Emma #48: September 1931
Canning tomatoes, pepper hash, family visits, and drama with the preachers
Tue 1. Today I have made some ground cherry preserves—seven pints. Katharine has about finished the ironing. She has cleaned her clothes with Naptha today, also some for Ruth. Helen Culver was here today. Katharine is planning to drive to Chicago with her. They plan to start Friday AM. How we hate to see her go!
Emma and Tell’s daughter (and my great-aunt) Katharine is teaching school in Shaker Heights, OH. She is heading back after spending the summer at home with the family.
Wed 2. Packing the box to send by express, finishing odds and ends of sewing, etc. In the evening Katharine & I went to Iowa Falls with the Culvers to mail some letters. Ruth has been out of school all day—could not go for her lesson nor to her SS class party.
Thu 3. We are having Dad’s birthday dinner tonight tho he is not 60 until the seventh. Geralds are down. Katharine goes in the morning.
Fri 4. A lovely morning. The girls got started about 5:30 AM. Have been busy putting the house in order. Mrs. Walker came down a little while in the evening. This finishes one week of school.
Sat 5. Tomorrow is Dad’s birthday. No, Monday is but I have planned another dinner for him. Invited John and Alice but when he cut the chicken head off he hopped to the phone & asked them over. Do not know whether he’ll be surprised or not. Katharine and Helen got to Clinton about 11:45. Were eating dinner there. Ruth & I went to the Falls for her lesson today.
Clinton, Iowa, is about 200 miles east of Hubbard, on the Mississippi river. They would likely have been driving on the Lincoln Highway, one of the first transcontinental auto routes.
Sun 6. It is another lovely morning. We had a second birthday dinner for Daddy. Had John & Alice over. We had quite a joke on him. After we had invited them he asked them over & Alice told him she would let us know. It is hard to surprise Dad but guess we did it. We left them and went to the Fourth I_____(?) Conf this PM. 11 voted for Rowley to leave and 9 for his return. Am afraid if he returns we will have no church. Baker got up and told about a note—signed by a church official that was never paid!!!!!!!!!!
Looks like Rev. Rowley was voted out of the church. And I’m really curious about the issue that warranted 10 exclamation points.
Mon 7. Another wash day, & Dad’s birthday. Ruth came home feeling badly because Hertema had called her into his office and told her that someone had reported to him that she was driving around last Wed. when she was supposed to be sick. Dad called him this noon about it. Made 4 pints of pepper hash—after a recipe in the Boeke Cook Book.
Pepper hash (here’s a recipe) is a pickled cabbage/sweet pepper relish. The Boekes were a German family who lived in Hubbard—Ruth Boeke was one of the “Ruth Gang”—Ruth Boylan and at least 2 other girls named Ruth who were the same age.
Tue 8. Ironed and made some apple-pie-plant and orange jams. Drove up to see Mrs. Culver a few minutes. In the evening we elected our SS officers at a Board meeting.
Wed 9. Have done little that amounted to much this AM beside the regular work. Mrs. Baker called me about the Ex. work and again to tell me a new way to can tomatoes.
During this time period a lot of research was being done on home canning, with the USDA releasing periodic updates to their guidelines.
Thu 10. Went down to Dubberke last night and bought at market basket of tomatoes for 25¢. Canned them this AM. Got 9½ qts. Canned them the new way. Betty & Peggy were here for dinner and supper. Miriam went to Clyde’s after grapes and Gerald plowed. I was supposed to go to Eldora to a meeting but it was too hot & I had no car. Went to Robertson’s to a prayer meeting this AM.
Fri 11. Katharine has taught a week of school today. Dad, Ruth & I drove to Eldora after supper. Dad went over to see Dean Peisen.
Dean Peisen was a legislator, jurist, and attorney in Eldora. I am wondering if Tell was consulting him on a legal issue related to their financial challenges.
Sat 12. It has been hot today. Ruth and I went Iowa Falls for her lesson. She will go on Mondays after this. She stayed with Gerald’s children in the evening. We got some cream last night. Think I churned three hours before it came.
Sun 13. We went to SS & Ruth & I stayed for church. I had a nice SS class. Rev. Rowley asked me to keep Rev. Bushnell for supper this evening. Found out at church that he isn’t coming.
Mon 14. Did a “land office” business today. Washed, ironed the things that did not need sprinkling, canned 10 qt of tomatoes. Scrubbed & cleaned up the house, went down & helped Mrs. Robertson look over greens. Picked some beans & with Dad’s help got them ready to can & then in the evening Mrs. Robertson, Mohler & I went to call at Walsums. They are moving to Gladbrook tomorrow. A full day!
Tue 15. We were all sick last night. It must have been something we ate. Ruth was so sick at her stomach—got no sleep from 12:30 to 6 AM. She did not go to school today. Mrs. Mohler offered me some tomatoes today. I will can them tomorrow—perhaps. Dad went to Eldora today. Took over a pint of corn, one of meat, beans & apricots to enter in the Electric Oven Canning Contest.
Many of the home canning procedures used at that time have been replaced by safer techniques that reduce the risk of food-borne illness. It’s entirely possible that they became sick from one of their home-canned items.
