My first years… from Eileen's Diary - Highlights of November, 1940

My first years…  

from Eileen's Diary

Highlights of November (1st 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.]

Will and Emma (Kinnick) Carper, Buda, Illinois, c. 1894

Assume this is a photo at time of their wedding

Month of November highlights:

Sun. Nov. 3 - Billy & I went to Sunday School.
Mon. Nov. 4 - Had Billy hair cut. Cut out & started sewing my brown dress when I got home. Betty, Toots and Pete went in to Adult School at nite. Billy & I stayed home.
Tues. Nov. 5 - Really cold. Left Billy up home with Betty & I went to Home Project Meeting at Louella Schultz. Ruth Bolger & I fixed cinnaman (sic) apple salad. I played piano. Had a nice time. Voted for first time for Wilkie but Roosevelt won.
Wed. Nov. 6 - Lowden & Smith started working on foundation of the barn.
Fri. Nov. 8 - Got ready for shower. Went with Lillian in her new Chevy to Wichita to shower for Mildred Betts Herron.
Sat. Nov. 9 - Rained all day. Mom called & said Uncle Will had just come so we did up the work & went in there for dinner. He looked just the same as ever. Went down town in pm. & did shopping. Dad went to Iowa-Nebraska game with Charley Thomas.
Sun. Nov. 10 - Still a little rainy. Made frosting for the cake and fired the chicken. Did dishes, sep, got ready to go to Gertrude’s to dinner. Edna’s, Lillian’s, Gertrude’s, Uncle Will and the folks & us were there.
Mon. Nov. 11 - Really cold & windy & snowy. Couldn’t keep the house warm for the wind. Pete stayed in all afternoon. Put Billy to bed in kitchen. …fixed our bed in dining room & slept out here.
Thurs. Nov. 14 - Indian Jim Smith came in to warm his hands. They’re working on the barn.
Fri. Nov. 15 - Were eating breakfast when Toots and Betty came. Did dishes, sep. We peeled spuds here & then went up there for beefsteak dinner. Ate & then boys went down on the 80 after the tractor. Took Billy’s snow suit in to the cleaners.


My comments:

“Uncle Will” was an annual visitor, I do believe. He was about 73, lived in Buda, Illinois. His wife, Lon’s sister, Emma, had died in 1935. He lived until 1955, died at 88. He was Mom’s Great-Uncle, of course.
I’m sure Mom voted straight Republican, regardless of who was running…  ;-) At least she knew!
Lillian had a ‘new Chevy.’ That would be important to Mom, of course! ;-)
Game was in Lincoln, Memorial Stadium - I’ve been there, too - Nebraska, ranked #12 on AP, won the game, 14-6. Iowa had a 4-4 season after being so good (6-1-1) in 1939 with Nile Kinnick,
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_Iowa_Hawkeyes_football_team]
I shivered hearing how cold and windy it was… ;-)
Anyone remember “Indian Jim Smith” ???


Families are Forever!  ;-)

My first years… from Eileen's Diary - Highlights of October, 1940

My first years…  

from Eileen's Diary

Highlights of October, 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.] 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mortal_Storm
“The Mortal Storm was one of the few directly anti-Nazi Hollywood films released before the American entry into World War II in December 1941.”

Month of October highlights:

Oct 1-9 mostly blank
Thurs. Oct. 10 - Went in to folks for dinner. I took a chicken. Mom kept Billy. Went up to Mildred McLaughlin’s to club. Had quite a meeting. Chores & went in to show “The Mortal Storm.” Best show ever saw. A Nazi picture. Margaret Sullivan, Jimmy Stewart.
Only a couple of sentences between Oct. 11 and 16
Thurs. Oct. 17 - Sunday School Party at Smith’s. Supposed to be Hard Times Party but just a few dressed for it. Had pumpkin pie & chicken sandwiches.
Oct. 18-19 blank; then back to regular entires
Sun. Oct. 20 - Went to church. Played for Lillian. Up to Smith’s for Maxine’s Birthday Dinner. Everyone there. Don, Norma, too. Leo, Ida Marie, Karen & folks here for pancake supper. To bed early. Gave Karen her birthday present.
Thurs. Oct. 24 - Betty came down & we went to Club Party at new Library Recreation Room. Surely nice. Lillian sang and I played. Home at 10:30. Up to Lillian’s for dinner. Practiced. Arthur Phelps there picking corn.
Fri. Oct. 25 - Went to Homecoming Football Game with Manning. Irene Anderson Queen. Manning won the game. Afterwards over to Rollo Sissel Dance at Bayard. Darryl Hilgenberg turned car over 3 times on Hiway east of Max & Orrin’s. Home at 2:00. Edith T. & Margaret there.
Wed. Oct. 30 - Betty fixed 3 chickens & I fixed rest of the dinner for shellers. There were 8 of them here.
Thurs. Oct. 31 - [Halloween] Quite cold and rainy. Pete up home again. I did my ironing. All of us have colds. Jack Bowman came down with a couple of songs for Jr. Class Play. He stayed until 9:30. Put up the dining room stove. Good music on the radio so we danced until 1:00. Ed Alex came to see about trapping our land.


