Wistful Wednesday: Farm Diaries

I finished with the Farm Diaries last night.   Cross that project off my list!  It has been a work in progress since February 22 2014 when I began with the Farm Diaries of the year 1916. 

So it took me 6 years and three days to get trough 13 years of diaries.  I have learned to "read grandpa" quite well.  He didn't have the best hand....it was a relief when Grandma wrote as her hand was better.  Far Guy would try to help me and read the entries...when you cannot "read grandpa" it become frustrating.

1929 is the last year of the diaries.  July and August of that year were quite happy and equally sad for them as they welcomed their fourth child and said goodbye to Louisa better known as Ma or Mama. (Tracie's Mother)

I found out many things I did not know.  A tornado went through in July of 1928, it took down a bunch of trees.  That was also the year that they moved into a garage while their new home was being built.

Grandpa was the Coroner and went to a neighbors death.  They noted many deaths, a drowning and deaths of Grandmas sister Lydia and of the death of Jerry a nephew, and a sad day when a baby died. 

Farm  House in 1917 it was torn down in 1928 and 1929.

The Farm House unknown year .. perhaps in the late 1930's

The Farm House in 1945. 

I am kinda sad to leave these diaries.. I am grateful to have the chance to have a peek into their lives for so many years.

July 1929

July 4 went to PR Dads + Ruberts there, went back to the fire works in PM
July 5 haying awful dry
July 6 Saturday Born to us Archie Blair at 9-30 Mrs Trankner here to work Margaret Chilton here over night
July 7 Sunday had lots of company to see new boy had a rain
July 8 Monday awful dry haying helped wash
July 9 Tuesday  same work
July 10 Tracie in bed Mrs Trankner went home Mother came
July 11 -July 13 no entry
July 14 Sunday Ruberts + Dads came down  Mama not well Baby awful cross
July 18 Thursday  awful hot  + dry  Mother + Dad came out Mother sick
July 19-20 no entry
July 21 Sunday went for a ride awful dry Mother Henderson here + Mother Stuve here sick
July 22 - 27 no entry
July 28 Sunday went to the Park Frances stayed with the folks

Far Side

The Farm Diaries

Far Guy's  Paternal Grandparents wrote daily diaries.  Grandma wrote in a diary before she was married (1911-1913 when she was 16, 17 and 18 years old.)

The Farm Diaries begin in 1916 and they stretch through the years ending in 1929.  The diaries belong to cousin Bonnie and she says I can keep them...but I really want to finish the project and return them to her.  It is a relief when Grandma writes as her handwriting is much better than Grandpas. However I am getting pretty good at deciphering his hand.

I started a special blog for all this family information.  It has been a work in progress since  2012. Yes I have been at it for eight years!  Pictures and newspaper articles that Grandma saved were scanned  and the diaries transcribed one entry at a time.

What I found interesting about the month of January 1926 is that all three boys got the mumps.  Marvin (Far Guys Dad age 12) on January 2, Jimmie (age 4) on January 20  and Ronald (age 7) on January 22.  (Archie was not even a twinkle in his Dads eye yet)

I hope that I can decipher a few more months this winter.  Right now I am working on October of 1926.
Far Side

Photo taken in front of Grandmas parents (known as Dads) home in Park Rapids Minnesota.  I don't know for sure when this photo was taken...I will guess 1927.

