Winter Socialization

Saturday, January 17, 1925: Raymond went up to Aunt Annie’s to go to town with Uncle Edd to go to Apple River yet on the noon train. Feel tough* today.

Friday was snowy in the forenoon. In the afternoon Raymond Dittmar came from Aunt Annie’s. He had come there Wed. We baked bread & coffee cake, two cakes and a batch drop cookies. Len, Ruby, Raymond & I went to the party at Bonhoff’s Wednesday eve. We walked over the hill. Had to put on leggings and wade thro. Quite a few were there when we got there and they kept on coming till about ten oclock. Over seventy were there and they dance & dance. So many came from Schapville way. I was rather disgusted with the whole affair. They jumped around like Indians. Of course, we had to sit or stand in a corner. Mrs. Heller, Agnes & Blanche & Mrs. Winsicker were there so we had a few to talk with. We started for home at one oclock in the morning.

Thursday, Len went to Raymond’s to help his father cut wood. He had gone to Scales Mounds first so Mother had went along up to Aunt Lizzie’s. Then she went to Mrs. Stauss’ to supper. That afternoon Ida and Loretta Fiedler came down to tell us there was going to be a party at Bonhoff’s tomorrow night. They talked as tho they (Fiedlers)were getting it up*. I had supposed it would be a dance.

Both Tuesday and Wednesday were clear and cold. Ruby made a apron. Mother ironed some. On Monday it was snowy and I sewed a little.

* What do you suppose "I feel tough" meant? I tried to research it, with no results.
* “Getting it up” means to organize or be the host of an event

Wishing You a Happy New Year

1926 has drawn to an end in Lillian's time. I hope that you have enjoyed reading her words about life in 1926. I would welcome your feedback on how the entries have been presented and the level of interest you think this format will generate. I am still transcribing the entries exactly as she has written them for the next volume of "Lillian's Diaries" which WILL BE PUBLISHED IN 2010 but can easily make the common corrections that I have made in the blog format. Please either leave your comments on the blog or email me at joneslinks@charter.net.

I will continue making entries, This time going back a year and presenting 1925 in the next blog entry.

So finishing out 1926 for Lillian; Friday, December 31, 1926: Busy today making bread, saffron cake, a cake and pies. Len went to town by car with feed to grind. The roads were quite good. I got Len to ask the Aunts and Uncles to come down tomorrow. They haven’t been down for a long time and the roads are good. The last day of nineteen twenty-six.

Thursday was a lovly day. Len went out to Schapville to get a stock hog that W. Wulff brought. We ironed and made cookies. I felt some better today and Dad seemed some better also. He was just a trifle better on Wednesday which was a nice clear day. Mother had walked up to the Aunts’ that afternoon, but they were down to Martha’s and just Dan was home so Mother didn’t stay long. Uncles Edd & Dan came down that evening and we had baked bread.

We all got up very late on Tuesday. After Dad ate his dinner he felt sick and vomited all afternoon. John had wanted us to come down there to hear the radio in the evening. So Mother staid home with Dad and Len, Ruby, & I went down. We heard most of a good sermon, singing & etz. Dad had felt very poorly all day Monday. In truth he felt almost too weak to sit up much. He has been poorly for quite awhile now and is very thin.

Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall

Sat. October 23: Dad, Ma & I went to town this afternoon. It started to rain soon after getting to Galena so we didn’t stay long. We got home before roads got slippery. It was rainy tonight.

As usual on Friday we were busy baking and ironing the rest of the clothes left from yesterday. We also made some grape juice. I wanted to go up to Aunt Annie’s that evening but rained a little so I staid at home.

Thursday we washed. I pickled* some wild grapes late in the afternoon for juice or jelly. I started to ironed some yet Thursday evening.

Ruby, Ma & I went out to Schapville on Wednesday to the mission feast in the afternoon. There were not as many there as on Sunday. Uncle Edd and the Aunts were out there also.


* Does anyone have a recipe for pickling grapes for jelly? There are none in Lillian's cookbooks.

It really seemed to rain alot in the Galena area. When I first started transcribing Lillian's Diaires: Whispers From Galena's Past I toyed with naming the book Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall. The weather did have an impact on so much of their lives.