Emma #45: June 1931
Plum butter, canned cherries, wind storm, heat wave, and losing the Eldora house
Mon 1. Ruth & I went to Eldora today. She got a permanent and I went to Van Kings to the garden club. Had a nice time. Was pretty tired as I had done a big washing.
Tue 2. This day was a pleasant one. Ruth & I went to Iowa Falls for Ruth’s lesson. Charlie Lintz went along & had to be there at 2 PM so I drove to Alden for a few hours. Left at 4:30. Visited several gardens and brought home a lot of plants. Ironed a long while but did not get done.
Wed 3. Finished the ironing this morning. We are getting Ruth ready to go to Scranton on Friday. Have been sewing and mending some. Minna & her mother were down a little while in the evening. Went to the morning prayer meeting at Swallum’s. Gerald went with Loge & Brubaker after fish today.
Thu 4. We have had a lot of rain and the gardens are doing fine. Have had radishes & lettuce & onions for some time. Louis Reif went home today. He left a stove stored at the shop.
Fri 5. We drove to Scranton today, taking Ruth. Had to drive both ways in the rain most of the time. Nearly slid off a hill. I took cookies, cheese, tomatoes, beans, & plum butter to them. Stopped to see Frank Alberg. Had a nice time. Took Mrs. Swallum with us as far as Ames. I got a new slip of Mrs. Mertz there.
Here’s a recipe for plum butter. Yum!
Sat 6. Am up before sun. Have lots to do. Washed, cleaned up the house. Went to Eldora with Tell. We traded for the 80 acres north of our farm today, letting the Eldora house go on it.
In last month’s entry, a letter suggests that Tell was unable to make payment on a bank loan…I’m guessing this property transaction was related to that. I think they let go of a house they owned in Eldora (possibly the one that Will, Nora, and Daisey had been living in until they moved to Missouri) and got the 80 acres in exchange. I found a 1930 plat book of property ownership in Hardin County but couldn’t find any indication of where their farm or the 80 acres might have been.
Sun 7. We—Dad & I—went to a District meeting at Webster City. Had a nice time. Saw Yeagers, the Johnsons, etc. Got home about 11:30 PM. Took little Jerry down to the Communion table at SS. He was so sweet. The girls went too. Rev. Rowley told about it at the Webster City meeting.
The United Methodist church (one of the modern-day offshoots of the ME church Emma belonged to) invites all who are baptized to take the sacrament of communion, so I’m guessing that was the practice at this time as well. Grandson Jerry was 3 at this time, and his sisters were 6 and 8.
Mon 8. We started our Vacation Bible school today. 35 enrolled beside the teachers. Did the ironing and helped get some flowers ready to send to Mrs. Bogardus.
Tue 9. Taught Bible school this AM. It keeps me pretty busy.
Wed 10. Alice phoned this AM and wanted me to go to Des Moines with her. We left about 8 & got home about 5 PM. John stayed with Tell. Washed my kitchen woodwork and walls after supper. Sent flowers to the Hiserodts—also Dutch cheese for the dinner.
Thu 11. Hurried with my work this AM, then taught. In the PM we had a prayer meeting. Just Mrs. Tabor & Mrs. Swallum came. Before they came I had a caller—Mrs. Olmstead. She brought me some iris & got some. She also brought me a dish of strawberries. Churned at night.
It’s very interesting to see how social their life was. Lots of visitors, with no radio or TV in the house, and a constant exchange of food and plants.
Fri 12. Today is Katharine’s last day of school—also Ruth’s last day, and I have taught this week. It has been raining today. Ruth wrote that she will teach at Dayton.
Sat 13. Have spent a busy day. Did the washing and cleaning so I could teach school next week. We are invited over to John’s for dinner tomorrow. Phoned Ruth at Scranton this noon. She will teach at Linnville.
Ruth just finished her junior year of high school. I’m guessing she was teaching at a summer church camp.
Sun 14. We went to church & SS. Had a short service. Afterwards we drove to Eldora. Had a nice dinner. Then we took John and Alice in their car to the Berlin Cemetery where a memorial to the old preachers was held. Came home & went to church at night. We had visitors at church today. Rev. Rowley’s sons & their families.
The Berlin Cemetery, also known as the Jackson Township Cemetery, is located in Owasa, Iowa, about 15 miles from Hubbard. Here’s a list of memorials located there.
