April.
1. Easter, went to German Communion , The roads were muddy, dyed Easter eggs for Florence in afternoon. 5. School was cancelled all week as Miss Hangen was sick. 7. Mother's birthday. Had a music lesson. 8. Outside all day, beautiful weather. 14. Music lesson. 15. Went to Grandma Nelson's house. 17. Got new shoes--very nice.18. Broke heel of new shoe in race at school. 23. Dust storm. 25. Race and track day at school. 28. Music lesson. 30. Dust storm.
May.
10. Terrible dust storm. 22-23. Hauled wood. 25. Put away books at school. School is out. 26 Music lesson. 29. English and science exams. 31. History exam.
June.
1. Picnic. 3. Dust storm. Mission fest at church. 5. Plant Garden. 7. Music lesson. Had glasses fixed. 14. Dentist in Zumbrota. 15. Rhubarb at Reese's. Florence stayed overnight at Margaret's house.17. Harlan Albers Birthday party. 21. Glory, Glory Hallelujah! I passed my exams. Got letter in the mail. 23. Music lesson and dust storm. 29. I graduated from Eighth Grade. 225 students attended ceremony in Red Wing.
July.
3. Cut Rye. 4. Picnic at our place--Ice Cream. 6. Hoed thistles. 7. Hauled Hay. 8. Hauled Hay. 19. Florence's Birthday--2 years old. 22. So hot we slept outside. 108 degrees. 23. Slept outside. 106 degrees. 28. Music lesson. Cut grain in P.M..
August.
3-7. Threshers are here. 15-16. Canned corn, plum jelly and peaches. 21. Canned corn, green beans, peas, and apple butter. 22. New Sear's Catalog arrived. 27 Canned green beans. 28 Started to fill silo, made Jam.
The dust storms continue. I remember that once we drove by an area where there was a clay pit for the Red Wing pottery, and she remembered people working there who lived in tents and cars. Didn't realize that passing you final exams meant that you could go to High School. If you didn't pass, your education was over. Seems that there was plenty of work on the farm in the summer, that probably explains the fewer entries in the diary.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
1934 Diary
On December 22, 1933, Eleanor received a diary from her Sunday School teacher. 1934 was the first diary that I have found since she began the habit of keeping a diary. There are many gaps in the years, maybe I will be lucky and find more. I have decided to add the material in these diaries to this blog in hopes that children, grand children, and great grand children will gain some appreciation of Eleanor.
1934: January.
Early January entries are mostly one word per day and describe the weather: nice, sleet storm, cloudy, snow, foggy, and the occasional beautiful day. 15 School begins with a new science book and a book to read "Uncle Tom's Cabin".16 Edna has the measles. Little did Eleanor know how much of an impact this event would have over the next several weeks. 17 Ben Franklin's birthday. 18 Daniel Webster's birthday. 19 Florence is 11/2 years old, Robert E. Lee and Edgar Allen Poe's birthdays. 20 Sledding in the pasture. 22 Finished "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and began David Copperfield. 28 Windy with a dust storm. I missed school due to bad weather. 29 Father went to Zumbrota. 31 Mother went to Red Wing to get a driver's license.
February.
6 I am sick with the measles. 9 All broke out, itching worse, nearly dead. Temperature 103. 10 Feeling better, I have missed five days of school. 12 Measles are awful, Lorraine came down with them. 14 Received Valentines Day cards in the mail. Lorraine is itchy and cranky. Ready to go back to school, but school is closed due to measles.20 Cold and windy, dust storms.
March.
1 Spring like day. 5 Dust storm. 7 Went to Red Wing to pick up Confirmation dress, slip, and shoes with Margaret. 14 Lenten services, Margaret brought me home afterward. 15 Dust Storms. 17,18,21 Confirmation classes 24. Last Confirmation Class, took cloths to Margaret's house.. 25 I am Confirmed. It went well. I got a book and a scarf. 28 First Communion, received a hymnal as a gift. 30 Blizzard. I missed first group Communion at Church, and was the only one who was not there.
I have often asked Eleanor about the Great Depression, and she has always claimed that she had no memories of it. I was surprised by all the references to dust storms even after rain in Minnesota.
1934: January.
Early January entries are mostly one word per day and describe the weather: nice, sleet storm, cloudy, snow, foggy, and the occasional beautiful day. 15 School begins with a new science book and a book to read "Uncle Tom's Cabin".16 Edna has the measles. Little did Eleanor know how much of an impact this event would have over the next several weeks. 17 Ben Franklin's birthday. 18 Daniel Webster's birthday. 19 Florence is 11/2 years old, Robert E. Lee and Edgar Allen Poe's birthdays. 20 Sledding in the pasture. 22 Finished "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and began David Copperfield. 28 Windy with a dust storm. I missed school due to bad weather. 29 Father went to Zumbrota. 31 Mother went to Red Wing to get a driver's license.
February.
6 I am sick with the measles. 9 All broke out, itching worse, nearly dead. Temperature 103. 10 Feeling better, I have missed five days of school. 12 Measles are awful, Lorraine came down with them. 14 Received Valentines Day cards in the mail. Lorraine is itchy and cranky. Ready to go back to school, but school is closed due to measles.20 Cold and windy, dust storms.
March.
1 Spring like day. 5 Dust storm. 7 Went to Red Wing to pick up Confirmation dress, slip, and shoes with Margaret. 14 Lenten services, Margaret brought me home afterward. 15 Dust Storms. 17,18,21 Confirmation classes 24. Last Confirmation Class, took cloths to Margaret's house.. 25 I am Confirmed. It went well. I got a book and a scarf. 28 First Communion, received a hymnal as a gift. 30 Blizzard. I missed first group Communion at Church, and was the only one who was not there.
I have often asked Eleanor about the Great Depression, and she has always claimed that she had no memories of it. I was surprised by all the references to dust storms even after rain in Minnesota.
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