Margi Preus: Snowshoe Kate & the Hospital Built for Pennies
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Children and their families are invitied to Janke Book Store as Newbery Honor winner Margi Preus shares her children’s book “Snowshoe Kate and the Hospital Built for Pennies.” Margi’s inspirational book sheds light on a trailblazing female doctor known as the “Angel on Snowshoes” in this picture book biography.
Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb was a doctor in rural northern Wisconsin during the early 1900s, a time when very few women practiced medicine. Because the nearest hospital was over two hours away and the snowy roads were often impassable, Dr. Kate frequently traveled by snowmobile, sometimes the snowplow, and even snowshoes in order to reach her patients, which lead to her nickname, the “Angel on Snowshoes.” In her years as a doctor, she delivered an astonishing 4,000 babies, and those same children later organized a penny drive, a massive grassroots fundraiser to build a hospital for Dr. Kate and their community. Success was realized in 1954 when Lakeland Memorial Hospital opened—with Dr. Kate serving as chief of staff.
This free Central Wisconsin Book Festival event is open to children and their families, with no registration. For more information, call 715-261-7230. The Central Wisconsin Book Festival is incredibly grateful for the generous support of foundations, organizations, businesses, and individuals throughout our community. View our 2026 sponsors & supporters here: https://mcpl.us/cwbf/supporters/
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Image description: photo of the book cover and author image, details are also provided within the event fields.
Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb was a doctor in rural northern Wisconsin during the early 1900s, a time when very few women practiced medicine. Because the nearest hospital was over two hours away and the snowy roads were often impassable, Dr. Kate frequently traveled by snowmobile, sometimes the snowplow, and even snowshoes in order to reach her patients, which lead to her nickname, the “Angel on Snowshoes.” In her years as a doctor, she delivered an astonishing 4,000 babies, and those same children later organized a penny drive, a massive grassroots fundraiser to build a hospital for Dr. Kate and their community. Success was realized in 1954 when Lakeland Memorial Hospital opened—with Dr. Kate serving as chief of staff.
This free Central Wisconsin Book Festival event is open to children and their families, with no registration. For more information, call 715-261-7230. The Central Wisconsin Book Festival is incredibly grateful for the generous support of foundations, organizations, businesses, and individuals throughout our community. View our 2026 sponsors & supporters here: https://mcpl.us/cwbf/supporters/
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Image description: photo of the book cover and author image, details are also provided within the event fields.
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Where is it happening?
Janke Book Store, 505 3rd St,Wausau, Wisconsin, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherCentral Wisconsin Book Festival
