The KINNICK Project: April 2013

Monday, April 29, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - April 29, 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 Friday, April 29:

Real nice out. Pete plowed down here. Did up the usual work. In the pm. planted radishes and lettuce. Poochie ran off with the peas. Norma & her mother here awhile in p.m. At nite just did up the usual work & went to bed. In to town in the morning awhile.

My comments: Couple things here worthy of comment it seems. Confirms he was farming their new 'homeplace' along with 'the 80.' Continued to work in garden. "Poochie" the dog identified for first time. Is this same dog they had a couple of years later?

Page eight of the April 22 Enterprise:

Classified add down the left side...
More locals and Board Proceedings...
Star Community Stores of the Week
More ads...
Note Iowa State Fair announcement...

Note: This will be the last diary entry for awhile... let's take a rest! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Sunday, April 28, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Thursday, April 28:

Up at 6:30. Read cold out. Did separator & got breakfast. Up to Smith's. Polly & Merle there. They were going back after their things. Back at 10:00. Did dishes, got dinner. Drove tractor out of the yard. Did dishes & separator.Cleaned the house a little, washed my hair. At nite did the dishes and separator and went to bed early.

My comments: "Sept in!" Ha! Too cold to be in the field, it appears. Very busy before 10 am, anyway, it seems. Washed dishes three times and recorded it, along with separator both times…

Page seven of the April 22 Enterprise:

More locals - Orange County and Viola - south and southwest of Coon Rapids
Lyric theater movies for the week...
Along left side - Political Announcements...
Livestock health and items from around Iowa...
Two clothing related ads - Garst Federated and Garts Ben Franklin!

Families are Forever! ;-)

Saturday, April 27, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Wednesday, April 27:

Up at 6:00. Took Pete over to the 80. Went to town after bread and butter. Set out the rest of the strawberries after dinner. Cleaned the house, darned socks. Folks here after cream as we were eating. Did the dishes. Mom played the piano. Rainy out. To bed about 10:00.

My comments: First mention of Dorothy playing the piano!

Page six of the April 22 Enterprise:

Curious cartoon type news item as top of page.

Carroll movie theater listings. Local business ads, down the right side: Coder and Kretzinger.

More Local items, and, detailed proceedings of the Carroll County Board of Supervisors.

Families are Forever! ;-)

Friday, April 26, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Tuesday, April 26:

Up at 5:30. Did separator & got breakfast. Rainy. Pete home all morning. Plowed in the p.m. I set out strawberries in the p.m. Pete went out and helped awhile after supper. I did dishes while. Pete milked. Took baths & went to bed.

My comments: Have you planted strawberries? I did a bunch in Tucson… had kind of forgotten about that… did they look like this?

Page five of the April 22 Enterprise:

Three more grocery store ads!
In lower right are the weekly church bulletins.
More snippets of local social news... who visited whom on the weekends... ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Thursday, April 25, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Monday, April 25:

Up at 5:00. To town at 7:00. Folks weren't up yet. Washed. Ate, ironed. Rained. Pete came at 7:00 and we ate before we went home. Went out to the barn & watched Pete milk. Rite to bed.

My comments: Very early starts, again this week! Seemed important to her that she watched him milk… was that the only day?!

Page four of the April 22 Enterprise:

[Click to enlarge image]

Two groceries store ads on this page are fascinating to examine and compare.
Community news in the fine print is also very interesting.
Star Progressive club meeting caught my attention: Miss Rhoda Wilson gave an Easter poem by by Margaret Wilson. Mr. E.M. Wheeler presented the subject "Law Enforcement Concerning Marijuana."
Under Locals: Fred Textor is driving a new Plymouth. ... Albert Carpenter is driving a 1938 V-8. What did you see that caught your attention?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Sunday, April 24:

Up at 6:30. Folks here at 8:30 for breakfast. They helped with the work & then left. I stayed in the house & worked & Pete worked on the lawn. He went over to the other place awhile in p.m. I painted 2 of the separator house windows & scrubbed those floors. To bed as soon as Pete got thru 'separating.'

My comments: Can you imagine what the 'separator house' looked like? I can… ;-)

Page three of the April 22 Enterprise:

[Click to see enlarged image]

Advertisements - Kupka Plumbing, Auctioneer...

News from several surrounding communities... and more to come!

Families are Forever! ;-)

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Saturday, April 23:

Up at 6:00. Cleaned the whole house. Washed my hair. Cleaned up, went in to town. Saw Edna & Irl Bell a minute. Took milk & cream up home. Home at 11:30.

My comments: Sharing page 2 of the Enterprise dated April 22.

