Huh?

December 6, 1931 - I got dinner today while Mamma finished lining my coat.  Ray took me to Mayme's this afternoon.  We went over to Alice's a few minutes to see about my box she is making for me.  Tonite Mayme, Lloyd, Allan Bruse and I went to the show at Norfolk.  We saw Charles Rogers in "The Road to Reno".  I liked it pretty well.
December 7, 1931 - At school today we made numbers for our raffling.  We were going to raffle off a car blanket but at play practice tonite we decided to raffle off a live turkey.  "1030" "Red Hot Mamma" "It's going to be a turkey instead of a goose"!!
December 8, 1931 - I had to tell the kids today that we were going to raffle off a turkey instead of a car blanket.  I got a ride home from school with Bob Nurnberg.  I wrote to Wayne Williams asking him if he'd be the auctioneer at my box social.  We went to League tonite at Rev. Braun's home.  We had a good time.  They elected new officers for the coming year.

Any guesses for "1030" "Red Hot Mamma" "It's going to be a turkey instead of a goose"?  I suppose the turkey has to do with the raffle, but beyond that I'm stumped.

I checked, there is both an Alex and an Allan Bruse.  At first I thought maybe I misread or my fingers had a mind of their own while I was typing one of those, but nope.

And here is another example where Grandma changes in her diary how she addresses Grandma Anna -- sometimes it is Mother, others Momma, then Mamma.  I remember her always calling her Mom.  Interesting . . .

I never have heard of Lilyan Tashman, but in both the poster and some photographs I found, she was quite attractive.  Maybe she is new to me because she died at the young age of 37, a few years after this particular movie came out.

A different feller

December 3, 1931 - Evelyn came up to the schoolhouse today and played the piano for the kids so they could practice their Xmas songs.  The kids put up the stage and we made posters. We practiced this evening on our play.
December 4, 1931 - The posters were finished today.  I expected Ray to come after me early but he didn't.  Ray and Ola came after me.  I went to Hoskins and found Mayme.  She gave me some of her entertainment books.  She coaxed me to go to the club dance.  I changed my clothes up at Bernice May's.  Ray went home and came back.  I had every dance.  I went home with Alex Bruse.
December 5, 1931 - Mother started lining my coat today.  We looked at the proofs and decided upon the picture we were going to have finished.  We went to bed quite early.

Alex Bruse is a new one for me.  Perhaps some Winsiders know who he was.

Every dance!?  Very nice.  No wonder Grandma went to bed early the next night.

I am guessing Evelyn was a bit older than the girl in the photograph.

We'll get there eventually

November 30, 1931 - Mrs. Walker's mother and brother were hear (sic) this evening.  They picked out their pieces for their Sunday School Program.  Evelyn did some typing.  Mildred, Bud, Mr. Walker and I played Rook.  Myron went to Madison yesterday to go to school at Newman Grove with his cousin.
December 1, 1931 - I sent Dorothy and Hazel's playbooks home with their mothers today so they could start studying.  This evening we played some more Rook.
December 2, 1931 - We practiced the play tonite for the first time.  I think it is going to be real good.  It surely has some funny places in it.

I don't know that I have all that much to add to this, so I'll leave it be.

I did peek ahead (not every day, but hit-and-miss) and it appears that for the rest of 1931 and a good part of 1932, Grandma was going to dances with Uncle Ray.  She and Grandpa were not an 'item', I think, until sometime in 1933.  He does have a mention or two before then, however.  I just thought I would toss that out there in case anyone was beginning to get curious and/or impatient.  I know I am!

I have been collecting direct-line family wedding photos for Dane; he and Alison will be doing something with them for their wedding.  I was pleased that I had most of the photos he needed already scanned on my computer.  It won't take too much more to complete what we have available to him.  One photo I did not have, but knew I had seen, was Grandma Anna and William Andersen's wedding portrait.  Thankfully, Nancy had an original and had she not been able to lay hands on it, Mom had a version of it, too.  Good thing we are keepers of stuff.  After all that, I thought I would share it here.  I think it is a wonderful photograph.

Airplane?