Farm Diaries: January 1926
January 1 Friday  To Dads in PR for new years dinner had goose
January 2 Saturday  Butchered a 325 hog  cut some brush  Marvin took mumps
January 3 Sunday  Home sacked some spuds for Arthur got 150 per bu
January 4 Monday Cut brush Fred Bateman here after boar Glen stayed I sorted spuds in PM
January 5 Tuesday  Sacked spuds for Arthur
January 6 Wednesday Cut up pork helped Chilton load wood put on a little siding on barn
January 7 Thursday  Took cream hauled some wood in kitchen hauled a load of dry pole wood
January 8 Friday  Hauled wood from pig pen
January 9 Saturday  Cut dry wood to Osage in eve
January 10 Sunday Home Dads here sacked spuds for Arthur Geo Moyer
January 11 Monday School started I cut dry wood Thresa and Jimmie went to Sextons
January 12 Tuesday Helped wash hauled one load of dry wood brought kids home from school
January 13 Wednesday  Choped wood Thresa went to see Mrs Robinson I and Jimmie hauled some pole wood
January 14 Thursday  Started to PR to Farm Bureau meeting but stopped at Osage a bliz and roads blocked
January 15 Friday Cut wood in AM to PR in PM
January 16 Saturday Hauled wood chored
January 17 Sunday Sacked spuds for Arthur went to see Mr Rhodes and Smith
January 18 Monday  Sacked feed and took it to Osage John sick and couldn't grind left feed. Sexton sick done his chores
January 19 Tuesday Helped Sexton with pump and chores Cleaned barn
January 20 Wednesday Jimmie took Mumps  cut wood Halfsoled some shoes Chilton here after wood Took cream and eggs to Osage
January 21 Thursday  To Robinsons after boar, no use took him back after noon very cold
January 22 Friday  Cut Tamarack wood Very cold Ronald came down with mumps
January 23 Saturday  M Rhodes died we cut wood very cold and blizardy
January 24 Sunday Home Arthur here after spuds chored cold
January 25 Monday Hauled wood in AM  to Mr Rhodes funeral in PM
January 26 Tuesday Hauled in some wood and took some oats down to Robinson to get it ground Jimmie sick
January 27 Wednesday Cut wood in morn chored and took eggs to Osage  and got Marvin from school bad storm
January 28 Thursday about 35 below cut wood and hauled it in took cream to stage at noon
January 29 Friday Cut and hauled wood
January 30 Saturday Cut wood in AM cleaned out barn and went to Osage in eve
January 31 Sunday Home all day about 8 in of snow fell

June 13 1895

Far Guy’s Paternal Grandmother Tracie would have been 121 today.

Some entries from the Farm Diaries.

June 13 1924 Friday Plowed Big party on Thresa  disced harrowed Maleta here (Tracie would have been 29 years old)

June 13  1923 Wednesday Thresas birthday 28 years Dads here had old hen, grubed some folks went to Robinsons

June 13  1922 Tuesday Worked on porch ( Maybe the porch was part of her gift?)

June 13 1921 Monday  To PR took veal Thresa and kids went

June  13 1920  Sunday  Home Thresa went to church

June 13 1919  Friday  Took cream Esessor? here cultivated corn  (Assessor??) The next Sunday they had many visitors.  June 15  Sunday  Aunt Amelias folks McLaughlin Frank Wilsons and Da and Ma here.
June 13  1918 Thursday To PR Ronald to DR. (Park Rapids to Doctor)

June 13 1916  Tuesday Helped Dow log Japs Glens here in eve

From Grandma’s Diaries before she was married.

June 13 1913 Ironed in the morn.  Eva went home.  My birthday got a watch and a centerpiece.  To bed at 8.      This was her 18th Birthday.

Tracie and Emma

June 13 1912:  Fred went fishing.  Emma and I down to Aleck’s.  Hazel and Leslie came home with us.  My birthday the kids tried to have a surprise party on me.  It rained.  There were sixteen here had a fine time. Got some nice presents. To bed at 8??or 3?? (Grandma always looked forward to her birthday and having a house full at the farm on the Sunday nearest her birthday! )  In 1912 Grandma was 17.
June 13, 1979



Marvin  (her son) most likely too this polaroid photo and gave it to her…she wrote “The old gal on her 84th birthday.”

She would die just a few months shy of her 88th birthday in 1983.

She was a wonderful lady. I miss her every day.

One of her favorite sayings was “Don’t that beat all.”