[Click to see enlarged image]

Notice the publisher/owner and editor... cartoon... national news

Items from the Enterprise from 10 and 40 years earlier (lower left)... ads along right side

Editorial Ramblings along left center also fun to read... ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Monday, April 22, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Friday, April 22:

Took Pete up to Smith's. Read the Enterprise up there. Got our Register up there for the first time. Home & mixed out my bread. Made plain rolls because I was out of butter. Went in to town a minute. Home at nite.

My comments: Must read the Register and the Enterprise. Main source of news, as well as the radio. Life was good.

Here is the front page of that Enterprise that she read. Amazing! What do you see of interest? I do have all eight pages, I'll share, over time… ;-)

[Click to see enlarged image]

Middle column lists all the teachers in the school as contracts were renewed, etc.
Laura Anderson Wins First Place in Whitnell Seed Test is the next column to the right.
Music contest results, jury activity, political activity... lots of news on the front page.
Note the Proclamation in the lower left about the 'flying machines' and "Air Mail Week."

What fun! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Sunday, April 21, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Thursday, April 21:

Did up the usual work. Cleaned the house a little. Listened to Rudy, Maxwell House & Bob Burns. Frank Morgan said he didn't taste the duck but oh, the gravy.

My comments: I think Frank Morgan was a guest on Bob Burns' radio show.

Bob Burns:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bobburnsnbc.jpg

Families are Forever! ;-)

Saturday, April 20, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Wednesday, April 20:

Pete getting the plow & tractor down here. Disked & harrowed the garden in a.m. In pm. he plowed it & then he & I planted 13 rows of spuds. Kinda tired. Did up the work early, took baths & went to bed early.

My comments: First mention of a tractor... I'd sure like to see it! ;-)

Here is what she hope the potatoes they planted would produce:

A hill of potatoes! Neat! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Friday, April 19, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Tuesday, April 19:

Pete up to his folks planting potatoes all day. Home alone. Did up the usual work. They got the fence finished and at the spuds all cut up.

My comments: She always called them spuds! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Thursday, April 18, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Monday, April 18:

Up late. Betty washing when I got there. Bill going home with Polly & Merle. Pete fixing gar end fence. I waited until pm to wash. Anderson's cleaned Pete's suit & hemmed my dress. Did the washing and went after Pete. Did up the work, took baths, got ready for the dance. Edith & Howard with us. Left at 9:30. Glen Geneva's orchestra. Had a keen time. Pete, Howard, Elmer.

My comments: She loved to go to the dance. Last three names, of course, are who she danced with… the most important thing!

This was an image when I looked for "1938 dancing to orchestra." Note outfits! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Sunday, April 17:

Up at 6:30. Pete raked the south side of the yard. I cleaned the house. Waxed my kitchen floor. At nite Pete went to Soil Conservation Meeting & I stayed at Max & Orrion's until 12:00. Home at 1:30.

My comments: Very interesting Sunday activities. Nice day, obviously, but no farm work.
Interesting that Soil Conservation meeting was on Sunday night, as well. He was already active… that fits well. Followed by social time with his sister, Max, at their house, a mile or so north, I think.

I'll bet, somewhere during the day, they had some left over apple pie, from yesterday. ;-)

I sure would have had some! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Saturday, April 16:

Up at 7:00. Pete wasn't here to dinner. Made Parker house rolls, cinnamon rolls and an apple pie. Were going to town at nite but decided not to. Went to bed instead for a change.

My comments: Interesting series of notes and decisions… read it two or three times...

Parker house rolls, cinnamon rolls, apple pie… she made each of them just great! Wow! ;-)

...need some butter! Yum! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Monday, April 15, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Friday, April 15:

Rainy. Pete up there in am. In pm went in town with trailer and after the ice box and stove. Got groceries. Pete got a hair-cut. Did up the work & went to bed.

My comments: Short and sweet… but meaty!
They had a trailer to pull behind the car! Would love a photo of that!!
Got both an ice box and a stove. Been cooking on the heating stove? or what?
Did their ice box look like this (google search for 1938 ice box)?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Sunday, April 14, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Thursday, April 14:

Up at 6:00. Folks left at 8:00. Did up the usual work. Pete here to dinner. Cleaned chicken after noon. Boiled it, made noodles, cake, got supper. Mom and Dad here to supper. Ate, did dishes and the folks went home.

My comments: Love her chicken and noodles. Eileen and her Mom made these often over the years, certainly in the two or three things she fixed. The image is not hers, but looks close enough! ;-)

I actually like it on top of mashed potatoes, personally!! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Saturday, April 13, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Wednesday, April 13:

Up at 5:30. Pete was all through milking when the folks got up. He disked over on the 80. Mom & Dad out here just as we were through eating. Left Mom here. The paint made her sick. Did up the work and slept until 5:00. Ate, did up the work. Folks here all nite again. Pete and I took baths and then went to bed about 10:00.

