Emma #132: June 1938
Ruth & Bob come home, summer on the farm, Katharine in Mexico, and camp meeting
Wed 1. Bess asked me to come to Mrs. Brassfield’s class party at her place. Mrs. B. & I went with a couple of the boys in her class. Had a nice time.
Thu 2. Mr. Grooters was here today. We have no money to pay for the feed we have got. We owe Williams & Brassfield & Todd & Summerfield & the store & Leathers for the coal & Reynolds & the hatchery for chickens and I don’t know what else. I have been doing my best to pay in butter but can’t get very far. The hens have about stopped laying & I feel right up against a stone wall. We need a separator so badly. I owe Gertie 1.50 and it is crushing to not be able to meet these things. I seem to feel there will be a way out but I do not know how it will be. Bess sent for me to come out to help her this PM which I did. She gave me a work table.
Fri 3. It was cold & cloudy this AM. I planted some watermelons, squash and pie pumpkins. I hope they amount to something. This afternoon I made a turkey pen in the back yard. Am pretty tired and can’t sleep. I suppose Ruth & Bob are on their way. We will be so glad to see them.
Watermelon, squash, and pumpkins do best when planted in warm soil. They need plenty of room to grow.
Sat 4. Today has mostly been spent in cleaning up the house, baking cookies & this PM in studying the SS lesson. Both Bess & Thelma were here. I was real tired & we all lay on the bed & talked. Bess wants to buy our calf if it is a heifer. She has lost five turkeys. I don’t want to lose mine. We did not hear from Ruth today.
Sun 5. I walked to church and back. Dad did not go. He thought the cow might have a calf but she didn’t. After dinner dishes were done we were surprised to have Ruth and Bob drive in. They had missed seeing Grooters in Ft. Dodge. We were so happy to see them. They had staid the night before at Eldora. Left Philadelphia on Wed. June 1st. Had a passenger to Iowa Falls. They both will have teaching jobs for part time next year. It will be in a private conservatory in Wilmington, Del.
Mon 6. This was a busy day. Dad & I voted in primary. I had my hair waved. Came home & got ready to go to the Monday Club picnic. Had a nice time. Robert took us and came after us. We took Mrs. Shepherd & her baby. Mr. & Mrs. Grooters were here when we got home. Robert got a job with Waters. Begins on Wed.
According to this article, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to use the 1938 congressional primaries to remove conservative Democrats from the party and gain more support for his New Deal programs. Iowa was one of the targeted states, but incumbent Guy Gillette easily defeated challenger Otha Wearin.
Tue 7. Such a busy day. Put out 16 little turkeys today. Have 31 now. I hope the other three hens hatch as well. We did a big washing today. I baked rolls. Bob & Dad have been cultivating corn with Summerfield’s team. He was here for dinner. Bob & Ruth went to Ft. Dodge as it was Stella’s birthday. Rev. & Mrs. Walker drove in & visited awhile.
Wed 8. (Note: Two turkey settings should hatch today)
The day has started out rather bad. I am too tired to work! The ivy plant Katharine sent fell out of the window & broke off! One little goose is about dead! The hens keep bothering the turkeys! I’m afraid I can’t raise them! How can I talk about Houses built on a rock when I’m such a poor example? Now for things to be happy about: Ruth & Bob are home, Dad is taking pride in the lawn—is mowing this AM. The corn is cultivated! I am not sick in bed! Guess I need to pray. The baby calf came today. It is not a heifer. Ruth & I watched it arrive.
Awww…poor Emma…between the money troubles she mentioned earlier, and today’s frustrations, it sounds like she’s having a bad time. Nice to see that she is able to take a little time to focus on the positive!
Thu 9. All we Boylans helped at Ladies’ Aid today. Dad got the church ready, I led the devotions. Ruth played a solo & played for Mrs. McCrary & Robert. Robert sang a solo. Bess bought 1¼ lbs of butter this AM, also got a sack of feed. Ruth & I called on Mrs. Mighel today. My next bunch of turkeys are hatching. I hope I have 24. Dad has made me a couple little houses for the hens. We are so glad of Robert’s job. He started working for the Electric Light Co. yesterday. Mrs. Brassfield, Betty & Joice were here awhile tonight.
