Saturday, September 5, 2015

My first years… from Eileen's Diary - Highlights of November (2nd half), 1940


My first years…  
from Eileen's Diary
Highlights of November (2nd half), 1940 
 
 These are highlights from the diary of my mother, twenty-one year old Eileen KINNICK SMITH, 75 Years Ago. She kept a diary from 1932 as a freshman in high school until she left us, too early, in 1999.

[Rather than posting each mundane entry, I've chosen items of interest to me, as I knew my family (or didn't). Also, significant events Mom noted, as seen by me, looking back. Comments at the end.]
 


Month of November  (2nd half) highlights:

Sun. Nov. 17 - Fried 2 chickens and took them to Gertrude’s. Robert, Edna, Lucille’s, Ila Jean, Pauline, & baby Gretchen, Marian, Naomi, Genevieve, Geneva, Wilbur, Ping, Pauline Bower, Duane, Mildred, Lillian’s, Uncle Will, the folks, Leo, Ida, Karen & us. I washed all the dishes. Played the piano, Ila Jean fixed my hair. Home & chores & took Billy to the show, “City of Conquest.” Good show.
Mon. Nov. 18 - Aunt Grace came at 9:00 a.m. … Went to Adult School at night. Had a good time. Sat with Ruth Bolger.
Wed. Nov. 20 - Betty was having Workers Conference so I went up there. Nancy, Kay & Billy had quite a time.
Thurs. Nov. 21 - Went to Edith T. for Sunday School party at night. 20 there.
Wed. Nov. 27 - … Made a choc. cake to take tomorrow. Lil & Del came after it in case I decided not to go.
Thurs. Nov. 28 - Cleaned a chicken then decided to go to Leo’s. Toots & Pete picked corn down here. Snowed most of the way up. Billy & I rode with Lillian. Had best dinner. Turkey and everything else. Folks there too. Came home with them. Kids had quite a time. Billy really tired.
Sat. Nov. 30 - … Ran out of gas up at Charlie & Bertha’s. Charlie had Roy send up gas. Up and saw Timmie’s Baby Thomas Franklin. New baby. … Getting colder. Pete & Toots picking at Scranton.


My comments:

Big Kinnick gathering for Uncle Will on Sunday. On Monday, Aunt Grace arrived. She would have been 53, also from Buda, Illinois… but apparently not with brother-in-law, Uncle Will. Grace was youngest sister of Lon, so she was a Great-Aunt to Mom. Treated with respect, like family, of course.
Adult School a regular part of their lives.
“Nancy, Kay & Billy” - interesting playmates - eventually married Nancy. Kaye McLaughlin always a good friend. She was in the class ahead of us. I attended here wedding to Nick and took photos.
Thanksgiving at Leo’s became an annual tradition. Have some great photos a year or two later!
Note that Dad and Toot's trying to get the corn all picked before the snow, in spite of cold! ;-)
“Roy send up some gas.” Love the old small town friendliness!!!
Tom Galloway was the baby, of course.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

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