Hannah Jane Joy

H. Jane Pfister-Joy

A funeral mass of Resurrection was held May 25, 1988 at St. Leo's Catholic Church for H. Jane Pfister-Joy. Father Bernard Bianco officiated. Rosary services were held May 24. Burial was in the Lusk Cemetery. H. Jane Pfister-Joy, 106, died January 4, 1988 in the Hood River Center, Hood River, Ore.

Mrs. Joy was born Oct. 21, 1881, to John and Ellen Josephine (Arnold) Pfister living in a two room stone house on the family farm near Junction City, Kansas.

In July 1884 her mother, age 22, with four children - twins Tine and Margaret (Maggie) four and a half years old, Jane two years and nine months old, and brother seven months old, traveled from Junction City, Kansas by an immigrant car to Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. They were going to join her father and Uncle Edward Arnold who had left Junction City early in the spring to file homestead claims in the Pafe Flats area southwest of Silver Cliff (now Lusk) and southwest of the present Manville, Wyoming. On the train were the family's household goods, farm machinery, 40 head of livestock including some dairy stock, some horses and chickens.

It took the reunited family 17 days to travel from Cheyenne to their homestead including a three-day wait near old Fort Laramie due to the flood waters of the North Platte River. Soldiers guarding the North Platte Bridge during the day and until midnight refused permission to cross the bridge during the flood stage.

They had left Cheyenne with two covered wagons loaded with household belongings, farm machinery, chicken and food supplies. Ella Pfister drove one wagon and John the other. Ed Arnold on horseback drove the grazing cattle and horses. The parents had put the baby in his cradle and the other three children on a mattress placed on the floor bed of the wagon near the front where the mother sat driving.

On the night of the third day's delay after the guards had left, the Pfisters drove the wagons across the bridge. Ed followed with the livestock.

When they reached their destination they set up camp near a spring, built a cook shed, open on all sides with the necessary upright poles nailed across the top covered with pine boughs for shade. The covered wagon boxes were placed on the ground by the shed and the necessary kitchen equipment added under the shed. The farm machinery had been moved out and the caged chickens set free.

The wagon boxes were arranged for temporary housekeeping. By fall the three room log house was completed except for windows and doors. Early winter set in and the trip to Cheyenne for the windows and doors had to be postponed. Burlap was nailed over the windows, and onto a door frame that could be opened and closed until the trip to Cheyenne could be made.

They continued to live there until 1889, raising wonderful vegetables and potatoes each summer, selling them at Silver Cliff and Lusk. The railroad was being built to go by Lusk. Surplus native hay was sold to the railroad builders for their horses. There being no schools in the vicinity, more snow in that area, plus too much poisonous loco weed that was harmful to the horses, the Pfisters moved southeast of Lusk about 71/2 miles and southwest of Node, where their were several country schools although a few miles apart. The children attended the various country schools for years. Margaret and Jane attended Universities to earn teacher certificates. Jane began teaching in 1900 and continued until she married Andrew Joy in Sept. 10, 1905 in Sheridan, Wyoming. Andrew and Jane homesteaded about twelve miles east of Kaycee, Wyoming and lived there 42 years raising irrigated crops, sheep and cattle. In 1947 the couple sold their ranch and moved to Kaycee where they lived until 1973, when Mr. Joy entered a nursing home in Buffalo, Wyoming. He died in May, 1975 at the age of 94.

Mrs. Joy moved in July 1975 to Hood River, Oregon to reside with her daughter and son-in-law, Milo and Margaret Sharkey. In Oct. of 1987 she entered Hood River Care Center where she lived until her death.

Mrs. Joy listed many interests and hobbies throughout her life. She was considered a very good cook, enjoyed canning, sewing, tatting, crocheting, needlepoint, making afghans, and reading.

During her years on the ranch, she was called upon to serve as nurse, midwife, and country doctor. She enjoyed participating in Home Extension activities and helping neighbors, friends and the needy.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, of Hood River, a sister-in-law, several nephews and nieces and cousins.

Funeral services were held in St, Mary's Catholic Church in Hood River in January. Friends and relatives may donate to the charity of their choice in lieu of flowers.

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