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.

Oops! The Computer Was on Vacation

Tuesday, June 30, 1925: We ironed and baked bread. Ma & Ruby picked raspberries and a few gooseberries*. We nosed* them and put up 2 quarts and two of raspberries. Uncle Edd & the Aunts came down this eve. Monday we washed. I picked a few gooseberries in the evening.

Sunday, Uncle George came into Aunt Annie’s in the forenoon and they had gone to church, so Uncle George and Aunt Lizzie rode along in to church with us. We staid at Aunt Annie’s for dinner and supper also. Len & Ruby took Mr. & Mrs. Stauss out to Schapville to church. Then they went down to Elizabeth to Gerraler’s. Saturday in the afternoon Dad, Ma, & I went to town. Took a bouquet of Dorothy Perkins roses to Annie Zimmerman. We staid the evening. Ate some bakery goods over in the park for supper and got a parking place early. A lovly evening but very cool and a big crowd in town.

Friday we ironed and baked and made a cake and etz. Thursday we washed. In the afternoon the Aunts came down Dad, Ma & I took them up that evening. Wednesday it rained very hard all forenoon. We put up the pieplant*. Ma & Ruby picked some raspberries, Dad picked some gooseberries and I picked the strawberries. Tuesday we put up twelve quarts of cherries. We worked very hard all day. Had to be so terrible careful as so many of the cherries were wormy. Ruby had to help with the hay too. That forenoon Uncle Edd went out and got the Aunts. They stopped down the road and brought us some pieplant. We all went up there that evening.

In Vol. II of Lillian's Diaries: Whispers of Galena's Pastthere will be a glossary of terms in the back which will explain words or terms that some of us may never have heard of, such as these below. If you know the meaning of words which appear in this blog with an * please let me know.
*Gooseberries “The gooseberry is a straggling bush growing to 1-3 meters (3-10 feet) tall, the branches being thickly set with sharp spines, standing out singly or in diverging tufts of two or three from the bases of the short spurs or lateral leaf shoots. The bell-shaped flowers are produced, singly or in pairs, from the groups of rounded, deeply-crenated 3 or 5 lobed leaves. The fruit of wild gooseberries is smaller than in the cultivated varieties, but is often of good flavour; it is generally hairy, but in one variety smooth, constituting the R. uva-crispa of writers; berries' colour is usually green, but there are red variants and occasionally deep purple berries occur. source www.Wikipedia.com
*Nosed – anyone have a definition?
*Pieplant “Ah, the pieplant -- rhubarb! Most old farms and homesteads have one or more of those plants growing somewhere on the property, usually near a barn. At least that's where I've often spotted them.” Source: www.suite101.com

All in The Family

Tuesday, May 12, 1925: Ironed and baked and made a cake to take to the picnic tomorrow. Monday, was a nice day. We washed. Sunday, We all went to church in the morning. It was Mother’s Day. Dad, Ma & I joined the Methodist Church*. Dad & Mother by letter. I by faith. Twelve joined. Mr. & Mrs. Franzerriger & son, Mr. & Mrs. Winsicker. two of the  White girls, a Mr. Bodel and another lady. A few minutes after the joining Mother and I got coughing spells and had to go out. Nearly choked at that. We both have colds. I felt so funny about both having to go out. Ashamed to ever go in the church again. Started to rain just as church left out. It was slippery driving, had to put chains on. Cleared off again by the time we got home. This eve. we all went up to Aunt Annie’s Ma went up to Fiedler’s to see the boy this afternoon.

Saturday we were busy with Saturday work. I had a bad cold and it was cloudy that night so we didn’t go to town. Ida & Loretta Fiedler came down and to invited us to the Schapville picnic and told us they have a little brother. Friday, Dad, Ma & I went to town in the afternoon. Roads were good. We got a card from Aunt Rachael saying Anna & her husband went home Wednesday.Went the North road. Guess they didn’t want to see us or we to see them.

Thursday I went to the Miner School picnic. I went with Miss Taylor, the teacher, Agnes and Mrs. Butcher. A big crowd there. Had a nice time. Had ice cream. Milton brought it out so I had a ride home. I called in at Weis’ on the way home. Saw Colette for the first time. She is over six months old. She wasn’t a bit strange. Made up with me and cut up more than I ever saw a child that age do before. Mother and Ruby cleaned the summer kitchen, an awful job.

