Thu 1. I planned to wash but it snowed. We went to a movie at the school house “The Life of Christ” It was very [poor?]
Hard to read her writing here…
Fri 2. Washed today—put the clothes in the sleeping porch to dry. John Lohr came back from Eldora. We were all invited to Gerald’s for supper. Had a duck. Went to Lottie’s to the club meeting. Mrs. Deardorf read Yellow Butterflies and Mr. McDougall spoke on State Gov.
John Lohr’s wife Maloa, Tell’s sister, died in early 1928.
This might have been Vachel Lindsay’s poem The King of Yellow Butterflies—here’s an interesting article that draws parallels between Lindsay’s poetry and jazz.
Sat 3. Have sewed some today. Bought Ruth a new hat.
Sun 4. Went to church & S.S then all of us including John Lohr went to Leibenstein’s for dinner. We had a lovely dinner. Went to a WCTU prayer meeting in PM. Took John Lohr to Eldora then went to church at night.
Mon 5. Managed to keep busy without accomplishing much. Went down town. We got our new davenport & chair today.
A Davenport is a type of sofa.
Tue 6. A lovely sunny day. Went to Ladies Aid at Mrs. Van Patter. We voted for president today—Hoover & Curtis—against Smith & Robinson.
Here’s a little information on the 1928 election and some of the issues that were current at the time. Hoover won in a landslide.
Quick history quiz for you: in what year did women gain the right to vote?
Wed 7. Had Libbie help me today. We cleaned the kitchen & all the house—getting ready for WFMS. Went to prayer meeting. Took Mrs. Walker with us down to Tabor’s.
Thu 8. WFMS here today. Mrs. Walker helped me all forenoon. Am serving meat sandwiches, salad, doughnuts & coffee. Was so tired when night came.
Fri 9. It has been snowing again. I am washing today. Can hang the clothes in the sleeping porch. Betty is having a breaking out—looks a little like measles.
Here’s a history of the measles. The first measles vaccine came out in 1963.
Sat 10. I spend the day at the shop—or the afternoon—posting books.
“The shop” was Tell’s farm implement business.
Sun 11. I taught Mrs. Rowley’s S.S. Class today as she is away. Went to an Armistice Day program at the schoolhouse. Ruth played for it and also for Sunday morning service—her first morning service. John & Alice came over a while. Betty is still broken out with scarlet rash.
Armistice Day was a day of remembrance after World War I. In the US it has since become Veterans Day; in other countries it is Remembrance Day. Here’s an account of how poppies became a symbol of remembrance.
Mon 12. Spent most of the day on the davenport. Have not been well. A SB com met here tonight to write the passport & make flags & invitations.
Tue 13. Have spent the day in bed. Dr. Brubaker said I had to stay for several days. Nora is here.
Wed 14. Still in bed. Mrs. Van Patter, her niece and Mrs. Walker called. Nora still here.
Thu 15. Too beautiful a day to be in bed. Have had several callers. Rev & Mrs. McDade were here.
“Hippity! Hippity! Hop!
A pellet, a tablet, a drop
They all feel so funny
Way down in my tummy
Hippity! Hippity! Hop!”
I have no idea where this came from, but it’s possible that Emma wrote it. She enjoyed words—I have some poems she wrote (stay tuned!) and she entered lots of contests for slogans.
Fri 16. Am so much better today. Aunt Mary died yesterday at Iowa Falls. Nora went home this PM.
Mary Rowan Boylan was the wife of Tell’s uncle Moses, who had died in 1920. She was 85 years old.
Sat 17. It is snowing today. I am down stairs and dressed today. Ruth will play for Aunt Mary’s funeral. Daddy to sing and Gerald is to be a pall bearer. Nora, Will & Daisey are coming over this AM.
Sun 18. Nora is going home this PM. I did not go to church this morning. Daddy led the singing today in S.S. and taught both his & my class.
Mon 19. Daddy took Daisey home and brought Nora over today. He and Nora plan to go to Kate’s on Wed. He and Ruth have gone to the PTA meeting tonight. Ruth is to speak & play. Have been making Ruth a new tan & brown flannel dress today.
Tue 20. Have been sewing today. We took a little ride in the new (old) Buick. Am sewing a bit.
Wed 21. Daddy & Nora started for Katie’s today. Took a lot of fruit and vegetables with them. It was a bit lonely today but several of the women have been here planning for the Unit meeting.
Thu 22. I have felt pretty well today. Washed—with Libbie’s help. Got my tulips planted—with Boyd’s help. Suppose Tell & Nora are at Kate’s. Got a nice letter from Katharine.
Just for fun, here’s a 1928 painting of tulips.
Fri 23. This has been a beautiful day. Have kept pretty busy. Finished a new apron. Went down to Mrs. Swallum’s to quilt in the PM, and had Mrs. Walker & Ruth for supper. Mrs. W stayed here while the Ruths went to “Aunt Het”.
Sat 24. The day is sunny & nice. Ruth went to Iowa Falls for her lesson.
Sun 25. Ruth & I went to church & SS today. I had to be SS supt—& take the TO as Miss Manning did not come. Tell & Nora drove home from Kate’s today.
SS=Sunday School; TO=Tithe Offering
Mon 26. Had our Unit meeting today. About 42 attended. Had ten ladies from Alden. Am pretty tired tonight.
Tue 27. Spent all the afternoon posting books and sending out statements. Got a letter from Katharine saying she passed the U-Eng test. Ruth got 7 A’s on her card which puts her at the head of her class. We are all very happy about it.
Katharine (my great-aunt) was at school at the University of Chicago, and Ruth (my grandmother) was a 9th-grader.
Wed 28. Went with Tell to Eldora in the PM and to a Christmas program committee in the evening.
Thu 29. Thanksgiving Day. Gerald and family, Mr. Strother & Gladys & Agnes Liebenstein were here for dinner. We played Flinch & Rook in the PM and went to a show Red Head in Iowa Falls in the evening. Got caught in a heavy snow storm. Slid off the road—but no one hurt.
Flinch and Rook were card games. In this week’s moment of fascination, I discovered that Rook playing cards were a version of the “standard” card deck adapted for people who had religious objections to the face cards in that deck.
My best guess is that “Red Head” was the Clara Bow silent film Red Hair, which was released in 1928 and is now lost except for a few sequences that were filmed in Technicolor.
Fri 30. Have sewed a little today. Had Miss Walker for dinner as her mother was away. Went to Van Wilson’s funeral in the PM. Sewed in the evening.
I hope you have enjoyed this week’s installment of Emma’s journals! See you next week for December 1928.