MARKESAN — Fairwater Historical Society will offer an opportunity to hear more of the Laura Ingalls-Wilder story at Markesan High School on Tuesday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. A costume judging contest precedes the program at 6 p.m., which is open to all. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes of the period..

Presenter Beth Ingalls-Leisses, one of the closest living relatives of the author, is coming to Markesan to share her family connections and legacy. Ingalls-Leisses' great-grandfather and Laura Ingalls-Wilder's father were brothers, making Ingalls-Leisses a first cousin, twice removed.

Ingalls-Leisses, a Beaver Dam native, states her interest in her famous relative took root about 15 years ago. The Little House books were written later in Laura Ingalls' life, with "Little House in the Big Woods" published in 1932 and "Little House on the Prairie" in 1935.

Wilder, born near Pepin in 1867, wrote to simply preserve tales of a lost era in American history. She died in 1957. Five of the 11 published books received Newberry Honors.

Ticket prices for the "Little House" event are $5 for those 13 and over, $2.50 for youth 6 to 12, and children under age 6 are free. Discount coupons are available at the  area convenience stores including  Village Mart in Fairwater, The Brandon Store in Brandon,  Markesan BP in Markesan and the Waupun Citgo in Waupun.

The society is also hosting a children's drawing contest. Youth are encouraged to draw a picture of Laura Ingalls Wilder or the "little house" and submit it to the Fairwater Historical Society, PO Box 151, Fairwater, WI 53931 by Friday, June 19. The pictures can be drawn and colored in any medium and will be displayed and judged on the night of the performance at the high school with prizes being awarded.

If you have any questions regarding the Little House program, the costume or coloring contest, please call Cirena Lenz at 920-398-3674.