All in The Family

Tuesday, May 12, 1925: Ironed and baked and made a cake to take to the picnic tomorrow. Monday, was a nice day. We washed. Sunday, We all went to church in the morning. It was Mother’s Day. Dad, Ma & I joined the Methodist Church*. Dad & Mother by letter. I by faith. Twelve joined. Mr. & Mrs. Franzerriger & son, Mr. & Mrs. Winsicker. two of the  White girls, a Mr. Bodel and another lady. A few minutes after the joining Mother and I got coughing spells and had to go out. Nearly choked at that. We both have colds. I felt so funny about both having to go out. Ashamed to ever go in the church again. Started to rain just as church left out. It was slippery driving, had to put chains on. Cleared off again by the time we got home. This eve. we all went up to Aunt Annie’s Ma went up to Fiedler’s to see the boy this afternoon.

Saturday we were busy with Saturday work. I had a bad cold and it was cloudy that night so we didn’t go to town. Ida & Loretta Fiedler came down and to invited us to the Schapville picnic and told us they have a little brother. Friday, Dad, Ma & I went to town in the afternoon. Roads were good. We got a card from Aunt Rachael saying Anna & her husband went home Wednesday.Went the North road. Guess they didn’t want to see us or we to see them.

Thursday I went to the Miner School picnic. I went with Miss Taylor, the teacher, Agnes and Mrs. Butcher. A big crowd there. Had a nice time. Had ice cream. Milton brought it out so I had a ride home. I called in at Weis’ on the way home. Saw Colette for the first time. She is over six months old. She wasn’t a bit strange. Made up with me and cut up more than I ever saw a child that age do before. Mother and Ruby cleaned the summer kitchen, an awful job.

Wednesday Mother and Dad went down to Uncle Ben’s with Uncle Edd & Aunt Annie. Cold day.
Tuesday, We ironed and cleaned my room. Monday we washed. Aunt Annie came down. John Tippets saw Anna Bates* & husband in Galena last week on their way to Waterloo. Just stopped long enough to get gas. They came by way of Hanover. They were certainly foolish. Uncle Edd came down this eve.

* The photos in this blog are courtesy of Janet Temperly who found and sent Lillian's 1920-1924 diaries and some Trudgian photo to me. The first is a picture of Anna Trudgian and Ruby and Lillian Trudgian taken during their trip to Waterloo, Iowa whcih was described in Vol. I of Lillian's Diaires. The second is a photo of my great-grandparents Thomas and Rachael (Kloth) Trudgian who were Anna Trudgian Bates'  parents. This is the "youngest" picture I have of them together.
* The Methodist Church is the one on Bench Street  pictured in last week's post.
 
* Anna Trudgian Bates was my great aunt and has always been surrounded by mystery. You will read lots about  her relationship with her husband in the third volume of  Lillian's Diaires: Whispers of Galena's Past. Why she seems to be avoiding Lillian and her family in 1925 is an unsolved mystery and this coldness between cousins seems to carry through the remaining 11 years of diaries.