The KINNICK Project: March 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 31, 1938

This entry is the daily post on this blog from the diary of nineteen year old Eileen KINNICK, 75 Years Ago this date.

Starting March 1, a weekly comment on these daily entries appear on the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories blog. Those weekly entries, on that blog, on each Friday of the week, will continue, with links to some of these daily entries.

Here is the daily entry for Thursday, March 31:

9 eggs

Up at 7:00. Ate. Pete fixed the leak in the reservoir. I did the separator & got scalloped spuds ready. Pete & I sat and read his love letters & let the spuds burn. Ate dinner late. Pop and Albert came in p.m. When they left Pete & I went in to town to see about a locker. Up home a minute. Ate before chores. Did separator, took a bath and went to bed pretty early.

My comments: Some really different stuff here! First, 9 eggs. Wow! ;-)
Up at 7… but, it appears Pete didn't get out and work and he did every other day! Snow??
Really new, to me: "Pete & I sat and read his love letters…" Wow, again! Love letters! Neat! I wonder where they went… ??!! ;-)
The mention of the locker comes up again...
The "spuds burn" - I understand. Been there, done that! ;-)

Opening a love letter! I thought the shamrock, here, was especially noteworthy! Neat! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Saturday, March 30, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 30, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Wednesday, March 30:

4 eggs

Up at 6:00. Ate early. Pete working on the 80. Did up all morning work. Cleaned up. Went in to town. Saw the folks a minute. Went down to the Lite Plant awhile. Talked to Max and Orrin. Got my groceries and went to Aunt Gertrude's. Aunt Lucille there, too. Janet is the sweetest thing. Ger. gave me a quart of pickles & 4 glasses of jell. Kept getting colder and windier. Pete home when I got back. He & I hauled milk to Smiths & took Albert's car back. Home. Did chores, dishes, separator, took baths & went to bed.

My comments: "Pete wiring on the 80." - was the most significant phrase, of many, here, today, to me. I'd really like to know the details of his farming relationships - relative to the house, the land they lived on, work on the homeplace, etc. Now, it appears, certainly, that he was renting an 80 acre plot, I assume, on shares. Useful information. More on this later.

Among other notes, above,… a quart of pickles from Gertrude! Like this?? ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Friday, March 29, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 29, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Tuesday, March 29:

6 eggs

Up early. Nice day out. Pete worked around here till after dinner. I scrubbed the kitchen floor & waxed the bedroom & straightened out the chest of drawers & got all my shower linens put away. Listened to Fibber & Molly while we ate. Did dishes & separator, took baths, and went to bed.

My comments: I need to scrub a kitchen floor, as well... but that is beside the point, I guess! ;-)

Jim and Marian Jordan as Fibber McGee and Molly in 1937 - Wikipedia:

Families are Forever! ;-)

Thursday, March 28, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 28, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Monday, March 28:
6 eggs

Up early. Did separator & went in to town to wash at 8:30. Pete to Smith's to dinner. Started raining about Noon. Pete here when I got home. Got washing & ironing all done. Got chores and work done in pretty good time. Took baths and went to bed.

My comments: Saw this great Separator image in the A Hundred Years Ago blog:

Source: Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine (March 1, 1913)

The photo was a few years earlier, but the separator worked just like that when I was growing up in the 1940-50s... so I think it is pretty representative.

Families are Forever! ;-)

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 27, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Sunday, March 27:

5 eggs

Didn't get up till 10:00. Laid in bed and read diaries. To town after Ktx. Bussy came home with me. After 11:00 when we ate breakfast. Mom & Dad came & we had dinner at 2:30. Bill & Albert here awhile and then Mrs. Lund, Edith, Erna & Howard were here awhile, too. Washed up all my shower dishes & put most of it away. Felt a bit groggy. Folks here for supper. Bussy & I went to town after butter & Pete had to put the separator together. Boys here looking for starlings. Took baths & went to bed.

My comments: 5 eggs again… go, hens! ;-)
Wonder which diaries she read??
Assume Bill was Pete's Dad and Albert must be hired man…

[My grandfather and namesake: William Emanuel Smith - Pop, to my Dad - 1938]

Families are Forever! ;-)

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 26, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Saturday, March 26:

5 eggs

Nice out. Up early. Pete and Albert here for dinner. Made a cake. After dinner was scouring the waffle iron when Helen B. came. She gave me another plush pillow. Went riding with her. Stopped and talked to Pete. Pete came in from field kinda early. Were going to town but decided not to. Took baths and went to bed.

