Leaves on the Trudgian Tree

Exploring the lives of one Trudgian family in Galena, Illinois through the eyes of their daughter, Lillian, during the years of 1913 through 1931. Lillian's authentic diary entries explore the family, neighbors, what is happening in Galena, as well as, national events and of course the weather and the crops!

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Location: Portage, Michigan, United States

Since all three volumes of "Lillian's Diaries: Whispers From Galena's Past" have been transcribed and published, I am currenting working on another book about the Trudgian (Tregian/Trugeon) family. This time it will be a novel based on historical events which involve my ancestors in Cornwall in the 1400-1600's. I have just started organizing my research so it will be a year or two before you will see it in the bookstore! I have just finished leading a Genealogy Class for beginners at my church. At the end of the six session class everyone had discovered some new information about their ancestors but there was, of course, many more questions to be answered. So I started the "Whispers From Our Ancestors" blog to provide a space for us to share our genealogical joys and roadblocks. Http://seekingourpast.blogspot.com is open to everyone doing genealogy - beginners to experts and all those inbetween.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Happy Birthday Dear Lillian, Happy Birthday To You

Saturday, August 29, 1925: My twenty-eighth Birthday. It was a very hot day. Len & Ruby went to town this afternoon and brought home a brick of ice cream for my birthday. Dad, Ma & I went to town this evening. Friday we ironed and baked and etz. and etz. Aunt Till came down awhile this afternoon.

Thursday we washed a big wash, baked bread & drop cookies and cut up big cucumbers that evening. Dad went over to help clean the cemetery this forenoon. Wednesday, I put up ten quarts of peaches. Also made 2 ½ quarts of sweet cucumber pickles. Uncle Edd and the Aunts came down this eve. Brought me some birthday presents* a dresser scarf from Aunt Mag & Till and fifty cents from Aunt Annie.

Tuesday Len thrashed at Glassman’s today. Dad, Ma & I went to town this forenoon. Ruby chanced it up to Aunt Annie’s and came home with us this afternoon. Lavina Grebner and daughter and Harold & ______ Dittmar were there at Aunt Annie’s fixing a tire. They were on their way to Galena. This evening they and John H. and Bessie and two children stopped out in the road. Bessie is here from Dakota. As the aunts weren't at home they stopped to see if they were here. We put up ten quarts of plums that we got at Fiedler’s after we got home from town. Monday was a warm day. Len helped thrash at Bert Weis’. Bill Fiedler brought us a peck of blue plums today for seventy-five cents. We canned tomatoes, corn and beans, made apple sauce and picked cucumbers and etz.

* This is the most Lillian's birthday was celebrated in any of the diaries [1913-1931]. Ice cream and presents! Do you know how one of your family members celebrated birthdays in the mid-1920's. Want to share that experience? Today Lillian would be 113 years old!

The photo above is thought to be from 1910, but I think it is a later date photo. What do you think? Starting on the left hand side front row we have Lillian, Aunt Tillie Dittmar, Pearl Bunder ( I think Bunker is the correct spelling and fits into Lillian's comments on Pearl and Mr. Bunker). Then in the back row  2 Tippet men ( I think Johnnie Tippet and Uncle Edd)  and then behind Lillian is Ruby.

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Sunday, August 22, 2010

Who, How, Where?

Saturday, August 22, 1925: Fiedlers thrashed this forenoon. The thrashed here this afternoon. We served a early supper, only five stayed. Dad, Ruby & I went to town this forenoon. Aunt Mag came along down with us to help us. Len got three hundred seventy-seven bushels of oats.On Friday we had baked bread, coffee cake, cookies, drop cookies and two cakes. It was a beautiful day, in fact a perfect day. Butchers thrashed on Friday.

Thursday was the Schapville picnic and a circus at Galena. Nobody knew where to go, who to go, how to go, where to go. Len thought he might be called on to thrash. So Dad, Ma, Ruby, Aunt Till & I went to town to see the parade but did not go to the circus. Didn’t know what it would cost. Raymond, Elma and another girl went down this evening. They were going to the circus I suppose. I would like to have gone to it this eve.

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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Hacks or Autos ~ Which are Safer?

It has been a while since I have posted on this blog. My Mother, who lives in Arkansas , was ill and I drove down to spent 10 days with her. To catch you up with what Lillian has been doing while I was gone, I have posted the last nineteen days exactly as written in her diary. Hopefully I will be more faithful in posting each week from now on.

Sat. August,1: Lovly day and eve. Dad & Len went to town this forenoon. Mother was too tired to go to town this eve. So we didn't go.

