Butka, Rock County, NE - Personal Remembrances

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Submitted by Bev. Hopkins (Yellowhawk_51@webtv.net)

Viola May Carter has graciously submitted many of her memories of the
Butka Community of Rock County for all of us to enjoy.  Mrs. Carter is
the former May Djernes who taught school at Butka from 1933-1935.


"I got there (Butka) on Thursday or Friday before school started; and
Jesse and Dorothy Ersham and baby Jess, Jr. took me to the baseball game
- nothing fancy or organized - just a Sunday afternoon country game.  I
was introduced to the young folks there.  I must have "passed muster" as
they invited me to go watermelon swiping with them that evening.  I
didn't think that would look to good for the new teacher!  Besides, I
don't like watermelon.

I remember the sandburrs!  They mowed the schoolground before school
started but the sandburrs were still there!!  The teacher spent some
time removing sandburrs from arms and legs.

If we were playing ball at recess and a cowboy came loping along he
would usually stop for a few minutes and play, which was a big help as
we didn't have enough kids to play, really!

One day a "duded up" cowboy (clothes that even I knew were usually worn
at rodeos) came to the door and asked if the children had seen his cows?
I wrote home to the folks (you must remember May was a single woman at
this time) and Mother said Dad just snorted and said, "Well he sure
didn't expect to find them in the schoolroom, did he?"

The children seldom got to go to town, as parents had to transact
business on weekdays, but occasionally on Monday morning, a child would
come in all excited "Oh, Miss Djernes, I saw a train!"

The voting was done at the schoolhouse, so when election time came-we
were out of school for a day. 

I had one boy, Charles Lemmon who was staying with his father in the
next district, but was permitted to attend school there, his sisters
were younger, and stayed with Grandma in Burwell and went to school.
Little Charlie (dad was also Charles) did smoke-I never saw him- and one
day, a range fire started; the men were blaming Charlie- and did I tell
them that it happened Charlie was in school that day and they better
have proof before they started blaming someone!!

The Buoy family used a hayburner, this is a metal drum with both ends
cut out and stuffed with prairie hay - put it on the stove and it would
burn for an hour or so; of course, it left an odor.

There wasn't much entertainment there, and they had old-fashioned "play
parties" they would select a house to go to Friday night, but didn't
tell the family, so you better have your house cleaned up.  Guests
brought refreshments, and the little ones were put on the hostess beds,
with the coats..old grandpas and grandmas did "Captain Jinks of the
Horse Marines" and "Buffalo Gals, are you comin' out toniite?" as well
as anyone.  Once in a while, if a haymow was empty, there would be a
barn dance..and I remember going to one wedding dance that lasted into
the wee hours.

You may remember that the Ehrsams had four children:  Bertha, who
married a rancher; Jesse, wo was on the ranch with his father and Lwella
(usually called Ella) who had taught school.  She had two children,
Edgar and Melva Rae.  Ella later married my uncle, Lucas and he adopted
her children.

I think the Sweeney family lived in the next district, and I finally
remembered the name of Gilbert's sister.  It was Gretchen-she taught
school and was church pianist. She was crippled, and I remember, she
died while I was there.  Some communicable disease was prevalent (may
have been smallpox) and she had an outbreak on her chin, which she
covered with adhesive tape, and went on to school, with disastrous
results, we buried her shortly after.  I got the job of playing for her
funeral (my skills in that direction were mediocre, at best; but I
suppose better than nothing).  People weren't critical.  I can't
remember if some of Scotty's (Leo Scott) family played.

Submitted by Bev. Hopkins