Thu 1. The preacher & his wife stayed for breakfast. I phoned a few of the women to send in some things for their dinner. They came back about supper time but Rev. Wardle was so sick he could scarcely get upstairs. We called a doctor for him. We had a prayer meeting this AM at Robertsons.
Fri 2. The preacher is still sick. I went and helped her this forenoon. Mrs. Mohler, Vic & Troy also helped. We did a lot. I made some waffles for supper. Was delighted to see Mrs. Johnson today. Also Mrs. Button & Irma. I canned tomatoes in the PM. Mrs. Swallum called also Mrs. Tintzer. August Hoelsher came to see the preacher.
Waffle irons were quite common in American kitchens in the 1930s—some of them were stovetop models, but electric ones were introduced by GE in about 1918.
Sat 3. Did not seem to get very far today. The morning was spent cleaning the kitchen and doing a little baking. Went to Eldora in the PM to order some glasses. It was a lovely day.
Sun 4. We went to church & SS this AM. Mrs. Wardle took the service as Rev. Wardle was still sick. In the PM we called on Sam Hubbard, the Wardles & Andrea. In the evening we went to see Mrs. Walker.
Although women played an extremely active role in Methodist Episcopal church leadership, and women (including former slave Sojourner Truth) have been preachers and missionaries since the late 1700s, it wasn’t until 1956 that the Methodist church granted full clergy rights to women. Here’s an interesting history & timeline of women in Methodism.
Mon 5. I did a big washing and part of the ironing. Picked up a half bu. of ground cherries and did some painting in the kitchen.
Tue 6. Went to the Aid at Bakers this PM. In the evening we went to Eldora where I got my glasses and my hair fixed. Am planning to go to Marysville with Mrs. Johnson on Thurs.
Wed 7. Spent the day getting ready to go away tomorrow and also to have Andrea for dinner this evening. Mrs. Mohler and Mrs. Robertson came up and we had our prayer meeting.
Thu 8. Am waiting just now for Mrs. Johnson to come. We are starting for Maryville this morning. Mrs. Johnson, Irma Adams, Mrs. McCullough from Webster & I came to Maryville yesterday (?). We had a lovely drive. Ate dinner at Creston, stopped a bit at Mrs. Shambaugh’s at Clarinda. We are being entertained at Mrs. Mutz. We surely have a wonderful place to stay.
Based on their route and a newspaper article I found, it looks like they were going to a Women’s Foreign Missionary Society conference in Maryville, MO.
I was also able to find information about LaRue Kemp Mutz, a resident of Maryville, who was likely their hostess.
Fri 9. Mrs. Johnson and I have attended meetings all day. It has surely been a wonderful meeting. The weather has been so fine. We have had a most wonderful place to stay. It is a beautiful brick house built in the middle of a block. It has a beautiful lawn with a large oak trees. I was never in a home so beautifully and tastefully furnished. Have not been a bit well.
Sat 10. Another lovely morning. It is so nice to have Mrs. Johnson come here. It is such a privilege to attend this meeting. We divided up on the banquet. I went to the Fellowship banquet at the Pres. Church & Mrs. J to the Y.P. banquet at the Christian church. A most wonderful feast. It just poured last night. Went to Soo Falls with Harry. He worked on my teeth. Had a good time shopping around.
Sun 11. Sunday morning! We have had a lovely visit after a nice breakfast. We are invited back here for a chicken dinner at noon. This is the last day. Tomorrow we are to go home! We ate a lovely dinner at Mrs. Mutz’—went to the church in the afternoon and to a UWI conf luncheon in the evening. The pageant was very fine but a little long.
Mon 12. We drove home today through the rain, most of the time. Stopped at Henry Fields—bought a few large hickory nuts. Got home just in time for supper. Daddy was frying eggs. The Branch meeting was so wonderful. Feel like I’ve been to a camp meeting. Found a letter from Linnie. Poor girlie! She is going through deep waters with Harry, Lucile and all.
