Working Hard For a Good 4th of July

Saturday, July 11, 1925 was a very, very hot day. We couldn’t hardly work, and had lots of hay to make. Dad, Ma & I went to town tonight. Aunt Mag went up to Aunt Annie’s. It was 103 degrees in town today. Friday, Aunt Till, Mother, Ruby & Len went to Mr. Stadel’s funeral in the afternoon.

Thursday, Aunt Margaret & Till came down today to stay awhile. Martha Tippet might want them to go down there as Win has gone to Prairie Du Chien for treatments. Heard that Mr. Stadel, who has been so sick, died yesterday. I did the baking, made bread, & coffee cake. Also made apple sauce and etz.

Wednesday, Uncle Edd & Aunts came down this eve. Dad, Ma, & I were getting ready to go to town. So we went yet as we wanted sugar and Kerosene. Tuesday, we washed. Dad picked goose- berries. Len & Ruby went to town in the afternoon. Monday, we finished washing the Fourth of July dishes and straightened them out. Put up five pints of sugar peas and one quart of pickled beans. Sunday, morning Dad, Ma, Ruby, Aunt Till and I went to town to church. Aunt Till rode out with Uncle Edds. Since we had no company we rested the rest of the day.

Saturday the Fourth of July
That morning it was cloudy yet but cleared off so Len & Dad went to town for the ice cream. They bought 5 gallons of ice cream and got 50 cones. About ten thirty the folks began to arrive. Uncle Edd and the Aunts came first, then Uncle Bens. They had had lots of rain down there and had muddy roads to travel. Then Uncle Henrys, Uncle Joes and Uncle Dan arrived. Uncle Georges and the Rev. Swalves didn’t come till after dinner. We had a big long table in the dining room, in fact we had two tables put together which sat about eighteen or twenty and a table for the children out on the porch for the children Aunt Margaret sat down with the children. Everyone brought such a lot of things to eat. All seemed to have a nice time. In the afternoon, the young folks took two cars and took a ride Galena and all over Galena. Lester, Vada, Laretta, Leon & I went to the jail and Grant’s home. It was about supper time when we got back. After supper all went home but Uncle Georges. They staid till Wesley came home from the celebration in Galena at ten-thirty. Then he and another fellow ate a lunch making it fourty-four that were here that day. Edward and Raymond & Elma didn’t come. Ray & Elma went to Galena. Aunt Till stayed down here.

Friday was very busy again. I baked two cakes and a batch of cookies and washed out dish towels but didn’t get the floors cleaned up. It was so terrible sweltering hot. Rainy & storming that evening so we were afraid the celebration on Friday wouldn’t be much. Thursday was very, very busy all day. The Aunts came down to help us get ready for Saturday. They baked bread rolls and coffee cake. We cleaned the cellar and swept upstairs and dusted. Nosed and put up gooseberries and pieplant & etz. That evening Rev. & Mrs. Stauss and Paul came out. We were glad they came in the evening this eve instead of this afternoon, which was half sweltering. Wednesday afternoon, Len, Mother & I went to town. We bought some paper plates and etz. for the Fourth of July Family Reunion doings we are going to have here. Mosquitoes have been terrible lately.