Tuesday, June 30, 1925

Tuesday, June 30, 1925
Cool

Cleaned up the house and sewed. Made Ned an awfully cute romper out of goods Grandpa Smith gave him Christmas. Put some trimmings and kitten pockets on it. Felt like I didn’t get so much accomplished as yesterday though. Ned was sleepy and fussy and didn’t play much. Albert is cross, too.

(Sounds like Grandma still got a lot done, even though she didn't think it was as much as the day before, but the day before would have been hard to top!)

Monday, June 29, 1925

Monday, June 29, 1925
Cool

Felt pretty good and went to Miss McGregor’s store and got pattern and goods for Albert 2 suits and Ned a romper. Made both of Albert’s except for buttonholes in one. Worked out in the yard in the evening from suppertime till dark. Dick okay but a little swelling left.

(Wow, it seems like Grandma went from sick to better very quickly. I can't believe she sewed 2 suits in one day (except for buttonholes on one) AND worked out in the yard.

I suspect she was a better seamstress than most housewives in the 1920's, so I did some digging in the family history she wrote in 1970 to figure out if I was right about that. Grandma graduated from Shortridge High School in 1910, and didn't get married until 1915. So what did she do for those five years?

First she tried college at Butler College (now Butler University) which was at that time in Irvington. She didn't have the money to live on campus so she spent "several hours" a day riding the buses to and from her parent's home on the far northside, and it wore her out, so she dropped out before the first semester was over. Then she spent a few years helping her sister-in-law Ella with her babies until her father decided she should have more to occupy her time and "get her out of her shell", so they got her a job in a millinery store on Washington Street, east of Court Street. In her own words:

"From there as the seasons would change, I would go from the wholesale house to a shop, and after a year or two, I had become a first class "maker" and also had gained some experience selling in Block's and in a small shop on West Washington Street, west of the Statehouse, where I worked until I was married."

So, I think that's where she learned to sew so well, by making hats. I bet she made that hat she is wearing in the picture of her from 1914 in Grandma's Pictures)

Sunday, June 28, 1925

Sunday, June 28, 1925

Gilbert stayed home all day and helped me and I got a little rest and felt a little better. The children seemed a little better, too. These days are nice and warm but the nights and mornings sure cool. Dale got back OK and reported lots of fun. Had ice cream and all the lemonade he could drink. So we bought ice cream, too.

(I posted some additional pictures on Grandma's Pictures, including a picture of the four boys in 1924, a picture of Grandma in 1914, a little over a year before she got married, and a picture of Gilbert.

Maybe this day was the start of all of them doing better, healthwise.)

Saturday, June 27, 1925

Saturday, June 27, 1925

My head was much worse and I just didn’t have pep enough for anything. Poor Albert like this for so long no wonder he is cross. Mama took Dale to the O.E.S. picnic at Northern beach. Dick not well enough to go. Dale prepared to stay all night and go to Sunday school in the morning on his way home.

(Sounds like Dale at least got to go somewhere and do something a little different. FYI, O.E.S stands for the Order of the Eastern Star. I don't profess to know much about it, so click on the link if you want more info.

I think that Northern beach refers to some picnic grounds north of Indianapolis in Carmel, at least that is what I found when I did a web search. Sounds like if it is the same place that they have been in business for quite a while and are still in business today.

Poor Grandma, she was still sick, still has boys who were sick, and don't forget she was pregnant while all of this was going on.)

Friday, June 26, 1925

Friday, June 26, 1925

Ironed till 1:00. Got all done. I washed this week and a few pieces left over from last week and week before done, too. Feel awfully bum. The boys all better. Dick had a little fever this PM. Wish Albert’s gland would go down to stay. He has a better appetite but so pale and thin. It makes my heart ache to see him. Will he ever get over it?

(Sounds like they were getting back to a little bit of "normalcy", whatever that meant for them. I'm sure their laundry did stack up while Grandma was sick.)

Thursday, June 25, 1925

Thursday, June 25, 1925

Gilbert and I washed and then between showers he picked more cherries. Dick not very sick but fever in the PM and his glands behind the ears both swelled. Mama came over and helped seed cherries. Albert some better. No fever but the gland still swollen. He is awfully cross these days.

(Their focus at this time seemed to be on the cherries. When fruit is ripe, it's ripe and no waiting or restomg until you've harvested, I guess, even if you've been sick. Grandma had written a while back that they had intended to go "to the country" when Gilbert was on vacation, so how would they have gotten to the cherries if they had gone on their trip? Seems like Gilbert spent his whole vacation picking cherries!)

Wednesday, June 24, 1925

Wednesday, June 24, 1925
Canned cherries, got 10 quarts last eve and today. It rains so much Gilbert can’t pick steady, so we will lose a lot I’m afraid. Left my poultice off today but put it on at bedtime. Dick began complaining today. Sore throat and fever.

(Dick is the only who had not been sick so far, so I'm not surprised Grandma reported the above entry.

It was still cherry picking and canning time. My youngest sister wrote a comment that she would love to can, but is afraid of food poisoning. I'm afraid of pressure cookers blowing up the kitchen! I think canning was a necessity of life in the 20's, if you wanted to have any kind of canned goods at a reasonable price in the off season. Earlier in the spring, Grandma had written that she liked to provided good things for her family. Canned cherries for pies and candies, that's a good thing!)

Tuesday, June 23, 1925

Tuesday, June 23, 1925

Gilbert picked cherries and I seeded all day. Dale is almost all right now. No fever but a little swelling in his tonsils.

(Sounds like they enjoyed a quiet day, and all were a bit better.

More info on Gilbert, who is not mentioned all that often in Grandma's diaries, even though he is her husband. Gilbert's father was a farmer and it was thought that Gilbert, who was the youngest child and the only son, would grow up to help his father farm. But, when Gilbert was 5 he became ill and was confined to his bed with what the doctor called "white swelling" in the thigh bone on his left side. The thigh bone that was affected did not grow as much as the other thigh, and so he used a crutch and then later a cane to walk, because his left leg was always shorter than his right leg. Because of his illness, he didn't start school until he was 8 years old! As an adult he wore shoes with the left heel built up to compensate for his left leg being shorter, and then he still walked with a limp. His father sold the farm when he realized he would not have anyone to help him, and they moved around a few times before settling in Crawfordsville. In spite of his leg problems, Gilbert was a very good swimmer and once saved another boy from drowning.

So, I am guessing that it was not easy for Gilbert to take on chores like picking cherries, which might have involved several trips up and down a ladder.

I will post a picture of Gilbert on Grandma's Pictures in the near future.)

Monday, June 22, 1925

Monday, June 22, 1925

Better but still headaches. Keep a poultice under my eye. My nose has unpure pus since Wednesday. Did a little work today but not much. Stopped the iodine on Albert and his heart is better.

(Apparently taking iodine internally can affect your heart?

It's good to read that Grandma was getting better, along with Albert. Remember that Gilbert is on vacation this week, and they had hoped to go to "the country", but so far, it doesn't sound like they tried to do that.)

Sunday, June 21, 1925

Sunday, June 21, 1925

Better but no pep. This affects the nerves awfully. I’m so done up, no wonder Albert seems so all in. His heart is irregular now. Oh, I hope it doesn’t leave him weak in any way. He has no fever now. The folks brought chicken over and cooked it for dinner. In the evening my cheek got to paining more.

(Goodness sakes, what was this illness? I've read all three years of Grandma's diaries, and was always struck by how much harder it seemed to just live in the 1920's compared to today. Yes, I read all about them being sick, and especially about Albert being sick and thought it was bad, but when you read the diary entries one day at a time versus in one sitting, you really get a better feel for how long they were sick, and begin to feel the concern Grandma had for Albert and all her boys, and how helpless she felt not knowing what to do.)

Saturday, June 20, 1925

Saturday, June 20, 1925

We’re all better but no good. Gilbert cleaned up the house.

(Grandma's diary entry on this day was brief, and I will keep my comments brief as well. There is not much else to say about them all being sick.)

Friday, June 19, 1925

Friday, June 19, 1925

Gilbert starts his vacation. Taking care of the sick and we had planned so much fun in the country. Dale and I both so sick. The whole upper right side of my face and forehead and glands and tonsils poulticed with antiphlogistine. I look like I had been in a fight.

(It is nice to read that in 1925, Gilbert's company provided him with vacation time. It is not so nice to read that it started out with half the family too sick to do anything. By "fun in the country", I think Grandma was referring to them going to Crawfordsville, where Gilbert grew up. I checked and it is about 50 miles from the east side of Indianapolis to Crawfordsville, and today that trip would take right at one hour with the interstates. If you chose to avoid the highway, the trip jumps to 56 miles and takes 1.5 hours. They didn't have a car, so they probably took a bus to get there, which would have added to their trip time. It was definitely not a small trip for a family of two adults and four young boys to make.)

Thursday, June 18, 1925

Thursday, June 18, 1925
Hot

It rains every night and they are so long and miserable. Three of us pretty sick . Thank goodness Ned is so much better, almost himself again. Mama came out again, too. Oh my head! My eye poulticed shut.

(I actually think rain at night is a good thing and much better than rain during the day. Grandma had complained earlier that her mother (Mama) never seemed to be around when she really needed help, but it seems she was there this time.

As I wrote yesterday, I'd like to move on from all this sickness, lest I lose some people's interest, but you can't make up real life, you just have to keep going with it. It does get better for them, I promise!)

Wednesday, June 17, 1925

Wednesday, June 17, 1925

Poulticed myself up, my head bursting it seems. Gathering up one nostril and back of the eye. Now I can sympathize with the little ones. Dale got up with sore throat, fever, etc. Albert still feverish. We’re all plastered up with antiphlogistine. It’s a relief but oh, my. Papa started his taking iodine inwardly. Mama did the same.

(If I were writing a book about a housewife and mother in the 1920's, I would have long ago made everyone healthy and not continued all this discussion about being sick. However, this isn't fiction, it is Grandma's real life and so, we continue on. I looked up "antiphlogistine" and it is a paste that you can still get today, but many of the references are for a type that is used on horses for muscle strains. A quick check on iodine shows that it was indeed taken to cure "impending colds". I am sure Grandma's parents didn't want to get what she and her family all had!)

Tuesday, June 16, 1925

Tuesday, June 16, 1925

The soreness in my throat has traveled back to my glands under my ears. Felt awfully bum, all day. Seeded cherries most of the time. Had an electrical storm this PM and had to lie down with Albert. It was not as bad as last night’s however which was as severe as they make them, seems to me and we were both too nervous to sleep.

(Even when sick, Grandma didn't stop working. She had cherries to seed, and I'm sure they wouldn't keep. I don't know what kind of refrigeration they had, so I called Mom. Mom said they had a wooden ice box and when they needed an ice block, Grandma put a card in the window and the ice man would drive by each day, and if he saw the card, he would stop there and deliver whatever they needed, either a 25 pound block or a 50 pound block of ice. Mom said that's what they had until the late 30's or early 40's when they got an old used refrigerator with the coils on top. She remembers standing around the back of the ice truck and getting the chips of ice left when the ice man broke off the blocks of ice.)

Monday, June 15, 1925

Monday, June 15, 1925

Got up early to wash and got shocks every time I touched any thing about the washing – clothes, water, etc. It unnereved me so I simply went to pieces, Gilbert did all he could and the boys wrung out the rest. Got done early but was too done up to iron. Had a little soreness in my neck, too. Boys picked cherries.

(Not such a good day it seems. Sounds like Grandma had just about had it with everything.)

Sunday, June 14, 1925

Sunday, June 14, 1925

Had sore throat last night and felt generally bum. Papa and mama came over in PM. Guys drove around too. Ned seemed better but too hot to sleep. Albert’s neck swollen more than ever and he lays so quiet. His temperature 102.

(Remember, "Guys" is how Grandma referred to her brother Guy and his wife.

Albert seemed to still be fighting whatever it was that he had. They certainly had a different way of treating illnesses in 1925. So far from the diary entries, we know that Albert was examined by his grandfather (a "women's doctor") and a surgeon who lanced his gland, but no other doctors. Other than when they applied poultices to his neck, I do not recall Grandma mentioning in her diaries giving him any other medications. Certainly much different than today!)

Saturday, June 13, 1925

Saturday, June 13, 1925
Rain

The school boys got tickets for an attraction at Broad Ripple which implied free rides on every thing. They were wild to go and Gilbert promised to take them. We hadn’t counted on rain. But it didn’t rain much in the PM. The free rides were a hoax. They got one. Gilbert showed them a good time and took them on their first ride on the Thriller. Dick never said a word. Dale didn’t like it.

(I assume that by "school boys", Grandma was referring to just the older two boys, Dale and Dick. Sounds like they got their first taste of carnival rides, but weren't too "thrilled" with the Thriller. Can you imagine what the ride must have been like? Was it safety inspected before they let people ride it? I would assume not. I did a quick Internet search for more information on what these carnival rides might have been like in 1925, but didn't come up with much. Anyone find anything in their own search?

It was nice that they did get to go on an outing and do something different for a change, even if they only got to go on one ride.)

Friday, June 12, 1925

Friday, June 12, 1925

The last day at school. Dale got first prize again for having the most 100’s in the room for the term. Dick came in third for his room. Albert took a little worse this PM. His fever came up and he lay so quiet again. Poor little soul, I’m afraid this will get the best of him yet.

(School obviously went much later in the spring in 1925, and I would guess they didn't go back until after Labor Day in the fall. I think all of Grandma's children did well academically, and that certainly carried over to their adult lives. Three of her four sons went on to become college professors, in philosphy (Dick), theology (Albert) and geology (Ned) and Dale was a successful business man.

So, Albert's illness continued. I am guessing that he missed most of the last 6 weeks of schools being sick like he was. Hopefully, summer and warmer weather helped him get better!)

Thursday, June 11, 1925

Thursday, June 11, 1925
Cool

Dale’s foot better but he decided not to go barefooted for a while. Ned is improving, others can notice who are not with him so constantly. I can hardly notice a change. Cut out the nighties after the kiddies were in bed. Gilbert ordered a big ladder to get the cherries with. Albert helped pick and played with the boys in the garage.

(Grandma hadn't written too much about Dale, the oldest, or for that matter Dick, for awhile. It seemed her energies and thoughts were focused on Albert who was sick for so long, and then Ned, who also was sick. I am relieved to read that they began to improve after so long being ill.

She wrote a while ago that the boys went barefoot a lot in the warmer weather. I'm sure this did result in more foot ailments, such as the sore on Dale's foot.)

Wednesday, June 10, 1925

Wednesday, June 10, 1925
Cooler

Ned was better this AM but feverish toward evening. I managed to get a little mending done and seeded some cherries with him on my lap. Albert better, his gland still running. The boys have been picking cherries for me. Got about two gallon all together. Dale developed a sore on his foot which I doctored.

(Cherry picking time. They had at least one good cherry tree in their backyard. Grandma canned quite a bit it seems. Earlier she canned some pineapple she got from the "vegetable man" and the family enjoyed strawberries, which I also think were purchased, based on the time of year that they were eating them which was too early for strawberries to be ripe in central Indiana. Grandma doesn't mention harvesting any vegetables, so I am inclined to think that her gardening was more flowers and a few fruit trees, and not too many vegetables.)

My other grandmother would probably not have purchased nearly as much of their produce, since they lived on a farm. At this time of year, "country Grandma" would probably have been knee deep in peas and other early spring crops, working on preserving those for a growing family. I remember many stories about the large quantities of fruits and vegetables that they canned as each was harvested. It seems they never had a break in canning and preserving food as it became ready for harvesting.)

Tuesday, June 9, 1925

Tuesday, June 9, 1925
Warm

Ned fretful and I just had to do some ironing. Mama came over and wheeled Ned while I did what I had to. I’m discouraged about getting any vacation. The time is getting short and I have garments we need to make before we go and cherries to take care of. They are ripe now.

(A few days ago in her diary, Grandma lamented that her mother wasn't all that helpful; we see that on this date, she did come and help out some. Hopefully, clothes got made and the boys got well enough that the vacation plans worked out. We'll see. If had to make clothes for my vacation, it would be a long time before I had a vacation!

But at this point, it was cherry picking time! Now that's something I could do.)

Monday, June 8, 1925

Monday, June 8, 1925
Warm

Ned seemed better but his neck swollen yet so I tried electricity on it and his fever came right up. There must be pus in there. Albert had to have a poultice again last night. His gland is swollen more again. I shall poultice it at night and use ointment on it in day time. So keep other skin from being irritated. Poulticed Ned this eve.

(Not sure what that electricity thing is all about! Sounds a bit scary. It seems like treating Albert and Ned's illness was almost routine for Grandma at this point, applying poultices and ointments on a daily basis. I think from previous entries in the diary, the poultice was made from flaxseed.)

Sunday, June 7, 1925

Sunday, June 7, 1925
Cooler

Rain last night – a blessed relief. Not enough water fell to help the farmers a great deal, but the heat wave is broken all over the country and Ned is much better. He slept last night and not much fever now. Papa came over for dinner. Afternoon we sat on the porch while the boys read or drew. Had ice cream for supper “Oh boy!” Ned said.

(Sounds like they all had a nice day. I can just imagine them all sitting on the porch on a Sunday afternoon enjoying the cool day, better health, and each others' company. I assume the ice cream was home made. A couple of the pictures on Grandma's Pictures show the porch of the house, especially the 1st picture I posted.)

Saturday, June 6, 1925

Saturday, June 6, 1925
Hot

I write as I rock and hold the baby. He is a little better but still looks like the babies in a near East ad. Big, sad eyes in pale faces. Bony bodies, wasted away. It just breaks my heart to see him. Occasionally he smiles and plays a little. But his neck is stiff and swollen a little under the ears.

(Ned, the baby, was still sick. Sigh, when will they all be well again?)

Friday, June 5, 1925

Friday, June 5, 1925

Left the poultice off of Albert this AM. Gilbert is better and Ned slept late, so I washed. The dry heat wave is killing lots of people in the U.S.A. Poor little Ned. Sick and feverish yet although some better, so tottery he can’t walk across the room, but he hadn’t even tried before today.

(Heat wave? 1925 seems to have had its share of weather events. There was the tri-state tornado in March, which I think is still the deadliest on record, a mini heat wave at the end of April that set records for Indianapolis that are still standing, and then a frost in late May that damaged vegetable crops. Now a heat wave in June?

Seemed like everyone was a little better on this day, though not quite all 100 percent yet. But in 1925, what medicine did they have a for a 'quick fix'? They just had to ride these illnesses out with poultices and rest and hope for the best.)

Thursday, June 4, 1925

Thursday, June 4, 1925
Hot

Baby so bad his temperature 103. Poor little soul doesn’t know his daddy or brothers. His feeble cry for “mama” all the time breaks my heart. Gilbert and Albert better. My mother is never on hand when I really need her. But she seems to think she helps me a lot to hear her talk. Dick bit by Kersey’s dog and G. attacked.

(I am not sure what "G. attacked" is all about.)

Wednesday, June 3, 1925

Wednesday, June 3, 1925

Found Gilbert’s tonsils covered with patches. They hardly feel sore but probably cause the trouble. Papa swabbed them out. Washed Ned’s ears out with syringe and he seemed a little better. Went to sleep. I write as I hold him. I don’t rest or eat these days. Just hold Ned night and day.

(Rough couple of days for the Smith family. I'm sure it was helpful to have a physician in the family (Grandma's father "Papa") to tend to their ailments. I've heard stories that Grandma remembered as a little girl that her father spent a lot of time making medicines, which often involved simmering concoctions on the stove for days at a time. Then, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was started in 1906, he could no longer make and sell his own medicines. His specialty as a physician was gynecology.)

Tuesday, June 2, 1925

Tuesday, June 2, 1925
Hot

I got at the end of my string this evening. Such a pain in the pit of my stomach warns me if I eat, I’ll be next. Gilbert is real sick today. Temp 102, aches all over, etc. Albert seems a little better, still keep the poultices on him. Was up a dozen times in the night. Ned cried so much. So much worse today, I am so worried about him!

(Everyone was sick, what else can be said.)

Monday, June 1, 1925

Monday, June 1, 1925
Hot

Albert sick and quiet as can be, kept poultices fresh on him all day and night. Baby seemed a lot better. Albert is so good and no trouble at all. I got a little relief for the baby played with the boys some after they came home.

(I do feel for Grandma in this situation with a sick child who didn't seem to be getting better, but I promise he did get better over the summer. I'm still not sure what diagnosis they gave him, though I think there was mention of "glandular fever", which when you look it up is a reference to Mononucleosis.

The older boys must have still be in school on June 1.)