Linnie Troutman Muilenberg was Emma’s sister, living in South Dakota. No idea about what the deep waters might have been.
Tue 13. Am glad to be at home today. Have had to be at the shop this PM. Wanted to get my bulbs in but it is raining I am afraid it will turn cold soon. Have had no frost as yet.
Wed 14. Worked out doors this AM gathering in tomatoes, glad bulbs, etc. It is wet and cloudy. We went to prayer meeting at the parsonage at night. There were ten there besides Anna Mae—who was probably the most important one there.
Thu 15. Went to the Circle prayer meeting this AM. Had a letter from Mrs. Swallum read. Am staying at the shop this PM. Have a Missionary meeting at Mrs. Walker’s tonight. Felt such a burden for the meeting this evening. We met at Mrs. Walker’s—had quite a few there. We decided not to serve refreshments this year.
Fri 16. Did the washing and part of the ironing. Went to Mrs. Van Patter’s for a Com. meeting and did a little quilting. Decided on the menu to serve the Implement Dealers at their annual meeting. Am working on a crocheted rug.
Sat 17. It has been a lovely day. I finished the ironing and worked out doors. Planted some perennial sweet peas and took my lilies out of the pool. Have caught some of the fish.
Sun 18. We went to church & SS today. The sermon was about practicing the presence of God. Had a lot of company for dinner—Gerald’s family and John & Alice.
Mon 19. Went with Tell to Cedar Falls today. It was a lovely day and we really were too warm. The truck was pretty noisy. Ruth has gone to Iowa Falls. Have been writing a few verses to send to the Barnes for their 50th wedding anniversary and a card to Mrs. Mutz & one to Maxine Colebaugh.
Sent to Kitty & Herb Barnes Your many friends & neighbors Your rich & poor relations Would mark Oct. 26 With their congratulations. Fifty miles this trail you’ve trekked Up hill down dale together Some days were full of sunshine But oft ‘twas cloudy weather. And all along this wedded way We know you’ve found it true That joy was doubled, grief was less When they were shared by two And when you near the setting sun As you pause awhile to rest May this anniversary memory Be among your very best. Sincerely, Tell & Emma Boylan
Tue 20. Have been enjoying this lovely day. Talked a bit with Andrea who stopped a little while at Byams. Got my dates mixed up—wrote the two cards I mentioned on yesterday’s page today. Also copied the poem & sent it with Tell who will send it via air mail. Have been getting more fish in & making catsup. Mrs. Mohler phoned she had asked Mrs. Olmstead to join our prayer circle.
I got curious about the history of air mail. The first US Mail service flight was in 1918. In 1930 there was a scandal over the awarding of mail contracts to commercial airlines.
Wed 21. Spent the morning getting some cabbage, tomatoes, onions etc ready for chow-chow. Asked Miriam down for dinner & to spend the day. I helped her cut out some baby clothes. Went to prayer meeting. There were eleven there. We had a splendid service.
Chow-chow is a pickled vegetable relish. Here’s a recipe.
Thu 22. This has been a day of re-arranged plans. Have not finished the many things I planned. Did not get my chow-chow finished but I did get to go to prayer meeting.
Fri 23. Canned my chow-chow, then stayed at the shop for Tell while he & Gerald fixed up a bin for corn. They are getting some in on accounts. Had a meeting of our calendar committee at Katie Cassels this PM. Ruth went to Nevada to a skating party in the evening.
Tell’s farm implement business was struggling in the Depression, and it sounds like some of their customers were paying their accounts in corn.
Sat 24. This has been a busy day. Cleaned house a little bit, painted in the bathroom, and sent flowers and a “pome” to Katharine for her birthday. The “pome” was home-made.
Sun 25. Had a nice church service this AM. There was a children’s sermonette, and the adult sermon. We went to Story City today with John & Alice to see a Mr. Teague. They were over here for dinner. Alice phoned just now that she got home alright and Ruth has come in to get lunch ready for some of the girls.
