Tue 1. Katharine went to Des Moines with Gladys & Garnette today. She brought me goods for a new suit. Ruth got home—Robert brought her. She had a fine time at Clear Lake. She saw her friend Caroline Hall. I canned beets, beans and corn. The children were here for dinner.
Wed 2. Peggy came in today to stay a few days and have some sewing done. We started four dresses & finished one for her. I baked bread today—am tired sewing. Dad went to the farm this PM.
Thu 3. We finished Peggy’s dresses and Gerry’s suits. Peggy went home today. We walked down to Mrs. Mohlers in the evening and then to Rash’s after a pattern. Gerald is 32 today. We gave him two handkerchiefs.
Fri 4. Dad sold a load of oats today. We bought some new sheets, towels, sugar, flour, etc. John and Alice came over for supper. Gerald had sent in two chickens. Oats were 32¢ today—1¢ a lb.
Oats were sold by the bushel. Rather than measuring by volume, however, the USDA established a standard weight per bushel of 32 lbs for oats. Wheat has a standard weight of 60 lbs per bushel.
Sat 5. Have made three new pairs of pillow ticks today—washed one pair so I have my pillows all in good shape. We also hemmed the towels and sheets & remodeled Ruth’s dress. It shrunk when she washed it, so we put a ruffle on the bottom & one on the collar. It is much prettier.
Ticks are used to hold feathers for a pillow. They are made of ticking fabric, which is closely woven—usually from cotton—to keep feathers from poking through and typically has a pattern of stripes.
Sun 6. The day is cold—cloudy and rainy. Dad invited Ora for dinner. Deloss, Geo Moon & Garnett Mohler were here this PM. We called on Lottie. It is clearing up. Katharine and I went to the Salem church to hear Rev. Pfalzgraff.
Mon 7. We did a big washing today. It looked rainy but has cleared up. Genevieve Hendrickson was married today.
Tue 8. We have spent the day ironing and mending. Dad brought in a load of oats. He sold $55.25 worth for us. Katharine still waits for her pay.
In today’s dollars, the oats brought almost $1200. Katharine is teaching school in Shaker Heights, OH, where they do not have funds to pay the teachers.
Wed 9. We will finish paying for stove today. Was glad to have this done with. Ruth & I went to prayer meeting. Betty, Peggy & Jerry spent the day here while Gerald & Miriam went to Des Moines. It rained in the evening. We finished Katharine’s brown velvet blouse & Ruth’s suit today.
This is the wood cook stove they bought a while back when they had to give up the electric one.
Thu 10. Today we made the dress Miriam got for Katharine yesterday. It is almost finished. In the PM we finished cleaning up the house. Tomorrow is my birthday.
Fri 11. Gerald brought me three chickens. John & Alice, Mrs. Earhart and Jessie Lindsay came for supper. They brought me some handkerchiefs.
Handkerchiefs are mentioned so often as gifts that I got curious about when people stopped using them in favor of paper tissues. According to this story, Kleenex originally marketed their tissues in 1924 as cold cream removers. Apparently people wrote to the company to let them know they’d found another use for the disposable tissues—blowing their noses!!—and the advertising shifted in this direction.
Sat 12. Today is Betty’s birthday. I finished her red gingham dress for her. She stayed in for dinner. Gerald bought a 2nd hand Chevy today for $350. Hope he can pay for it. Gerald brought me two chickens for tomorrow. Katharine and I started her brown suit today.
Based on research I did for last month’s post, $350 would have been a relatively high-end used car. Here’s a 1931 Chevrolet.
Sun 13. Sunday School, TO by Gospel Team, chicken dinner. Kiddies here for the PM, to Ellsworth with the Gospel Team, yes, & a call on Garnette Mohler (who had her tonsils out last week & was not so well) made up our day. I also wrote Gertie & Charlie.
Mon 14. It has been cool today. We did the washing & most of the ironing. Dad fixed the well at the shop for Alice today. Bob Grooters came from the World Fair. Stopped here over night. Red was in to practice for Old Settler’s day. Katharine’s school begins three weeks from today.
Tell’s parents William Wesley Boylan and Susanna Catharina Balmer Boylan were among the founders of Hardin County Iowa, settling there in 1857. I can’t find any record of how long Old Settler’s Day was celebrated, but it doesn’t look like it’s still going on.
Tue 15. We decided to can corn so Dad & I went after it. Canned 30 qts today. Bob helped. We went home about 2 PM. Saw a notice of Jennie Muilenberg’s wedding. We have been having muskmelons galore. Picked about 1½ doz today.
Jennie Muilenberg was the sister of Gerrit Muilenberg, the husband of Emma’s sister Linnie. This was her first marriage, at age 51.
Wed 16. Gerald took Dad over to Eldora to stay at John’s for three days to attend the Fair. Ruth, K & I went along. K made arrangements for a permanent for Friday. Ruth led the prayer meeting tonight. There were 12 there. Rev Wardle just got home from his vacation. Ora came home with us & stayed till 11 PM. Katharine was in bed as she did not feel well. I washed the kitchen floor & got it ready to paint or varnish.
