SPECIAL | feature
P.E.O. Proves Her Puzzle Prowess on NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO
by Becky Frazier, Editor, The P.E.O. Record
As a third-generation P.E.O., Marion Yoder, AJ, Cheyenne, Wyoming, grew up with the Sisterhood as part of her life. Her maternal grandmother, Verlin Lemarr Goins, was a member of Chapter C, Cheyenne; her mother, Louise Goins Yoder, became a member of P.E.O. in Chapter M, Torrington, Wyoming, in the 50s; she later transferred to a chapter in Kearney, Nebraska, and then to Chapter R, Rocky Ford, Colorado, where she remained an active member until her death in 1974. Marion, who is passionate about volunteering, has always stayed busy, donating time to her church, library, hospital, botanical garden,
civic center and more. She was pleased to be invited to join Chapter AJ, Cheyenne, Wyoming, by Ruth Arnold in 2010. “I didn’t think twice about saying ‘yes’,” said Marion. Marion has been corresponding secretary and recording secretary in her chapter and is currently serving as the P.E.O. STAR Scholarship chair. Over the years she has given programs, including one on the mission trip she took to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. “I like the fact that it’s an instantly responsive group,” explained Marion, when asked what she enjoys about P.E.O. She continued, “When
you come up with an idea of something to do, they are only too happy to help. For example, for the last two years, while planning secret Santa events, I suggested we also do a project where we support women in need in our community. We collected bras to donate to a local organization; in 2020, we donated 75 bras. In 2021, we donated 103 bras. P.E.O. has a good ethos and my chapter exemplifies that.” Marion recently had her 15 minutes of fame when she was a winning contestant on NPR’s Sunday Puzzle quiz. We’re pleased to share the following article about her big win.
Cheyenne Res i dent Wi ns NPR’s “Sunday Puzzle” by Jasmine Hall, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne Originally published November 20, 2021. Reprinted with permission.
She joked with Shortz on the show that she was stricken by a stroke of great insight. He laughed along with her and said it was genuinely impressive. Not only did Yoder manage to qualify, she also won the complicated and quick-witted puzzles that were thrown at her on the radio show. The game Sunday, Nov. 7, gave her two words each round, and she had to drop the letter in each of them to leave two words that were in the same category. The first example from the host was “drill” and “stage,” which became “dill” and “sage,” both herbs. She flew through nearly 10 rounds of this kind of brainy madness in just six minutes, earning her a Weekend Edition lapel pin, puzzle books and games. Although the prizes were an exciting element, Yoder said her favorite part was talking with Shortz over the phone. He took the time to chit-chat with her before and after the show, and they exchanged kind words.
Twenty-five years of listening to NPR’s “Sunday Puzzle” prepared Marion Yoder for the phone call of a lifetime. She was picked out of the 2,100 people who emailed in their correct answer for the qualifying puzzle challenge three weeks ago, and was given the opportunity to play a word game live on the air with NPR radio host Will Shortz the following Sunday. Every week, there is a new qualifier, as well as a new kind of puzzle featured on the show. The one Yoder solved was submitted by listener Michael Shteyman of Freeland, Maryland: “Think of a popular tourist attraction in two words. The second, fourth and sixth letters of the second word, in order, spell the first name of a famous author. The last four letters of the first word spell the author’s last name. Who is the author, and what is the tourist attraction?” Yoder managed to come up with the answer, Ayn Rand, whose name came from the tourist attraction Grand Canyon. “I was lying in my little bed doing the puzzle at 6 a.m. on Sunday, about a week ago, and it just popped into my head,” she said.
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THE P.E.O. RECORD | March–April 2022
Women helping women reach for the stars
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