Pure Nebraska

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A visit to Jerry's Dream Museum



PAWNEE CITY, Neb. (KOLN) - When Jerry Stephens passed away from cancer several years ago, his friends kept a promise to fulfill his dream of having an old Phillips 66 gas station restored. We caught up with Bob Smith, who was one of the people who worked to restore the old gas station, and to make sure his friend’s dream was realized. “In 1939, Lloyd Matthews started this gas station, and he ran it until his passing in 1961,” Smith said. “Then his son ran it into the 1990s. Jerry Stephens, who was a grandson of Lloyd Sr., and grew up in the house next door, had the idea of buying the place and tried to restore it. He worked on it for several years, but then was diagnosed with cancer. He could see he wasn’t going to get it done, so he talked to us about seeing it done.”

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May Museum preserves Nye family history, stories in Dodge County



FREMONT, Neb. (KOLN) - In Fremont, a log cabin sits quietly in a Victorian garden, surrounded by flowers, statues and a stone path. Right next to this humble structure is a grand, two-story brick mansion with six columns that was built in 1874. Scattered throughout its 23 rooms are rotating exhibits within the Louis E. May Museum. “Here, we have something for everybody,” said Loretta Meistrell, a docent (tour guide). “Even if you have a day when nobody comes, I don’t mind being alone and trying to imagine what it would be like living in this house.”

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A hub for history in Perkins County

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Friendly atmosphere found at Weeping Water business



WEEPING WATER, Neb. (KOLN) - Grandpa Snazzy’s is not only a retail store and coffee house, but it also offers costume rental services to theaters around the region. You might say the store is a combination business. “The first 20 feet is antiques, a coffee house and local artists,” co-owner Kathryn Cover said. “We try to support our local community as much as we can.”

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Revisiting the Pawnee City Historical Society Museum



From the house of a former Nebraska governor, to a barn once owned by the family of a celebrity, the Pawnee City Historical Society Museum has a lot to offer. We caught up with Yvonne Dalluge to talk about the museum. She has worked over the years to make sure people know about this unique attraction. One of the highlights of the museum is the home of David Butler, who once served as the first Nebraska governor. Museum volunteers work to keep the interior of the home in the period. “We have lots of things in there that show what it would have been like at the time,” Dalluge said.

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63 County Store

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Keeping history alive in Butte



BUTTE, Neb. (KOLN) - The Butte Historical Museum is a unique place to visit, because of the artifacts inside, and also because it’s inside a former parochial school built in the early 1900s. We visited with Museum director Britanie Brewster to learn more. “This was built in 1909,” Brewster said. “They boarded kids and nuns. It’s technically four stories if you count the basement. It closed in 1968. In 1990, it was purchased from the archdiocese for one dollar by the town of Butte. We had several people in the community who turned it into a museum. It was started by Margaret Honke and Mardell Schroeder. Three years ago, I was asked to take over. I truly enjoy doing this.”

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Finding rest and relaxation in York



If you are looking for a place to retreat from a stressful world, then consider booking a stay at the B & B on Sixth. We caught up with the owner of this beautiful bed and breakfast to learn more about it. “This enterprise got started in 2019,” Doreen Luethje said. “I was going through some changes in my life, and I was in need of a project. I had been an interior designer for 25 years and was semi retired. I thought about flipping houses. I was on 6th Street here in York where you find a number of big old houses, and I saw this house. I thought a bed and breakfast would work well there. I met with other bed and breakfast owners to get ideas. It took a year to renovate, and I finally opened in February of 2020.”