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.