Mon 26. No school today. Ruth has sewed some. I spent the morning writing letters about Unit meetings. It took part of the afternoon too.
Tue 27. Such a windy-wind. The clothes wrapped themselves around the line something fierce. Some blew off the line. I did not get my ironing done. Mrs. Johnson and her two sisters came down this afternoon. Brought my silk piece and also a few starts of Old Maids Wreath. Mrs. J got her silver ware.
Wed 28. Today is Katharine’s birthday. We had a nice chicken dinner & invited Rev. & Mrs. Wardle to eat with us. They stayed until 4 PM. At least she did. He went calling & came back several times. We plan to go to prayer meeting tonight.
Thu 29. Went to a prayer circle meeting this morning. Had such a nice time. I left Laddie penned up in the kitchen. How he got out I do not know but when I got home he was dead, lying out under the back porch. I am glad I am not in any way to blame, but we are all so sorry to lose our Laddie-dog. I feel so sorry for Ruth but God never takes anything away that he does not give something better in its place. Wrote a letter to South Wales today regarding a woman who said she was raised from the dead.
Laddie was a part-collie dog they got for Ruth in December, 1930. (At the time, Emma commented: “It howls.”
Fri 30. Mrs. Tabor came down this AM to plan for a pound party for the preacher. God gave me a plan for the Social Service work today. Mrs. Robertson came down in the PM & we went to the school house to see Prof. Taulbee in the evening. Was glad for the verses I learned from 1 Tim 6-1,2.
At this time, the King James Version of the Bible was the most widely used among American Protestants. Here’s the text of the verse.
Sat 31. We fixed Ruth’s brown dress today—also got things ready for the SS class party tonight. My class is entertaining the younger ones (Mrs. Pierce’s class). The preacher brought his typed picture to show us today, the one for Van Patter.
Bonus—a letter from Fred
Last month, Fred and Kate (Boylan) Hicks came to visit Emma and Tell from their home in Minnesota. Here’s some excerpts from a letter Fred wrote on October 11, 1931 to the family in carbon copy:
Returning from Iowa, we came into the midst of the most gorgeous display of autumn colors and the finest specimen of autumn weather that I ever saw…
Ain’t nature wonderful, now! Wonderful in its dispersing of blessings, and wonderful in its seeming disregard for human needs and wellfare. In one quarter of the globe good harvests and everything to make the world an enjoyable place to live in, in another, famine, flood, pestilence for millions of struggling creatures…We are coming to see that the universe is neither friendly nor unfriendly. It is absolutely indifferent, with no purpose at all, as far as human ingenuity can discern…I guess it’s up to us to put a purpose into life, taking advantage of all that chance has set before us, in the way of good things, and overcoming or evading the calamities.
We had the great pleasure of listening to an address by Bernard Shaw from London this morning…Russia was his theme. He’s a humorist and we have to make allowance for a good many exaggerations…but his picture of present-day Russia and his comparison with the other world powers was illuminating.
My impressions of Iowa as I got back into this part of the country, were of a wonderfully prosperous section of God’s footstool…I’m a little thick-headed and I can’t see…that the world should starve while there is so much food on hand. It isn’t properly managed, I guess, and it is such considerations as these that are going to make more socialists, not theoretical, but practical socialists…we need to readjust some of these things that step in betwixt the man who produces and his other self who should enjoy the fruits of intelligent labor. This doesn’t mean overthrowing institutions that have proven their worth, but it means bringing the distribution methods up to somewhere in keeping with methods of production.
We have plenty to do yet this fall. Have been canning tomatoes, beets, etc. since returning. We have a nice lot of squashes which would sustain life for quite a while even without much else…I only wish the things that keep up our general spiritual “morale” and help us to accomplish the better things of life were as plentiful. But we are not so bad off, if we can only choose among what is offered.
—Sincerely and with best wishes, Fred C. Hicks
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for November 1931.