Wednesday Mother and Dad went down to Uncle Ben’s with Uncle Edd & Aunt Annie. Cold day.
Tuesday, We ironed and cleaned my room. Monday we washed. Aunt Annie came down. John Tippets saw Anna Bates* & husband in Galena last week on their way to Waterloo. Just stopped long enough to get gas. They came by way of Hanover. They were certainly foolish. Uncle Edd came down this eve.

* The photos in this blog are courtesy of Janet Temperly who found and sent Lillian's 1920-1924 diaries and some Trudgian photo to me. The first is a picture of Anna Trudgian and Ruby and Lillian Trudgian taken during their trip to Waterloo, Iowa whcih was described in Vol. I of Lillian's Diaires. The second is a photo of my great-grandparents Thomas and Rachael (Kloth) Trudgian who were Anna Trudgian Bates'  parents. This is the "youngest" picture I have of them together.
* The Methodist Church is the one on Bench Street  pictured in last week's post.
 
* Anna Trudgian Bates was my great aunt and has always been surrounded by mystery. You will read lots about  her relationship with her husband in the third volume of  Lillian's Diaires: Whispers of Galena's Past. Why she seems to be avoiding Lillian and her family in 1925 is an unsolved mystery and this coldness between cousins seems to carry through the remaining 11 years of diaries.

Miracles Do Happen

For years I have searched for the missing diaries which should have sat between the 1913-1919 ones that have been published in Lillian's Diaires: Whispers of Galena's Past* and the 1925-1931 diaries which I am currently working on to be published this year. Despite all the searching these diaries - which tell of Ruby's wedding and the sale at the Trudgian farm, etc. etc - remained hidden until a week ago when an email arrived from Janet Temperly (whose mother - Sadie Dittmar Temperly - was a cousin of Lillian's)who found the diaries when searching through a box of old photographs for pictures of Lillian) She sent them to me - God bless her! and now there will be 2 more books of diaries to be published -1920-1926 and 1927-1931! Watch for some of Janet's photographs in the next couple of blog postings!

Saturday, April 25, 1925: We were busy all day with Saturday work and getting Ruby’s room straighten. All but Mother went to town this eve. It was nearly nine when we started. The roads were rough. Friday we had a dandy rain during the night and quite a few showers during the day. We baked and finished papering Ruby’s room. Also finished ironing. Made applesauce.

Thursday we washed and also did most of the ironing. It was another very warm day. It came to a storm that evening. Had a nice rain. On Wednesday we finished planting early potatoes and made some garden and papered some today. Had our first asparagus today. About five oclock Aunt Till came down. She then went to town that evening with Ruby & Len to the Presbytery at Stauss’ church. We took her up before they were ready so she could get ready. Very hot weather.

Tuesday we planted some more potatoes. Also papered the ceiling of Ruby’s room. The oldest calf (that is this year’s calf) died in the morning. I guess it bled to death. It was all right last night. It was such a pet. Thought of keeping it for a steer. The Scales Mound Methodist minister called here in the P.M. Monday was cloudy and cold. Len plowed part of the garden patch. We planted six rows and a part of a row of potatoes and got Ruby’s room already to paper. Rained a little that eve.

* Lillian's Diaries: Whispers of Galena's Past is available at Book World in Galena IL and on amazon.com

Tri-State Tornado

Saturday, March 21, 1925: A nice day. Busy with Saturday work. Lots of teams going by today. Saw in yesterday’s paper that there was a terrible tornado* in Southern Illinois also Indiana, Kentucky & Tennessee. It wiped out whole towns. About a thousand dead and thousands injured. Friday was another nice day. We finished quilting that afternoon. Aunt Annie went home about four oclock. It was the first day of Spring.

Thursday, Aunt Annie came down in the forenoon. She had quite a little news to tell as she had a letter from Aunt Tillie Monday, Uncle Joe is having such bad luck and wants to sell the farm. Uncle Edd heard Evans wants to have a rehearing but don’t know any particulars. Aunt Annie staid all night. It was a nice day. Wednesday we were busy quilting. We had expected Aunt Annie down if weather was nice but weather wasn’t fit.

Tuesday, we ironed and put Ruby’s quilt (The one Grandma made for Uncle Herman) in the frame. We also quilted a little. Monday was muddy. Len went to Scales Mound. We washed, made applesauce, cooked prunes and etz. Sunday was sunshining and cold. We all went up to Fiedler’s in the afternoon.

