Who is L.S. ?

Friday Decmber 5, 1919: Heard there wasn’t a very big crowd to the social. There was twenty-six baskets but no young men to buy them. Made twenty-seven dollars. Ethel T was over. Also Will & Bessie Weis. Wilbur Bastian came over and bought four roosters. Evelyn came along. Talked like a streak. They brought us eight boxes of honey. Saturday, it snowed quite heavily this afternoon and it snowed last night. Dad & Ruby went to town in the afternoon in the cutter. Sunday, in the afternoon Ruby & I drove Pet in the cutter up to Davis’. They were quite surprised to see us. Mr. Davis had just come back from taking Bernetta down the Station to go to Scales Mound. But the rest were at home. Had a nice visit. Staid to supper. Dark before we got started for home. But it was quite light. Full moon. Didn’t have any company today. Monday was cold. We are just mending and crocheting and so on today.

Tuesday was very cold again. Don’t get much done but chores. Dad & Ma went down to Tresidder’s in the evening. Wednesday was very cold again. Our thermometers were fourteen and eighteen degrees below zero. It was thirty below in Galena. We made two kitchen aprons. Also crochet and etc. Uncle Edd came down. He came out from town. Don’t know when they will come home as Mattie hasn’t come back from Mary yet. Thursday our cattle went. Heard first in the morning that we couldn’t have a car. Then later on that we could have one. But didn’t know if they could yet ready and get them loaded in time or not. All had to rush around. Didn’t know if Dad would go along to Chicago or not. John Weis, Tresidder and our cattle went. We sent six calves, two steers, one heifer and one bull. They got them over on time. But didn’t have much time to waste. John Weis went along with them and Dad came along back again.

Friday was warmer. Baked bread, saffron bread and a cake. Saturday was another cold day. But Dad, Ruby & I went to Galena in the sleigh. My first sleigh ride and the first time we been to Galena with the teams for an awful long time. Had Violet and Pet. Quite a few in town today. Saw Santa Clause today. Sunday was very cold and clear. Uncle Edd came down. Dad went over to John Weis’. Got the returns for the cattle. Got twelve seventy-five down there for the calves. An average sixty-eight sixty each. The heifer eight and one half cents or ninety dollars. One bull seven cents or sixty dollar ninety cents. Altogether when the expenses taken out six hundred ninety-eight and nineteen cents.

Sunday was very cold and clear. Agnes, Milton, & Blanche came up in the afternoon. In the evening Mother, sister and I went up to Fiedler’s. Saw the new house. It isn’t finished yet. Will have nine rooms.
Monday was cold again. Didn’t do anything much in particular. Our line is crossed with several other lines. Heard on cross talk that Elmer Young has gone to Chicago about his arm. We got a letter from Uncle Joe Trudgian. Also a card from Mary Potter saying Aunt Hattie died Nov. 25 at seven a.m. She was buried at Centralia, Washington.

Tuesday we washed and also baked graham bread. Ruby received a note from L.S. asking if he could call next Sunday. Wednesday Dad & Ma went to Galena. It snowed a little. It was predicted that the world would come to an end today or earthquakes and other disturbances. I received a card from Raymond Dittmar said he expected to come in soon. Thursday, December 18, 1919  we ironed today. It snowed some today.

Husking Corn Day After Day, After Day

Friday, October 17, 1919:  Lovly day. Ironed and baked bread & coffee cake. Also husked another load of shock corn. And polished the car. Mother’s birthday. Fifty-three. Got a card from Aunt Tillie. Saturday we all went to Galena in the afternoon. Then came home and then went to town againn that eve. Ruby & I went to the movies. Ma and Pa saw B & E and girls.

Sunday was cloudy. We all went to church. We expected to probably see a new minister. But no minister arrived. Wilbur and Evelyn came out also. She said Mrs. Young was poorly in bed. She said the boys wasn’t over yet and that Elmer doesn’t come over very often. She said they both have girls. Ruby and I thought we’d go down to Tresidder’s but didn’t find them home. We all went down in the evening. Heard Whites had a shower on Emily Winsicker Friday night.

Monday we didn’t get much corn husked as it was rainy. Tuesday was a beautiful day. Busy husking standing corn. We all went up to Aunt Annie’s in the evening. They heard that Jack Combellick and Elmer Young had got married. Had heard before that Jack was going to get married. Wednesday we husked a load of corn. Also washed. Dad, Ruby & I went to Galena late in the afternoon. Think it must have been a mistake about Elmer getting married. We saw his girl and also Ben’s. Think they were coming home from work. Ruby sent Ben a letter this morning.

