Emma #64: January 1933
Sewing and canning, losing the stove and the telephone, and Ruth and Robert at school
Sun 1. Daddy, Ruth, Betty, Peggy, Gerald & I went to SS. The kiddies went home afterwards. We have spent a quiet New Years day at home. Had seven in my SS class. Wrote to Katharine & Linnie. Invited Ora for dinner but he could not come—A nice day!
Mon 2. Ruth went to Iowa Falls late this PM. We are alone again. Glen Whitney who is working at Geralds took her. The weeks are so full. Have been having lovely weather. Gerald had two hogs butchered today.
Tue 3. I went out to help Miriam with her meat today. In the afternoon we came up and ground up the sausage & fat for lard. I get so tired. Another lovely day.
Wed 4. Have been working on the meat today. Went to Swallums to our Circle prayer meeting & to prayer meeting at night. Dad worked at wood & was too tired to go. They sawed some at Gerald’s this PM. Six years ago today I had my operation at Rochester.
I don’t know what this operation was, but my guess is a hysterectomy, which is the most common gynecological surgery other than Caesarian section. Rochester, MN, is the home of the Mayo Clinic, started in 1864 and considered one of the premier medical facilities in the world.
Thu 5. Have finished taking care of my meat. Canned some—salted down some & made about 3 gallons of lard. Mrs. Wardle was here this AM. I gave her some meat & corn meal, etc. Dad brought his first load of wood in today from the farm. Calvin Coolidge died this AM.
Former president Calvin Coolidge died at age 60 of a heart attack. Here’s the United Press story released on the day of his death.
Fri 6. Gerald & his family came in for dinner today. Dad is hauling wood. Is after his second load. Gene Miller plans to go Geralds to work today. Gerald’s hand is still very sore. He will go to Iowa Falls after Ruth. It is a nice sunny day tho’ a little cold & windy.
Sat 7. Ruth came home & gave two music lessons today. She got a check from Katharine today. Ora came in and we played Mill awhile in the evening. I finished making myself an apron. Another lovely day.
Sun 8. We, Dad, Ruth & I went to church & SS this AM. Ora Reep came home with us for dinner. We all went to Iowa Falls in the PM to take Ruth & hear Mr. Harper from Fairfield who is starting a 5 week revival there. He gives 9 mos to the Lord’s work each year. A nice day.
Mon 9. A lovely sunny washday! I am washing—Dad has gone after wood. Wish I might hear Mr. Harper tonight.
Tue 10. Have felt pretty blue today. Dad went over to see about paying for the electric current. We will let the Light Co. take the stove & we will put up a range tomorrow.
Ouch! This must have been hard. While generations of homemakers have cooked this way, and some still do, it’s a lot more work than the electric range Emma had been using. Here’s a guide to cooking on a wood cook stove.
Wed 11. Went to Mrs. Taber’s for prayer meeting. Mrs. Mohler & I called on Bonnie Knowles. Went to prayer meeting at night at the parsonage. Ora came home with us and played Mill awhile. We put up a cook stove today. Was sorry to take our electric stove out.
Thu 12. Fixed Ruth’s skirt and took her things up this evening when we went to the Falls to hear Mr. Harper.
Fri 13. I worked on Katharines Krazy Kimona today—this forenoon. Was real sick all afternoon. Could not go to I.F. Ruth came home with Ora Reep.
Although kimono-style robes were more popular in the 1920s than the ‘30s, my guess is she was making one in the Crazy Quilt style, which was a great way of using up scraps of fabric.
Sat 14. Am feeling much better today. Paid my first $5.00 on the stove today. We were so happy to have a chance to sell the telephone share & phone. It came just in time to pay for the three Gerald bought. Weather is still warm. We are waiting for the cow to be fresh.
The telephone system was run by a cooperative, so people owned shares in the company. What a hard thing to give up the electric stove and the phone in one week!
A cow freshens when it begins to give milk, which happens in conjunction with giving birth to a calf. Here’s an interesting article on freshening.
Sun 15. Gerald & his family were in for dinner today. Ora took us to Iowa Falls to church. Ruth of course stayed. I had a nice SS class today.
Mon 16. Did not wash today. Mrs. Robertson & I went to Eldora to the Social Service Annual meeting.
Tue 17. Washed today & baked bread. Went to the mid-winter SS picnic at night. Played pretty hard. Dad went to the farm. The new calf arrived today. We are so glad! Emery Van Patter was hurt badly when his car & the Toonerville came together this PM.
“Toonerville” was a common nickname for local trolleys. It came from a comic strip called Toonerville Folks, in publication from 1908 to 1955, that featured “the Toonerville Trolley that meets all the trains.” This image was featured on a USPS postcard and stamp.
Wed 18. Guess the picnic was too much for me as I was sick all day. Felt better in the evening & went to prayer meeting. The ground was covered with ice & it has been foggy.
Thu 19. Have been able to work today tho’ have felt pretty weak.
Fri 20. Did some cleaning today. We—Ora, Dad & I went to Iowa Falls after Ruth. Heard the evangelist Harper.
Sat 21. Ruth, Daddy & I went with Gerald to Eldora. Alice gave me a group of trivia pictures to match. Telephone elections today—Gunther beaten. Ruth gave two music lessons. Sent an answer to Rite-way contest today. Heard Mrs. Wintermute is dead.
During the Depression, many companies held contests that involved some sort of skill—solving a puzzle, creating a slogan, etc.—with financial prizes for the winners. Emma entered quite a few of these.
Sun 22. Went to SS & church. Had 9 in my class. Ora Reep came home with us for dinner. It is little Jerry’s birthday. They were at Pete’s for dinner. We all went to Iowa Falls to church to hear “Harp”. A big crowd was there. It has been nice again today.
Mon 23. Washed today! It has been a nice day. Matched and mounted the trivia contest that Alice gave me. Hope I win the $100.00.
Tue 24. We got the ironing done and canned 33 pints of pumpkin that Mrs. Nymyer gave me.
Here’s some information on home-canning pumpkin. I was interested to learn that you can’t safely home-can pumpkin puree, and that the quality is better if it’s not cooked.
Wed 25. We manage to keep busy each day. Did some cleaning today.
Thu 26. It is snowing. Have had such an unusually warm Jan so far. WFMS is to meet at Bakers tonight.
Fri 27. We went to Iowa Falls again after Ruth. Went to the Harper meetings. Took Mrs. Wardle. Made arrangements for a meeting in Hubbard on Monday night.
Sat 28. Ruth & I have worked all day on making over Katharine’s coat. The fur had to be patched & we are tired. Ora Reep came in the evening for a while.
Sun 29. Got my SS lesson. Went to SS and taught. Stayed for church. Hustled home and got dinner. Had my Bible Study class in the PM. Four besides Ruth came. Went to Iowa Falls for the evening. It was very icy going up but was better coming home.
Mon 30. A beautiful day! Am going to churn. Had a fine service. Ruth came down to play for them. Ora was here afterwards.
Tue 31. Gerald drove Dad and me to Eldora to see John. He can’t help us save the house. Ora is taking a bunch of young people to Iowa Falls tonight. I finished Ruth’s coat and sent it.
Tell’s brother John and his wife Alice have been a great help to them, including buying the farm and renting it back to Gerald after the bank foreclosed on the farm implement business, but it sounds like Emma and Tell won’t be able to keep their house in Hubbard.
Special Feature: Ruth & Robert at School
Ruth and Robert (who eventually married and became my grandparents) were both studying at the Iowa Falls Conservatory of Music—I found a bunch of their course records, and it was fun to see that they were taking classes together!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for February 1933.