My comments: With weather good, getting to the field early was obviously a priority.
Her Mom and Dad went back to town, to their house, but the paint smell was still too much for Dorothy. Eileen got an afternoon rest, it appears!

This isn't Dad, but the team and disk almost surely looked like this:

Families are Forever! ;-)

Friday, April 12, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Tuesday, April 12:

Pete took the team to the other place. Up real early. Did up the work, scrubbed the separator house, and raked a little bit. Aunt Kate came about 2:00 and stayed 'till 5:00. Made a choc. cake, got supper. Mom and Dad here at 6:00. Ate, milked, did up the work and went to Bank Nite to see Mae West in "Every Day's a Holiday." Home at 11:30. Mom & Dad stayed here all nite.

My comments: Wow! Quite a day. Important to note "the separator house!"
Visit from Aunt Kate - Pete's Aunt (wife of his mother's brother, Harry!) - they likely owned that 80!.
Another chocolate cake. First Bank Nite since marriage.
Her parents stayed the night… varnish in their house was too much! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Thursday, April 11, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Monday, April 11:

Up at 6:00. Took Pete up to the other place and I took the car in to town and washed. Had a big washing. Finished the ironing, too.
Rollo & Ed there varnishing, etc.
Home at 6:00. Pete already here.
Ate before Pete milked. Did up the work, and went to bed right away.

My comments: A long day. Must be refinishing some interior work at her parents house.

Another photo of a farmer working his field with a horse… not Pete, but assumed he looked some like this.

Families are Forever! ;-)

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Sunday, April 10:

Up at 6:00. Folks & Leo & Ida came out at 12:00. Bussy going back with them. They left at 4:00. Pete put up the mail-box and then did up the chores early. I fixed sandwiches for supper and popped a kettle of corn. Listened to the radio, took baths and went to bed early.

My comments: Mail box was up for Monday delivery. Suppose they got any junk mail that first day?

I like the expression: "…popped a kettle of corn." Conjures up several images...

Families are Forever! ;-)

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Saturday, April 9:

Up at 7:30. Did dishes & separator, straightened up the house, ate a lunch and we went in to town. Up home a minute. Got groceries. Came home. Pete up to his folks with milk. Went back in to town after butter. Leo & Ida there so we ate supper in there with them. Home to chore. Quite late. Did separator, made a cake, and went to bed.

My comments: Must have warmed up. No mention of the snow. They only lived just a couple of miles from town, so easy and quick to go in and out.

Here is a map… their house was at the red 4 - to the right of the east edge of town, a mile or so north. Pete's Dad's place is a mile and a half north, and a little over a mile east (a red 1 circled). I suspect the "other 80" was within a mile, on one of the "Preston" locations. This is a 1935 map.

[click to see larger map]

Families are Forever! ;-)

Monday, April 8, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Friday, April 8:

Up late. Still awfully cold. Just did the usual work. Pete got a saw from Uncle Harry's but it wasn't much good. Sat of the floor & talked 'till 6:00. Ate, did dishes & separator, took our baths & went to bed early.

My comments: Obviously still snowy out, and cold.

I remember Iowa snow storms, this way:

Do you, too?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Sunday, April 7, 2013

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

Here is the daily entry for Thursday, April 7:

Colder than the Dickens. An awful wind. Had to burn icy wood. Had a time trying to keep warm. Stuffed the north kitchen windows. Bro't everything into the kitchen so it wouldn't freeze. All the roads blocked.

My comments: Cold April snow storm. Wow! I shiver just reading this. Burning icy wood in the stove not nice!

Families are Forever! ;-)

Saturday, April 6, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - April 6, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Wednesday, April 6:

Up late. Did usual work and went in to folks for dinner. Rollo working there. Did shopping. Sleeting pretty hard. Home quite early. I made a chocolate cake. Got supper, did dishes, separator & went to bed. Getting colder all the time. Got new lantern and mail-box.

My comments: Weather sounds about ours around here last week!

Tempted to show a chocolate cake, but I went for the mail-box, instead. Did it look like this?

Families are Forever! ;-)

Friday, April 5, 2013

75 Years Ago - Eileen's Diary - April 5, 1938

Here is the daily entry for Tuesday, April 5:

Up at 5:30. Pete took car with him over to work on the 80. Home to dinner. I took him back over after dinner. Getting colder all the time. Went in to town, got $26.00 from Mun. Light Plant. Did a little shopping, went over & got Pete & came home. Sleeting. He did the chores up early. Ate, did dishes & separator, took baths & went to bed.

My comments: Looks like she got paid well for her final work at the Light Plant. I was a bit surprised she didn't continue to work, but, I guess the 'old-way' of the newly-wed farm wife not working outside the farm home was still the practice.

Since a 'team' was mentioned earlier, I assumed the spring plowing was being done with horses. Do you suppose that was so? Here are horses plowing...

Families are Forever! ;-)