My comments: 5 eggs - highest daily output yet, the hens are settling in…
How many eggs went into the cake? Mom always make great spice cake:

Families are Forever! ;-)

Monday, March 25, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 25, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Friday, March 25:
0 eggs

Up early. Pete & Albert here for dinner. Busy getting ready for shower. Wore my green velvet. Shower at Ed Williams. A lot there and I got the keenest presents ever. Had a whole carload of them. Home at 6:00. Pete did chores. I got supper. Did up the work. Took a bath and went to bed.

My comments: Ed Williams home was across the road south and about a half mile east from Smith's homeplace. This was a neighborhood (Star neighborhood) shower. Neat. She seemed very pleased, even surprised.

Look what I came across a while back - their first family ledger - cash income from selling the cream coming out of that separator they had to clean carefully twice a day - perhaps it was worth it!

It great this has survived! ;-)

Love seeing her writing - who scribbled on that???

Cash for cream, bought butter out of proceeds!

Families are Forever! ;-)

Sunday, March 24, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 24, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Thursday, March 24:

3 eggs

Busy cleaning the house after last nite's mess. Up to Smith's after dinner. Betty was about dead. She isn't used to such late hours.
Did chores, ate, did work up, took baths and went to bed.

My comments: Guess they did remember to gather the eggs! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Saturday, March 23, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 23, 1938

This entry is the daily post on this blog from the diary of nineteen year old Eileen KINNICK, 75 Years Ago this date.

Starting March 1, a weekly comment on these daily entries appear on the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories blog. Those weekly entries, on that blog, on each Friday of the week, will continue, with links to some of these daily entries.

Here is the daily entry for Wednesday, March 23:
3 eggs

Up early. Betty and Max both here helping in the morning. Betty here all day. Got the curtains up. Really busy. Pete not here for dinner. Really rushing to get ready by 8:00 at nite. A lot here. Had ice cream and cake. Crowd gave us a brown occasional chair. Is it ever keen. Crowd left at 1:00. Went rite to bed.
[5 lines of shorthand]

My comments: Can't you just feel the energy and anxiety level? Wow! Nice gift though!!

Lots and Lots of Ice Cream… suppose this is enough?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Friday, March 22, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 22, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Tuesday, March 22:

2 eggs

Up early. Pete up to Smith's to dinner. I scrubbed the kitchen and waxed it. LVene here awhile after school. I drove car out to the field after the cows.
[3 lines of shorthand]
In town at 8:00 to my shower at Priscillas. Got a lamp, fiesta, lunch cloth, cake cover, canister set, Kleinert's tops, baby booties. Pete asleep at the folks.
[2 more lines of shorthand]

My comments: I suspect the shorthand represented some frustrations. What do you think?
Nice that they had a shower for her. Nice gifts. What fiesta do you suppose?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Thursday, March 21, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 21, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Monday, March 21: [bold]

In to Mom's washing. Didn't leave home 'till 9:30. Had to take Pete up to Smith's first. Betty had clothes on line already. Got washing & ironing both finished. Mom to dentist. Pete, Albert, Toots moved the piano after dinner. I got home at 6:00. Up to Smith's after Pete. Don & Norma & Orrin there too. Had late supper. Took baths & went to bed early.

Dad brought out 10 hens and helped Pete get the cows.

My comments: Good, she didn't have to get the cows, today.

Continued lots of interactions with family now that married… fascinating! ;-)

Neat how cows came one day, 10 hens the next. Watch the egg count, to come…

Families are Forever! ;-)

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 20, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Sunday, March 20:

Up at 7:30. Did dishes & separator. Cleaned the house & porches. Wrenched my knee. Pauline, Merle & Betty here in morning. Lil's & Dell and and the folks here to dinner. LVene, Irene & Betty here in pm. Edith, Howard, Erna & Pressy, too. Folks stayed to supper. Pete brought the cows so I had the separator to do after supper. Late when I did it. Max & Orrin here until 10:30. Washed & went to bed. had an awful time getting the cows to the barn.

My comments: Most a town girl, now living on a farm with responsibilities. Working hard at it. Cows arrived… now she has 'her own' separator to clean twice a day!

Many guests on this busy Sunday!

Families are Forever! ;-)

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 19, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Saturday, March 19:

Up late. Pete up to his folks place. I tried to erase the muss the crowd made last nite. Foot marks all over every thing. Pete stayed up to Smiths until 8:00. Ate late, cleaned up and went to bed. Pauline & Merle up to Smiths Saturday morning when I took Pete up. Pete took a shower up there & then he had Pauline bring him home. I met them at Casperbaurer's. He'd been waiting for me. To Norma's shower at Erma Pfeiffer's in p.m. Had the car. Edith went with me.

My comments: Commentary a bit confusing, today, regarding timing of things they did. Interesting to me to see how they get along with the one car, now. Not sure what kind of car they had at this time.

