Bessie Pauline Olmstead was born on October 22, 1912 in South Dakota. When she was a young child, she moved with her family to Idaho and eventually settled in the small town of Plummer. As a young girl she participated in youth programs such as 4-H.

As one of the Idaho representatives in 4-H programs, Bessie had the opportunity to travel for 4-H club events. In 1928, she traveled to Chicago, Illinois for the Seventh National 4-H Boys and Girls Club Congress. Here she attended expositions, presentations, social meetings, banquets, and other educational events with a wide variety of people from across the country.

From 1931 to 1932 she went to the University of Idaho to earn her teaching certificate. Afterwards she taught in the Plummer School District for more than twenty years. Later in life she completed her Bachelors in Education from the University of Idaho, and was well known for her constant role as a 4-H leader and a member of the Grange.

Sources

Bessie Olmstead Storms papers, MG 515, Special Collections and Archives, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho.

To view this collection and others, contact the U of I Library Special Collections and Archives department.