Michelle Rea Clark and her daughter Kayce Rea Clark rake leaves on a warm December day as evening begins to fall in Red Cloud, Neb. After serving in Iraq, she returned to Red Cloud to be near family. Red Cloud, a town with a population of 935, down 17% in the 2009 census, has all the charm and challenges that face small towns in rural America. Famed turn-of-the-century author Willa Cather grew up in Red Cloud.