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, July 31, 2011

Haying In The Summer Sun

Friday, July 18, 1919: Put a load of hay in the shed. It’s full now. We also put a load on the stack making fourty seven loads. Saturday we put up three loads hay. One on the stack and two for a new stack making fifty loads. We all went to Galena in the eve. An airplane was to make a flight over the Fairground this afternoon. But as there was only five tickets sold he wouldn't fly. We shook hands with Jack Combellick this eve. He has been home since July 2.

Sunday, Da, Ma, & I went to church in the morning. In the afternoon we took a ride up as far as Mt. Morley school house where Ma use to go to school and back through Guilford around by Heer’s and stopped at Aunt Annie’s for supper. Monday, we had a shower rain in the forenoon. Dad & Ruby put up two loads hay. Tuesday, John Tresidder came up in the  afternoon to help hay. Finished now except the alfalfa. Have fifty-eight loads. Wednesday, we washed, baked bread. Dad took five lambs and an old sheep over to the Station in the forenoon. Got sixty-five dollars and fourty-five cents for them. Fourteen cents a pound for the lambs and seven for the sheep. Ruby & I picked a few blackberries afraid we won’t get many.

Thursday, we (all but Ma) went to Scales Mound in the forenoon. We bought a new firestone 30x3 tire from Birds. 6000 mile guarantee. Had the car looked over. Called on Aunt Lizzie. In the afternoon we ironed and I put new oil in crankcase of car and also greased it. Dad raked alfalfa. Friday we put up three loads of alfalfa hay, finished haying. Sixty-one loads. Aunt Annie came down. Uncle Edd went down near Hanover. We went up there last night to ask them if they wanted to go with us to Waterloo by car. Uncle Edd has backed out now.

Saturday, well, we didn’t go to Waterloo. But has been quite a nice day, but hot. We all went to Galena tonight. Saw somebody going around alone. Sunday we all started out for Apple River at nine in the morning. Uncle Edd was going with us but he got a ride with Haydens. Got to Apple River by ten. Waited for Mayme to get ready and then we went to Lena. Made that in a hour fifteen minutes. Ate dinner. Attended Sunday School and services. Mr. Liston preached. There were some folks down there we knew. We started for home at twenty to five. Went quite fast as it looked like a bad storm. They wanted us to stay for supper at A.R. but we came home. Was awful dusty. It looked much brighter when we got nearly home and then it cleared off without a drop of rain. Uncle Edd stayed to supper. Johns were up this eve. Tomorrow is Grandpa’s seventy-fifth birthday. Had a beautiful birthday cake. Uncle Georges and Louise Sutton and children were to be there to supper too.

Monday was a nice day. Ma churned Ruby & I picked a gallon and a half of blackberries. Josie Weis called up said she would go with us on the excursion Friday if we were going. Wish Helen could go to.
Tuesday we washed. Dad, Ruby & I went to Galena late in the afternoon. Bought three excursion tickets for sixty-cents each. Brought home our oil stove oven. We all went down to Tresidder’s after a can of soft water. Heard in Galena today that Leroy Tresidders had a child but it died.

Wednesday we ironed. Also picked some blackberries and put up two and one half quarts and made jelly. I washed my white skirt. Its threatening rain. I hoped we will get a good shower. Thursday, July 31, 1919: Weather partly cloudy today. But hope tomorrow will be nice. We baked bread, cake and cream puffs* today.

Trudgian Home in The Summer Sun
* Lillian's recipe for cream puffs will appear in Lillian's Diaries: Final Whispers From Galena's Past Vol. III will be out at Book World in Galena, Mineral Point Connections in Mineral Point, WI and at http://www.amazon.com/ in late August/early September, 2011. Vol. III has added more maps an expanded glossary, updated surname index and DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR BOOK GROUPS. Let me know what you think of adding the book group questions if you have the opportunity to use them.

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Sunday, July 17, 2011

The Supposedly Lazy, Hazy Summer is Not So Lazy

Friday, July 11, 1919: We hauled five loads of hay. Making twenty-six loads of hay in now. Saturday, we hauled in five loads of hay again. we are nearly killing ourselves. Got it all in we had cut and all of that field. We baked bread. We all went to town again tonight. Nearly all the farmers around were in Galena. We saw somebody riding around in the Old Ford roadster and the girl with the yellow waist.

Sunday Ma & I went to church this afternoon. Looked a little rainy. The minister, Sadie Bastian and Evelyn & Elmer Young were there, small crowd. When we got home Aunt Annie was here and Uncle Edd came down for supper. We took them home this eve. Monday it rained several showers. We washed and ironed a good part of them and also cut some lawn. Put a new radiator hose on the car. And filled up the new tire cuts.