I’m guessing the Electric Oven Canning Contest was part of the Hardin County Fair (see below).
Wed 16. Ruth did not go to school today. She still is having some trouble with her stomach. I stayed at the shop while Dad & Gerald went to the Fair.
Thu 17. I have spent the forenoon getting ready for Missionary Society this evening. Had to go to the shop to stay while Dad & Gerald went to the Fair again. Had a nice meeting in the evening. Had 17 to serve. I was elected president again.
Here’s an announcement of the 1931 Hardin County Fair. Wednesday was Farm Bureau day, and today was music day.
Fri 18. Went to Mrs. Robertsons for prayer meeting this morning. Mrs. Swallum came home with me and we made chili sauce. It took us all afternoon and we had a good time. She was here for dinner and supper. Mr. S. was away. It has been cold and rainy all day today.
I am guessing that this was something like the recipe here, which was a sweet-and-sour sauce with tomatoes and spices (a good way to use up end-of-season tomatoes) rather than what we might think of as chili sauce.
Sat 19. It rained hard last night and is still at it this morning. Ruth Beck called here today. I went to the shop awhile in the PM. Called on Mrs. Robertson & Miriam. Dad & Jerry went to Cedar Falls for a corn picker.
Here’s a video of a 1930s corn picker in action!
Sun 20. The last one in the Conf. year! We had church & SS this AM. In the PM a meeting of the Steward Board was held & it was decided not to have a preacher next year. Rev. Rowley preached his farewell sermon at night.
Mon 21. It has rained hard most of the day. Canned 6 qts of tomatoes. No frost yet and the flies are “fierce”. We got a card from Fred H. saying they would drive down for a visit on Wednesday. Dad & I went to the Salem church to a meeting this evening. Baked some cookies after supper. Ruth went down to Ruth Bogardus’ to study.
Fred and Kate Boylan Hicks lived near Aitkin, MN, about 350 miles due north of Hubbard.
Tue 22. It still looks rainy but I plan to wash. Did do my washing and then cleaned my kitchen and back porch. We are looking for Kate tomorrow.
Wed 23. It is a little more pleasant today. I invited John and Alice over to be here when Fred & Kate come. They were here for supper & all night. Fred & Kate brought Don along. I wanted to wait supper till seven but the men insisted it would be nine or ten or the next day when the folks would arrive so we ate supper and at about 6:45 they drove up. They had had a lunch, however, and did not eat much.
John and Kate were two of Tell’s siblings. John was in his 70s; he and Alice lived in Eldora. Fred & Kate (mentioned earlier) were in their early 60s. I’m not sure who Don was—Fred and Kate were married later in life and did not have any kids.
Thu 24. We—Alice, Kate & I—took Alice’s car and drove over Hubbard looking at the old familiar land marks and called on a few friends. We drove out to see Marcus Mehlenbine. He was so glad to see Kate, his first teacher—knew her right away. Alice & John drove home before noon. It turned cold & rained after dinner. John planned a picnic on Sunday in the Eldora park but it will be too cold, I am sure.
In the 1900 census, 31-year-old Kate is living at home with her parents in Iowa and teaching school. I’m guessing she taught until just before her marriage in 1910. I found a record for Marcus Mehlenbine, who was born in 1899. This search also turned up an interesting side story—apparently Marcus was physically handicapped, and became a nationally recognized syndicated cartoonist.
Fri 25. Fred spent the morning repairing the piano. So many of the keys would not play. In the afternoon after a little rest Kate & I went calling on a few folks. Took Mrs. Hilker’s rug home and went to Miriam’s. Fred went with us to call on Martha Hornung whom he used to know. About five they left for Eldora.
Sat 26. The cow is sick again. It is cold, cloudy and dreary looking this AM.
Sun 27. After Sunday School we drove to Eldora to a picnic dinner in the park. Took Jerry’s and had a lovely dinner. Mel Cooledges, John Hunter, Chris Cobles, Cal Boylans, John & Alice, Fred & Kate made up the crowd. After dinner Kate & Fred drove home. We came with them. Gerald came on ahead. We visited in the evening. It was a lovely day after a rainy week.
Mon 28. Kate & Fred started home today. We went with them as far as the farm where we stopped and looked things over. It is a nice day. The paper said today that Rev. Wardle would come to Hubbard. Rev. Rowley is left out—I feel so sorry for him especially since there is so much blame attached to us and we are not guilty. Went to a Steward Board meeting this afternoon. We had a good time. Mr. Leibenstein tried to stop this preacher’s coming but he said the Bishop had appointed him to Hubbard & he would be here Wednesday.
More drama with the preachers!
Tue 29. A beautiful morning. I plan to wash. We had a Steward Board meeting yesterday. Mr. Leibenstein called up Dr. Clegg or tried to, to tell him not to send Rev. Wardle here. As he could not get him he called Rev. Wardle and told him we could not pay him. I went to a SS Board meeting tonight to help arrange the classes. Did not get home until ten PM.
Wed 30. Katie Cussel, Vic Troy and I went to the church and swept it up today. It was pretty dirty. I went to see Mrs. Robertson in the afternoon. The preacher & his wife came today. They went to Leibensteins for supper & stayed overnight with us. We like them very much.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for October 1931.