*"The Tri-State Tornado of Wednesday, March 18, 1925, was the deadliest tornado in U.S. history. With 695 confirmed fatalities, the tornado killed more than twice as many as the second deadliest, the 1840 Great Natchez Tornado. The continuous 219 mile  track left by the tornado was the longest ever recorded in the world: the tornado crossed from southeastern Missouri, through Southern Illinois, then into southwestern Indiana. While not officially rated by NOAA, it is recognized by many as an F5 tornado, the maximal damage rating issued on the Fujita scale." source Wikipedia

Even Death Waits On Galena's Weather

"Saturday, February 14, 1925: Mother and Ruby went over to the cemetery to Mrs. Bastian funeral today. A few people from around here and the immediate family came out.

On Friday we baked and ironed. It was a very nice clear day. In the evening Agnes, Milton and Blanche came up to tell us that Mrs. Bastian was to be buried tomorrow afternoon. The funeral would to start from town at one oclock.

Thursday we washed. Len has a bad cold. Wednesday was quite cold. We sewed some.

Tuesday was colder than yesterday. Len went up and got Aunt Annie in the afternoon. And took her back that eve. Uncle Edd was at the supervisors’ meeting. Monday it cleared up. Mother and Ruby were all ready to go over to the cemetery to Mrs. Bastian’s* funeral when John Tresidder drove up. He said they wasn’t going to bring her out here yet as the roads were too bad. They were going to put the body in the chapel at Greenwood* till roads got better. Johns had started out for the cemetery and Milton called them back. He had word by telephone that they wasn’t coming out. We sewed that afternoon."

* Elizabeth Bastian ( according to the tombstone b.10-22-1836 d. 2 -6-1925) wife of Henry Bastian. Was held in chapel of Greenwood Cemetery [photo on left above] in West Galena Township due to road conditions and then brought out to Miner (Chapel) Cemetery [photo on right above] 8 days later.

Something Extra

I am doing Thomas MacEntee's "52 Weeks To Better Genealogy - Challenge" on Facebook. Since I am co-leading a group of new genealogists I thought I would do the challenge and pass it on to the new seekers of family history as it is geared towards the new genealogist, but as Thomas says it is always possible to pick up new ideas no matter how long you have been searching for your family roots. The first two challenges were to go to your local library and the local history, archives and/or special collections section and if you have a genealogy blog, write about what you find in your library’s local history and special collections. I must say, I was a little disappointed. I had donated Lillian's Diaries: Whispers of Galena's Past to the room, and was happy to find it there, but was unable to really figure out how the room is organized and how one interacts with it. The room was open and lit, but no one was anywhere to be found [in other libraries there have been volunteers or in some cases a librarian in the room to help]. The room is very, very tiny and works as a display area for things, like a giant wooden checst on the floor, military hats and uniforms here and there and locked display cases of books and whatnots. There is no card catalog, no directions as to usuage of books, magazines, etc. There was a small area of books on "doing" genealogy and most of the rest was on local and state history. I wonder where Lillian's Diaries will be placed once it it is moved from the Newly Added shelf.

Another Year Begins

Tuesday,January 6, 1925 was a nice day. We ironed. Yesterday, Len, Dad & I went to town by car. We also washed. Raymond Strauss* called here in the afternoon. We got a sheep.

Sunday, Len & Ruby went out to Schapville to church in the forenoon. They didn’t come home to dinner but went to Raymond’s. That afternoon we walked to Aunt Annie’s. We had also planned on going over to Johnny’s in the evening, but Henry & Minnie Weis came there,so we didn’t go. We were thinking that maybe Len & Ruby wouldn't go up to Aunt Annie's - but they did. So we went over and heard their radio for awhile before we came home. I hadn’t heard much radio before. We heard programming from San Antonio Texas & Omaha etz.

Saturday would have been a very nice day to go to town but we didn’t have very much to do there so we didn’t go. We all went up to Aunt Annie’s in the evening as I was anxious to know how she was. She looked like she was feeling bad yet.

Friday we just baked and swept upstairs after spending Thursday - New Year's Day quietly at home. Mother came home from Aunt Annie’s that afternoon. She had staid up there all night as Aunt Annie was sick, She felt better New Year's Day but was still weak. It had been cloudy all day and snowed a little in the afternoon.

