Emma #63: December 1932
Corn prices, ironing, sewing, pumpkin pie, and the family "round robin"
Thu 1. Tell & I went to Eldora & took little Jerry. We stayed for dinner.
Fri 2. This is a wonderful day—sunny & warm. Tell is at the farm picking corn. I hope this & yesterday are real portents of what the weather for Jan & Feb will be. Yesterday was lovely too. We drove up after Ruth but found her just ready to go to Ft. Dodge.
Sat 3. Gerald finished his corn yesterday. Guess he is glad it is out but it is worth only 10¢ per bu. Such a difference between that & war time prices. Delilah Buey was married at noon today.
Here’s a graph of corn prices from 1912 to 1944. As you can see, they were at a historic low point here in Dec 1932, especially compared to the peak between May 1917 and Jan 1920.
Sun 4. Gerald & his family brought two chickens & came in for dinner. Ruth & Robert came about noon also. We had a good dinner. Ruth & Robert went home about 10 PM.
Mon 5. Dad, Gerald & I drove to Eldora. Gerald rented the farm for next year. Dad signed all his rights to Alice.
In previous entries, we learned that Emma’s son Gerald and his family had moved to the farm. The bank foreclosed on the property, and Tell’s brother John and his wife Alice were able to buy it.
Tue 6. We washed today. It turned very cold.
Wed 7. Dad ironed for me today. I went to Mohlers to the prayer meeting and then to Beattys. Found them both sick. Dad & I went to prayer meeting at night. Sold 15¢ Dutch cheese today. Louis & Ora came down after prayer meeting.
This is the first time I remember Emma mentioning Tell doing any of the domestic chores. Here’s a 1930s-era ironing board.
Thu 8. Ironed & mended today—also made a quilt block. Mrs. Swallum called.
Fri 9. Dad & I moved beds & made a sitting room out of Ruth’s room for the winter. We are looking for her tonight. I went to see the Beattys today. They have both been sick. Sold 30¢ worth of Dutch cheese today.
Sat 10. Cleaned a duck & chicken today. Ruth & I made a jacket for her & started it today.
Here’s a ladies’ jacket pattern from this era, and an article—with lots of pictures—on coat/jacket fashions of this era.
Sun 11. Got up & baked pies (pumpkin) for I will have ten for dinner. Mr. & Mrs. Reep, Mary, Ora & Louis & Mr. & Mrs. Wardle. Ruth came home too. We had a good dinner. No church at nite as the preacher stayed until after supper. We had a nice time.
Pumpkin pies have been an American tradition since colonial days. Here’s a history—I was interested to learn that canned pumpkin was quite commonly used from the 1920s on, and that the now-ubiquitous blend we call “pumpkin spice” dates back to the days of the East India Company.
Mon 12. Gerald & Miriam & the boy came in this morning and stayed for dinner. I washed my hair & Miriam put a wave in it. Finished Ruth’s jacket and mended the brown skirt Katharine sent.
Tue 13. I washed today. Was working on the rug I am hooking when the Reeps came. They stayed for supper & all night. Ora came in after supper.
Wed 14. Mr. & Mrs. Will Reep were here all day—came up yesterday PM. We played Mill & Flinch. We went to prayer meeting at the parsonage. Ora took them up to Axtells after prayer meeting.
Flinch is a card game that involves emptying your stockpile of cards before your opponents. Mill is a board game also known as cowboy checkers or nine-man morris. Here are the rules.
Thu 15. Alone! Ironed! Dad helped.
Fri 16. Ruth got home tonight. Ora brought her home. I went to Hoffs to Missionary meeting. We had a nice time.
Sat 17. Ruth is at home today.
Sun 18. I had a nice SS class today. Eleven were there. Ora Reep & his folks came for dinner & over night. They will go home tomorrow. Ora took Ruth to the Falls.
Mon 19. I went with Reeps to Iowa Falls today. Ate dinner at Grooters. Shopped a bit and came home with Lucile Miller.
Tue 20. Tell sang & I played for Mrs. Slack’s funeral today. Afterwards Mrs. Taber & I made five calls. Got the R. Robin letter today. Katharine’s package came today.
The Boylan family—Tell and his siblings—had an ongoing “round robin” letter system to keep in touch. An envelope containing letters from each member of the circle was sent from one household to the next, with the receiver taking out their old letter and adding a new one, then sending it on. As of late 1932, it apparently went from Wewoka, OK (Chris & Louisa Boylan) to Wahpeton, ND (John Lohr, husband of the late Maloa); Hubbard, IA (John & Alice Boylan, Tell & Emma); Carthage, MO (Will, Nora, and Daisey Boylan); Aitkin, MN (Fred and Kate Boylan Hicks), and Salem, OR (Berne & Fannie Boylan).
Here’s an excerpt from a letter from Chris Boylan’s wife Louisa, where she talks about a quilt she’s working on.
Wed 21. A beautiful washday. Tell has helped me & it is all hung out. I have not been able to do much Christmas giving. We are just sending Katharine a little candy, nuts, etc. Am planning to go to Robertsons this PM. Got a letter from Chris today. Robert brought Ruth home & stayed for supper. We went with him to Geralds & then to the school program at the Meeker school house. Mrs. Taber & I called at Wickerts, Stoffers, Bidkes & Walters today.
Thu 22. Have been busy today—ironing & cleaning etc.
Fri 23. We had Ona, Raymond Rush, Robert here for a birthday supper and to spend the evening.
Sat 24. Had Gerald & his family in for supper. We went to the Christmas program then came home & had our gifts from the tree. Everyone was happy over the things that were sent from Katharine.
Sun 25. Christmas 1932 on Sunday. We plan to go to Johns for dinner. Went to Wardles in evening.
Mon 26. Have fixed the house up a bit. Ora came this evening.
Tue 27. Estella Grooters drove in this evening. Betty is in. I made her a dress today.
Estella Grooters was the sister of Robert, Ruth’s friend and future husband. AT this time she was about 20 and living with her family in Fort Dodge; she went on to become a nurse and a medical missionary to Nigeria—among her assignments was running a home for children of parents with leprosy in Lagos. I expect there will be more stories about her to come.
Wed 28. Stella is here. She will go to Roland tomorrow. Donald is coming tonight. Made or finished another dress for Betty today.
Thu 29. Gerald got his finger cut today. Took the end off in a meat grinder up at Pete Nelsons. I kept the children all day & night.
Fri 30. The children went home this AM. Gerald came in & had his hand dressed. Dad went out a while. Took his lunch with him.
Sat 31. Have just put the three children to bed. They came in this AM. I washed their undies along with my washing.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for January 1933.