She was obviously frustrated with the mess the people made coming in the night before… there must have been quite a few of them… on the new floor and rugs they had put down.

I don't think they had a vacuum cleaner of any kind… ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Monday, March 18, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 18, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Friday, March 18:

Slept late. Pete stayed here at home all day. Busy getting thing straightened up. To town awhile in pm. Got groceries. Pete went up to Smith's in the pm. and helped with the night chores. He didn't come home till after dark. Miss him the first nite. Ate supper together here. Were just cleaning up when the chivariers came at 9:30. They want an ice cream supper here Wed. nite. Went over to Don & Norma's with them. Got them out of bed and made them to to town and get ice cream for us. Home and to bed at 11:00.

My comments: They were pleased to have 'chivariers' come - Leo and Ida didn't have any when they got married… remember?

What kind of ice cream do you suppose they got?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Sunday, March 17, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 17, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Thursday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day):

Up at 7:15. Had my hair fixed at 8:00. Did some shopping. Out to the place. Matt's were just leaving. Newspapers stuck on the floors. Unrolled rugs. Went in town after my b. room set. Ate dinner there. Worked until 6:00. Went to Carroll. Edith & Howard were our wedding attendants. Married by Rev. Cook at the Methodist Parsonage at exactly 8:00. Ate dinner at Carroll Cafe and then to Leo Daeges St. Patricks's day dance. Keen time. Everyone congratulating us. Home at 1:30. Our first night. Perfect.

My comments: "Perfect" works for me. Interesting to note what she saw as important on this wedding day… tight writing… never mentions Pete… obsessed with having her 'b. room set'… Edith and Howard with them. Married at Carroll parsonage. No photos that I know of… wasn't important to her, that day… much more on her mind.

Thanks, Mom! Glad it all worked out well! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Saturday, March 16, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 16, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Wednesday, March 16:

Up early. Down to Down to work awhile. Pete came rite after dinner & we went to Carroll. Got license and I got a dress. Bought a lot of kitchen utensils. Home at 6:00. At nite got my b. room set already to move tomorrow. To bed early.

[Several lines of shorthand!]

My comments: Suppose her utensils look like these?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Friday, March 15, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 15, 1938

They do 'clean-up' real nice!! ;-)

Here is the daily entry for Tuesday, March 15:

Up before 8:00. Went down to the plant. Helped Mrs. Marnette. Looked over her work. Found other work for her to do. Stayed until 10:00. Did a little shopping & then went out to the farm. Pete was already there. Painted the North bedroom & kitchen floors. Pete cleaned out the toilet & hauled the manure away from the sides of the house. Home at 6:30. Did a little ironing, ate, cleaned up & wrote in diary.

My comments: Don't think this house had been lived in for awhile, so total 'redo' was in order. Lots of 'elbow grease' and 'sweat equity' invested.

Families are Forever! ;-)

Thursday, March 14, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 14, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Monday, March 14:

Up at 8:00. Bussy has a bad cold. Stayed in bed. I went to the farm at about 10:00. Had an order for curtains to mail, and ran down a pint of floor paint. Pete had just gotten there. Pete gave south bedroom a 2nd coat. I gave kitchen walls a 3rd coat. Over to Smiths to dinner. Betty & I did dishes while the others voted. LVene helped us in the pm. She finished papering the kitchen & pantry. Painted the living room floor once. Home at 7:00. Lillian came & she & I went to hear Mario Copelli. Cleaned up & to bed.

My comments: I enjoy hearing the names of the different room they were working on. I only know of one or two photos I have of this house, and they are outside, of course, and I am in them, so it is about a year and a half later. But, I cannot come across those photos… oh, well. Perhaps later.

A Kitchen Pantry today; did it look the same or different 75 years ago today?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 13, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Sunday, March 13:

Up at about 7:30. Did up the work & went down to our place. L'Vene, Irene & Pete & I. To Smith's to dinner. Toots there, too. Down to the farm again. Papered the separator room, gave kitchen woodwork a 2nd coat, painted the two bedroom floors once. Home quite late. LVene & I took bath in the front room. Had pop corn. Made out an order for curtains. While Pete took a bath. Bro't Irene to town at 9:30. Home early for once.

My comments: I detect a slight change taking place in their lives with this work on the house. I am fascinated with the high involvement, now, of his siblings. Very nice. Some facts as reminders:
Each are still single:
Toots, 31
Irene, 29
LVene, 27
Pete, 22
Their Dad still lives there.
Pauline and Max are both married.
Was Betty, age 18, there, or was she gone off to school… good question.

This photo is from the following Christmas time, but seems appropriate to include it here.