My comments:
Very interesting to see her comments about the movie on Oct 10. She doesn’t often mention political things. Doesn’t mean they weren’t going on, or talked about!!
Fall Harvest was in full force… mentioned just about every day that she wrote something.
I noticed she has been mentioning playing the piano for people more that earlier…



Families are Forever!  ;-)

My first years… from Eileen's Diary - Highlights of September, 1940

My first years…  

from Eileen's Diary

Highlights of September, 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.

 

A Game of Rummy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rummy

[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 September highlights:

Sun. Sept. 1 - Fried 2 chickens, made potato salad, took 2 pies to Louises’ for dinner. Folks went too. Had a good dinner. Home at 4:00. Sent a sow & a cow to Omaha. Chores. Jean & Bob came & we played Rummey til 10:00. Ate apple pie. To bed at 10:00.
Mon. Sept. 2 - Up & washed. Cleaned a chicken, made a pie. Bob, Jean, Bobby here for dinner. Toots came in pm & the boys played cards. I folded my clothes. Kids left at 4:30. Chores & ate. June & Ralph came & stayed until 9:30. Read & went to bed.
Thurs. Sept. 5 - Betty & Toots came down. Betty picked pickles, Pete & Toots went in town. I cleaned a chicken, made fresh rolls. They stayed for dinner. Ate late, they stayed until 4:00.
Sat. Sept. 7 - L’Vene, Marg., Pat, Will came to have hair set. Washed & set my hair. Cleaned up the house. Lyle hurt in fall from Hay Stacker. Fractured his skull. Chored, got ready to go to town. Car in front of Barber’s. Got groceries & went up home. Lyle no better at nite, still unconscious.
Sun. Sept. 8 - [Birthday note: LVene] …went to LVenes for chicken dinner. Irene. Toots. Betty. LVene. Verle. there. Played ball in pm. …Lyle to hospital, Carroll.
 - - Only two sentences between Sept 10 and Sept 30 - - rest blank

My comments:
Labor Day weekend made me tired just reading it….
Interesting mix of activities…
Lyle Kinnick lived until 2007, so survived… father of Ray Kinnick - scary stuff!!



Families are Forever!  ;-)

My first years… from Eileen's Diary - Highlights of August (second half only), 1940

My first years…  from Eileen's Diary
Highlights of August (second half only), 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 August (second half only) highlights:

Fri. Aug 16 - Billy doesn’t feel very good. He ate too much watermelon.
Sun. Aug 18 - [Birthday note: Dad & Bussy]
Sun shone again. Fried a chicken, made 2 apple pies & went in to folks for dinner. Ida Marie, Leo, Karen there. Ate, roller skated, sat our in front yard & watched kids on horses & motorcycles.
Tues. Aug 27 - Washed. But couldn’t get them dry. Rained a little bit. Busy getting ready to go. Ironed 3 shirts, washed & ironed 2 dresses at nite. Went in town & got Pete’s pants & my skirt from Cleaners.
Wed. Aug 28 - {Birthday note: Louise N.]
Dad bro’t Mom & Bussy out. Cloudy. Mom hung up clothes. Pete had to help Jersey have a calf. Made us late leaving about 11:00. Got to Jean’s & Bob’s at 2:00. Went down town & ate and then went out to the Fair. Saw several exhibit blogs. in pm. Ate supper with Rippey’s, Thomas’s, Eyestomes (sic) on grounds.  Went to car & rested awhile & then went to Griff Williams Dance. Dandy orchestra. Stayed for all of it. Slept on sleeping porch at Jeans.
Thurs. Aug 29 - Nice day. Ate breakfast at Jean’s & then went to see Pearl, Ida & Gladys. To Jean’s for dinner. Bob came home. Went & saw Frances & then went out to the Fair. Stood with Elmer, Verle, Arnold & watched the man selling Hum-a-Tunes. Walked around awhile. Ate at church place. Went to Louis Armstrong Dance. Really swell. The grandest drummer. To Jean’s & got our clothes & then came home. Stopped at Adel & Guthrie for coffee. Home at 3:00.


