Thursday, January 12, 1888. In extremely rural, Nebraska, near Ord, 19-year-old Minnie Freeman is a boarder in a prairie farmhouse. She awakens before dawn. She needs to get to school early to prepare the one-room Midvale School in Mira Valley, south of Ord. She’s the teacher.
Minnie walks through the morning pre-dawn twilight, over the one and a half miles to the unassuming schoolhouse. The weather’s been unusually pleasant lately. The morning skies promise more, even better weather. The sun and soft warm breeze will likely melt away what little remains of the last week’s snow. In fact, the entire US plains and Midwest seem to be mesmerized by this lovely weather.
The young school teacher lights a small fire in the pot-bellied stove, pumps water from the well, and fills the ceramic water dispenser. Soon after these morning tasks 13 students, aged 5 to 15, trundle into the sod-walled schoolhouse,
Nebraska became the 37th state in the Union in 1867. Before that, the Nebraska Territory was formed in 1854. Its southern boundary, even today as a state, was the 40th parallel, separating it from Kansas Territory, and later State of Kansas, to the south. This boundary extended well west, following 40° to the mountains of what is now Colorado.
The population of the westernmost parts of the Nebraska and Kansas Territories had swelled, and cities popped up across the Rockies Front Range and up into the mountains. Its population had grown due to immigration driven by the Colorado Gold Rush – particularly the Fifty-Niners.
Neither territory really wanted the responsibility to manage the rowdy new arrivals in lands so far from their governmental centers, well to the east. So, Colorado was split off as its own territory in 1861.
Settlers there and in the great prairie lands of the Midwest, like Nebraska, were also driven by the desire to depart the crowded, sooty, malodorous and unsanitary conditions in eastern US cities.
Early January 1888. A strong high pressure forms in northwest Canada. It begins drifting southeast. A strong low pressure system forms in the southwest US and begins drifting east-northeast. Pressure isoclines draw tighter and nearer together.
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Minnie Mae Freeman was born on February 25, 1868, to James and Sarah (Cushing) Freeman, in Potter County, Pennsylvania. She was by seven years the youngest child. [1] It’s a wide, rural, hilly stretch at the northern reaches of the Appalachian chain; Potter county’s northern boundary is the state of New York (latitude 42 degrees). During that period many families began moving west into America’s frontier, seeking opportunity, better fortune and land. The Freemans fit in. When she was age 3 years old her family moved to central Nebraska.
Many came to the expansive upper west to take advantage of the Homestead Acts, offering up to 160 acres to settlers for a small filing fee. It was theirs if they could improve the land (build on it) and make it productive. As timber was so very scarce, many of the first homes and buildings were made of sod.
Prior to that, the land we know as Nebraska became part of the United States pursuant to the terms of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, as part of the upper Mississippi watershed. Both the Spanish and the French had long before begun trading with Native Amerindian tribes.
And of course, approximately 10,000 years before the white European peoples settled these lands, American Indians had arrived and settled, mostly hunting big game, such as bison.
Minnie attended the Methodist Episcopal College, in York, Nebraska graduating in 1886. She then began teaching school. (Very young teachers were quite common, in fact the norm. (See It Happened F
Young Minnie Freeman
She took an assignment for the little sod schoolhouse near Ord, Nebraska. She was offered reasonable lodging at a farmhouse about a mile and half from the school. She felt like she fit right in; it was her calling.
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One thing that Nebraska has always had is size. It’s large. Not just its geographic size, but its weather too. Harsh “old man” winter has always been a regular visitor, bringing nasty weather on the cold arctic air that sweeps down from the great plains of Canada and the Dakotas.
It can be fierce: arctic cold that freezes spit before it hits the ground, high winds to carry off pets, and snows that bury a prairie house. Summers can be ferociously hot, with dry winds – and massive thunderstorms with cyclonic clouds that can break out on almost any summer afternoon.
Snowy days can turn into bright warm days; and the reverse as well, when warm sunny days suddenly turn wintry.
North of the equator, air rotates clockwise around high-pressure cells. And counterclockwise around low cells.
This rotation causes the leading fronts of high pressure cells to pull down air from the north. And the reverse: the leading fronts of low pressure cells pull up air from the south.
