Thu 1. Helped mark the Aid Quilt at Mrs. Olmstead’s this PM. Katharine & I attended the Club Pot Luck supper at Gunther’s in the evening.
Fri 2. Finished helping mark the quilt at Mrs. Baker’s today. Decided to run on the school board. Had a Cemetery meeting here this evening. Rowleys called.
In the previous entry, Emma was elected president of the association for the Boylan Cemetery. Here’s a picture of Betty (Emma’s oldest granddaughter) on a visit to Hubbard in 2002.
Sat 3. Was at home all day. Am planning to make a little speech tomorrow evening. John Boylan makes the address for Victory Day.
Sun 4. Had Gerald & family over today. First time Baby Jerry had been out. John gave a talk at the church for WCTU Victory Day. I asked for offering. Got about $18.00.
Mon 5. A beautiful wash day. Mrs. Port called to urge me to urge Ruth to practice. Did the ironing this evening.
Ruth grew up to be a professional musician—a lot more on that later—but, like most of us, she had to be reminded to practice!
Tue 6. Went to Ladies’ Aid today. We are quilting Mrs. Leming’s Friendship quilt. I cut out two house dresses today. Saw a robin yesterday1. Ruth’s grade got a pretty silk scarf for Miss Berry’s birthday tomorrow.
Ruth was in 8th grade at Hubbard Junior High School. Emma Berry was one of her teachers. I just found a handmade yearbook from her 1928 class…more on that to come.
Wed 7. Taught again in Bible school today & then quilted awhile. Got a little studying done on my talk for tomorrow. Lowell Gosser gave me a stick of gum.
Thu 8. Mrs. Rowley took Mrs. Swallum & me to Honey Creek to a WCI Institute today. I made a speech. Rained all day hard.
Mrs. Swallum is a regular character in these journals.
Fri 9. WFMS at Mrs. Baker’s today. Had a Founder’s Day meeting. Had a good meeting. Went to choir practice in the evening.
Sat 10. Had a lovely surprise today. Miss Golisch came to see me for a little while. She went just as dinner was ready for her folks came for her & she went with them to Eldora. It was in Mar 1915 that I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit—my 13th birthday.
Miss Golisch, mentioned in an earlier entry, is a church missionary. It took me a minute to figure this out…Emma was born in 1879, so would have been 36 in 1915, but I believe she is saying that today is her 13th birthday “in the Holy Spirit.”
Sun 11. We had Gladys & her father here for dinner today. Had a nice chicken dinner. Gerald & family have gone to Eldora.
Mon 12. School Board election today. I surely was snowed under. 46-138. These Germans sure want the squaw to stay in her wigwam. Quilted, washed and had my girls SS class meeting.
Hubbard had a large German population at this time. Based on census figures, the population of the town would have been around 700 or so in 1928.
Tue 13. Went to the dentist. Ironed. Went down to Liebensteins & finished the quilting today. Ruth is making a box for the EL supper Sat. night.
Wed 14. Taught in Bible School. Ruth was not feeling well today. Bought material to make a quilt. Went to choir practice & prayer meeting.
My mom has some quilts that were made by Emma. I don’t know if either of them is the one she’s talking about here, but here’s some detail from one of them.
Thu 15. Finished at the dentists today. Cost me $23.00. Made my first quilt block.
This would have been about $370 in today’s dollars.
Fri 16. Attended a WCTU meeting at Ports’ today. Called on Mrs. Haas.
Sat 17. Went to Iowa Falls with Katharine & Miss Reese. Went to the EL Basket supper in the evening.
Sun 18. Went to church & SS in AM. Stayed with Gerald’s children in the evening while they went to church.
Mon 19. Am so tired today from washing. Katharine is sending off about 225 alumni letters.
Tue 20. Did part of the ironing & quilted this PM on Mrs. Liebenstein’s quilt.
Wed 21 . Ironing—School—Quilting—Called on Mrs. Van Patter—Prayer Meeting—Choir practice. It has been a beautiful day.
Thu 22. Another beautiful day. I cleaned the bath room & sewed today.
Fri 23. A beautiful day. Spent the PM at the shop.
Sat 24. An extra beautiful day. Sewed.
Sun 25. Another wonderful day. The grass is turning green & the birds are singing. Katharine went to Des Moines to hear Aimee McPherson today. Tell & I walked to the Boylan Cemetery today. About four miles. Caught a ride part way home.
Aimee Semple McPherson was a wildly popular and controversial Pentecostal evangelist and faith healer who founded one of the first megachurches in the US2.
Mon 26. Cold & dreary today. Worked at the shop.
Tue 27. Washed this AM. Went to a church meeting at night. Cleaned my basement today.
Wed 28. Ironed, worked at the shop. Taught at church. Cold & stormy today with snow.
Thu 29. Still cold. Gerald & I papered the little bedroom. Mr. JBS took Gerald’s place in the PM. The wall paper looked prettier in the sample than on the wall.
Fri 30. It has warmed up a bit today. The day has been spent cleaning up the house. The roller skating party is on—the Eighth grade is to eat here.
Ruth’s Junior High yearbook lists their class events, including this roller skating party. Because I just found it, I missed being able to post the details of their February program, which was a rendition of the Boston Tea Party held in the gymnasium. Ruth played “Mistress Lettice Winthrop.”
Sat 31. We sewed today. Ruth, Katharine & I went to Iowa Falls in Miss Reece’s car. Had a blow out.
Car tires in 1928 were pneumatic, and used natural rubber3. Tire life was about 15,000 miles, and blowouts were fairly frequent.
I hope you have enjoyed this week’s installment of Emma’s journals! See you next week for April, 1928.
