From Mom’s Diary… 1942 - Billy and Chickens - 31 May 1942

From Mom’s Diary… 1942 - Billy and Chickens - 31 May 1942

In late spring of 1942, I was approaching my 3rd birthday. As of March 1, Mom and Dad bought a farm a mile east of the county line between Carroll and Greene County, north east of Coon Rapids, Iowa, a couple of miles north of where they had been living. Moving in was an on-going process…

Another of the 1942 pictures I have is this ‘famous one’ of me with the chickens dated May 31, 1942.

Nothing particular said about the photo in the daily diary entires. Late March it was mentioned they had gotten 250 chicks from Headlee’s, however. Also, there were several references to cleaning out the brooder house - which is the building in the photo, northeast of the house. Just off to the right, when looking at this photo is the Hen House, where the eggs were collected. The Wash House, mentioned in an earlier post, is just to the left, in this photo…

Mom ‘fixed a chicken’ three or four days a week, so having a lot was necessary.

“Sugar Board” and “Sugar Rationing” was in effect at this time for the War effort… everyone was asked to ‘cut back’ and coupons became necessary to get sugar. There are a half dozen references to Dad being appointed to a Sugar Board, and then getting off of it. Mom went in town to help out with issuing the sugar coupons, it seemed like, at the school. No other references, yet, to the war …


My comments:

In the middle of May, there were a couple of weeks with no entries at all. No mention of why not. Assume she was sick, or such, but wouldn’t have written about herself in that situation. Otherwise, very normal entries about all the same family activities.



Families are Forever! ;-)