information detailing the available speakers and guidelines for booking them, access the website at www.humanitiesnebraska.org (Speakers section) or contact Humanities Nebraska at 215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 330, Lincoln, NE 68508, phone (402) 474-2131, fax (402) 474-4852 or e-mail info@humanitiesnebraska.org.

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