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Typical upper plains sod house
The embryonic national weather service, then part of the Army Signal Corps, made use of telegraph to aggregate weather reports and atmospheric conditions from locations around the continent. These reports were assembled, notes were placed on a map, then studied. Weather forecasts were generated and then wired across the country – to places that had access to the Talking Wires, which were mostly along established railroad lines. Thence the forecasts were printed in the many thousands of newspapers.
For January 12, 1888, they had forecasted a sunny, warm morning, turning cold in the afternoon. Period.
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Despite the January date, it was so alluringly pleasant that Minnie decided to conduct the midday class outside. It’s not unlikely that the students begged her do so. I recall doing this in elementary school. Sometimes the nuns would acquiesce. They liked the weather too!
Approaching Blue Norther (AI generated)
Minnie had grown up on these plains. She was innately aware of its moody and changeable nature. She instinctively took a moment periodically to scan the sky. It was about noon when she spied the signs of a blue norther to the northwest: stormy dark steel gray and silver clouds, with a thin layer of contrasting dark blue below. Calmly, without panic, she quickly herded the students into the schoolhouse. They had less than 5 minutes to get shelter.
First the winds. 30mph steady, then 50. Then 80. In just a few minutes. The winds brought a sudden temperature drop, from near 50F (10C) the mercury immediately plunged 18 degrees F. And kept dropping. To the 20s, the teens. To zero. The powerful high pulled down frigid arctic air. There was no geographic feature along the plains — from the north of Alberta and Saskatchewan to the plains of the US Midwest — to stop or slow the soul-chilling winds. [2]
Hail fell. Then, in a minute, it turned to snow. Heavily. The equally powerful low had pulled up warm air from the south, pregnant with moisture. Powered by hurricane force winds the snow began to pile up against walls, on hills, and in valleys. Soon houses, barns and other structures were getting buried by the drifts. [By evening the temperature dropped to -40. Some weather stations reported a fall of 100 degrees in only 10 or 12 hours]
The wind came through cracks in the sod walls. The temperature in the wee schoolhouse dropped alarmingly. The pot belly stove couldn’t keep up. The children weren’t dressed for winter, let alone for a storm like this.
Minnie huddled the children together, near the stove. Would the storm last long? Or blow over? Either was possible. She commenced to lead them in prayer. She also began thinking about burning the desks, books and papers if the wood ran out.
White out!
Thoughts of fueling the stove were soon made moot. The school door and hinges began to fail, the door, dangling open, awkwardly and askew. The view out the doorway revealed … nothing. It looked like an artist’s blank palette with a matte finish. Total white out. The older boys tried to re-attach the door. It seemed they had it fixed, then …
… the tar paper roof ripped, detached, … and disappeared.
If not before, it certainly was now a matter of life and death. 14 lives. 14 deaths. And Minnie was in charge.
They had to go somewhere. Somewhere safer, warmer.
Minnie took a roll of twine, and, while giving her students a pep talk, tied them one student to the next, all 13, and finally to herself. They headed out – but to where? Minnie had a good sense of the fields and simple structures between the schoolhouse and the farmhouse where she dwelled. After all, she walked to and from that house every school day. But in literally blinding snow?
In the bleak prairie, no features stood out. One’s own feet were not visible. The sky looked like the ground. Direction? Up vs down? The ground couldn’t be seen. North, south, east and west: all looked the same. There was no perception of these. Only gut feel, one’s inner compass, and dead reckoning for navigation.
The flakes, falling sideways in the howling winds and scowling skies, struck their skin – their faces! – like sandblasting. Like a hundred teensy weensy needles poking at any exposed flesh every minute.
Music for song praising Minnie
Against all odds, Minnie led them all safely to the farmhouse. All survived. [3]
For a few years Minnie Freeman was a national heroine. Songs and poems were written about her heroic achievement, played and sung at gatherings and shows, and published in newspapers.
She didn’t think much of it. Just a job that needed to be done.
It’s now commonly called the Children’s Blizzard. It’s estimated that at least 250 people died in the storm, from Minnesota, to Kansas to North Dakota. The vast majority of fatalities were children, perhaps 90%. Many were sent home and never made it, or were walking home at the end of the school day when the storm hit. Others froze to death as they waited in their schoolhouses.
Minnie was indeed rather famous. She received many unsolicited marriage proposals. Some say 50; others up to 200.
