A Trip To The Dentist: never a happy experience

Sat 16:Today we baked bread, coffee cake* and a cake. And, we also cleaned up. Ruby helped hay all day. They also picked corn after dark. It was a lovly moonlight evening although cool. I rather wanted to go to town tonight but Dad didn’t come until it was so late.

We all went to Dubuque yesterday. We went over on the new cement road. It took 45 minutes from Galena going over & 40 minutes coming home. I had six teeth filled. At least that is what was supposed to be done. One of my teeth had nearly as much of a hole as before. I believed I was badly hoodwinked. The dentist wanted me to have 50 or 100 dollars more work done. I paid twelve dollars on the bill. That is all I had but a few pennies.

Thursday was another nice day but cooler. Len and Ruby went to look for a stock hog. Then they went to Elizabeth, then to Wulff’s where they bought their hog but couldn’t have it until Wulffs are done with it. Mother, Ruby & I each dug some potatoes that day and we also ironed. Wednesday, Einer was here all day painting. He and Len put some roofing on the barn. Ma and Ruby washed while I had to do the housekeeping. Einer wasn’t coming till its dry enough for a second coat. It was a lovely day.

* One of the coffee cake recipes that Lillian used can be found on page 49 of Lillian's Diaries: Whispers From Galena's Past. This particular recipe was handwritten by a Miss Sophia Sachs who was born October 22, 1892. Leonard Stauss' mother was a Sachs before she married his father. I will have to do more research as to how Sophia fits into the lineage.

Ever wonder how I obtained Lillian's diaries? You'll be able to find out when the ISGS's Winter Quarterly comes out. I was most honored to be asked to write an article on the subject by the Illinois State Genealogy Society and thrilled that my article was accepted. The ISGS will also be doing a review of the first volume of Lillian's Diariesin the same issue.

A Break in The Weather & Maybe The Fence

"Sat 9, 2009: All but Len went to town this afternoon .There were a great many cars going along this evening, in fact the road was busy all day.. Today was a nice warm day. Yesterday was another beautiful day. It was quite warm, but we didn’t get many potatoes dug today. Dad spent most of people’s time running after the cow & calves* etz. Len, Ruby & Dad hauled some hay this afternoon. We baked a cake, churned, and finished ironing.

Thursday was a most beautiful day. It was the first one we had had for a long, long while. I* would liked to have gone on a long ride somewhere but felt we could not afford the time. All but Dad dug potatoes a while Thursday forenoon. Our potatoes are very poor potatoes. It is very discouraging. In the afternoon Len went to town to try to have his car fixed. It wouldn’t run on the magnets. He took it up to Paul Stauss’* and he fixed it in a few minutes. Almira, Wesley & Eleanor Dittmar [cousins] came in the afternoon for some of our apples. After they had gone Uncle Joe Dittmar and his family called on their way home from Galena. Dad, Ma & I went up to Aunt Annie’s Thursday evening."

* Lillian loved cars. She spent hours of her life after that first car in 1917, fixing and grooming the family cars, as well as driving here and there. And, she was quite good at it! Rather unusual for a woman in those days.

* We can assume that, once again, the cows have gotten through the fence and run off. It wouldn’t be the first time. If the Trudgian cows weren’t in someone else’s pasture, then someone else’s cows were in the Trudgian’s pasture. Everyone knew whose animals were whose. Don’t ask me! I’ve never been a farm girl!

* Paul Stauss appears to be a man of all trades. In the first volume of Lillian’s Diaires he is always bringing parts in the Trudgian farm and helping to fix the radio, now he is fixing Len’s car. I think he is related to Leonard Stauss, Ruby’s husband. Perhaps he is a nephew.