Node, A Day in the Life - Paisley Family History (10/05/2025)

Opening remarks by JoAnn Wade:

Welcome to a Day in the Life at Node. We invited you here to celebrate America’s 250 years as a nation. Earlier this year the county commissioners appointed a committee to lead Niobrara county’s celebration of America’s history. The committee consists of Leslie Stewart, Sanda Johnson, Sheila Bolden, Richard Ladwig, Debbie Sturman, Morgan Nolan, Gary Bayne and myself (JoAnn Wade). Throughout the next year, we have many different experiences planned to showcase our Niobrara County History.

The Paisley Family by Nyonne Perry

Paisley Family Video History

The Paisleys have been in the United States so long that our brogue is gone. The first ancestor record was Hugh Paisley born in 1765 in County Antrim, Ireland.

He must have come to America since his children were born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I found no record of his arrival in America. Likewise, his wife, Diana Rogers who was born in 1771 in Killlinchy, Ireland shows no record of travel to America.

Their son, John Paisley, was born in 1794 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and died in 1881in Linn, Kansas. John's first wife died in 1830. John and his second wife, Sidney Haines Paisley, had eight children, one of whom was Samuel Maxwell Paisley.

Samuel Paisley was born in 1822 in Athens, Ohio and died in 1911 in Morning Sun, Iowa. The 1850 census shows Samuel, age 27, in Athens, Ohio. In 1847 he married Sally Ann Savage. To this union were born six children, three of whom died in infancy. Sally died in 1854. Samuel married Sarah Skinner in 1858. The 1860 census shows Samuel, age 37, in Morning Sun Township, Louisa, Iowa.

Samuel and Sarah had six children, one of whom was Dr. C. A. Paisley.

Samuel's son, Carlton Adolphus Paisley was born in 1861 in Morning Sun, Iowa which brings us to the Wyoming side of this story. Carlton married Susan Catherine Lease in 1887 and they had two children, Alpha Donald and Jessie.

Following Susan's death in 1909, Carlton moved to Wyoming around 1912. Carlton was a veterinarian/surgeon who set up practice in Lusk. He married Bertha Hitz of Lusk in 1913. They lived in Lusk. Later, year unknown, the Carlton Paisleys moved to Winfield, Iowa where in 1924 he wrote a letter to his son Donald regarding a sick horse. "George" seemed to be a favorite horse afflicted with an eating disorder. The letter advises to use many substances no longer in use in the animal medicine world. We don't know the outcome of the horse.

Carlton and Bertha had four children and lived in Lusk when Bertha died in 1934. According to an account given by Fred Hansen, son of Peter Hansen who gave the land on which this building stands to be used as a school, the Node tornado of 1915 involved Dr. Carlton. The Gemmills lived in a section house along the railroad when the tornado hit. The house was blown apart and Buster, age 5 was killed when a nail was driven into his forehead. The three year old Gimmell girl was found badly bruised and cut and had her leg broken near the hip. The girl, Hazel, was taken to a restaurant where she was taken care of by women of the community. At that time there was a doctor in Lusk and Jim Shaw who happened to be in Node left on horseback during the driving wind, rain and hail to fetch him. At the old Bump place now owned by Noal Larson (history of 1974) the water was so deep he had to get off his horse, hang onto the horse's tail and be pulled to the other side. Doc Stevens was out of town and so was the section boss down at the rail yard. Shaw and Happy Hartwell, an attorney, went to the section house, broke open the tool house and took a rail hand cart for the trip back to Node. (It is always good to have a lawyer with you when you break and enter). Enroute they picked up Doc Carlton Paisley, a veterinarian. Doc Paisley set the broken bone and later little Hazel was taken to Douglas by train where she was examined by a medical doctor who said she was in fine shape. Some of the cowboys were opposed to a horse doctor treating the little girl but the women ran them off. Account from the book Node The First 100 Years by Jimmy and Carmen Shane.

Carlton's son, Alpha Donald Paisley, moved to Wyoming in 1912. In 1916 Donald and Elsie Humphrey (pronounced with a silent "H") were married and homesteaded on the Divide (Kirtley area). In 1924, they moved to a ranch purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Todd. This ranch is located one mile west of this church building on the north side of highway 20. 

Because of the numerous tornadoes and windstorms around the area, Don and Elsie dug a root cellar close to the house. It was used as storage for food in addition to a weather safe haven. My mother recalled that when severe storm clouds threatened to arrive, her mother would tell the children that it was time to sprout potatoes. Busy hands kept the children calm and quiet.

Elsie died in 1953 following a long illness. In 1957, Don married Clara Katherine Pedley of Ocheyedan, Iowa. She was a widow whose husband died in 1941. Iowa has much more rain than Wyoming and gardens require little watering. When Clara came to Wyoming, she planted a garden and waited for it to grow. After several days, Don asked her if she was planning on watering it. With a puzzled look Clara asked why she would need to water since the rain would do just as well.

All that remains of the Paisley place are some trees and the building grandpa used for parking his car and a shop. Three of Donald's four children were born while they lived on the Divide: Richard, Garry and Wyoma. Donna was born 10 years later while they were living west of Node. One quarter mile south of the buildings ran the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. It was a tri-weekly so if it tried this week and didn't get through, it would try again next week. During one of the many blizzards in the Node area, Donald was riding his horse down the rail line when the train hit his horse. Donald was thrown clear but the horse was killed. Grandpa had the hide tanned and the haired hide remained as a cover on the bed for many years.

Grandpa Don built a tie windbreak on the west side of the road to the house to help prevent drifts from closing the road.

After moving to the Node community, Don and Elsie became involved in the school with Don driving one of the feeder route buses. Don built the small tables still in use at the Node Sunday School. Because of the long distance between families who attended school at Node, it was decided to hold school during the summer and break during the winter to avoid snowed in roads. Elsie was one of the coffee makers when the community got together at Node. She was also a charter member of the Node Homemakers which was formed in 1918. Originally the club was a family affair with everyone arriving early, partaking in a huge noon carry-in meal and then separating with the men playing cards or horseshoes and the women "meeting".

An interesting side note to the Node school. Chicago and Northwestern Rail Road donated a flag pole, 40 feet tall, along with cement in which to set the pole, a rope along with railroad men to erect the pole. And thanks to Jimmy Shane and Ed Perry on Friday, the flag can once again be raised on the pole. A measurement was taken and the pole is actually only 33 feet above the ground now. Rumor has it that Ed was standing on Jimmy's shoulders to reach the top and he kept telling Jimmy to stand higher on his tip toes. 

My mother, Wyoma lone Paisley Siemsen attended Node School through the 10^th grade and then went to Lusk High School. She lived in a sheep wagon with a friend, Ferrel Ryder until she could drive herself. Following graduation
in May of 1940, she married Nyal Siemsen in September and they moved
onto Nyal's parents place north of Van Tassell. In 1947 they purchased
their own ranch south of Van Tassell raising two daughters, Nyonne and
Synthia, there. While the Paisley place was sold in 19?? , Wyoma's ranch
is still owned and operated by her daughter and husband, Ed Perry. Nyal
died in 1989 and Wyoma continued to live in her house on the ranch
until her death in 2015.

In closing, today's event is about family history but  a far more important family gathering will take place. Jesus said in John 14:2; In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you...

Romans 8:16-17: ...we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.

I don't know about you but that gives me a warm feeling of hope knowing that I will be residing within a huge family when I go home to Heaven.

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