One last round: Beloved Bartender’s retirement draws in hundreds

DIXON, Neb.- Euni Diediker has been running Euni’s Palace for more than 40 years.

And on the night of her retirement, the palace she built in Dixon held double the town's population to celebrate her.

“But Euni has the biggest heart she’s the first one to do anything for anybody, she’s just an all around good person," Steph Jorgensen said.

Folks came from hundreds of miles to see Euni on her special night.

“I just seen my girlfriend, she drove all the way from imperial Nebraska," Euni Diediker said.

Euni’s daughter, Dawn Oswald, grew up in the palace. For her, it’s always been mom running the bar. But she knows mom deserves time off. 

“Mom's been at the Euni’s Palace since I was in 3rd grade, I think, and I’m turning 50 today so a majority of my life. I’ve always saw her work really hard and provided for our family, so it's nice to see her put in all that hard work, and now it’s her turn to take a break,” Oswald said.

If you ask anybody that has walked into the bar, they say they’re treated like family. This is not the first time she’s been celebrated. Two years ago, hundreds of folks turned out for the bar’s 40th anniversary.

“Main Street was packed with people and the first thing I thought of when I was driving down there is how Moses felt when he had his cane and he opened the Red Sea,” Diediker said. "And these people just parted so I can drive down and park by my front door. Oh my God yeah I’ll never forget that day.”

Now in retirement, Euni says she won’t be far.

“I live close to the bar so I can just come down, I just gotta learn how to keep my mouth shut and not tell that new owner’s what they should do,” Diediker said.

Her son, Drew Diediker, will take over Euni’s Palace with his childhood friend.