Fri 10. Dad is working on my turkey house today. It is a big job to tear an old building down and build it up again. He gets so tired. Ruth & Bob went with Mrs. G., Helen and Stella to take Helen down to Smiths. I went down to Brassfields in the evening to help plan for the Group meeting on Wed. I do not hear from many so I do not know whether many will come or not. I have 51 turkeys. The old hens fought and killed one. Dad called it an innocent by-stander. Katharine’s school is out today. She has given up going to summer school & plans on a trip to Mexico.
Katharine was quite the world traveller. One day I hope to pull together material from her journals and letters and share some of her adventures.
Sat 11. (Note: The last three turkey settings should hatch today.)
Dad is still busy on the building. I sold a young chicken today & an old hen. Will get .63 for the young one & .76 for the hen. A man came to look at the calf today but did not buy. I got a letter from Linnie. She is pretty much discouraged. She enclosed one from Lucile & Bobby. We are having lettuce, radishes and asparagus from our garden. Bob does not work on Sat PM. He helped Rev. Walker put in some clothes posts. Ruth, Bob & I cleaned the church.
Lucile and Bobby were the wife and son of Emma and Linnie’s brother Luther, who died of encephalitis in March.
Oh, the bounty of the summer garden!
Sun 12. We got up about 5 A.M. and it is now 3 P.M. and I am sitting down for a few minutes. I taught my SS class & Bob taught Mrs. Brassfield’s. Dad had Mr. Pratt’s. We are talking of driving to Glidden this evening. I’d rather go to bed. I am tired. Bob & Ruth were offered 25.00 to take the choir for June & July. Bob will also give a few voice lessons. I will be glad with the Group meeting is over—I hope it is a success.
Mon 13. It was rainy today. We did not wash.
Tue 14. We are looking forward to the Group meeting tomorrow. I am taking milk for cocoa. I went to the church to practice with Irene & Betty Brassfield and Bob & Mrs. Waters came for me with the dog they want to give us. It is a nice pup but pretty full of life. We were at Brassfields in the evening before supper. They were making ice cream. When we took the girls home, they gave us enough for Waters & ourselves. It rained terribly hard in the evening. Dad took the calf to the sale today. It sold for 11.50. He bought us ½ bushel of tomatoes.
Instant cocoa was not invented until the 1950s. Here’s a newspaper recipe for home-made hot chocolate.
Wed 15. This was a lovely morning. Dad & I met the train and brought Mrs. Held & Miss Lucilla Kaether here to the house. We then went to the church to the SB Group meeting. Bernadine Miller and another girl from Manson, a group from Rockwell & the girls here made up our meeting. We had a nice day. Rev. & Mrs. Walker took the missionary women to Spencer afterwards. Bess came here after Group meeting & we took her out home. Paid 10.00 more on the hogs.
This picture was in the family files. I don’t know if it’s this same group, but it’s about the right time period. You can see Emma in the back—6th person from the left. (It occurs to me that this might also be the Monday Club.)
Thu 16. We washed today. It was a fine washday. Rev. Johnson of Glidden was here at noon to get Bob to take their choir to train—also invited them to a choir party. In the evening we got some plants from Mrs. Walker. While I was setting them out Mrs. Green, Louise & Hilma came. Before they left Mrs. Johnson, Rev. J, Mrs. Jones (Mrs. J’s father) Betty, Dorothy Johnson and Miss Couch came. Bob & Ruth gave us a fine concert. Asked Florence in to hear it.
Fri 17. The work is going rather slowly this morning. There is so much to do with all the milk to take care of. Ruth is working on the lawn and Dad is building the turkey house. Lost two turkeys yesterday—a big one and a little one.
Sat 18. Such a hard day! Dad had to plow corn and that left the church for us and as we are having the Greens tomorrow we are quite busy. We went to town after nine o’clock.
Sun 19. Dad went early to the church to dust but did not go to church. He is pretty tired out. I did not teach but went in to Rev. Walkers class. I sang in the choir & came home to get a dinner finished for Greens. We had two chickens, peas, mashed potato, radishes, salad of lettuce tomato cucumber. We called on Brassfields in the PM. Joyce B. came home with us to see Dad milk. She had never seen a cow milked she said. Her folks came after her. Bess called but I decided not to go to church.