From left: Verle and LVene T., Irene, Pauline B., Toots, Betty, Merl B., Rita and Grant, Pop holding Gary H, Pete and Eileen, Max and Orrin H. In front of the Homeplace, Christmas 1938.

Families are Forever! ;-)

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 12, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Saturday, March 12:

Up at 8:00. Down to the plant until 10:00. Bought a broom. Dad & Bussy took me out to the farm. I was the first one there. Climbed in a window. Pete & LVene came. The paper off of the separator room. Pete plastered. I started giving the kitchen a 2nd coat. Over to Smith's for dinner & supper. Mom & Dad & Bussy to Leo & Ida's. I stayed all nite at Smiths. Came to town with LVene & had Jennie cut & set my hair. Ate a late lunch & went to bed. Slept with LVene. Laughed ourselves to sleep.

My comments: Young folks doing what young folks do. Enjoyed thinking about that day, myself! ;-)

Suppose it was a broom like this?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Monday, March 11, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 11, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Friday, March 11:

Up at 8:00. Down to the plant all morning. Had the darndest (sic) time getting our depot made. Out the the farm at 1:00. Pete was waiting. Thought I was coming out to dinner. he drank a quart of milk. Eddie Patrick finished papering at 12:30. He really did a keen job. Painted the bedroom & front room woodwork. Down to the plant a minute at 6:00. Cleaned up & went to B.B. banquet. Helped serve. Afterwards Pete & Howard & Edith & I rode around. Really a keen nite out.

My comments: Busy day!

I don't imagine the quart of milk that Pete drank looked like this! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Sunday, March 10, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 10, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Thursday, March 10:

Down to the plant at 8:00. Mrs. Mornette was there. She is going to be the new help. She's really a flop. Made a deposit. Real busy. Out to the farm at Noon. Eddie Patrick papering. Back to work until 6:30. Listened to radio & went to bed early. Bussy & I went for a little walk after supper.

My comments: New help not appreciated, it appeared. Guess the money was coming in!

I didn't know Eddie Patrick, but this is what he would have looked like, at work! ;-)

P.S. Had a great comment from Kinnick cousin, Ellen DeVilbiss, on Facebook yesterday: "Actually older homes had quite a lot of woodwork. This is the generic term for millwork of all kinds: baseboards & the quarter round or baseshoe, door frames, window frames, sills, etc, and then crown moulding, picture or plate rails, chair rails & wainscot, all those things must be painted before you hang the wallpaper so that paint doesn't get on the paper."

Thanks, Ellen... REALLY appreciate your insight... and all those words I would like to have used, but couldn't come up with them. ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Saturday, March 9, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 9, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Wednesday, March 9:

Down at the plant in the morning. Mr Charles is real sick. Left for he farm. Just got there in time to eat. Made hamburgers. Painted woodwork all afternoon. Home at 6:00. Ate, cleaned up. Pete came. Looked at catalogs. Decided to have Eddie Patrick paper or we never can get married. Home early. Buzzy to the show.

My comments: "Painted woodwork all afternoon." I guess that goes with wallpapering the walls. Somewhat different world. I believe it is now called "decorative molding" - right? What kind was there to paint?

Did it look like one of these?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molding_%28decorative%29

Quarter-round??

Or something else?

P.S. Great commment from Kinnick cousin Ellen, on Facebook to this post (she has a degree in historical restoration management!):
Ellen DeVilbiss Actually older homes had quite a lot of woodwork. This is the generic term for millwork of all kinds: baseboards & the quarter round or baseshoe, door frames, window frames, sills, etc, and then crown moulding, picture or plate rails, chair rails & wainscot, all those things must be painted before you hang the wallpaper so that paint doesn't get on the paper.
Thanks!

Families are Forever! ;-)

Friday, March 8, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 8, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Tuesday, March 8:

Down at the plant all morning. Mr. Charles home in bed. Thought it mite be diabetes. Out to the farm in p.m. Pete plastering & I painting. Bussy went to Bank Nite. I stayed home & sewed & listened to the radio. To bed early.

My comments: Hope they didn't spill any paint... ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Thursday, March 7, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - March 7, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Monday, March 7:

Really busy at the office. Was going to the farm. Mom & Dad both sick & Mr. Charles called that he was sick so I had all the office work to do. Had to get all the business ready for Council Meeting. Mr. Charles was down a little while. Pete stopped in in the afternoon. He worked out at the farm all day. The paper came. Home at nite, listening to the radio. To bed early.

My comments: I get tired just listening to their day, today. Are the walls ready for the wallpaper?

I wonder what pattern it was? I'll bet it didn't have this pattern! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)