The Untold Origin of Hi-Ho Cherry-O

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Read the full story here: https://oldcrappycouch.com/2026/05/08/cherry-picking-history-the-woman-behind-hi-ho-cherry-o/ Get the DJI Mic 2 used in this video here: https://amzn.to/49NVKMo Hi-Ho Cherry-O is a beloved educational game that has helped children learn basic math for over sixty five years, and for that whole time, the game's true inventor has been unknown. If you look up Hi-Ho Cherry-O online, you'll see the design credited to Hermann Wernhard with art by Katrin Lindley. This is all true, and both worked for Whitman Publishing at the time, but that's not the whole story. To my surprise, I was contacted by the daughter of the woman who created the first iteration of Hi-Ho Cherry-O, then called Let's Pick Cherries. She shared with me the story of how her mother, Lorraine Landfried, an elementary school teacher from Door County Wisconsin had been inspired to create the game for her students while picking Montmorency cherries with her own children. She sold the game to Whitman Publishing in 1959 for $400.00 and 12 copies of their version of the game. Unfortunately, these kinds of deals were no only very common at the time, but also often resulted in the original creator going without credit for their work. This was true for Lorraine in more ways than one. Her daughter Linda, who contacted me with the story, was kind enough to offer up documents that painted a more complete picture of the story. If you examine the designer's contract that Lorraine and her husband Erling signed with Whitman Publishing in 1959, you'll notice another contributing factor in Lorraine's story. Her name does not appear on the contract, but rather she signed as Mrs. Erling C. Landfried as directed by the contract language. This is important to note, because is there were no living relative to tell me directly that Lorraine had invented the game, I may just as easily credited Erling with the creation by mistake. Today, I want to set the record straight, and ensure that history does not forget the name Lorraine Landfried or her contribution to the education of millions of children. She dedicated her life to academia and community service. She raised five children of her own while working as an elementary school teacher until her retirement in 1985. After retirement, she worked as a Telecare volunteer for Emergency Medical Services. She also enjoyed writing poetry and bible studies. Lorraine passed away in 2012, leaving behind a large family and a lasting legacy in the form of a sweet little game about picking cherries. Subscribe to see more great reviews! https://www.youtube.com/@OldCrappyCouch?sub_confirmation=1 Become a Couch Potato and get access to exclusive content! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHa40rX1psb_WZZf9gagZ_g/join See more great modern board game reviews here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIF7NIZX3RTrlaEamTXL3Wz2z2__ni8yN See more great retro board game reviews here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIF7NIZX3RTo4PlObIh0z54wh2_kA1EBH