Here’s another picture from the files. I believe this is Tell milking the cow.
Mon 20. This has been a busy day. Made butter this AM and it was a long time coming. Then I baked bread & cookies with Ruth’s help. Got a card from Katharine. She was to get to Laredo, Tex yesterday, ready to enter Mex. Dad plowed all day. We are getting some cherries from Emo—north of us. Bob gave two voice lessons tonight. Mr. Davenport came to see us this PM—staid for supper. We went out north of Seymores to look at Ann Titus’ alfalfa but it was pretty weedy. I lay out under the stars awhile. It made me feel like an earth child.
I love Emma’s description of being an earth child out under the stars!
Laredo, Texas is near the eastern end of the US/Mexico border, south of San Antonio.
Tue 21. We canned cherries today. Bought some from neighbor Emo. Ruth & Bob went to Glidden to a choir party. Dad & I were invited but were too tired to go. I should have gone to WFMS but didn’t. Bess came in the evening. Mr. Grooters was here also.
Wed 22. Another cherry canning day. Dad finished plowing the corn the second time. Ruth went to play for the Green girls to sing at Aid. I did not go. We (Dad & I) are talking of driving to Eldora Sat A.M.
Thu 23. Today Mary Margaret would have been twenty two years old. I wonder what she looks like now. A card from Katharine says it has been so hot. I hope she finds it cooler in Mexico. My turkeys seem to be doing well. Dad is working on the turkey house today. Robert fixed the gasoline stove last night. It was so hot canning cherries.
Mary Margaret was Emma’s fourth child, who died shortly after birth.
Fri 24. We washed today. It was very hot. In the PM I went to Mrs. Miller for a permanent. Bess was here. Ruth made her a chiffon flower for her dress.
Here are directions for making these gorgeous chiffon flowers!
Sat 25. I had to take the cow to Williams to be bred today. (Bernadine). Am selling two chickens today—one to Mrs. Snow. Having our first new peas from the garden.
Sun 26. It is cool this A.M. Dad went to the church early to dust. Dad & I each taught a SS class, Bob sang a solo & we sang in the choir. In the PM Waters took Bob & Ruth for a ride. The Brassfield girls & their mother were here awhile planning for the Camp trip. We went to the union service at the ME church. Rev. Shepherd preached his last sermon in Lake City this evening.
Mon 27. It is still cool this AM. We picked peas and pulled weeds this AM. I am starting some bread. Our car has something the matter with the Universal joint so I can not drive it to Okoboji. We got a long letter from Katharine. She is in Mexico City. She is seeing lots of poverty.
Here’s a map of Mexico City from a 1938 guidebook.
Tue 28. I drove the car to SB Camp today. Mrs. Brassfield & her girls, Mable Leathers, Elise Fern, Minnie & Margaret Ann Smith came to camp. We have a lovely cottage. It belongs to Rev. Limings. We phoned them at Sioux Rapids. The trip up here was quite uneventful. We started about 1:30 and got here about 5:30. Mr. & Mrs. Leathers brought a load & staid for supper. Ruth & Bob were planning to go to Glidden tonight.
Founded in 1915 by what was at that time the Methodist Episcopal Church (now the United Methodist Church), Lake Okoboji Camp, which is still very active, is just west of Spirit Lake, IA on the shores of West Lake Okoboji.
Wed 29. Ready for bed the first day of camp. It just poured last night and this morning so the program started late. I gave my first talk on Prayer at the Quiet Hour. The girls all seem to be having a good time. Tonight was a stunt night. Our girls put on a Dr. Quack stunt with Umbrellas. It was cute. We plan to be here until Sat. A.M. It is 10:15 P.M. Time to be in bed.
Thu 30. Ready for bed this second day in camp. It has been as hot today as it was cold yesterday. We had Lillian Pinkersgill for supper. I called on Mrs. Sheldon, Mrs. Shroyer. Mrs. Cashman from Wauley & the counselor from Ayrshire told me how much they enjoyed my talks & how the girls liked them. We had our chicken today with enough for tomorrow. Rev. Ralston & his wife and family called this evening. Mrs. Olson from Grant City, Mo. talked this evening.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for July 1938.