Wistful Wednesday: Farm Diaries a Road Trip

I am still working on the Farm Diaries.  I wish I had more time to spend on them. 
October 1924 was the focus the other day. I am getting a bit better at reading Grandpa’s shorthand.
9  Thursday Husked corn AM to PR in PM to get that we wanted on our trip
10  Friday Started to Iowa drove all day dinner at Sauk Center (100 miles) camped at Redwood Falls(93 miles)
11 Saturday Drove all day dinner near Spence Iowa (100 miles) to Logan (132 miles) about 7:30 Mother down to Vidas (sister)
12 Sunday  Home to Mothers both Wills there (Brothers in law Podendorf and Wettendorf))
13 Monday Mother came home about noon
14 Tuesday To Council Bluffs stayed all night at Grovers (brother)
15 Wednesday Rainy To George Rogers ( Tracie’s sister and husband) for dinner out to Aunt Annies for supper stayed all night at Geos Harold and family came in eve
16 Thursday  To Grovers after Mother then to Chester Graybills for dinner to Chester’s folks for supper there saw Vida Home to Mothers about 11 o’clock
17 Friday Up to Bill Podendorff ( Sister ) To Cal Woldermire  Cal came to Bill in eve
18 Saturday To Mothers for dinner stayed around Logan in PM To Chas Stuves (Tracie’s Uncle) overnight
19 Sunday Had picnic in Tourist Park  home with Frank Rogers (Tracie’s Sister)
20 Monday  Worked on car To Ervins in eve saw Father Uncle Franks there home to Mothers about 12 o’clock
21 Tuesday To Uncle Earls for dinner Uncle Chas in PM out to Will Wettendorf (sister) in eve
22 Wednesday Chas Norris to see us at Mothers in eve Uncle Earls Chas Stuve both Wills and Bernard there in eve played cards
23 Thursday To Mothers all day Cora (sister) came in
24 Friday Started for Battle Creek Ia to Lauras (Tracie’s sister) about 10 o’clock helped her move
25 Saturday Started for Minn dinner near Spirit Lake supper meal Redwood Falls camped at Spicer
26 Sunday Breakfast near Browerville to PR about one thirty dinner at Grandmas home in PM
I was surprised to see the entry on October 20…saw father. As far as I know Grandpa had not spoken to his father since he left Logan Iowa in 1914.  This is the first mention of his father in the diary.  (His father was not a very nice man, he was a drinker and wife beater.  His Mother divorced the rotten old coot in about 1914 or 1915.)
They must have purchased the car with a trip in mind.  They travelled Hwy 71 for most of the trip, with three children then ages 10, 5 and 3.  Motoring along at about 20 miles per hour if you were lucky.

Aunt Skinnie (Frances) and Marvin (Far Guy’s Dad ) with a 1923 Ford.

In the Farm Diaries there is no mention of what kind of car they bought, it may have been this one that they took on a road trip back in 1924 all the way to Iowa to visit relatives.

Wistful Wednesday: Farm Diaries

I am STILL working on the diaries when I find time.
The recent addition of photos from Cousin Terry has helped to fill in a few blanks…and brings up a few questions.

November 18 1923 Sunday Home with kids Thresa went to Emmas to see sick baby

Grandma went to her sister Emmas home in Laporte…about 45 miles away. ( Grandma could have taken the Stage to Park Rapids and then went by car with her parents and sisters, Frances and Lydia to Emmas.)

Aunt Emma and Uncle Rubert with Earl born in 1918 and a baby.  The baby is either their daughter Leila born in 1923 or their niece Donna born in 1924.  (Donna's story is a complicated one and better left for another day.)  The middle photo is Aunt Emma and Earl near a wood pile.

On the far right is Aunt Frances holding a baby…if it is Leila this is probably the only photo we have of her.

December 1923
6 Thursday Recieved word little Leala (Leila) was dead Thresa and Minnie went to Emmas I cut ties and chored
7  Friday Went early to Laport to funeral not cold Rubert and Emma came home with us Minnie and Alfred came also
8  Saturday Visited in AM Ruberts went home  I made ties in PM Thresa and Minnie went to Robinsons
9  Sunday  To Dads eat Turkey Ruberts went home in PM

Since Grandpa has no way with words we don’t know what little Leila died from.  We know she was sick November 18 because Grandma visited that day. We know that the family surrounded Emma and Rubert and brought them home with them for a few days after the babies death.