My comments:
I haven’t cared for watermelon ever since…  ;-)
Going to the State Fair, but Dad had to take time help a cow have a calf. Farmer to the core!!!
Thought her detailed listing of getting clothes ready was fascinating…
Made family visits while in Des Moines… to Fair in afternoon and evening.
Interesting how many other Coon Rapids folks they spent time with there.
Note: Think that is likely “Seastroms” - she apparently didn’t know them well, yet…
Louis Armstrong!! ;-)
Three plus hour trip each way, it appears… About half that, or less, now, with newer cars and roads… ;-)



Families are Forever!  ;-)

My first years… from Eileen's Diary - Highlights of August (first half only), 1940

My first years…  

from Eileen's Diary

Highlights of August (first half only), 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 August (first half only) highlights:

Mon. Aug 5 - Edith L. called & wanted me to go to Lakes. She & Julia & I left at 1:30. Got there at 6:00. Stopped & shopped at every big town on the way. Helen Bower, Helen Rafferty, Arlene Rafferty, Virginia Welch, Elizabeth Welch, Edith Thomas were there. Got there just as they were through eating so they fed us. Cleaned up  & went down on Midway. Played bingo, rode ghost train, ate hambrgs & went home. Julia & I slept together.
Tues. Aug 6 - [on top] [Erna & I danced & Edith T. & Arlene R. We were the only ones who stayed]
Didn’t get up until 9:30. Edith Thomas & Erna got breakfast. Everyone fixed their hair. Went down on the pier & played awhile.Erna, Edith L., Julia & I rode over on the other side to see the swell homes. Had 2 ice cream bars apiece. Home at supper at 5:00. All but Julia, Edith T. & I went on the boat ride. Got ready & went to Claude Hopkins negro dance. Really wonderful. (Bed fell down with Erna, Edith T. & me. Home at 2:00)
Wed. Aug 7 - Up at 8:30. Started for home at 11:30. Got off the road & went to Newell. Stopped in Carroll & had a sandwich. Home at 4:30. So glad to see Billy & Pete I cried. Folks stayed for supper & then we went in town awhile. Back early. Really seemed good to be home.
Fri. Aug 9 - [Birthday note: Pete & Betty[
Fixed a chicken, made an apple pie, ice cream. Don came to help Pete castrate hogs & Norma came for dinner too. Had watermelon in afternoon. Rainy. They left about 5:00. Chores & went in to show “Curtani (sic) Falls.” {She surely meant “Curtain Call” 1940} About poorest show I ever saw. Home early. {no stars in movie - crummy plot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtain_Call_%281940_film%29}
Receipt in diary - Cash and Carry, T. W. Mozena, Prop., Fairwary logo, “Everything for the Table”
Handwritten for Pete Smith: H.B. Coffee - .26, Bd - .10, Weiners - .22, Lettuce - .05;
total - 63 + (assume tax) 1 = .64 That was the groceries they picked up. No date.
Sat. Aug 10 - [Birthday note - Edith Lund & Ray Kinnick]
Betty & Toots came & she got her hair fixed. They plan to go to Nebr. tomorrow.
Sun. Aug 11 - [Birthday note - Toots S. & Harold S.]
Rainy. Did dishes & sep. & went to LVene’s. Lester Cedar, Iva, Eileen, Joyce & Betty were there. Had a swell chicken dinner. Played kitten ball in the pasture. Max, Orrin, Don, Norma were there too. Home & chores & rode around awhile. Had a bottle of pop & came home. Irene, Betty & Toots at LVene’s too. And Aunt Lena.
Mon. Aug 12 - [Folks Anniver]
Went down and picked cucumbers. Made 3 qts. bread & butter pickles. 3 gals. sweet pickles & 4 qts. of beet pickles. Busy with pickles most of the day. Sewed on Billy’s sun suits a little bit & went to bed. Had French Toast for supper.
Tues. Aug 13 - Rainy. Don & Dan Weaver here to vaccinate the hogs… we went in to see Rabuck’s about renting their place. I finished 2 sun suits for Billy.
Thurs. Aug 15 - Took care of pickles. Canned 6 qts tom. after dinner & got tom preserves ready to can. Went to S.S. party at Gymer’s. Billy with Mom.

My comments:

Hated to leave anything out about her trip to “Lakes” - quite an adventure with the “girls” there.
Glad she enjoyed the music.
I believe Cedars were from Nebraska - Betty and Toots trip delayed, to see relatives, in Nebr.
I get really tired, just reading about all the pickles she made… and all the other stuff, as well!!
Oh, and 10 cents for a loaf of bread at “Cash and Carry” - how about that!! ;-)
Sun suits must have been very cute on Billy!! ;-)


Families are Forever!  ;-)