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!

Name:
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.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

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.

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