They proceeded west across the border to De Smet, South Dakota. De Smet is one of many communities that can say, “Laura Ingalls Wilder lived here.” Laura was born near Pepin, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Charles Phillips Ingalls, a restless man who frequently changed occupations and locations. Her father worked as a farmer, butcher, justice of the peace, railroad worker, and hotel manager at various times and in various places in Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, and Iowa, before the family finally settled in De Smet. There Laura taught school (at age 16) until she married Almanzo Wilder. Later she wrote the “Little House” books about a young girl growing up in pioneer times. Laetitia took her group to the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead, but she could think of little about Laura Ingalls Wilder that would make a good limerick, so afterwards she took everyone to an Irish pub for dinner. While her tour guests dined, Laetitia sat at the bar with a Guinness hoping for some gossip that could be turned into a limerick, and she was not disappointed.
Young Arlo soon came to regret
That caper when he and Yvette
Were caught nude in church
And left in a lurch
On Youth Night in downtown De Smet.