Sun. 2: Uncle Edd & Aunt Annie took Martha & Win out to the Westabys today. Then they were going to Uncle Joes. Aunt Mag & Till came down this far. Then we took two cars and went to church took our dinner and ate in the park. Then the Aunts wanted to see Grant's home so we went up there. Then we went to Greenwood Cemetery then stopped at Bartells to get the pin cushion that she wanted to give me it was given to her (about 54 yrs ago she thinks) by Grandma Trudgian it is a beaded one made by Indians.She gave Ruby a small table cover. Embroidered with chain stitch and crochet edge. We took the Aunts up this eve.

Mon. 3: Dad, Ruby & I picked blackberries this forenoon and Dad picked this afternoon. We picked most over and put up 3 qts.

Tue. 4: Washed blankets, a comforter and some sheets & pillow cases, made jelly, picked cucumbers and beans and etz.

Wed. 5: This forenoon Ma, Ruby & I went to town in our car. The men stacked. Aunt Till came along down and picked some berries this afternoon. I went up later on and picked too. Had a later supper. The men stacked late. Uncle Edd & Aunts came down this eve.

Thu. 6: Washed today made four pies put up half gal cucumbers and etz. and etz. Leonard's birthday. He and Dad worked hard stacking and finished this eve.

Fri. 7: Rainy this today. I cleaned out the engine of our car. Len put a new tail light on his car. Ironed & Baked today.

Sat. 8:  Len took cream to town this forenoon. This eve Dad, Ma & I went to town. Got rather late before we started. found Aunts Annie & Till ready if we should call and could take them along. A very large crowd in town. A dance at fair grounds.

Sun. 9: Did not go any where today. roads lively with cars. The Aunts and Uncle Edd came down this eve.

Mon. 10: Mother and I went up to Fiedlers this eve to order some small blue plums. Mrs.Herman Studier got hurt badly yesterday when she fell from a hack to the ground when the horses scared of a tractor car and hurt her head and shoulder. Couldn�t tell yet if any bones were broken or not.

Tue. 11: Washed today. This afternoon Dad & I and Len went to S.M. with two cars to get a ladder and 17 rolls of roofing. we sent to Montgomery for. Took six rolls up to Stauss� till a later date. Rained on way back. We all went up to the Aunts this eve.

Wed. 12 Ruby & Len went to town this afternoon. Got a box of peaches for 1.70. We ironed, made some sweet pickles & etz.

Thu. 13: The three Aunts came down today. We put up the peaches then qts.

Fri. 14: Busy as usual on Fri. Baking and etz.

Sat. 15: Len and Ruby went to town this afternoon. Dad, Ma, Aunts Mag and Till & I went out to Apple River. We all went to the store this eve. All of Uncle George's but Uncle George and Edward drove up to Pearls and came back

Thu. All had quite a talk about Bunker. Say there is nothing to get now and etz.

Sun. 16: We all went down to camp meeting this forenoon. Uncle Georges went too. Uncle Bens, Uncle Joes. Most all of Uncle Henrys and Uncle Dan was there. We ate dinner together. Quite a crowd there and the most awfullest uncomfortable seat in the tabernacle. Couldn�t set on them. Uncle Georges came down to the Aunts this eve.

Mon. 17: Finished cutting the lawn and dug some potatoes took up the onions and put up 3 qts beans and Uncle Henry and Helmer came up with their car to have fixed as they tipped over on their way home from Lena. None got hurt but the car fell on Alma's leg, bruised it some. They went home by way of Stockton &Woodbine and went up a steep hill and the car stopped near the top and brakes didn�t work and Leon backed it against the bank and it tipped on its side, broke top some. We got home late this afternoon.Tige is dead and buried. Sat eve when Ruby & Len came home from Scale Mound Tige and Purp had a fight. Guess Tige got badly hurt by lay around awhile then disappeared. Found him next morning down in the pond of water below the culvert drowned suppose he tried to get in water to sooth his injuries and perhaps got in too deep a water and perhaps being exhausted could not swim out. Don�t know how else it could have been. Ruby and Leonard buried him yet Sun. forenoon. He was about Seven years and six months old. The last of our pets or animals that we had yet when we farmed. He is buried on the knoll up near the wood, beside the graves of our other dogs and cats sheep and etz.

Tue. 18: We took Aunts Mag & Till up to Aunt Annie's last night. Washed and baked bread, pickled cucumbers.

Wed. 19: Len went thrashing up at John Tippets. Today is Mission festival at Schapville church. We planned on taking the Aunts but weather was unsettled so did not get ready to go. This after Aunt Till came down said they were ready all day. Weather cleared this eve so Len, Ruby, Aunt Till, Ma & I went. Had 3 sermons.

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