Katharine Riegelhuth was born in Germany in 1876. She was taken to the United States when still an infant by her mother, arriving in Eureka, Nevada, during its boom days. There, she grew to young womanhood, attended school, and observed the life of the town. Frank Riegelhuth, her father, was a leader in the cultural life of Eureka, where he organized the Eureka Star Band, gave music lessons, and conducted a dancing school. His wife, Katharina, began to help with the care of the sick in the village. With the decline of Eureka, the Riegelhuth family moved to Reno. Frank Riegelhuth died soon after, however, and his widow and child found new ways of earning a livelihood.

Katharina Riegelhuth, who had willingly helped in caring for afflicted people in Eureka, became a professional nurse. In this capacity, she opened and operated the first maternity home in Reno, and became almost an institution in the community.

Meanwhile, Katharine Riegelhuth entered the University of Nevada and prepared to become a teacher. After this training she became an instructor at the university, where she served for many years. She was not only a respected teacher, but also an active participant in faculty affairs.

The memoir includes accounts and anecdotes of life in Eureka, Nevada; activities in Reno, Nevada, from the 1890s; work at the University of Nevada from 1905; a reminiscence about her mother, and a brief conclusion.