Elsie Reif Ziegler (1910–2008)

Elsie Ziegler, née Reif, was born in Chicago, Illinois. Nicknamed "Peggy," she was a freelance writer of short stories and novels. Her history-based books for children and young adults focused on trades that immigrants brought to the USA in the 19th century. These included glassblowing (The Blowing-Wand, 1955) and stone cutting (Face in the Stone, 1959), both of which were Junior Literary Guild Selections. Another book, Light a Little Lamp (1961), was about a young girl whose heroism during the great Chicago fire led her to become an important social worker. She contributed stories to periodicals such as in Every Woman, Judy's, The Toronto Star, The Chicago Daily News Sunday Supplement, the Writer's Digest, and Farm Journal Magazine.