Marian Hurd McNeely
Marian Kent Hurd McNeely (July 26, 1877 – December 8, 1930) was an American children's book author. Her work "Jumping-Off Place" received a Newbery Honor in 1930. Biography. Marian Kent Hurd was born in Dubuque, Iowa in 1877. She worked for a newspaper around the turn of the century, writing a column from 1903 to 1906. She then left for Italy for a year. She married Lee McNeely on May 4, 1910. They had four children. For two years, they homesteaded at Rosebud Indian Reservation, which became the inspiration for "The Jumping-Off Place". Apart from  her books, McNeely wrote short stories and poems which appeared in publications such as "St. Nicholas Magazine", "Literary Digest", "Ladies' Home Journal" and the "Saturday Review of Literature". "A Ballade of Losers", was a humorous poem about being an also-ran for the Newbery Medal. She was killed on December 8, 1930 when she was hit by a car while crossing a street.