Node, A Day in the Life - Stories
Submitted by the Explore Niobrara, Wyoming 250 committee.
“Oh, the Memories of ‘Yester Year!”
We went to school in the summertime because the winters were so bad the bus going into the north country couldn’t get through the snow. Our school days started in March and were over after Thanksgiving. The teachers were responsible for building a fire in the stove to warm our school rooms, when it was cold, before the buses arrived with the children. School time was from 9 to 4 o’clock.
Node was a very close community and the dances on Saturday night were so much fun for the whole community. I remember how Mother and I fixed our hair with a heated “waffle like” curling iron or straight curling iron that was heated by putting them down into the glass chimney of our kerosene lamp.
Ed and Esther Thompson and Pete Germann played for all of the dances. What great music. Each and every kid was on the dance floor too. I remember how much fun it was to have square dances called by Charlie Humphrey. The biggest hit was “Hug-‘em up tight and swing’em like thunder.” In a circle of 8 the men joined hands and swung the girls off their feet. Harry Baars was the fun of the dance. He could “snap” his shoes on the floor with that big grin on his face. You could have so much fun with him.
I can truly say that those were the days. I wouldn’t trade those days of my childhood with the kids of today.
Excerpt from “Oh, the Memories of ‘Yester Year!” by Wyoma Paisley Siemsen in “Node, the First 100 Years.”
Hear other memories of the tiny community of Node, October 5, 2025, 2 p.m. at the Node School 8 miles east of Lusk.
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Node Homemakers Club Filled a Social and Economic Need for Women of the Community
The first meeting of what is now the Node Homemakers Club was held at the Node schoolhouse in 1918. It was a large community organization that began by sewing and knitting items for the Red Cross. This later evolved into agents from Laramie attending the meetings and teaching new methods of cooking and homemaking.
But possibly the meetings filled a more significant role – the need for social interaction for the entire family. Meetings were held at various homes in the community, and usually on “Club Day” the entire family went early, had lunch, and stayed late. The children played together, the men played cards or horseshoes, and all enjoyed a large carry-in dinner.
Members rarely missed a meeting, especially the women. Mrs. Charles Lund, Sr. walked 8 miles through deep snow blocking the roads to attend a club meeting.
Two other members, Edith Kaan and Minnie Butler, traveled in Minnie’s new car, an Essex, after a big rain. They cut cross-country and high-centered in the mud. They were digging out with the only tool they had, a tire iron, when a sheepherder came along and helped dig them out. They proceeded to a large mud puddle near Tom Pfister’s house, where they became stuck again. Tom already had a 4-horse team hitched and pulled them out. Determined to not miss the meeting, they continued and finally arrived at their destination, the Lund home.
For more information, come to “A Day in the Life of Node” on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at 2 pm at the Node school. This will be the second community history presentation presented by Explore Niobrara – Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary.