Tuesday, June 8, 1926

Tuesday, June 8, 1926

Washed and that was about all - my pep was gone after I had done that. Put Marjorie’s first colored romper on her. A pretty light blue of Ned's. It made her look awfully sweet. She doesn’t crawl yet but reaches so far she scoots over some way. I have to watch her on the porch. I put her on a rug but she gets off of it and gets awfully dirty.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Ah ha! I did wear some of Ned's cast-off clothes! According to my memory, Mother wouldn't let me wear slacks or pants when girls started wearing slacks. She always said she had enough boys and wanted me to be a girl. She eventually succumbed to the pressure of style, however.)

Monday, June 7, 1926

Monday, June 7, 1926
Fair and warmer

Still cleaning house. Dale and Dick carried their papers for the first time. But oh dear! Dale can hardly bear to take the time from his play. I guess it is just boy nature but Dale seems to get lazier every day. Has a fit if I want him to go to the store or do any little thing. He seems entirely good for nothing but what I have read makes me think that it is natural for boys to go through that stage, but just the same I hardly know how to handle him. The others aren’t quite so bad but resent doing all the errands.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "I simply can't imagine Dale ever having been lazy. Apparently he outgrew the lazy stage and the rest of his life he was very busy in his business, community, church, and from what I always heard, maintaining his home and gardening. I worried about one of my boys who seemed to be lazy and quite a dreamer, but apparently he woke up one day and is now a busy, successful business man. I was concerned about my children many years ago and asked Albert how to raise children. He smiled and simply said "just put your arms around them and lift up".

Albert, as has been noted before, became a Jesuit priest and had no children of his own.)

Sunday, June 6, 1926

Sunday, June 6, 1926
Rainy

Children’s day at Sunday school. Got them all ready but it rained so I didn’t think best to take them and risk their getting wet as Marjorie woke up hoarse this morning and I wouldn’t make her worse for anything. Then when it was too late it stopped raining and I was sorry I didn’t take them. However Gilbert stayed home and I went to church. Enjoyed the sermon but can’t get used to the fact that the minister is a stranger. He doesn’t know me at all although I have been introduced twice.

(They did not have a car, so had to rely on walking or buses or streetcars to go anywhere. Occasionally, a neighbor with a car, like Collins, would give them a ride. I'm sure it took a lot of effort to get everyone to church each week.)

Saturday, June 5, 1926

Saturday, June 5, 1926

Finished up the two main rooms downstairs, put up pictures, curtains, etc. Have to leave the little front room till next week. I’m sorry for I want to get done and sew. But the babies take so much attention I have to stop so often and wash my hands and change, feed, etc. Lots of trouble but oh my how worth it! They are such lovely babies pretty as pictures, a china blond doll of a boy and a jolly roly poly romp of a brown eyed baby girl. Dale bought his news route he has wanted so long of Robert Miller who is leaving the neighborhood. Dick got his magazine route.

(Grandma took a lot of pride in her home and the cleanliness of it, even though she didn't have a lot of money to spend on it. Sounds like the older boys are going into business with a paper route and a magazine route.)

Friday, June 4, 1926

Friday, June 4, 1926
Rainy

Cleaned house all day. Mama came over. She was too cold at home without a fire. She brought some beautiful flowers out of her yard. Got a letter from Nell. She says the babies have improved since she took my advice that Papa sent. I do hope the little darlings will thrive now. She says they hardly seem like the same babies. I think those same looking babies couldn’t survive the summer unless they pick up.

(I can't imagine being too cold in June. Remember earlier how Grandma visited Nell's twins and they were doing poorly? I guess her suggestions helped them out. Both are still living today.)

Thursday, June 3, 1926

Thursday, June 3, 1926
Cold

Built a fire again. Cleaned house all day.

(I can't imagine it getting so cold that they would have to put a fire in the coal furnace again.)

Wednesday, June 2, 1926

Wednesday, June 2, 1926
Cool

Cleaned the sitting room paper and part of the wood work. A man happened along selling Magic rug cleaner for woodwork, etc. so I bought it and it certainly is good. I don’t believe I even got it clean before. Am sorry we can’t varnish it now as it needs it awfully bad.

(Does anyone just happen along anymore, looking to sell something? Not too often!)

Tuesday, June 1, 1926

Tuesday, June 1, 1926
Cooler

Washed and ironed what I would have to have before Sunday.

(Grandma seemed to be always washing clothes and ironing them.)

Monday, May 31, 1926

Monday, May 31, 1926
Rain part of time

I got Gilbert to clean the paper in the stairway so I could finish the rest. Then I put my clothes to soak expecting to get a lot of work done this week. Then of course I had to make fudge, in the absence of cocoa I made it white with nuts and raisins in it. It was good, too.

(Grandma had a sweet tooth, I think.)

Sunday, May 30, 1926

Sunday, May 30, 1926

The boys went to Sunday school by themselves as usual and Gilbert and I started out together and I helped him on the College car with the babies then walked on to church. I waved at Mrs. Smith across the church and wanted to speak to her but when I got to her place she was gone. Then a lady asked me if I was a stranger, the new minister doesn’t know me at all and I felt like crying as I left the church although the sermon was fine. The boys read most of the time and behaved better than usual so we are enjoyed the day very well.

(I think Grandma knew the previous minister quite well, as he performed her wedding ceremony. But it is was a fairly large church, so it was probably difficult for the new minister to meet everyone. Here's a link with some more information on the history of the church they attended.)

Saturday, May 29, 1926

Saturday, May 29, 1926

Was pretty tired today and didn’t get my room finished. I felt like I could never go anyplace it tires me so the next day that it takes away all pleasure.

(Grandma seems to have a good day followed by a bad day most of the time).

Friday, May 28, 1926

Friday, May 28, 1926
Hot

Wanted to get the boys' room cleaned but had to get clothes, etc. ready to go to the May festival of the school at Caleb Mills hall this evening. Each room was represented and they certainly presented a lovely program of song, dances and drills. Dale was in a flag drill but the other two boys' classes were represented by girls only. We took the babies and all went. Marjorie was a little noisy and hard to hold but she wasn’t bad and Ned did fine too till just at the last he got tired. We all enjoyed it very much.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "As I recall Caleb Mills Hall was at Shortridge High School. Apparently, School 54 did not have an auditorium yet.

Grandma graduated from Shortridge High School in 1910 and her graduation program indicates it took place in Caleb Mills Hall, too.

Another famous Shortridge graduate was the author Kurt Vonnegut. He wrote, "“It's my dream of America with great public schools. I thought we should be the envy of the world with our public schools. And I went to such a public school. So I knew that such a school was possible. Shortridge High School in Indianapolis produced not only me, but the head writer on the I LOVE LUCY show. And, my God, we had a daily paper, we had a debating team, had a fencing team. We had a chorus, a jazz band, a serious orchestra. And all this with a Great Depression going on. And I wanted everybody to have such a school.”

Senator Richard Lugar also graduated from Shortridge.

All of Grandma's children graduated from Arsenal Technical High School (If you click on that link, be aware it plays some music.))

Thursday, May 27, 1926

Thursday, May 27, 1926

Cleaned the front room up stairs. Wall paper, etc., got it all done, even the curtains up.

(Spring cleaning continued!)

Wednesday, May 26, 1926

Wednesday, May 26, 1926
Fair and warm

Cleaned the attics. Mama came over before I got through. She always thinks she has to help me in whatever I do and it is laughable only hard to get my work done. I guess she really means to help, but she really comes to tell me her latest troubles with Winifred and Mable, and she talks so much, she forgets what she came for and I can’t work half so fast with anyone talking to me.

(The house as I knew it had one long attic room, which was really a room under the eaves on one side of the house. It was a dark, dusty place that we were all afraid to go into because along one wall there was a long box about the size of a coffin. Who knew what was in there?!

There were two rooms under the eaves on the other side of the upstairs, which at one time might have been attic space, but these were made in to two small rooms at some point. In one of the rooms, there was a small table next to a cot and on it was the skeleton of long-dead scorpion brought back from somewhere by one of the boys, no doubt.

There are some jobs that go faster with two people, other jobs are best done alone. I guess Grandma preferred to work alone, especially if her Mama wasn't all that interested in getting the work done, anyway.)

Tuesday, May 25, 1926

Tuesday, May 25, 1926
Hot

Got all my ironing done and some left from last week, and all put away too. Have plenty of pep again I am so thankful.

(I want some of "Papa's Tonic", whatever it was!)

Monday, May 24, 1926

Monday, May 24, 1926
Hot

Washed and got done fairly early. I feel lots better than I did last week. The men came this afternoon to put on the new roof.

(Coincidently, I'll be getting a new roof one week from today, meaning 81years and 1 week after Grandma got a new roof, I'm getting a new roof. I plan to be home when they do it, at least in the beginning to make sure they use the right shingles. But after awhile, I think the pounding on the roof will be annoying, so I'll leave.

"Papa's Tonic" must have done the trick to make Grandma feel better!)

Sunday, May 23, 1926

Sunday, May 23, 1926

Had Papa and Mama come for dinner.

(Grandma must have been feeling better, to have company for Sunday dinner).

Saturday, May 22, 1926

Saturday, May 22, 1926

Felt a little better.

(The tonic that Grandma's papa sent over must have helped.)

Friday, May 21, 1926

Friday, May 21, 1926
Hot

Mildred and Carl were here for supper.

(Mildred was Grandma's niece and Carl was Mildred's husband.)

Thursday, May 20, 1926

Thursday, May 20, 1926

The Sunday school entertained their mothers at Mrs. Chantilla White on N. Meridian St. so I got the babies ready. Met Mama at Penn. St. and went. Marjorie went to sleep going and slept all afternoon upstairs on a bed till time to put our wraps on. Everyone admired her then and I certainly am proud to “show her off”. She is such a pretty little baby – not little either – big for her age. But just so sweet and jolly and lovable.

(From reading the diaries, it appears as though most of Grandma's social life was related to her church acvtivities.)

Wednesday, May 19, 1926

Wednesday, May 19, 1926

Felt like I was at the end of my string today. Had to lie down most of the time. Called Papa up and told him my troubles so he said he would send a tonic out. I haven’t an ache or a pain but feel as if every step would be my last.

(I wonder what was wrong with Grandma, and what was in the tonic her father sent to her?)

Tuesday, May 18, 1926

Tuesday, May 18, 1926
Fair and warm

I got up pep enough to wash and that’s about all.

(Seems Grandma was still wiped out from their day-trip to Crawfordsville.)

Monday, May 17, 1926

Monday, May 17, 1926

Dead tired. I talked to Papa about the twins and he told me to tell Nell to stop boiling their milk and to put lime water and essence of pancreatin in their feedings, so I wrote to her right away. Was too tired to do any work anyway. I do hope I can help do those babies some good. Bess says she won’t listen to anybody and seems to think they are ok although they can not hold their heads up at five months. But I suspect it is Bess she won’t listen to. She thinks she knows so much more than anyone else, and really knows the least, and is overbearing I don’t blame Nell for not heeding her.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "By the time the twins and I were running around and playing my recollection was that they were as husky and big as much as I was."

By the way, here's a picture of Bess from when she was younger.)

Sunday, May 16, 1926

Sunday, May 16, 1926
Fair and warm

Gilbert and I with the two babies got the seven o’ clock inter urban for Crawfordsville without any trouble or rush with the three biggest troublemakers gone. Nell and Mike came in to Dad’s for dinner and we took pictures of all the babies. Nell’s poor little twins are so weak and poor. They cry so pitifully and their eyes look so pitiful and their little faces drawn up and wrinkled like little old women. They remind me of Mother Smith the day before she died. Their hands like bird claws. I wish I knew something to do for them. Marjorie was so lively. She rompered all day in the pink of condition, made friends with everybody.

(I had to laugh about Grandma referring to Dale, Dick and Albert as "troublemakers". Marjorie wrote that "the boys must have had to walk about half a mile to Grandpa Smith's house. Grandpa must have met the boys where they got off the interurban", referring to their trip yesterday.

Nell is one of Gilbert's older sisters, and Mike is her husband. The twins were born on Christmas Day 1925, so were just a few months younger than Marjorie. Grandma wasn't too complimentary on how they looked, but I think was genuinely concerned for their health and well-being.)

Saturday, May 15, 1926

Saturday, May 15, 1926

Got the boys off to Crawfordsville, their first trip out of town alone.

(I think this is why Grandma didn't have time to post on the 14th. She was too busy getting her oldest three boys ready to go out of town, alone. I think they took a bus, the "interurban".)

Friday, May 14, 1926

No diary entry for today. Based on what is coming up for Grandma for the weekend, I can understand why she was too busy to write an entry on this day. Stay tuned to see what happens tomorrow.

Thursday, May 13, 1926

Thursday, May 13, 1926
Partly cloudy

(Another day when it seemd that Grandma had time to only record two words about the weather. We all have days like that at times!)

Wednesday, May 12, 1926

Wednesday, May 12, 1926
Fair and warmer

Mildred’s wedding day

(Mildred, born on March 13, 1904, was the daughter of Grandma's brother, Guy, and his first wife Ella. According to the family history that Grandma wrote, Mildred married Carl Nash and lived in Brownsburg, Indiana all of her married life. She had two children, Joyce Eileen, born June 1, 1929, and James Carl, born June 6, 1932.

It's interesting how the generations overlap. Mildred is my mom's cousin, but my mom (Eleanor) was not born until 1929, so she was more the age of Mildred's children.

Guy and Ella had another daughter, Onarga, and two sons, Robert and Donald. Guy divorced Ella in 1930, and married a woman named Vangie, who worked for him. Onarga (who went by Nan) was also working for her father at the time, but left after the divorce.)

Tuesday, May 11, 1926

Tuesday, May 11, 1926
Fair and cool

("Fair and cool" is all Grandma wrote on this day.)

Monday, May 10, 1926

Monday, May 10, 1926
Cool and rainy

Built another fire

(It must have been quite a bit of work to heat a house with a coal furnace. I assume that's the fire they built because they didn't have any fireplaces in the house. It must have gotten very cold for them to build another fire in the furnace.)

Sunday, May 9, 1926

Sunday, May 9, 1926
Hot – rain – cooler

Mother’s Day – took Marjorie to Sunday school for her first time and finally got the prize for having the youngest daughter there. When Albert, Dick were both little they were the youngest but they never gave the prize to boys, so they didn’t count. But now I have it at last. After Sunday school we went to the folks and I had to give my prize flowers to Mama as I was too poor to buy her anything. Guys came in and brought us home and I was so grateful as I was afraid Marjorie was too cool and would take more cold.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote that Grandma told her the flowers were sweet peas.)

Saturday, May 8, 1926

Saturday, May 8, 1926
Hot

The boys took their lunches and with four others of the neighborhood followed the creek up to where they call “Cherry Hole”. They left at 8:00 and were gone to 3:30. Had a big time - saw a snake, etc. These boys don’t appreciate their privileges or what a good time they are having. That’s all right. I want them to look back on their childhood as happy days. I don’t , only a few days – most of them were long, lonely days, and I guess the same is true of Gilbert. Of course I was uneasy about them but I shant let my fears spoil their fun.

(These boys were young by today's standards to be going off like that for a day. Dale, the oldest, was not quite ten, Dick was about eight, and Albert was six. But I guess it was different back then, it must have been.

Grandma wrote in her family history that her family moved around a lot when she was younger, and because she was shy, she didn't make friends quickly. So she spent a lot of time by herself or with her mother.

Gilbert suffered as a child from something they called "white fever" which affected his hip, so he was bedridden for several months and didn't start school until he was almost 8 years old. And then he had to use crutches or a cane because the illness, whatever it was, left him with one leg shorter than the other. I'm sure it was not easy to be different and older than your classmates, but Grandma wrote that he quickly caught up with schoolwork and I think eventually ended up at least going to school with kids his own age. He also had two older sisters that, according to Grandma's history, tried to tell him what to do all the time!)

Friday, May 7, 1926

Friday, May 7, 1926
Hot

After school we all went down town on the bus and got Marjorie the sweetest little hood. Met Papa and he bought the three bigger boys a pair of nice pants a piece. He certainly got good ones, the prettiest they ever had, paid more than we could have, and I do hope they can keep them nice a long time.

(That must have been quite a trip with all five children!)

Thursday, May 6, 1926

Thursday, May 6, 1926
Hot
I ironed and got along pretty well with it. Then I had lots of mending to do. This morning Ned went out with the brown pants on that Mama patched yesterday and came in in a few minutes with them torn. I said “Why Ned did you tear your pants again?” “Oh, Momma be back” he said. Nell is going to have a surprise on Mike's birthday Sunday and wants us to come, but we are undecided on account of Marjorie’s cold and it is too near the first of the month to be convenient, too.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Why is it too close to the first of the month? Maybe payday was on the 10th? Anyway, I don't understand what she meant." Eleanor wrote that she thought the same thing, that the concern was about when payday was. Actually, I think the problem is that Gilbert was an accountant, so this would be a busy time at work, trying to close out the books for the previous month. We know from other diary entries that he often worked on Saturdays, at least. I don't know if he also had to do some work on Sundays when it was a busy time.

Nell was one of Gilbert's two older sisters, and Mike was her husband. Here's a link to a picture of Nell when she was much younger.)

Wednesday, May 5, 1926

Wednesday, May 5, 1926
Fair and warm

Scrubbed the porch this morning and got so hot at it that I started a head ache that almost put me out of business for a few hours. Mama came and Mrs. Collins was over so I wouldn’t have gotten at my ironing till afternoon anyway, so after I got my work done I sewed and Mama patched Ned’s new brown wool pants we made last week. In the evening after school Dale put the old swing of Don’s that Guy had given me for Ned so Marjorie could be outdoors and watch the world go by.

(Click here to see what the front porch looked like.)

Tuesday, May 4, 1926

Tuesday, May 4, 1926
Fair and warmer

Dick 1 ½ lbs underweight, his height 49 inches, weight 53 ½ lbs. Dale 1 lb. underweight. His height 53 inches, weight 67 lbs. Albert is 2 ¾ lbs overweight. His height is 44 ½ his weight is 47 ¾ lbs. Wash day. Got done early enough to do quite a bit of ironing, too. Marjorie still has a bad cold but I am hoping warm weather will come and I can put her out in the sum and she will be better.

(This seems like an odd combination of thoughts for one day's diary entry. I wonder if she measured and weighed the boys or if they did that at the school? I would think if she had taken them to a doctor, she would have mentioned that.

And I thought Monday's were wash day?)

Monday, May 3, 1926

Monday May 3, 1926
Cooler

Report cards out, second report. They read

Dale Dick Albert
Reading AA AA CB
Language – Oral AA BB
Language – Written AA AA
Spelling AA AA
Arithmetic AA AA
Abstract AA AA
Reasoning AA AA
Nature Study BB
Geography AA
Civics AA
History AA
Writing AA AA+ CB+
Drawing AA BB
Music BB BB+
Physical training AA

Dale perfect in “habits and attitudes of good citizenship” Dick lacking in promptness, self direction, self control and respect for his own property. Albert perfect in “attitudes”.

(I think Albert had fewer grades because he was either still in kindergarten or just in first grade.

Eleanor wrote, "Albert got the low grades in reading and writing, but he's the one who ended up learning languages like Latin, Greek, Hebrew, etc."

Albert is the one who became a Jesuit priest and taught Theology at the University of San Francisco. I posted about that here.

Dick must have over come his lack of self-direction. He eventually taught Philosophy at the University of Louisville. I posted about him here.

Dale was a successful businessman and was depuy mayor of Modesto, California at one time.)

Sunday, May 2, 1926

Sunday, May 2, 1926
Cooler in evening

Marjorie slept most all day, seemed to breathe a trifle easier. She must feel better to sleep so. Gilbert took Ned to Sunday school and Ned cried in the baby room but was as still as a mouse in the Men’s class after they took him to Gilbert.

(Ned must have been "daddy's little boy". I always thought that in the 1920's, fathers weren't too involved with their children. I probably got that perception from the movies. Does anyone else have that perception, or just me? But Gilbert seems to be a "hands on" father to take his two-year to church on Sunday.)

Saturday, May 1, 1926

Saturday, May 1, 1926
Hot

Marjorie gets her breath so hard, is cross, can’t sleep and does not take her bottle. Ned got up too with an awful cold a little feverish, etc. But after breakfast he went outdoors and sat in the warm sunshine all day watching the boys and by evening his cold seemed to be gone. We all changed to summer underwear. Ned tore his new brown pants.

(I would guess that today most people don't have different summer underwear from what they wear in the winter time. But back then it was probably a necessity to stay warm in a house heated with a coal furnace.

Eleanor wrote, "I wonder if some of their problems were allergies? Ned did suffer from hayfever... I remember the change to summer socks and how good the air felt on my legs after wearing long socks all winter.

And just like in 1926, today in 2007, it will also be hot.)

Friday, April 30, 1926

Friday, April 30, 1926
Hot

Let the fire go out but it got too hot before it went and Marjorie took an awful cold. She rattles something awful when she breathes. Made Gilbert’s shirt with goods Mama gave him for Christmas.

(They did not seem to buy any of their clothes. I'm sure the fabric was nice, but it seems like an odd Christmas gift, since it meant more work for Grandma.)

Thursday, April 29, 1926

Thursday, April 29, 1926
Warmer

(Another diary entry with nothing noted except it was warmer. Spring can be busy!)

Wednesday, April 28, 1926

Wednesday, April 28, 1926
Cool

Mama came and we mended. She helped me some this time. Made the buttonholes for Ned’s new brown pants I made last Friday.

(I wonder what made this day different that her Mama was a help versus a hindrance to her work?)

Tuesday, April 27, 1926

Tuesday, April 27, 1926
Warmer

Didn’t get my ironing done till supper time for all my good start yesterday.

(At times, Grandma's world did seem to revolve around washing and ironing clothes. Some days, ironing must have been all she did, and I think that even when she wasn't ironing, she was thinking about how she needed to get to her ironing.

What's our 21st century "ironing"? What are we constantly doing or worrying about not doing?)

Monday, April 26, 1926

Monday, April 26, 1926

Got up early and washed got done by noon and ironed some in the afternoon but was so tired by supper I don’t know whether it pays or not.

(Eleanor wrote, "Sounds like she could have used some household help. I'm always exhausted after reading about her work day."

My other grandmother, who lived on a working farm in southern Indiana, had a hired girl who came and helped with cooking and all, especially during the summers when they were canning food.)

Sunday, April 25, 1926

Sunday, April 25, 1926
Cooler in evening

Took Ned to Sunday school and wore my new hat and coat and nearly froze. I should have worn my winter coat but I feel so tacky in it.

(Eleanor wrote, "I remember having new Easter clothes and insisting on wearing them even when it was cold enough for winter coats."

I can't believe Grandma thought she should have a winter coat so late in the spring...)

Saturday, April 24, 1926

No diary entry for this day. Maybe it was one of those beautiful spring days and they spent it outside working in the yard? Grandma liked to garden and I remember she had many different flowers in her back yard, along with a quince shrub. I think in the 1920's, she also grew some vegetables and had more fruit trees than later on when she was living alone.

Friday, April 23, 1926

Friday, April 23, 1926

Made a Ned a new suit and a pair of pants, fixed up his old ones. He had torn the back of one pair and the front of the other so, as they were the same goods, I ripped the bad front out of one pair and put the good front in and they are okay for Sunday. Last week he cried to go with the boys so I promised to take him next Sunday.

(Eleanor wrote, "Good repair job, but she had a lot of experience mending clothes."

I can't sew at all. Grandma would be appalled at how I sew on a button. And sewing clothes? Out of my league. Mom (Eleanor) sewed a lot of our clothes when we were growing up, and did a great job.)

Thursday, April 22, 1926

Thursday, April 22, 1926
Warmer

Hoping Spring might be on the way. I invoiced the boxes in the attic and got out our summer underwear, boy’s short sleeved waists, etc.

(Eleanor wrote, "I got my summer clothes out too early this year (2007) which is why we had a cold spell!)

Wednesday, April 21, 1926

Wednesday, April 21, 1926
Fair and warm

Spring at last. The first day I could dress the baby without putting on an extra little sack around her shoulders. I thought I would get some sewing done today, but had to mend first as usual and that took all day. Ned tore his best and only wool pants so if it doesn’t get warm by Sunday, we will have to stay home again and last Sunday he said when the boys left that he wanted to go to Sunday school, too and I told him we would next time. He is old enough to start regularly now, and get used to playing with other children.

(I feel the same way in 2007, "spring at last". I thought it would never get here!)

Tuesday, April 20, 1926

Tuesday, April 20, 1926
Fair and warmer

I felt awfully bum today – felt like I might be taking the flu. Took anti cold tabs, etc but ironing was uphill business. I got done however although it was draggy work and I ought to have finished lots sooner, but I had to stop and lie down a while at noon. Ned and Marjorie both still have their head colds. Lots of people are cleaning house and I must get at it as soon as their colds dry up a little. I dread it this year as these two babies will be right with me in the dirt and inhale all of it.

(Eleanor wrote, "This must be spring cleaning season when everyone tried to get the soot and dirt out of their homes. I know I always had to clean the wallpaper."

Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Spring housecleaning was very important every year. I can remember all of us kids spending spring vacation cleaning wallpaper, varnishing floors and steps, cleaning windows, and Mother washing curtains. It was kind of exciting accomplishing things."

Also, I've added some additional throughts from Aunt Marjorie to April 18 and April 19.)

Monday, April 19, 1926

Monday, April 19, 1926
Fair

Still cool. I got the washing out by noon and ironed some in the afternoon. The boys – me too and Marjorie all have colds in our heads. They insist in playing out and digging a cave in the damp ground. They turned the sand box upside down over it a for a roof, just had a little opening in it big enough to get in. It was dark down there so they got a wick for the old lantern and took it down there. But Gilbert put a stop to that for if it should upset and explode the boys would not have a chance in the world to get out before they burned to death.

(Those boys were at it again. Must have been quite a big hole if the three older boys fit in it. Good thing Gilbert was there to stop them from setting themselves on fire. Remember, these boys still fairly young when they were doing this. Dale, the oldest, was not quite 10.

Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Our backyard was only 40 feet wide (I believe) but long. The half close to the house contained a vegetable garden and a lot of flowers and forysthia, snowball bush, and lilacs & grapes. Then an apple tree and a couple of cherry trees & quince - then the back with an old barn like building and plenty of space for the boys to dig all they wanted to. One summer, they built a "town" with roads to drive their little metal cars on. I thought it was a perfect yard to live with. Oh, yes, Daddy got 2 tall pipes from the gas company connected at the top holding the clothes line with a swing for Eleanor and me.)

Sunday, April 18, 1926

Sunday, April 18, 1926
Fair and warmer

Papa and Mama came over for dinner. Winifred was to have come too but Mable arrived from Memphis at 11:35 and Winifred had to go home with her as she was so tired. She has been there since the first of the month, where she applied for a divorce and custody of Winifred. It seems to me if she is as bad as Harry makes out, she ought not be allowed to have Winifred if he thinks as much of her as he lets on. The boys went out and were rolling down the long ladder in the barrel my dishes came in and Dale tore his good clothes so Gilbert got them in and give them a whipping.

(Harry was Grandma's brother, Mable was his wife and Winifred was their daughter. I think later Harry ended up with Winifred, but I'm not sure how it all worked out that way. I know that Winifred joined the Army during WWII and married a solder, who was killed in the war. She was pregnant when she was given the news of her husband's death, and ended up in labor, giving birth to twin boys. She and her father, Harry, ended up raising the two boys.

It sounds like my uncles were quite the daredevils as young boys. I can't believe they got in the barrel and rolled down a ladder in it. What were they thinking!?

Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Mother had said that this was the only time Daddy ever spanked his kids, as he felt so bad about it afterward. Mother did the spanking and didn't believe in leaving the discipline to children - not fair to Dads having to be the "bad guy". ... I have heard not too many nice things about Aunt Mabel, but I always liked her and she was good to me. Mother always had good relationships with Mabel. Besides, I remember the beautiful flower garden she had in Irvington when I was young. Mabel taught Winifred the lovely needlecraft work they were both masters of.")

Saturday, April 17, 1926

Saturday, April 17, 1926
Snow

A cold damp disagreeable day. However I went to the show at the Apollo. Harold Lloyd’s “For Heaven’s Sake”. It was good. It looked foolish for me to go out in the bad weather but I had stayed in so long, was disappointed so often that Gilbert insisted that I go and get a good laugh. I did.

(Note for the weather, Grandma wrote "snow". 81 years later, we've had a few "cold, damp disagreeable" days in April, too.)

Friday, April 16, 1926

Friday, April 16, 1926

An awfully discouraging day and I don’t like to record my discouragements as they really do not last long and always are a result of my not feeling quite tip top. I am very nervous this week and below par all around.

(Everyone has bad weeks, it seems, even in the "roaring 20's". Maybe it had to do with paying taxes because since 1913, when the 16th amendment was passed, there has been a permanent income tax in the United States.

Thursday, April 15, 1926

Thursday, April 15, 1926
Fair

A lovely day but cold. I feel much better but Marjorie has taken such a bad head cold and Ned too, so I was undecided as to whether to take them or not. I called up Mrs. Collins and found she had the flu and Pegg’s had it too. Well I guess there is lots of it around and all the children diseases too, so I had better not expose the babies with their colds. I was so disappointed I had a cry about it. I have been shut in so long. But I guess the two babies are worth it and I can go plenty when they are bigger.

(Grandma was upset she couldn't go someplace, I assume it was to the Sunday school party she mentioned in yesterday's diary entry.)

Wednesday, April 14, 1926

Wednesday, April 14, 1926
Partly cloudy

Mothers’ meeting at the school. Entertainment by the primary grades and Albert was in it and I wanted to go so bad, but I had a bad sick headache and had to lie down a while. I simply wouldn’t make it over there. Mended what time I could work and shortened my coat, so as to be ready to go tomorrow to the Sunday school class party at Mrs. Raferts.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "I recognize the name Rafert. When I was in Methodist Hospital with appendix operation when I was 18, Cora Rafert was at the same hospital and had a bouquet sent to my room, as she had so many flowers and no room for them all.

I would guess Albert was also disappointed that Grandma didn't make it the mother's meeting at school.)

Tuesday, April 13, 1926

Tuesday, April 13, 1926
Warm and fair

Ironed all day. Put the baby on a comfort on the floor in the door in the sun. It would have been a lovely day to go out, but of course nothing doing in that line for me.

(Tuesday seems to be the day for ironing, since Monday was the day for washing! I can't imagine spending a whole day ironing, especially if it was a nice day outside.)

Monday, April 12, 1926

Monday, April 12, 1926
Clear and cool

Washed as usual.

(Grandma always did her laundry on Monday. I do mine on Saturday and it doesn't take near the effort. When do you do your laundry?)

Sunday, April 11, 1926

Sunday, April 11, 1926

Well it turned cool and rainy so we went to the folks between showers but I wore my old coat. Ventured my new hat and didn’t get it wet it happens. The kids were worse than usual. They didn’t know what to do with themselves and we had a time keeping them from tearing up jack. Was glad when the time came to come home.

(Hats were an important part of a woman's wardrobe in the 1920's. And Grandma worked as milliner (hat maker) before she got married, so I think she had an 'eye' for pretty hats.

Those boys must have been something else when they all played together. Hmmm... reminds me of a couple of nephews, well, actually reminds me of all of my nephews who in their day were quite capable of "tearing up jack".)

Saturday, April 10, 1926

Saturday, April 10, 1926
Fair and warm

Hustled around and got the house all cleaned up. Bathed Ned and Dick and went to town after Gilbert came to take care of Marjorie. This spring like weather makes me want to get out in some new togs. I had $25 to go on. Got Dick and Ned shoes, me a spring coat and hat, Ned a hat and stockings. A few notions and had 6 to go on. Felt like I did well at that. Came home too tired to shorten my coat. I’m getting so fat I take a 42 now and it is too long. I can easily fix it.

(Grandma did pretty good with what she got for $25! I used an online calculator to determine that she had about $287 in today's dollars.

On the dishes she wrote about yesterday, Mom commented that she doesn't remember them. My sister and I don't remember them either. We wonder if we have the wrong pattern or she didn't have them for long?)

Friday, April 9, 1926

Friday, April 9, 1926
Fair and warm

A big day for my new set of dishes came. The Maytime pattern, Martha Washington design very good looking, however the salesman misrepresented the things to me to get my order and I had to pay freight and have it hauled out, which I was not expecting to do. I had intended put in a big day sewing and got Gilbert’s shirt started and that’s about all. It took all afternoon to unpack and wash the dishes. Marjorie nursing and grabs my pen as I try to write so I will have to give up.

(The best I can do to provide a picture of what these new dishes looked like is this link on eBay, which may not be there for long. I don't recall dishes with this pattern. I have some of Grandma's plates, but they are all different designs. I'm told that when she got married, brides received all kinds of dishes with different patterns.)

Thursday, April 8, 1926

Thursday, April 8, 1926
Cool – rainy – clear in evening

Marjorie let me get a good night’s rest last night and I got up at 5:30 with more pep than usual. Got my work done early – cut out a shirt for Gilbert and then Mama came. She talked and talked and I picked up some mending because I couldn’t do anything else. Marjorie couldn’t sleep, and the day seemed to end in a fizzle in spite of my good beginning. Got a few little odd jobs of mending done – that’s all. Went in the attic and got out my box of short baby clothes for Marjorie and found lots of things that she needs now. She will be on the floor as soon as it is warm enough.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Apparently I was about to start crawling!"

Grandma still seemed to get a lot done in a day! I guess she didn't have distractions of television, the Internet, etc. , just her mother.)

Wednesday, April 7, 1926

Wednesday, April 7, 1926
Warm rain

Felt awfully draggy. I guess I took a little cold washing. Spent all day doing what ought to have been done in half a day. Cleaned up the house thoroughly, put away the clothes, scrubbed and didn’t get to mending till after supper. Sent Dale down to Papa’s office with a sample of Ned’s urine and he came back with the report that his kidneys were ok. However his appetite is poor and he sent some medicine I judge a tonic. Everyone seems about over the pink eye now although several of us seem to have weak eyes yet.

(Remember that Papa was a physician. They seemed to have needed his services quite often. I wonder if other people consulted physicians as often as they did in 1926, or was that just one of the benefits of having a physician in the family?

And even feeling draggy, Grandma seems to get more done in a day than I would. Note she said she "cleaned the house thoroughly".)

Tuesday, April 6, 1926

Tuesday, April 6, 1926
Rain

Gilbert went to the office so I stacked my dishes in the sink. Only picked up the muss on the floor and left the cleaning till after my ironing was done thinking that possibly if I hurried I could finish any ironing by noon. So of course I had to get caught – when my house is dirty. Bess came and Gilbert came back – the two crankiest people I now of. Bess has quit Wasson’s and is going back to Crawfordsville to her old place which has changed hands. She feels good over that but the Drs. say she has chronic appendicitis and needs an operation, so that makes her blue. Well I had to stop and get a meal instead of the lunch the boys and I would have had, cleaned up the house and ironed till almost 5 o’clock.

(Grandma noted in her family history that Bess always had a job and supported herself all her life, though she did end up in the county nursing home before she died.

I guess Gilbert was cranky because of the pink eye, and maybe he was sent home work because he still had it.)

Monday, April 5, 1926

Monday, April 5, 1926
Cloudy and north wind

Mr. Hile the superintendent of the plant would rather Gilbert stayed home then run the risk of getting the pink eye so he had plenty of his office work here to do and he also watched the baby while I washed. Ned was playing around me and climbed the wire fence. “Oh no Ned, you mustn’t climb that” I said. “I will” sang out Ned, imitating Dale who is not disobedient but tries to be funny. “Don’t do that” I say – “all right I will” he replies but he doesn’t all the same. Dick had the stomach ache this AM yet – all night in fact – and didn’t go to school till noon. Too much Easter candy.

(I guess we have our answer, the boys did get Easter candy. I wonder if Grandma made the candy, like she made the candy for Christmas?

Ned sounds like quite a handful as a two year old, I would guess it didn't help that he had three older brothers to imitate and learn from.)

Sunday, April 4, 1926

Sunday, April 4, 1926

Easter. The folks came out for dinner and Papa pronounced our ailment “pink eye” all right. Our eye salve was the best thing for it. I’ve heard of other cases that were pretty serious.

(Easter. I wonder if they had an egg hunt for the boys, if they had any special foods they cooked for Easter dinner? Did the boys get Easter baskets?)

Saturday, April 3, 1926

Saturday, April 3, 1926

I have the eye ailment and although I had intended to take Dick down town and get him some pants I did not plan to go but here suddenly Gilbert developed it too at work. However, he took Dick although his eyes are as bad as mine but I had so many other things to look after. Dale is about all right again.

(Today if a child has pink eye, they won't take them at a day care, because we know how contagious it is. If someone shows up with work and says their child is home with pink eye, we treat that person, who doesn't have it, a though they are a leper, it seems. I still wonder if they knew how to keep from spreading pink eye through the whole family?)

Friday, April 2, 1926

Friday, April 2, 1926

My eyes begin to bother me. I guess it is the “pink eye” from the way it goes around.

(I guess Grandma was just destined to catch this from the boys. In the 1920's, were they aware of how infections like this spread?)

Thursday, April 1, 1926

Thursday, April 1, 1926

Dale’s eyes got red and mattery. The boys are not having nice weather for their vacation. It was so bad out I had no trouble keeping Dale in with his eyes although it was hard on us all to have them in the house for they made airplanes out of the furniture, scattered Lincoln logs and blocks all over the house – kept Marjorie awake and nearly raised the roof. I don’t know how to train them to be less noisy in the house. They talk and laugh at the tops of their voices at all times and it is awful.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Reminds me when Ned and Virginia kept our 2 boys for a couple of weeks when they were 6 & 9 years old, and they complained my boys were so loud!"

Sounds like Grandma is having quite a week, and whatever they have (pink eye?) they are giving to each other.)

Wednesday, March 31, 1926

Still spring break for Grandma and the older boys, so no diary entry today.

Dale was born in 1916, so he would be about 10 years old,
Dick was born in 1918, so he would be about 8 years old,
Albert was born in 1920, so he would be about 6 years old,
Ned was born in 1923, so he would be about 3 years old,
Marjorie was born in 1925, so she is an infant.

No wonder there were days when Grandma didn't write in her diary! No television, video games, or Internet to keep everyone too busy. Just books, playing games, and other "non electronic" activities.

Tuesday, March 30, 1926

With the older boys home for spring break, I guess Grandma did not have time to update her diary on this date.

By the way, did I tell you I posted another picture of Grandma with her brothers?

And on the sidebar are pictures of the four boys. They look like mischief in that picture!

Monday, March 29, 1926

Monday, March 29, 1926

Spring vacation this week so I don’t expect to do much good at my work. With the boys in and out so noisy Marjorie never sleeps so good and they mess things up as fast as I can straighten so it will be a treadmill week I expect. I washed as usual today.

(Spring break must have been quite a time, since they would not have gone on vacation. The boys would be "tearing up Jack", as Grandma would say.)

Sunday, March 28, 1926

No diary entry today, but some more info on Elizabeth Campbell, from Aunt Marjorie.

"My brothers sometimes liked to tease our Grandmother Campbell. One summer day a girl wearing shorts (not too common in the 30's) passed the house and Grandmother commented, 'There's a naked girl going down the street!' The boys, with exaggeration, ran to the window and cried 'Where - where?'. Grandmother didn't approve of the way girls dressed, however when I badly wanted a bathing suit to go swimming with school friends, she gave money to Mother to buy me a suit, in June, in advance of my October birthday".

Does any generation approve of the way the next generation dresses?

Saturday, March 27, 1926

The snow from the previous day must have done Grandma in... no diary entry today or tomorrow. There is a diary entry on March 29th.

I would like to note that I have been referring to my Great-Grandmother as Nancy Elizabeth Jordan Campbell, because that was her name. However, Aunt Marjorie wrote me to let me know that Great-Grandmother didn't use Nancy as part of her name because she didn't like it.

Aunt Marjorie wrote, "She dis-liked her first name. I once asked Mother why she didn't give me a pretty name like Nancy and she said it was because Grandmother hated it. At the Jordan reunions at Gibson City, IL or Renssalaer, IN all I heard was "Aunt Lizzie". In Indianapois and at church she was simply "Elizabeth Campbell". The gravestone at Crown Hill Cemetery simply says "Dr. Rolla W. & Elizabeth Campbell. I believe she didn't feel like she was a "Nancy".

Friday, March 26, 1926

Friday, March 26, 1926
Winter again – snow

Ned’s eyes are all red today and Marjorie’s too.

(Note what Grandma wrote about the weather... they had snow in March. It happens occasionally. We had snow and ice on this date in 2002, yet in 2007, we'll have temperatues in the mid 70's. Who can know what to plan for from year to year?)

(I've posted another picture, this one is of Grandma with her brothers, probably taken around 1895 or so. Click here to see it.)

Thursday, March 25 ,1926

Thursday, March 25, 1926
Colder

I was real disappointed in not getting my mending done today. Mama came over and I had so many little things to do and she usually puts in part of the time although she is slow at sewing and doesn’t accomplish much but every little bit helps – buttons to sew on – patches, etc. but she never put on a thimble, but sat and talked and watched me – so unlike her who always wants to help. Collins’ came over in the evening and talked roofing after prayer meeting till almost midnight. I think Ned has been writing with my pen.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Collins must have gone to church for the Thursday night service. John Collins was a contractor, so he must have had his work in mind. Collins' must have been night owls, which usually my parents were not. By the time I remember, Collins had moved from Rural St. but were still in our school district and came to visit from time to time. Even later they moved several blocks west of us, and I used to walk to thier house to borrow "The Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue" and other books their kids had outgrown."

It doesn't necessarily relate to today's diary entry, but I did publish a new picture of Grandma as a toddler with her three brothers. Click here to see it.)

Wednesday, March 24, 1926

Another day without a diary entry. Perhaps the boys' colds and all are keeping her too busy to write in her diary. Last year (1925) Grandma didn't miss writing in her diary any days, and then this spring, she has several days missing. We'll never know why. It just seems that March 1926 was a tough month for Grandma, with four boys and an infant daugher, and her husband Gilbert.

When I read the diaries in a few sittings, these missing days are not as obvious, but when I post the entries day by day, they sure stick out and I wonder what was going on!

Here's a link to events of 1926 if you would like to find out more about 1926, the year that Marilyn Monroe, Fidel Castro and Queen Elizabeth II were born.

Grandma does write in her diary tomorrow!

Tuesday, March 23, 1926

No diary entry today, so I'll post some other additional information. Aunt Marjorie wrote the following about the books they had.

"Some of the book we grew up with were "The Six Little Bunkers" and "Bobsey Twins". I still have some of them. We also always read (or were read to) Uncle Wiggley every evening in the newspaper. When a little older, I loved my brothers' boy-oriented books, "Jerry Todd" and "Poppy Ott", also Tom Swift. Mother once counted all the books in our house and it came to over 1,000."

My Mom is also an avid reader, she must have picked that up from Grandma!

Monday, March 22, 1926

Monday, March 22, 1926
Fair and cold

Albert’s eyes were about all right today but Dick came home at noon with his all inflamed. I began to think it was the “pink eye” and called to ask Papa if he had heard of any cases and if he should go to school. He thought it was just cold so he could go but it was raining so hard I let him stay home in the afternoon. I couldn’t wash so I made a couple of waists for Dale.

(I wonder if the rain was the reason she couldn't wash? I assume she meant wash clothes.)

Sunday, March 21, 1926

Sunday, March 21, 1926

Albert stayed at home from Sunday school today. He felt bum from his cold and his eyes still looked so red.

(I hope Albert isn't going to be as sick as he was last spring, when it seemed like he was sick for weeks and weeks. Mom said when Albert was so sick, her grandfather, the physician, read all he could about what might have been wrong with him to figure out what to do for him. I'm sure they were all quite worried then. Even those reading the diary entries last spring left a few comments wanting to know if Albert lived through it. In just a few words, Grandma was able to convey her own worries about Albert's health to people reading those words 81 years later.

Albert did live through it all, by the way.)

Saturday, March 20, 1926

Saturday, March 20, 1926

Dale played at George’s all morning and rushed home at noon to get ready to go down town to a show with George. I let him go if he wanted to spend his own money. Papa was going to fix the baby some medicine so I had Dale go up there and get it. They went to the Lyric and instead of being alone as Dale thought, Mr. Miller and his stenographer were with them. They got a cap for George before the show and went to market after. Then they brought Dale home in their machine. But he was later than we thought and we were a little uneasy about him. Marjorie so sick with her cold. I’m afraid of pneumonia.

(I'm not sure what to think about Mr. Miller and his stenographer taking George Miller and Dale to the movies and all. A "stenographer" is someone who takes shorthand. I think that has become a lost skill. Who does shorthand anymore? And to think they taught that when I was in high school. I didn't take it! Anyway, it doesn't seem right for the stenographer to go along, where was George's mother?)

Friday, March 19, 1926

Friday, March 19, 1926
Cool and windy – fair and rain

They had a paper sale at school today. Dale took a wagon load from here and Dunlea’s. They made $156 on it, Dale's room getting the prize for bringing the most of any room downstairs. Dale helped load the papers on the truck and then he and George Miller played till supper time. George seems like a nice boy – an only child who shows in his speech and manners that he associates mostly with older people. Albert came home with his eyes all inflamed. They matter and look so bad.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "The rooms downstairs included grades 1 - 4. Grades 5 - 8 were upstairs at School 54 when I ws there. George Miller was not one of the Miller's next door, for sure!" The Miller's next door were not very nice kids, from what Grandma wrote previously. To find out more about the Dunlea's next door, go back to the August 11th, 1925 post!)

Thursday, March 18, 1926

Thursday, March 18, 1926
Warm

Springlike at last. Aunt Hattie spent the day with me.

(I've written about Aunt Hattie before. I was shocked when I found out that Aunt Hattie's daughter, Edna, once tried to strangle her. What we find out when we talk to our relatives and tap into their memories! My mom didn't know, she was probably just young enough when it happened to be kept out of the loop!)

Wednesday, March 17, 1926

Wednesday, March 17, 1926
Warmer

Ned and Marjorie both had fever and were real sick. Expected them to break out with measles, but as they didn’t guess the cause is just a heavy cold. Must get at it. It makes me sick to think of them ailing. When they get sick I get panicky. I was trying to clean the bathroom and the kitchen floor but two roofing men and Mrs. Collins came and talked and talked and with Ned’s peal of “hold me” I didn’t get done till 5:30 then I got supper and washed the flannels after supper while Daddy herded the kiddies.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "So it wasn't measles. If you thought the attic was scary (because I wrote earlier that I did!), I always thought the basement was! So she had to finish washing in the creepy basement at night? The "flannels" must have been pajamas & night gowns - maybe diapers made of outing flannel. No "pampers" in those days!

I hate when "day time chores" extend into the evening, too. And I remember only once or twice looking into the basement, maybe once going down in it, so I don't recall much about it. I do remember that under the stairs, there were some shelves that were full of glass jars. Many were canning jars, I think, and others were just jars from food she had purchased. Grandma did not throw anything away that she might use later.)

Tuesday, March 16, 1926

Tuesday, March 16, 1926
Snow

Ironed all day till 5:30 and didn’t get near done.

(Now there's a sentence you wouldn't hear me say! I might say "read email all day (at work) and didn't get near done", or "ran errands all day long and didn't get near done", or "gardened all day long and didn't get near done", but never "ironed"!)

Monday, March 15, 1926

Monday, March 15, 1926
Clear and cold

Ned was so near sick I didn’t know whether to start washing or not and decided I had better hurry and get it out of the way before he should get worse or break out with the measles. He didn’t have any fever but looked awfully bad. My foot hurts terribly wash days by the time I get done running up and down stairs, although I wear the bunion protector and get along pretty well except wash days.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote that she wondered what Grandma did with the babies while she was down in the basement working on the laundry. I think she had a roller type washer, so she couldn't just throw a load of clothes into the washer and dash back upstairs. And, she had to hang the clothes to dry.

Grandma always had problems with her feet; remembering earlier she thought she might have broken her toe.)

Sunday, March 14, 1926

Sunday, March 14, 1926
Cold

We were booked to go to the folk’s for dinner but Ned was feverish when he got up so we didn’t know whether to go or not. Called Papa and he wanted us to come and as Ned didn’t act like he felt bad said he guessed it wouldn’t hurt him. After we got there, he acted very much as if the measles were working on him and we were glad to get him back home although we did have a very nice time Aunt Hattie and Edna were there and we had a very nice dinner. The boys had books to read – played the Edison and behaved themselves pretty well.

(Aunt Marjorie wonders if the reason Grandma didn't write in her diary for almost two weeks is because the older boys had measles? She wonders where else Ned would come in contact with measles and why they would suspect measles if he just had a fever?

I've posted about Aunt Hattie and her daughter Edna before. Check it here. If you haven't read about Aunt Hattie, follow that link and read the whole story. It is quite interesting with a twist to it.

Aunt Marjorie still has the Edison record player. It needs some repair, which we are going to attempt to do, and then we'll play some of the old favorites for Aunt Marjorie and Mom).

Saturday, March 13, 1926

Grandma resumes writing in her diary tomorrow. In the meantime, one more post from the family history she wrote...

"The Bells had been favorably impressed by Gilbert's integrity from the start and in telling about him, Mr. Bell had said, "he may be crippled in the leg, but he is not in the head, which is more important." I liked him from the first, for, although he was quiet in a crowd, he was good company in a small group and really was very keen intellectually. Although he had been unhappy in his home life, with his older sisters always dictating to him, and criticizing everything that he did, he really longed for a home of his own. But he was not really ready financially as we later found out, and attraction overcame our better judgement, and we began to think of marriage. I did not have any trouble in keeping him interested in the church! We often met at the noon hour in a small lunch room that operated on Market Street, between Illinois and the Circle, where a parking garge is now located. I worked a few blocks west or south and he worked on south Pennnsylvania Street, so eating together came to be a pleasant habit. In those days one could get a satisfactory lunch for twelve or fifteen cents, which made our small salaries seem adequate. While we were both working, we saved all the money we could toward furnishing our home, and I bought and made hand decorated things for my "hope chest", too much in love to realize that what we had was not really enough and that we should save longer before we were married. Gilbert was twenty-six and I was approaching my twenty-third birthday, and we both felt that we were old enough to take the final step toward matrimoney. Except among the very rich who had church weddings, it was the custom to have weddings at home with invited friends and relatives present. All but one of my friends had home weddings, so we were married in front of the flower decked mantel at the end of the long living room of my father's home at 3916 College Avenue in the evening of October 20, 1915. Dr. Philputt performed the ceremony and my little nieces, Mildred and Onarga, were flower girls, and carried baskets ahead of us as we went down the stairs and across the room to the tune of the wedding march played on my little piano by my good friend from Kempton, Jessie Cunningham...

...What happened after that is perhaps more vivid in the minds of my children than in my own, for I was so busy caring for my family, and events crowded in so fast that I don't feel that I can trust my own memory."

Grandma wrote the above in 1970. My sister called me and asked if I was going to include information about how Grandma's parents didn't like anyone she dated prior to Gilbert, always saying they weren't good enough, but with Gilbert, Grandma put her foot down and would not listen to them. I don't know about that, but I do recall Grandam wrote someplace that for awhile she thought she was destined to become a farmer's wife, but that relationship didn't last.

Friday, March 12, 1926

Grandma starts writing again in her diary in two days. In the meantime, I'll continue with the story of Gilbert, picking up where we left off yesterday. This is what Grandma wrote in her family history.

"His (Gilbert's) first job was for a fertilizer company in Francesville. I do not know how long he worked there, but am sure that he did not enjoy it, so was glad when his friend McMullen came to Indianapolis and wrote for him to come to the city as he could get a job with the gas company if he were here. For a while he lived with Mac at the home of his aunt, which was in the north west part of the city near the Langsdale Avenue plant where Mac worked, but his work was in the downtown office, so that is how he happened to walk up Alabama Street looking for a room, and see the "room for rent" sign in Mrs. Bell's window which led him to move into Bell's home.

The Bells, whom I had known for many years, were in charge of the Intermediate Department of the Central Christian Church Sunday School, having been active in the organization of that department when the Sunday School was first departmentalized and they were the first Superintendents and I was the first secretary. At that time more than a thousand people attended every Sunday, and there were close to a hundred in the department. Mrs. Bell had been of the Robert's family in whose home the church had been organized, and she was a relative of William Canfield who, at his death, left a half million dollar estate to the church for educational purposes and was at that time time still active in the Christian Endeavor and one of its sponsors whom Gilbert and I came to know.

The Bells lived on Alabama Street, in the block east of the church, in one of the big old houses of the neighborhood. They had three girls in school at that time, and Mr. Bell worked at the post office. He aspired to become a minister so in order to further his education and study for that calling, they rented their spare rooms to augment their income. So they had a card in the window advertising a room for rent, andGilbert had seen it while looking for a place to live and had moved in. Always looking for a chance to do a good turn and to promote the interests of the church, the Bells soon learned that their new roomer was from a Christian home, without a church connection in the city and had invited him to visit Church and Sunday School with them. So it happened that on that Septmeber Sunday morning, as the departments assembled with the rest of the Sunday School fro the closing exercises, I looked across the balcony and saw a stranger and asked Mrs. Bell, "Who is that tall good looking young man over there on the other side?" and she replied "That's my Mr. Smith. I brought him here, and I want you to see that he comes acquainted and stays. So I did! Could it have been "love at first sight"? He was there every weekend after that, and went to Christian Endeavor too, and the next Easter, he put his letter in the church, and on October 20, 1915, we were married in my father's home on College Avenue."

Annie was so right in her comment yesterday. We are lucky and fortunate that Grandma took the time to write all of this down. Otherwise, we would not know so much about our grandparents. And having my Mom and Aunt Marjorie comment with what they know, just adds to the depth of information.

Have YOU taken time to write your own family history?

Thursday, March 11, 1926

Grandma starts to write in her diary in just a few more days. In the meantime, here is more from her family history:

"Gilbert, being unable to run and play with the other children, became an avid reader and it was at this time that his Aunt Lucy remarked that it was too bad that Liney's boy would never amount to anything because he was always sitting around with his nose in a book!... After Gilbert graduated from the Ladoga High School, the family moved to Crawfordsville, where Nell worked as a night operator for the telephone company and Bess became a sales lady in Bischoff's Dry Goods Store. By that time, Gilbert was able to walk without a cane, but the right limb was always shorter than the left, and he had to have his shoe rebuilt with an extension heel, and the limp was always visible. He was always sensitive about his condition and seemed to strive to compensate by holding his shoulders erect, and standing as tall as possible. He loved to take long walks even when he had to use his cane, and on days when there was no school, as a boy he would be found on the creek bank, fishing or swimming. His family did not know about his ability to swim until a school mate of his approached Bess on the street, and congratulated her on his bravery in pulling out another boy who was drowning. Bess was amazed and told him that he must have the wrong person in mind, as her brother was a cripple and could not swim but was soon convinced that he was the best swimmer of the crowd.

When they moved to Crawfordsville, the family was indignant because he refused to take a job of running the elevator in Bischoff's store, but he had other ideas. He decided to go to business college and prepare himself for a job in an office, but not having any money for the tuition, he spent the summer previous to entering doing janitor work, cleaning and painting at the college preparatory to its opening in the fall. So he worked his way through and garduated a respected member of his class, who had made good grades and several fast friends, Paul Jones and Nina Mount, who later married, and Everett McMullen."

I'll finish the story of Gilbert over the next few days...

Wednesday, March 10, 1926

In just a few days, Grandma resumes writing in her diary. In the meantime, we'll continue with excerpts from the family history she wrote. Here is more about Gilbert, her husband and my grandfather:

(Gilbert's mother, Caroline Lucinda Thompson).. " married a neighbor, James William Albert Smith who was about six years younger. To this union were born Nellie May, on Nov. 5, 1874, Clara Bessie, born Sept. 4, 1886, and Gilbert Leo, born August 30, 1889, on a farm near Carpentersville. After having the two girls, they were overjoyed at the arrival of a boy in Liney's family (Liney was Caroline's nickname). His Dad thought that at last he had help with his farming. But alas, it did not turn out that way, for at the age of five Gilbert became ill, and at the time when he should have been starting to school, he was bedfast and under a doctor's care. At that time in the country, medical knowledge was so limited that they never knew just what the trouble was. Their doctor called it 'white swelling' which seemed to affect the thigh bone on his right side. After the fever subsided, the bone was so tender that he could not walk without crutches for several years. Also, the growth of that bone was retarded for a while so that leg was never quite as long as the other one, so after the crutches, he used a cane. He was finally able to start to school when he was eight years old, and was such a good scholar that he was soon able to make up part of what he had missed."

We will continue with more about Gilbert over the next few days. Does anyone have any idea what the "white swelling" might have been? I checked one site of outdated medical terms and it refers to it as "tuberculosis of bones and joints.

Tuesday, March 9, 1926

The next several posts will be about Gilbert Leo Smith. Aunt Marjorie corrected me on the job he had at the local gas company:

"Daddy was chief clerk! He had a secretary and occasionally talked about her. She was an identical twin, and one time a boyfriend came to see her and she just didn't want to see him. She said, "I'm sorry but my sister isn't home." Another time, Daddy asked me for one of my magazines, 'Wee Wisdom' so his secretary could show it to her niece."

Here's a link to a picture of Gilbert's office at the gas company and a link to a picture of him taken at outside at the gas company.

Monday, March 8, 1926

To fill in this gap in Grandma's diary, I'm quoting from the family history she wrote. I'm going to fast forward to her thoughts on her new home at 1208 N. Rural St.

"We moved into our newly purchased home on October 18, 1921, just two days short of our sixth wedding anniversary, one of the happiest days of my life. After living in a run-down rental property where the only modern convenience was electricity, it seemed like heaven to live in a house with bedrooms upstairs and a modern bathroom and connections for a gas stove, although we did have to count our pennies very carefully to pay for the increase in the cost of our monthly expenses. One bedroom and the bath were downstairs, which made it very convenient when Ned Myron was born on Sept. 9, 1923 and Marjorie Ruth came on October 5, 1925, and Eleanor June on Sept. 2, 1929, which was Labor Day."

I know that many readers have been following these diaries for several months, and might have some questions about who some of these people are or what became of them. If you have a question, please leave it in a comment and I'll do my best to answer it or get an answer from my Mom or Aunt Marjorie. You can even leave your question anonymously, if your prefer.

Sunday, March 7, 1926

We are about half way through Grandma's gap in diary writing, so here is some more from the family history.

