Dyer home turns 100

Stately home The Margaret Dyer home at 204 N. E. Seventh Street, despite being 100 years old, still retains it's early 20th Century look.

Margaret Dyer is living in a house that turned 100 years old in 2008 and has been in the same family all those years.

"It's never been owned by anyone not named Dyer," she said proudly. "And only the Dyer's have paid taxes on it."

The home at 204 7th Street N.E., was built in 1908 by Lenard and Catherine Dyer. It was designed by Harry Rondorf, who was a brother-inlaw to the Dyers as Mary Rondorf was Catherine Dyer's sister.

"My husband Larry (his full name was Lawrence, but no one ever called him that ) was born while the home was under construction. "They lived in the Strain house when he was born and they moved into the new home when he was a small baby."

Len Dyer died - a victim of the world-wide flu epidemic - in 1917, leaving his widow with no insurance, no pension and two young children, Larry and Eleanor, to care for. Catherine rented out rooms in the upstairs of the large house to teachers and railroad men for the huge sum of $3 a month.

Catherine also worked for W. J. Lewis at his general store downtown to help pay the bills and the taxes on the home - for which Len had fortunately made the final payment shortly before he died.

Larry went to work at 16 years old as a call boy for the Northern Pacific and eventually worked up to a telegrapher. He worked in several different stations, including Aldrich, Wahpeton, N.D. and Wadena before getting transferred back to Staples, where he and his wife, the former Margaret Hoemberg (they were married in 1938) moved with their first two children into the Dyer house, with Larry's mother moving to the upstairs.

Larry first worked in the railroad tower, then became telegrapher, and was named the Staples station agent when Harry Peterson retired. He was the last agent for the NP and first agent for the Burlington Norther n. He was still working as agent when he died in 1973.

Catherine died at 100 years old in 1978 and Marga re t still owns the home that is now 101 years old. The house is much the same as original, although some changes have been made. Catherine put in a rear stairway for the renters. Margaret and Larry enclosed the front porch, making it a three season porch. They also remodeled the kitchen and made a few other changes.