These photos are not marked.  Everyone who could possibly identify this baby as Leila or Donna have passed on.

Leila was born May 29 1923 and died December 6 1923.  Donna was born September 6 1924.
So the trees being leafless in the first photo are no clue what so ever…it could be either child. I am guessing that the baby is about six months old.
 

Wistful Wednesday: A car

I am still working on those Farm Diaries…I find some things quite remarkable.  You could trade colts for a car and the people with cars for sale made house calls.  Perhaps you will enjoy Far Guy’s Grandpa James X.’s shorthand. I am getting much better at reading his hand writing!

Sunday June 25 1922 Took colts to trade for car did not trade To Sorensons in PM

No mention of what kind of car just a car.

Thursday September 14 1922 Finished corn hauled in clover straw fellow here with car to trade
Tuesday June 9 1923 Rained hard made fence Les Enfield here to show car

Now the Les Enfield that I knew was always a car salesman.

Friday July 6 1923 Thresa and Frances took cream in car I plowed corn to Ponsford celebration in PM Played Dance at Ponsford in eve ( First mention of driving a car, I wonder who drove?  Aunt Frances or Grandma Tracie? Grandma is said to not drive at all until after Grandpa died. Were they just testing out a car?  There is no more mention of taking cream in the car.)

Sunday July 29 1923 Dads here to see about car deal got binder in eve Beck came home with me ( Dads was Tracie’s parents, when Grandpa left Logan Iowa he never saw his father again.)

Stuve’s old Ford

This photo was in the photo album that belonged to Aunt Frances. Not sure who the people are …that could be Aunt Frances with the big bow in her hair…we may never know.

We do know that this was most likely the car that her parent’s /Dads/the Stuves purchased.

August 2  1923 Thursday Started on barn cellar Dads here in eve with new Ford

Did new mean brand new or new to them?

January 6 1924  Sunday  Home Dads here in PM got stuck up by corner

January 31 1924 Thursday Filed saw sharpened ax cut down Norway in front of barn Dads came out in car thawed hauled wood in PM

February 10 1924 Sunday To PR ( Park Rapids) Lydia came out after us

I take it that only the elders (Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Stuve) bought a car.  But you never can tell what hints the next monthly diary will bring.
 

Wistful Wednesday: Trip to Dakota 1922

Recently I was transcribing my husbands Grandfather’s Farm Diaries, I TRY to do a month a day…somedays that is not possible. Anyways I found this entry.

September 1922
1  Friday Thresa and kids and Harrys and Anna and their kids went to Dakota  I took cream and hauled rock got stuck and wet  rained
2  Saturday Helped Robinsons fill silo
3  Sunday To Osage in PM took teachers books
4  Monday Helped Robinsons finish silo  worked on barn foundation in PM  Thresa and kids came home 

I wish Grandpa was a man of more words.  He is short and to the point. 

I knew that this photo must have been taken about 1922 because of my Father in laws age being eight years old (Grandma marked it) and he was born in 1914, and Uncle Jimmy is a babe in arms and he was born in October of 1921.   Finding the diary entry we can date the photo to September 1-4 1922.

Looks like a fine automobile to travel in, spare tires were carried right with you just in case and roads were not the super highways we know today.  Note that everyone has a hat on all ready for the big trip to Dakota.

The women are sisters Anna or Annie as she was called and Tracie or Thresa or Theresa Far Guy’s paternal grandmother.  Tracie is on the right with her three children, and Annie and her husband Harry and four children are on the left.

I wonder what the children thought of he trip?  I wonder how far into Dakota they went?  Fargo or further?  Whom did they visit?   Perhaps the diary and Grandpa will tell me in some later entries….I will keep my fingers crossed.

Update from Cousin Pat
Jack read your blog today and said Gram was on her way to see the
McKee's at their farm by Valley City.

Update from me: 
The trip would have been 150 miles one way.
Yes they all traveled together, the kids all fit in here and there. 

Wistful Wednesday: Smallpox 1920

There was a small pox epidemic here in Minnesota in 1920.  Far Guy’s Grandma apparently had it.