"During this time Guy, (her brother) was in Ashkum, publishing his paper, as a bachelor at first, doing his own cooking and housework, and even his own mending and embroidering in his spare time. Then he married Nellie Schneipp, and they set up housekeeping, with the consent of her parents, but after a short time it was learned that Nellie had tuberculosis, so her father forced their separation and took Nellie and the rest of the family to Lamar, Missouri where she was bedfast until her death. It was for Nellie that Guy had purchased the little piano which he gave to me upon Nellie's death, and on which I learned to play and used for many years. My first teacher was a neighbor girl in Irvington when I was eight."

So now we know where Grandma got her piano. But it seems sad the way Nellie's father took her away from her husband Guy when she got sick.

Saturday, March 6, 1926

More family history because Grandma has a gap in her diary writing...

Grandma had three older brothers, George Guy (called Guy) born Feb. 17, 1880, Andrew Wilbur (called Bur) born September 16, 1881, Harry Jordan born September 23, 1883. Grandma was born December 18, 1892. When Grandma was five years old, they moved to Gibson City, Illinois and Grandma wrote:

"It was time for school to start when we moved, and my father was going to take Harry to enroll him when I begged to go along, just to be going somewhere, and I was permitted to go, after I had promised not to beg to enroll in school too, as I had not yet passed my sixth birthday and my folks thought that I would not be entitled to enter until I was six. So Harry was enrolled, then the principal insisted that I enter too when he learned that my birthday was before Christmas. So I not only entered school as a surprise before I was six, they found that I already knew the first year work before many weeks had passed, for while I played around the printing office with Guy, he had taught me my numbers and how to read and spell, and also how to set type. So before long, I was in the second grade."

All three of Grandma's brothers were in the printing business, working for a variety of printers and newspapers. She noted that her brother Guy started a newspaper and ran a job printing office at the age of eighteen, in Ashkum, Illinois, the youngest newspaper editor in the state.

Friday, March 5, 1926

I'm continuing with excerpts from the family history that Grandma wrote, since she has a gap of several days in her diary. This excerpt is about her paternal grandparents, Issac M. Campbell and his wife, Lydia Ann Hoar, who were married on June 28, 1849. They had four children, Harriet Theressa, Rolla Wilbur (Grandma's father), Jesse Elijah and Mary Hannah (who died before she was two years old). And I've added several pictures of them on the picture blog, you can link there from their names.

"The doctor (Issac M. Campbell) was a large, heavy set man for his day, while his wife, known as 'Little Grandma' weighed 80 pounds most of her life. She was so small and young looking that folks would come to their house to get the doctor, and would often mistake her for his daughter, and ask her if her father was in. But I was told by those who knew them as neighbors, as well as relatives that what she lacked in stature, she made up in disposition and ability to help anyone in a time of crisis. She was the one of the neighborhood that folks would want to help nurse them when they were ill, and she never turned down a call for help. Her kindness and gentle nature were traditional to the family in the whole town, and they used to say that the hobos had her house marked as a place where they could always expect a handout. She was a 'sainted grandmother', as one chronicler put it."

Lydia sounds like a lovely person, though I'm not sure how young she looks in the picture we have of her. But I don't think anyone looked all that great in the pictures taken in the 1800's.

Thursday, March 4, 1926

As noted a few days ago, we have a gap in Grandma's diaries for these first days of March, so I am filling in with some family history information that she wrote. She wrote the following about her grandfather, Isaac M. Campbell, who was also a physician, like her father.

"In the pioneer days, even the doctors in the small towns had to take care of their own manual chores so I am told that my grandfather was a very good cabinet maker and made part of his own furniture. The bed stand and the dresser that I have, however, had been made for them by Isaac Hanna, probably in the 1850's or 1860's. Also organized churches were scarce, so often neighbors would hold meetings in someone's home with one of them doing the preaching in case there was no circuit rider available. In such a case they found that grandfather, with his college education, could offer the prayer, and preach a sermon as well as the best of them. I have heard it said that he could attend at the birth of a person, take care of his physical and spiritual needs while he was living, and at the time of his death he could make his coffin and preach his funeral! It was also claimed by some that he possessed occult powers and could visualize patient's physical surroundings as well as his condition, and prescribe accordingly. This, however, was not mentioned by my father (Rolla) who did not tend to believe what he could not understand, though his brother Jesse took much stock in it."

I believe that one of my cousins has at least the bed stand mentioned here. It is a large, carved, heavy wood headboard.

Wednesday, March 3, 1926

Since Grandma did not write in her diary today, we'll continue with excerpts from the family history she wrote.

"After their wedding, the Campbells went to housekeeping in Fort Recovery (Ohio), where Rolla started his practice of medicine in the office of Dr. John Adams, who also had a drug store and the new doctor was employed at $26 a month. That was not too meager a start in those days for they were content with their scanty furnishings, which were as good as their contemporaries had when they started out."

I used an inflation calculate to determine that what cost $26 in 1879 would cost $524.35 in 2006. I don't think that really tells us what standard of living someone could afford making $26 per month in 1879. I found another site that indicated $1 in 1878 would be the same as $15.19 today.

I think it is safe to say that a young doctor did not make a lot of money back then.

("Campbells" are Ruth's parents, Rolla was her father).

Tuesday, March 2, 1926

There is no diary entry for March 2, 1926, in fact there are several days coming up when Grandma did not write in her diary. Aunt Marjorie sent me a note speculating on why she missed these days, but I'll leave that explanation for the day she starts writing again.

In the meantime, for those who stop by daily, I'll share some of the family history that Grandma wrote in 1972. We'll start with the story of how her parents, Rolla Wilbur Campbell and Nancy Elizabeth Jordan met, even though Rolla lived in Ohio, and Nancy in Illinois. (If this isn't what you came here to read, I understand, please come back in a week or so when Grandma starts writing in her diary again.)

"So the only living descendents of the Isaac M. Campbells were the family of my father, Rolla Wilbur, who had hauled logs from Fort Recovery (Ohio) to a spoke factory at Union City (Indiana?) to earn enough money to pay his way through the University of Cincinnati Medical School where he graduated near the head of his class in 1879. His roommate there was James Denney, also from Fort Recovery. He (James) had been writing to a former neighbor girl, Emma Creary, whose family had moved to Ford county, Illinois where they were neighbors of the Jordan family. It was through her recommendation too that William Jordan got the name of James Denney's sister, Sarah, in Fort Recovery and he wrote to her. Their coorespondence ended in his going to Ohio and marrying her, and they went to Illinois to live. She (Sarah) sent her brother James the name of her sister-in-law whom they called Lizzie (Nancy Elizabeth Jordan), and they wrote to each other for some time, until James proposed that he and Rolla trade names, to let him write to Emma Creary for awhile. Later James Denney wanted to trade back, but neither Lizzie or Rolla consented. Right after he graduated from college, Rolla went to Gibson City (Illinois) and married Nancy Elizabeth Jordan on March 11, 1879, at the home of the bride's parent, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Jordan. However, this was not the first time they had seen each other, for he previously had visited her, and had seen that she was as attractive as her letters had made her seem. This answers the question that was often asked, "How did you two meet with your homes so far apart"? Dr. James Denney never married but I remember his visiting us at one time, as he was passing through Indianapolis from Chicago where he was the doctor for one of the railroads, and was quite well-to-do. Emma Creary visited at our home once, also."

I had to read that twice to figure out who was writing to who. Can you imagine marrying someone at your second meeting, after only exchanging letters for a period of time? I would guess they wrote back and forth for a couple of years. Those letters would be interesting to read! But I am positive somone long ago threw them away or lost them.

Monday, March 1, 1926

Monday, March 1, 1926
All kinds

Mama came over to help me down town with the kiddies. We got goods for our quilt backs then she came home with them. I went on to Goldsteins and got my curtain goods, a crepe dress, an then to Kirks and got a buffet and a chiffonier, surely a big day! I didn’t get home till six. Found Mama had gone home leaving the babies asleep. Then she called up and found Marjorie crying so she called Mrs. Camplin to come and feed and dry her. I found her here and the boys were making so much noise Marjorie was frightened. Pandemonium reigned and I was thoroughly ashamed of the whole Smith family.

(The "kiddies" would be Ned & Marjorie. Aunt Marjorie wrote to me, "Mrs.Camplin lived across the street in the house Jackie Wills lived in later. She was older, and her children were grown. I guess the buffet I remember wasn't as big as the one you remember. After Grandpa Campbell died and Grandmother closed down her house, she gave the lovely dining room furniture to Mother. I don't know what happened to the original furniture that I remember. She surely went on a shopping spree today!"

Yes, the buffet I remember was a large piece of furniture, as was the table that went with it.

I had to laugh at Grandma's last comment about being "ashamed of the whole Smith family". I guess the older boys weren't on their best behavior!)