This would have been the Hardin County Fair. But while I was looking around online I found that there was a 1933 movie called State Fair, which “tells the story of a farm family's multi-day visit to the Iowa State Fair, where the parents seek to win prizes in agricultural and cooking competitions, and their teenage daughter and son each find unexpected romance.” I couldn’t resist putting this poster and a link in just for fun.
Thu 17. Alice’s birthday! They—John, Alice, Phe, Jessie, Ans—all left yesterday for Ill. Dad is staying alone. It is a beautiful morning. I would think Dad would be terribly lonely at Eldora. I have been fixing the kitchen floor. It looks much better.
I’m still figuring out some of these people. I think Ans was probably Alice’s unmarried brother John Ansley Hurley, and that Phe was a cousin of Alice’s.
Fri 18. I went to Eldora today. We went after Dad. Katharine went to the Fair, & I had a Permanent. I am so happy over it. We were sued today for what we owe on the farm—I’ll be glad when the suing is over.
Even though the farm was sold, it sounds like there was still some outstanding debt. Their Hubbard house was foreclosed in April, but they seem to still be living there, and last month Tell signed a lease on the farm with his brother John, who bought it at the sale. Gerald and his family, who are living at the farm now, are apparently moving to Oregon.
Sat 19. Katharine had a permanent today at Mrs. Scurry’s. Dad, Ruth & I went over. Ruth got two hats for 25¢ each—one for 49¢. She & I took a lunch & ate at Aunt Alice’s. Dad went back to Gerald’s & came over after us about 2:30 PM. The Doggetts stopped for a chat on their way home from Spirit Lake.
Sun 20. Today is Old Settler’s picnic. We went to church & SS this AM—Swallums asked us to go to the OS picnic with them. Ruth had to play a solo and accompany Red Miller. We all went to Alden to the Gospel team meeting. I saw Mrs. Johnson for a minute.
Mon 21. It is raining today but Dad has gone to the farm after corn. We have canned apples, corn and tomatoes. It has been a big day’s work & I am tired and ready for bed.
Tue 22. Our Wedding anniversary. We canned a little corn today—have been sewing on K’s suit. Bob Grooters was here for dinner. It has cleared up. It was rainy this AM. Took my copy to the printer for the cards I had to have printed for Branch. There are nearly 600 of them.
Wed 23. Today is Hubbard Day. We did not go down town till evening. Dad & I went to prayer meeting. Saw Mr. & Mrs Thalman on the street. They came home with us and had some muskmelon. Ruth Beck, Ruth Boeke, and Gladys Clark called.
Hubbard Days are an annual celebration in the town. They appear to be continuing, but it looks like they are now held in June.
Thu 24. Hubbard Day again. We sewed most all day. Bob was down for a few minutes. Did not stay for dinner. We went down town awhile at night. Saw O.F. Moore, Fred & Effie Boeke.
Fri 25. We did a monstrous washing today. Dad went to the farm. Mr. Swallum got some corn. Rev. Wardle called. He does not plan to go to the Dows Sub-dist meeting. I would like to go. Am having my cards printed today for the Branch work. Hope they are satisfactory.
Sat 26. We ironed today. Mrs. Swallum brought me some cucumbers out of which we made some Dill. She invited us up for dinner tomorrow.
Here’s Emma’s recipe that was written one of the end pages of the journal, and a collection of pickle recipes.
Sun 27. We surely had a full day. Church & SS in AM. Dinner at Swallums & then to Dows for afternoon & evening with a picnic supper. Katharine did not go. Gladys & Garnette Short came to see her in the evening.
Mon 28. Today we went to Iowa Falls to find an apartment for Ruth but decided she should stay at Walthals. Alice is going to Cedar Rapids & will take K either tomorrow or Wed.
Tue 29. Alice will go today so Gerald is taking Katharine over. I & Ruth went along. I got my hair waved, washed & came away with it wet. Took a bad cold. Bought some cucumbers & honey tonight.
Wed 30. We bought 18 young chickens of Gerald today. Paid him $2.05—or 5¢ per lb. We have canned them today. I had to stop & rest as I am so nearly sick. Was not able to go to prayer meeting.
Thu 31. Am feeling a bit better today. Have a lot to do.
Special Feature—Letter from Kate to Nora
Among the family records was a letter from Tell’s sister Kate Boylan Hicks, who ran a vacation resort in Minnesota, to their sister Nora who was living in Carthage, MO with siblings Daisey and Will. Here are some excerpts:
“The last three weeks we have had an interesting group of guests—teachers from Iowa, a bacteriologist from the Mayo’s, three German pastors, and a Presbyterian paster from St. Louis—all of these with their families, of course. I think on the whole we are getting a better type of guest than at first. Day before yesterday our first “honeymoon couple” dropped in to see us for a few moments. They were here eight years ago.”
”A week from tomorrow Minnesota votes on the 18th amendment. It won’t matter at all in the outcome whether I vote at all or not, for the state will go for repeal. But I shall vote anyway.”
”I have stood the work this summer better than at any time since we came here, for two reasons. I have been taking a drop of iodine every week for over a year, and I have also been correcting a weak arch in my left foot, which has improved my posture and of course back strain. I just want to suggest that you see if you need such attention—and correct the condition by exercise or arch supports.”
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for September 1933.