From the Farm Diary:

December 28 1919 Sunday  Home thought Thresa had small pox kids and myself went to PR with Leo and got vacinated Esta came home with us

A Sunday…they must have went to the Doctors home.    Grandpa being a man of many words …didn’t say much more…he helped care for Grandma.  He took Esta back home on January 5th.  I think Esta was Esta Wilson a good friend of Grandmas.

THEN  17 days after Grandma had the small pox.

January 13 1920 Tuesday Finished wood in road cut brush  Marvin took small poxs

So apparently the vaccination didn’t work or the small pox was not as severe after the vaccination.  Again being wordy Grandpa doesn’t say much of anything else…he went about his daily chores.

******

Small pox was a winter-spring disease.  1/3 of the people who got it died.  It is passed through face to face contact. The incubation period was 7 to 17 days ( some references say 2 to 3 weeks) A high fever accompanies the rash which consists of lesions filled with fluid, after one or two weeks the lesions scab over and fall off leaving scars.   The rash is distinctive as the lesions are all in the same stage of development…no new ones form after the onset.  There were two forms of small pox Variola major and Variola minor.  Small Pox was only found in humans.

Marvin would have been almost six years old and Ronald would have been two years old.

Grandma marked this photo 6 years Marvin  +  Ronald.  It was most likely taken in the summer of 1920.  Marvin is Far Guy’s Dad.

There is no mention of anyone else getting small pox.

I was vaccinated on my left arm and Far Guy was vaccinated on his right arm…we both have pox like scars from the vaccination as I am certain most of you do also.  I remember when I got my vaccination it got all red and then it formed a scab and I picked at it and made it bleed. I think they stopped giving small pox vaccinations in 1972, I have heard they have enough of the vaccine stockpiled for every person in the United States should it ever become a problem again.

 

Wistful Wednesday : The Farm Diaries

Our project (Transcribing his Grandparents Farm Diaries) is coming along.  Sadly we have not been able to keep up with the two month a day plan.  Life gets in the way some days.

We are both frustrated with Grandpas handwriting although Far Guy is getting better at deciphering.  I am also frustrated that Grandpa doesn’t say more about the boys…but it is a Farm Diary.

March 1918

1  Friday  Born to us Ronald, changed and covered spuds, Mrs. Stuve here

Mrs. Stuve was Grandma’s mother.

September 1919

1  Monday  Cut corn by hand Orrin helped

2  Tuesday  Got Robinsons binder it did not work Orrin cut by hand took binder to Osage

3  Wednesday  Cut corn by hand  got binder cut in PM Broke down again took to Osage

4  Thursday  Cut and shocked corn finished a field stacked clover

5  Friday  Finished clover took cream  Orrin quit  Pulled beans

Not sure who Orrin was but he quit. 

This old photo must have been taken in 1919 or 1920.

Ronald, Grandma, Grandpa and Marvin (Far Guys Dad)

We finished off 1919 the other day.

December 1919

27  Saturday  Hauled straw manure and fauder Thresa sick

28  Sunday  Home thought Thresa had small pox kids and myself went to PR with Leo and got vacinated Esta came home with us

29  Monday  Chored helped take care of Thresa hauled a load of manure

When Far Guy was reading the part about Grandma and small pox he said “OH no”  I said “Well we know it turned out okay.”  We TRY not to read ahead.

The other big thing in 1919 was telephone poles, wires and a meeting. No mention of any calls.

March 15 1919 Saturday   Hauled cut and piled wood cut some telephone poles

June 28 1919 Saturday  Set telephone poles all day

July 30 1919 Wednesday To Osage strung telephone wire

July 31 1919 Thursday Finished telephone wire hoed strawberries

August 4  1919 Monday  Took cream got telephone and put it in hoed strawberries P.D. in Ponsford   (P.D.= Played Dance)

August 16 1919  Saturday  Scaped dirt off cellar G. Dow here  telephone meeting

I try to transcribe the diary just as it is written.  The diaries span 1916 to 1929 and Grandpa writes something everyday.  Only ten more years to go.