Out Back

When a mysterious neurological condition threatened to take away her mobility, memory and creativity, Lou Blanchfield refused to give up. Her inspiring journey of recovery through art led to an Iowa State Fair blue ribbon and serves as a powerful reminder that hope can flourish in the most unexpected places.

As our nation celebrates 250 years, few figures embody the promise and hope of America more than George Washington. He considered himself a farmer first and a statesman second.

Beth (Schleisman) Montalvo dreamed of competing in the Olympics. She represented Team USA during the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, as her parents, Larry and Violet Schleisman of Lake City, cheered her on from the stands.

About a week after a deadly drone strike on Iran, family and friends gathered at Drake University to remember Sgt. Declan Coady. Marty Martin, Drake University’s president, who is also a U.S. Air Force veteran and Air Force Reserve veteran, reminded attendees that the price of love can ultimately cause hurt.

Handmade pocket prayer quilts seem even more extraordinary at Easter and spring. During this time of renewal and new life, we’re reminded, sometimes by a tiny quilt in our pocket, that the greatest gift of this season is hope.

While many small-town "friendly clubs" are memories now, Lohrville's Adaza Thursday Club is 100 years old and thriving.

Red Steagall’s connections to rural America have remained as strong as his boyhood memories of Texas Panhandle cowboys. Recently, Steagall recalled the five summers he spent working on his uncle’s farm near Havelock in Pocahontas County. 

In 2026, make time to nurture a sense of awe, and take inspiration in the incredible northern lights that were visible across Iowa late in 2025.

After a brief stay at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, 5-year-old Nolan Toomsen organized a successful farm toy drive for the hospital.

The orphan train movement transported roughly 200,000 orphaned, abandoned and impoverished children from crowded East Coast cities to rural communities in the Midwest from 1854 to 1929. Learn more about an Iowa family with ties to this movement.