In 1890 she met Edgar Penney, a local farmer from a prominent family – probably at a local rural society rendezvous. He was well off, she was famous. [Edgar’s father, Seth Penney, was a leading farmer, merchant, banker and school board member in Fullerton, Nebraska. High Society]. Edgar was two years her elder.
Distinguished older Minnie Freeman Penney
Minnie and Edgar were married on April 22,1891, in Omaha. They settled initially in Fullerton, NE and had 2 sons: Freeman and Frederick Penney. Of course, this ended her teaching career – married female teachers weren’t permitted, especially mothers. But, married to Edgar, she probably wouldn’t have taught anymore anyhow. Eventually Edgar was made president of the C.A. Mosso Chemical Company (petrochemical-based pharmaceuticals, ointments, skin and beauty products). With his job they re-located to Chicago, in 1923. Until about 1930 they maintained their official address in Fullerton. [4]
Minnie’s star continued to shine after her teaching career.
- She was a member of:
- The Republican National Committee from Nebraska [5]
- Daughters of the American Revolution
- Order of the Eastern Star [sister org of Masons, a worldwide service organization, focused largely on serving children (think El Jebel for women)].
- First president of the Department of Nebraska of the American Legion Auxiliary
- She was on the committee to redesign Nebraska’s state seal.
- She was an active advocate for
- Education (promoting proper training, high teacher standards and screening … hiring 17–19-year-olds seemed inappropriate)
- Political leadership (morals and qualifications)
- Promoting civil service at state and local levels (you – yes, you! – can serve your government, from volunteering, to employment, to elected office)
- Women’s rights, especially suffrage
On November 1, 1943, when they were living in an apartment, at 1055 Granville Avenue, on Chicago’s near north side, Minnie passed away. Her remains were cremated. Edgar passed October 13, 1955, just one day short of the 12th anniversary of Minnie’s passing. [6]
Joe Girard © 2025
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[1] one source says she was born in Raymonds Corners, PA (York County), south of York PA. I believe this is wrong. Raymond Corners is not near York, it’s in northern PA. This from a post by the York County historical society.
One source has her as the youngest of 6 children. This is possible, as the “four” children might be referring only to those who survived childhood. Life was rough.
[2] Alberta and Saskatchewan were then not Provinces, rather unsettled land that was part of the Northwest Territories.
[3] Some children and sources have it differently. Some sources say it was half a mile to a shack. Some children didn’t remember the twine that supposedly linked them. One remembered it as a tug-of-war rope. And another source says they went to a sod farm shack about ½ mile away.
It doesn’t really matter. There were many reports of people getting disoriented and freezing to death less than 100 yards from where they started. Some were found only just a few steps from their homes.
[4] Research data were not uniform or clear on Edgar’s climb up the corporate ladder with regard to timing and locations. But, in 1923 they DID move to Chicago, and he was president.
[5] Politics and political parties were different then.
[6] Minnie’s remains are not in any record, except it’s recorded that the cremation was at Graceland Cemetery, in Chicago. We presume the ashes went to family. Edgar is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, in Skokie,
Another good one Joe, thank you. I hope all is well with you and your family?
We are enjoying the summer in Saint Germain with many visits from friends and family. Florida like temps this weekend, hot and humid.
God bless,
Dave
Thanks for reading
Thanks Joe, another good read!!
HOW DO you research these WONDERFUL STORIES! Great, as usual, Joe — keep ’em comin’!
I loved the story Joe, thanks for sending it. I do remember a snowstorm in Lafayette one year. even though there was about 1 1/2 feet of snow and coming down heavily, the super didn’t call off school. Kids arrived as the buses could finally deliver them. About 10 a.m. we lost power at Ryan. So out came the board games while 25 kids watched the snow heavily piling up outside our door. Finally, about noon, the super said that schools were closed. Well ok you can close the schools but what about all the children indoors. Well lunch time came around, and the kids who brought sack lunches shared with their classmates. we tried to make a picnic out of it. Snow continued to come down. Some parents who were able to get through came and picked up their kids and by 4:00 it was dark, cold and I had about 15 kids. They were scared to death and they were tired of board games. Principal came along, told us to draw straws and sent home some of the teachers. Remainder of the school were all put in the library with about 10 teachers. Last child went home about 9p.m. that night. Don’t mess with weather. In all defense of the super, he was brand new and came from Florida. Didn’t have a clue. Cheers, Toni