Meet Our Vice President: Rev. Nicholas Inman

Hello, my name is Rev. Nicholas Inman. My love of history—and especially of the Ingalls and Wilder legacy—took root long before I ever imagined it would become such a central part of my life. As a young child, my grandmother, Joyce Inman, regularly brought me to visit Rocky Ridge Farm. Those early trips left a deep impression on me. I was fascinated by Mrs. Wilder’s world, the stories preserved on those hillsides, and the sense of continuity that seemed to live in the boards of the farmhouse. My great-grandmother, Alverta Hargis, was close friends with Neta Seal—Laura Ingalls Wilder’s best friend—so I spent a great deal of time with her growing up, listening, learning, and taking in the layered legacy of Laura, Almanzo, and Rose Wilder Lane. Mrs. Wilder and I even share a common ancestor in William Sheffield, which has always made the connection feel all the more personal.

Professionally, I serve as the senior pastor of the Elkland Independent Methodist Church in Elkland, Missouri, a position that I have held for 23 years and one that continues to be a profound privilege. In 2018, I became the Executive Director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, where I also serve on the board of directors of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association. Working to preserve Rocky Ridge Farm and to share the Wilder story with visitors from around the world has been one of the great honors of my life.

I am also the founder and chairman of the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, Missouri, a festival that focuses on the preservation of local, state, and national history. What began as a small idea has grown into a nationally recognized gathering that brings together presidential descendants, authors, celebrities, and historians each spring. Beyond the festival, I serve on numerous nonprofit boards and community committees—efforts that allow me to support the people and the place that have shaped me.

At home, I am blessed with a wonderful family. My wife, Sarah, and I are the proud parents of two children, Reagan Inman and Jackson Carter-Wayne Inman, who keep life full, busy, and meaningful in all the best ways.

Through all these roles, one theme has remained constant: the importance of preserving stories—family stories, community stories, and the stories of those who came before us. They remind us of who we are, where we come from, and what we are called to carry forward. And for me, that work still feels as inspiring today as it did when I first walked through the doors of Rocky Ridge as a young boy.