Thursday, October 23, 1919: Ironed, churned, baked bread. Also finished husking standing corn, a load this afternoon and some this forenoon. Didn’t read much in the Gazette today. Only a piece about the novelty shower at Mrs. Clinton White’s in honor of Emily Winsicker who is to be married to John Combellick October 22. That was yesterday. Heard they went to Freeport to get married.

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

No Memorial Day Yet

Thursday May 23, 1919: Made bread today. Also planted late potatoes. Made a spice cake. And fixed a little on the car. Raining tonight. Hear that Henry Zarndt came home from Lacross Sunday eve. Friday Ruby & I went to Galena in the buggy as the roads are rather muddy. The dentist didn’t work much on my teeth just put some stuff in two front teeth to treat them. One aches tonight. Ruby bought herself new white skirt for four ninety-five. Saturday my face was all swelled up and achy. Baked bread & coffee cake & cake. Ruby did. She getting to be quite a cook.

Sunday Mom and Ruby went to church in the morning. I was an awful funny looking human. Face all swelled up. No company in the afternoon, but had some this eve. Uncle Edd & Aunt Annie, John, Agnes, Milton, and Blanche were up. Also Ben Y. He staid till late. Monday was beautiful day. Well I guess Ruby gave B her promise last night. Dad, Ruby & I autoed to Galena in the morning. The Dentist stuck in a needle or something away up at the root of the tooth where it was so swollen. Left out pus. It feels lots better now. Bought a roll of bard wire. Had a puncture in front tire on the way home from a tack. Put in a new tube. Our neighbors had to appear before the jury this afternoon. But were out in the field again late this afternoon. Coming quite an excitement in the neighborhood.

Tueday  Ma ironed. Dad & Ruby finished planting corn in the afternoon. Wednesday Ruby & I got an graduation invitation to the Galena commencement exercises June 5 from Thelma Davis. A warm day. The picnic at Ford School was today. But I didn’t feel hardly able to go. And Ruby didn’t feel like walking up either. Wanted to go badly. Weis girls & Agnes & Blanche went. Thursday, Ruby went over to Sadie Bastian’s in the  afternoon. I went up on John’s hill to pick asparagus. Called in to John Tippet’s as Aunt Annie was staying with the baby while Ethel, Mary and Grandpa Tippet and Uncle Edd went over the grave yard. Ascension Day today. And so many many cars on the road. Warm day.

Friday about ten oclock we started out for Apple River. Roads were good. Took an hour and fifteen minutes. Stopped in Scales Mound awhile. Had dinner at Grandpa’s. After dinner we went up to  the hall heard the priest speak. Also had supper at Grandpa’s. The weather didn’t look good. Afraid we’d get wet yet. But got home without getting wet. Then the clouds scattered. Mother staid out to Apple River and Aunt Maggie came in. Myrtle Graham graduates tonight. Uncle Edd and Aunt Annie started out for Schapville. Saturday, May 31 was a very hot day. After dinner it came to quite a storm. Rained quite hard. After the rain a Ford stopped and it was Uncle Bens & Mr. William. They were to Galena and when it looked like rain started out for here. But got caught on the road. Some were wet. We were very much surprised. It rained again tonight. Had quite a time to get them all put away for the night.

Harvesting God's Summer's Gifts

Saturday, July 25, 1925: We picked over and put up tens quarts of blackberries beside Saturday's work, haying & etz. Len & Ruby went to town late this afternoon. Dad, Ma & I went this evening. A big crowd in town. Uncle Edd & the Aunts made arrangements to go out to Schapville to church then to Uncle Joe’s tomorrow. But then Mrs.Tom Tippet came down this noon. So they asked us if we wouldn’t go out instead of them, as Rachael would have prepared for visitors.


Friday we baked bread and coffee cake and canned four pints sugar peas and six pints yellow beans. We also put up 4 quarts of cucumbers. Dad & Ruby picked blackberries. Thursday we ironed and the men worked cutting oats till real late so as to get through cutting. Dad, Ma & I went up to Aunt Annie’s yet although it was late. Wednesday we washed, made jelly and etz and baked bread.

We went to town on Tuesday. Ma & I picked blackberries in the afternoon. On Monday we had baked bread and churned. Plus we put up six quarts of bean pickles. Dad & Ruby picked blackberries. It was our first picking. We cooked them for jelly and etz. & etz.

Sunday we had several hard showers of rain in the forenoon with sunshine between. The weather had looked fairly good in the afternoon so we walked down to Tresidder’s. Several weeks ago Edd and Elmer Young and families autoed back from Denver and stayed about a week. We heard then that Elmer was married again. Agnes said he was married last fall. His wife has a boy eight years old.