Remembering Jennifer Hein
The National Willa Cather Center is honored to recognize the legacy of Jennifer Jean Hein, whose thoughtful bequest will help support the continued preservation and interpretation of the places that inspired the work of Willa Cather. Jennifer Hein passed away unexpectedly last year at the age of 66. She lived a life defined by intellectual curiosity, public service, and an appreciation for literature and learning.
A recent addition to our growing community of members, Jennifer had quickly emerged as an enthusiastic supporter of preservation and education initiatives. Her connection to Cather’s work was rooted in her love of her home state of Nebraska and its literary heritage. During a visit to Red Cloud for the 2024 Spring Conference, she expressed excitement about the Center’s plans to reinterpret its historic sites through the addition of new permanent exhibits. After attending the conference, she remarked on how energizing it was to connect with fellow Cather readers and learn about the organization’s goals and efforts to reach a broad range of visitors.
Last summer, Julie Walstra, Jennifer’s partner of more than twenty years, spent an evening at “the truly lovely Hotel Garber” and enjoyed touring Red Cloud and learning about projects Jen supported. She recalled, “it is such a unique proposition, allowing visitors to experience the natural and physical environments that Cather wrote about while also helping expand economic options in contemporary Red Cloud.” She shared that Jennifer believed in the work of the Cather Center and its efforts to link Cather’s literature to a larger story that dovetails with important themes that are also central to understanding the American experience.
A generous bequest left to benefit the Cather Center reflected Jennifer’s lifelong commitment to education. A graduate of Omaha’s Westside High School, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Business Administration from Kearney State College (now the University of Nebraska Kearney). Her early career included work as a park ranger at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, time in commercial radio, and the ownership of a travel agency before she returned to school to pursue a career in education.
Jennifer later earned a master’s degree in education with a specialization in special education from Northern Illinois University and continued doctoral studies in educational leadership at Loyola University Chicago. She built a career dedicated to supporting students and strengthening schools. Her work included teaching, coordinating programs, and serving in several leadership roles. In retirement, Jennifer was an avid reader who made frequent visits to the Ann Arbor District Library. She was deeply engaged in genealogical research at the time of her passing.
Jennifer’s generous bequest ensures that her enthusiasm for literature, history, and education will continue to make an impact. Her gift will help advance the Center’s work to reinterpret and preserve the historic sites of Red Cloud—places that remain essential to understanding the life and writing of Willa Cather. Through her generosity, Jennifer has helped ensure that future visitors will be able to experience literature in new and meaningful ways. Her legacy will live on in exhibits, programs, and historic spaces that continue to welcome readers to the National Willa Cather Center.
If you would like additional information about planned giving and the Cather Legacy Society, or if you have named the Willa Cather Foundation as a beneficiary in your estate plans, please contact Ashley Olson, Executive Director, at aolson@willacather.org.