Speaker: Women often have difficult roles

She began her presentation titled "Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History," by relating the story of Ann Eliza Young, who married Brigham Young unwillingly and later became an outspoken critic of polygamy and even Young after she divorced him.

Another example shared by Messersmith involved Helga Estby. The Alliance ranchwoman said Estby and her daughter, Clara, walked across the United States from Spokane, Wash., to New York in the early 1900s in hopes of claiming a $10,000 prize in order to save the family farm.

However, after Clara became Ill and also sprained an ankle, the women arrived 18 days past the deadline and did not receive a cent.

They ended up trying to earn some funds in New York so they could return to Washington. But they were only able to get enough money for basic sustenance. Finally, a railroad decided to help them out and returned them home. No one in the family would discuss the feat. Two of Helga's children died while she and Clara were gone.

Messersmith also related the story of Barbara "Tad" Barnes Lucas, who was born at Cody, Neb., the youngest of 24 children. Her father nicknamed her "Tadpole" because of her diminutive size and the name stuck. At the age of 15, Tad won the saddle bronc riding at the Gordon rodeo. She also became a trick rider and once performed for the Queen in England. The speaker said Tad won every major event open to women in rodeo from 1924 to the 1940s. She promoted rodeo all her adult life. Tad broke the barrier, according to Messersmith.

Messersmith related that women have long been allowed to do ranch work such as feeding livestock, fixing fence, doctoring sick animals and so on as long as they don't neglect their traditional roles such as cooking and cleaning.

"When a woman steps outside the dynamics of tradition, the whole community is affected," Messersmith concluded.

The program was sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities Council, Nekota Reading Council and Chadron State. Messersmith also spoke to students in the Chadron Elementary Schools on heroes Monday afternoon.