April 14 1918 September 12 2017
Huse arrived on Galloping Goose
Huse arrived on Galloping Goose
Submitted photo
Posted: Wednesday, February 9, 2011 12:00 am
In the fall of 1939, a young teacher stepped off the Galloping Goose daily passenger train in Onida. She was just 21 years old and had completed her junior year at college. Now 93, Musette (Little) Huse recalls what Onida was like when she first arrived.
“When I came to town…Onida was much different than it is today,” she said. “Highway 83 was a gravel road on the east side of Onida. Main Street was a gravel road.”
Musette grew up on a farm on the east side of Watertown and went to college at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. At that time, she says, University students were eligible to teach elementary school – and with that, she moved to Onida for the duration of the school year to teach here.
Riding the ‘Galloping Goose’ was just a normal way of travel back then, she said. She rode the train from Watertown to Redfield where she had to switch rail lines, then on to Onida.
Musette taught third and fourth grades for two years in Onida. During her first year here, she stayed with the W. O. Smith family. The second year, she stayed in the Rumrill Hotel where there were five other teachers also staying.
“They had one side (of the hotel) all sectioned off for us (female teachers) to stay,” she said.
After teaching third and fourth grade for two years in Onida, Musette had managed to pay off her college debts and went back to the University to finish her college career. She finished her fourth year of college education in Vermillion and graduated in 1942.
That May, Musette wed Conrad Huse, a local boy who was serving in the United States Army, while he was stationed in Florida.
“Connie and I had been planning to be married, but Uncle Sam put Connie in the army,” Musette recalled. “As soon as I finished my college career I took the bus to St. Augustine, Florida and we were married.”
In August of that year, Conrad was deployed to Europe as Warrant Officer in the 124th Signal Radio Intelligence Company.
“I went back to the University and asked if there was a place where I could teach,” Musette said. After some looking around, they sent her to Irene, South Dakota, where she taught Business Administration classes for a year. She then came back to Onida and taught commercial subjects – such as typing and shorthand – at the high school here.
“I just liked the people (of Onida and Sully County),” Musette said. “It’s just a good place to be.”
The next summer, Musette went to Portland, Oregon to work in the Kaiser Shipyards on Swan Island where they were building war ships.
“I started welding at the bottom of the ship and ended up welding at the top deck,” she recalled.
In the fall of the year, she came back to teach at Onida again.
When Conrad came home from the service in October of 1945, they opened an electrical store in Onida. Musette and Conrad ran the business together out of what was known as the ‘old Haverly brick building’ on the east side of Main Street which is now Larson Bookkeeping and Tax Service.
“It was called Connie’s Electric,” she stated. She added that one day the gypsies came to town. “One lady came into the store in a long dress and robes. I watched her every move, but when she left, we were missing a portable radio.”
In 1949, they sold the business to Bob and Paul Ramler when they made the move to the country to help take over Conrad’s family ranch after his father had died.
In August of 1961, Musette recalled having a flood at the farm when they received over seven inches of rain in one night.
“The water was 28 inches deep in the house,” she said. “The kids wanted to come down stairs and go swimming in the living room! The grain bins were all full of grain and under water.”
Musette said that neighbors from all over showed up the next day with trucks, augers and grain driers. Because of that, they only lost one load of grain. “What wonderful neighbors!”
In 1971, Conrad died. However, rather than leaving, Musette and her daughters decided to stay at the farm. As they were working on the combine one day, Dick Olson showed up and asked if he could help. Musette says he’s been doing the farming for her ever since.
“After we moved out here to the farm, they started a new educational department at the school,” Musette said. This was known as the Title 1 Program, which is still in use today. “When (the program) came in, the Superintendent called and asked if I was interested in helping with it, and I said yes.”
Title 1 helps students who are struggling with their studies in grade school. “A few years later, I started in the Reading Resource room in High School and taught until the end of 1983.”
Musette was named the ‘Sully Buttes Teacher of the Year’ during the 1980-81 school year.
In 1992, Musette was the Sully County Nominee for Spirit of Dakota; in 2004, she was honored as the BankWest Senior Celebrity.
Musette is the mother of three: Diane Hyde died in 1987; Peggy Hyde lives north of Pierre with her husband Craig; and Tami Kerr lives in Spearfish. Musette also has 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
“I get to see them quite often,” she said, referring to her grandchildren.
Musette is a member of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Onida, Extension Club and the American Legion Auxiliary and was an FSA Committee Member; several other clubs that she once belonged to have now dissolved, such as the Pinochle card club and the Hospital Auxiliary.
Still living at her farm northeast of Onida, Musette says that she’s doing fine living on her own. In the wintertime, neighbors help clear the snow from her driveway so she can make it around alright.
“(I have) good neighbors,” she said. “I don’t have any trouble on my own. I’m well satisfied (living here).”
A few years ago there was a tornado in Sully County that wrecked havoc at Musette’s farm. Once again, as with the flood in ’61, neighbors and local high school boys came to her rescue by helping clean up the damage.
“What a great place to live,” she said.
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