Tuesday we finished ironing. Baked a cake and bread. We hauled three loads hay in the afternoon.
Tuesday was Ruby’s twenty-sixth birthday. Spent the day haying. A very beautiful day. Such a beautiful, blue sky. We hauled four loads hay in this afternoon making thirty-eight loads now. The shed is nearly full.

Thursday, July 17, 1919: Mother sent Mrs. Young a birthday card. They had a postal shower* for her. Well, this afternoon Uncle Edd came down to help us hay. Aunt Annie came down also. We put up seven loads in a stack. Making fourty-five loads. We took Uncle Edd & Aunt Annie home this eve. About a dozen young folks had a picnic supper down in our bottom. Don’t know who they were.

* Postal shower: When someone organizes all the friends and family of a particular person and each of these send a card or short letter through the mail on that person's birthday

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Sunday, July 10, 2011

What Does Lillian Want To Know?

Friday, July 4, 1919: Dad, Ruby & I went to Galena this morning went in to see if our waists were in the Post Office. But no, no waists*. I was awful sore. Well, when we got ready to go to Scales Mound the weather didn’t look very favorable but we went. A very big crowd there. Uncle Bens from Woodbine and Uncle Dan, Uncle Henrys, Uncle Joes, Uncle Georges, Irish Virtues and lots more were there. It rained several showers but not enough to settle the dust. Made a person rather nervous. About half after four we started for home as the weather didn’t look good. It rained a little on the way home. After we were home awhile it rain very hard and rain so hard about all night.


Saturday we didn’t go anywhere. Didn’t know if we should go tonight or not. Wanted to go awful bad. Would like to know something awful bad.** Sunday Dad, Ma, & I went to church in the morning. Lottie was there. I found out some things I wanted to know about B. Lottie came over this afternoon. Had supper. We thought we would go to Galena to the Methodist church this eve. But when we got in there church looked to be shut up so we call on Tippets awhile.

Monday we hauled two loads of hay in the afternoon. Tuesday we hauled a load of hay this morning but it came to rain so couldn’t haul anymore. We washed. Wednesday my waist came. My first Georgette waist, white with blue embroidery and collar.*** We got a letter from Uncle Thomas. It stormed nearly all afternoon. A very heavy rain and hard storm. We baked bread and cookies on the oil stove. Mrs. Seck was buried today. Thursday, July 10, 1919: We didn’t haul any hay. It was too wet. I cut a little lawn. Ruby & I cleaned out the carbon from the combustion chamber of the car in the forenoon. We all rode down to Tresidder’s.

* Waists are much like what we would call blouses. They overlapped the skirt.
** This might be about the mysterious person that Lillian was writing to earlier in World War II or it may be about Ben Young, who was courting Lillian's sister, Ruby.
*** We actually have this waist. It was found in the Trudgian home among other left behind clothing.

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Sunday, July 3, 2011

Priming For The 4th

Friday, June 27, 1919: Finished ironing. Ma & Ruby worked in garden. Tillie picked more gooseberries.

Saturday we baked a cake on the new oil stove. We have Aunt Annie's oven. Aunt Tillie made the cake. She went up to Aunt Annie’s this afternoon. We all went to town again this eve. Well, the Germans signed today. Peace. An awful crowd in Galena. Sort of celebrating I guess. The saloons all over the U.S. are suppose to close Monday night at twelve. My won’t that be grand. Hope its so. I guess Ruby feels a little better since going to town. Passed some folks on the road this eve. I bought a white wash skirt looks like satin. Paid eight dollars for it. Too much but very pretty.

Sunday was a  lovly day. All but Ruby went to church this afternoon. Only Uncle Edds & Aunt Tillie there besides us and the minister. We went for a little ride this evening, so Ruby wouldn’t feel so lonesome. Will Tresidders came down to John’s today. Monday was another nice day. Ruby & I each sent for a white silk Georgette waist today. Five ninety-five each. We washed and ironed today. I cut some lawn. Dad cut hay.

July 1 We hauled two loads of hay late this afternoon. Ruby picked some gooseberries. I cut some lawn. On Wednesday we all went  to Galena this forenoon, Hauled hay today four loads. We all took a ride up to Aunt Annie’s this eve. Thursday, July 3, 1919 we all went to Galena this forenoon. Ma bought a white skirt, also shoes and a pair for me. Also paid my dentist bill - twenty one dollars. Well, tomorrow is the Fourth. Big celebration at Scales Mound but Ruby & I didn’t get our waists today.

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