Remembering a Nebraska icon

This week, we will celebrate the 150th birthday of one of Nebraska’s foremost literary icons: Willa Cather. Cather, who died in 1947, was born on Dec. 7, 1873. One hundred and fifty years after that day, her legacy lives on through her poignant novels — including American classics “O Pioneers!” and “My Ántonia” — and her profound influence on our country.

Cather moved from Virginia to Nebraska with her family at nine years old. Even at that young age, she was observant and clever. Cather once said that the basic material a writer works with is acquired before the age of 15. That was certainly...