Mon 15. Got up early & ironed. Did a lot of things before school, then tonight till 10:15 when Dad came for me and we went after Katharine. It seems so good to see her. She is glad to be at home. Finished the ironing and kept Gerald’s boy while they all went to a show. Poor little Jerry was so homesick for his mother.
Tue 16. It looks as though it would be a nice day. I must get things ready for a lunch as we plan to go to see Ruth today. It was a pleasant drive today. We saw Ruth and Marie. They are nicely started in their school. We also called on Yeagers. We had a picnic dinner out in the timber.
Wed 17. Katharine brought me the goods for two lovely dresses which I am happy to have. The cherries are beginning to get ripe. We were invited to go to Eldora this PM for supper. Also to a tea at the church to see a quilt display. Alice took Katharine and me. We had a nice supper.
I found a lot of interesting things related to quilting in Iowa—there is an Iowa Quilt Museum, and a woman named Mary Barton who put together a large collection of Iowa quilts. Here’s an image from an Iowa quilt of around 1930, in a “postage stamp” pattern.
Thu 18. Bible School again today. Mrs. Bok and Mrs. Swallum visited. We plan to give a short program Sunday. Missionary Society met at Mrs. Bakers this evening. One of the poorest we have ever had. We will be so glad to see Ruth tomorrow.
Fri 19. It is so very hot today. We did not keep Bible school very long. It is the last day. Ruth got home rather late. We started looking for her about 2:30 PM but she did not get home until about 7 PM. Marie Loomis came with her. They will stay till Sunday.
Sat 20. This has been a much pleasanter day but we were awakened last night by a wind storm. It was not bad here but did considerable damage near here. Have done some washing and ironing, and we helped Ruth with her hand work for Bible school. She is suffering with hives. Guess she can come home again next week. The cherries are almost ripe. It seems good to have the girls at home.
I found several accounts of cyclones in nearby towns on Friday night, with details of damage. Here’s one of the newspaper stories.
Sun 21. We had a nice little program today which the Bible school gave. It was hot & we stayed at home all day. Gave Rev. Rowley a letter to mail which he must have forgotten for she did not get it. Ruth & Marie stayed for dinner, then drove back to Dayton.
Mon 22. As it was raining early we did not wash. The Tilton-Guthrie show is here this week. It is not quite so annoying as it is set over in Byam’s pasture.
This is a traveling tent show that seems to come through town about this time every summer. There’s a little more information in the July 1929 post.
Tue 23. It is cherry week. Will be glad to get them all picked. Washed today. Had a big one. We drove out to Barnhart’s to see about the picnic grounds this evening.
Wed 24. Ironed—& canned cherries. Katharine is “such a lot of help.”
Thu 25. Have fixed pie, cake, macaroni for the SS picnic. This has been an extra hot week. We went out just before noon & came in about 4 as it was so hot.
Fri 26. The day for Ruth to get home. We will be so glad to see her. We plan to go up Sunday. Ruth got home on the afternoon passenger.
Sat 27. It has been so hot. Many horses are dying in the fields. Sent for Aunt Linnie to come to get some cherries but she has not written.
Sun 28. We went to SS today. Had a short service and then a class meeting. In the late afternoon we drove to Dayton to Ruth’s program. We nearly were suffocated with the heat but it was nice coming home. I am not feeling at all well.
Mon 29. Have not been at all well today. Spent most of the day on the couch. It is still terribly hot. Gardens drying up, no hope of rain yet—it has been over a week. Horses are dying in the fields.
Tue 30. It is still hot. I am feeling much better. We washed & did part of the ironing then in the PM we went to Iowa Falls for Ruth’s music lesson. Have sold quite a lot of cherries, but have had to pay a good bit for getting them picked. However I have all of mine & they have more than paid their way. Took some to the Falls today to sell. The Frenches went on a tear today and hurt Ruth’s feelings.
These were probably sour (tart) cherries, which are the main ones used for baking and jam. Here’s an article on the difference between sweet and sour cherries and some recipes using canned cherries.
Memoranda Cherries Mrs. V. Patter – 2.20 pd Mrs. Rowley – 1.00 Leibenstein – 1.25 Iowa Falls – 1.61 Paid for picking – 2.65 Canned 45 pints Gave Alice some – 8 or 10 qts. Miriam canned 26 qts.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for July 1931.