* Raymond Stauss is Len's brother, who lives in Scales Mound, IL. This is the first diary of volume II of Lillian's Diaries: Whispers of Galena's Past. There is a gap in the diaries between 1919 when the first volume ends and 1925 when the second volume will start. In these gap years, Ruby - Lillian's sister - married Leonard Stauss and they are now living in the Trudgian homestead.

All Tricks and No Treats For Lillian

Sun.October 31, 1929*: "We all went to church this forenoon. Then we staid at Aunt Annie’s to dinner. It was nice this forenoon but cloudy this afternoon. It was colder on Saturday. I had thought something of going to town that night but as usual twas too late, cold & etz. & etz. Wish I could go to something without trying to drag all the family along.*

On Friday,Tom Glanman came to finish the painting in Einer’s place in the morning. He painted the lip under the roof and then painted the windows on the east and south side of the house. He also painted the front door. His & Einer’s bill was 15 dollars. There was a box social* at Independence School on Friday night. I had wanted to go so awfully bad, but I hardly felt able to stand up and Ruby didn’t care to go. Then its always so terribly late by the time the chores are done. So had to eat my heart out at home again.

Thursday Mother blackened the parlor stove and set it up. Len went to town twice in the forenoon with oats to grind."

* This is one of the first times that Lillian does not mention that it is Halloween .
* Lillian would have been 29 in 1926. You will note that she never goes anywhere without another family member or relative. It was indeed the accepted social mores that a young woman should not be out and about unaccompanied, but how confining! It had to limit her social life and in both of the entries for Saturday and Friday above she really seems to be feeling those constraints. It is times like this that my heart goes out to Lillian.
* The box socials at the different schools were a part of Lillian's social events, as well as the whole community's. Everyone went from the youngest to the oldest in the family. Sometimes the school children put on programs before the baskets/boxes were auctioned off. In the first edition of Lillian’s Diaries: Whispers From Galena’s Past they happened quite frequently. Sometimes they were a happy occasion and you can feel her joy, other times they will break your heart. As she grew older in the soon-to-be second edition, the accounts of these events get shorter and shorter.

Sat, Sept 25, 1926: Thursday was a cloudy, rainy day, a very bad day for the Elizabeth Fair. We intended to go if it had been nice weather. We washed in afternoon and made some yellow tomatoe preserve. There were storms and heavy rain that evening. On Friday, we were busy baking and etz, & etz. We made two kinds of jelly. I wondered if the Fair would be put off, as the weather was cold and wasn’t much better than Thursday.

Today is a very cold day but sunshiny. We wanted to go to town today, but Dad has about 3 weeks’ whiskers on and wouldn’t shave so we didn’t go. We spent about all afternoon and evening gathering in tomatoes, peppers, sting & lima beans, cucumbers and etz. Ruby & I went over to the garden at Weis’ place and picked lima beans at eleven tonight with lantern & flashlight - everything was all ready frozen."

Having been a social worker for years before retiring, family dynamics always fascinate me. Here we have Charles and Amelia Dittmar Trudgian[see today's photograph], Lillian's parents living in the house that Charles grew up in with their two adult daughters - Ora Ruby Trudgian Stauss and her husband, Leonard Stauss and of course Lillian. They are living on 88 acres of land - what remains of the original purchase made by Joseph and Mary Pellymounter Trudgian [Charles' parents]. The rest had been sold off in years past [The land the neighbors -Fiedlers - live on once belonged to Charles' parents and then my great-great grandparents - Thomas and Rachel Kloth Trudgian]. In the first volume of Lillian's Diaries: Whispers of Galena's Past there seems to be a division of labor, with everyone helping out when a particularly large task had to be done like husking corn in November.

Now it appears Ruby and Lillian are working, working, working and occasionally their mother helps out. In the meanwhile Charles is out gathering nuts and Leonard is out helping the neighbors and his parents but not at the Trudgian homestead.

In the 1913-1919 period of the first book we see what might be questionable behavior of Charles......everyone is busy working and he takes off and to chance a ride* to another town and stays overnight, sometimes without telling his family who he is staying with or how long he will be gone..... or being so sick that all the womenfolk are worried about him and he is again leaves to chance a ride in the cold and rain to go somewhere.

In today's entry he hasn't shaved for three weeks and is refusing to do so. It seems that the whole family will stay home because he won't shave. Was it necessary to shave before going out in public? Was he growing a beard? I am sure that period of time had many more guidelines as to what was proper to wear or do while out in the community than we experience today......do you agree?

* to chance a ride is to hitch hike