Dad's 1st Birthday Party

Saturday, November 21, 1925: A lovly day. All but mother went to town this afternoon. Quite a crowd in town. Aunt Tillie went up to Aunt Annie’s again this forenoon. Friday was Dad’s sixty ninth birthday. It was a most beautiful day and evening. We were busy all day making bread, angel food cake, cleaning up and getting ready for the party. We could hear them coming about seven oclock or a little later. Ruby & I got dressed. Dad was reading, not suspecting a thing when they heard the cars. Mother said “I guess Uncle Edds are coming”. Then he said something is up. Then they came in. Wilbur Bastians and Lottie came a little later. Most all came that were invited but Bert Weis. There were thirty two here, eight of Fiedlers, Tressiders, Wilbur Bastians and Lottie, John Ethel & Leslie Tippet, Win & Martha, Mr.& Mrs. Butcher and Uncle Edd & the Aunts. All seemed to have a good time. The men folks were out in the dining room and the women in the parlor. The parlor was almost too small. The women and children played games & etz. The men talked. About eleven oclock we served supper. Had lots of sandwiches, pickles & cake, We had three cakes besides ours. About twelve thirty they departed for home. Aunt Tillie stayed all night. Had got a picture of the Apple River Canyon from Win & Martha and three handkerchiefs from Leslie Tippet. Think Dad was quite tickled about the party. His first birthday party.


Thursday we were busy getting the house cleaned up for the party. We swept upstairs and etz. That forenoon Uncle Henry & Aunt Lue called in. They and some more of the family were on their way to Galena. Nice day. Wednesday Uncle Edd and the Aunts came down in the forenoon to spend the day. Dad and Len were stacking fodder. Agnes suggested to Aunt Annie Sunday that they invite in a few neighbors to a surprise party for Dad on his birthday Friday evening. So they wanted to know if it would be all right and they are to tell Agnes as they went home.

Tuesday Dad and Len went over to Jim Ivey’s funeral. I went up on Weis’ hill and looked over with the field glasses. The funeral went by here from Spencer’s to the cemetery. They had a Warren minister to officiate. We washed. Monday it was cloudy all day. Dad, Ma & Len went to town. We started out with our car, but it went so badly that we turned around up at Uncle Edd’s and came back & got Len’s car. Jim Ivey’s funeral was at one oclock from John Spencer’s. He was buried at Miners Cemetery. Monday afternoon we all went up to Aunt Annie’s by car. John, Agnes, Milton, & Blanche came up there too. Jim Ivey died yesterday at a Duburque hospital of an operation.

A Visit From The Taylors

Saturday November 14, 1925: It was cloudy all day. Len, Ruby & Dad finished husking corn today. We baked and ironed & etz. Friday was a beautiful clear day. We worked very hard to get ready for the Taylors* this forenoon. Ruby went up to Fiedler’s and telephone up to tell them all to come down. We wasn’t ready for them yet when they came, that is all but Uncle Edd. We had lots of singing and playing. They are very good company. After supper they went back up to Aunt Annie’s. They intend to start for Waterloo tomorrow. They have a Chevrolet car, quite new.

Thursday we had got a card from Aunt Till in the morning saying the Taylors are up there. They came Monday evening. She said they may come down here. It started to rain in the forenoon and rained very hard all afternoon. We churned and made a cake. Wednesday was another nice day. It was quite warm. We washed in the afternoon. We also set up parlor stove, and washed windows in dining room & kitchen & made drop cookies.

Tuesday was warm and clear, certainly put roads in bad condition, as bad as spring of this year. We spent the day trying to straighten up the house a little if the Taylors should come. Monday we got a letter from Aunt Annie the morning saying they had expected us up yesterday. Uncle Edd isn't very well. He went to the Dr. Saturday. The doctor said he had high blood pressure and kidney trouble. They are expecting the Taylors this afternoon. They have been holding meetings at Waterloo and are going to hold them in another church in another week off so are coming back here. They were going out to Apple River to the Aunts but as they were in here they are coming to Aunt Annie’s. Len, Ruby & I went to town to call there. They hadn’t come yet when we came home. It thawed quite a little, roads were quite muddy, especially from the foot of Ehrler’s Hill to town. Ruby found one of their nicest sheep dead up in orchard.

* The Taylors have appeared off and on in Lillian's Diaries, but I have been unable to find out exactly who they were and how they knew the Dittmars and Trudgians. Do you know anything about them?

November Already ~ How Did That Happen?

Saturday, November 7, 1925: It snowed all day. We had to haul in corn in the snow. Quite cold too. We wanted to go to town but weather was too terrible, regular blizzard. Friday started with a beautiful looking morning but clouded about noon. Dad, Ruby & Len were very, very busy husking and hauling corn. I wanted to try out the car but Dad didn’t come in till late. Then he couldn’t it get it cranked. We wanted to go over to the P.T.A. at Independence School that evening, but everything went wrong. At last it was decided that Len, Ruby & I would go, so Ma & I had to help milk so as to get there before midnight. There was quite a crowd there. Ethel said Uncle Edd isn’t well and that Aunts Mag & Till are up there. Uncle Edd went out to Apple River Tuesday to get them.

Thursday Mother churned. I finished the job on the car. But had to try it to see if the bands were adjusted right. Wednesday I worked on the car most of the day. I put in the bands, put cover on and put in the bolts ready to tighten. I also tightened up the clutch fingers. It was quite a rainy day. Tuesday was another nice warm day. I worked at lining the brake bands of car. Monday was a very nice warm day. We washed and also started to take the car apart to put in brake bands.

Sunday, the first day of November, we all went down to Tresidder’s. When we got there Wilbur, Sadie & Evelyn Bastian were standing in the lawn. They said there wasn’t anybody home but the key was in the kitchen door. We stood around awhile. Then we saw somebody coming walking down the road. It was Aunt Annie going to John’s too. We all had a good laugh. We asked them all to come up here so we all walked back up. Bastians walked home across the fields. After supper Dad, Ma, Aunt Annie and I went down to John’s again. Before we came home Ma & I took Aunt Annie part way home.