November 27, 1931 - School didn't go so bad considering that yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. The League had a committee meeting here this evening.  After the meeting Willard and Fritz Maas, Harry H., Arnold and Lydia Wittler, the Walker kids and I played Rook until 12 o'clock.  And oh! what fun we had.
November 28, 1931 - Ray and Mother came here about 9 o'clock.  We went to Norfolk.  Ray got a new overcoat, a Xmas present from Mother and me.  We had a family picture taken today.  Tonite we went to the church to hear the Midland Messiah Choir.  Annie and Ola were at our place for supper and went with us.  After the singing was over Ray and I went to Hoskins to the dance.  There weren't many there but we had a good time.
November 29, 1931 - We went to church this morning.  After dinner all of us went up to Uncle Hans'.  Aunt Lena surely doesn't look very good.  Ray broke a spring on his car, so Uncle Hans took the folks home.  Ray and I stayed up there until about 9:30 playing "Airplane."

I did some searching to find out what "Airplane" may have been, but my quick search turned up only computer games, which I am quite certain is not the case her for Grandma and Uncle Ray.

The photo is of the three and Grandma looks fairly young, so I will go out on a limb and guess that this is the photo session of which she referred.  I like Grandma Anna's sly smile here; it shows mainly in her eyes in my opinion.

Bases covered

November 24, 1931 - It seemed cold to me today and I guess it was cold.  The kids brought their sleds to school and went sleigh-riding at noon and recesses.  I washed my hair tonite after supper, manicured my finger-nails and wrote letters to Mrs. Smith and Walter Nelson.

November 25, 1931 - Ray came after me this evening about five o'clock.  I wanted to go to Alice's to get a finger-wave, but his lights burnt out and we didn't get to go.  I went to Jonson's and had Mr. Jonson sign my order for me.  Went down to Anna Boyd's tonite and got a finger-wave.

November 26, 1931 - Today is Thanksgiving Day.  And it's snowing.  We had a duck that Uncle Hans' sent in and also a rooster.  Ray took me back to Walker's about four o'clock this afternoon.  This evening we walked over to Nurnberg's.  We had a good time going, coming home and while there.

Going, coming home and while there . . . quite the successful jaunt.

Of course, I have no real idea of what daily life was like in 1931, but the mentions of not being able to go here or there because of the car are somewhat frequent in Grandma's diaries.  Too much rain, burnt out lights, tire issues, etc. all had an effect.  Nowadays, and especially near the "big city", we can go to a 24-hour store for light bulbs, tire repair can be fairly easy (and free if you have tires under warranty), and rain has to be awfully bad to deter people.  The car is just one facet of the differences Grandma lets us peek in on; I've never churned butter, for instance.  Not that I wouldn't mind giving it a try.  Just once would probably cure my enthusiasm, however.  But then, that photo makes it look pretty tempting . . .

Again?

November 21, 1931 - I ironed my dresses and Mother fixed some of my winter dresses.  We went over to Miller's about 6 o'clock.  We stayed up until 10:30 listening to the radio and reading.
November, 22, 1931 - Ground is white this morning.  Mother and I went to church this morning.  This afternoon in the sleet we walked out to Annie and Ola's.  That baby is surely getting big.  Ray took me back to Walker's this evening.  He stayed awhile and we played "Rook" and "Michigan Run" with the Walker kids.
November 23, 1931 - My first day to walk to school in the snow.  It could have been worse.  This evening the kids and I played Rook.  We had a good time.

There they go, walking in the sleet to see a baby they saw not too long ago.  He must have really been a cutie.

Late??

November 18, 1931 - We got up later than usual this morning and it was after eight before I got to school.  I played ball this noon and during second recess.  Mr. Walker's mother was here and stayed all night.  I worked late correcting papers this evening.
November 19, 1931 - I played ball with the kids this morning.  It started raining about noon.  I corrected papers and made out report cards this evening.
November 20, 1931 - It's rained practically all day today.  Ray came after me about 5:30.  We went over to Miller's this evening.  Mrs. Schmoll died Wednesday and is being buried in Iowa.  Mrs. Miller didn't want the house to be empty at nights while they were gone, so Mother is staying there.

Late getting to school due to oversleeping.  I would have teased Grandma had a known about this.  Geesh, barely into her first teaching job and she's sleeping in.  Wow!

Can you believe it?  Of all the photos I have scanned and ready to go, there is not one of someone sleeping?  Well, other than a teeny baby and that isn't what I was after.  I know this family has taken photos of adults laying around sleeping, but not one is scanned and ready to go.  So, instead, here's another of Grandma and Uncle Ray being cute little kids.

More determination than me, or is it I?

November 15, 1931 - Mother and I went to church this morning.  A sort of sleet is coming out of the sky today.  Mother and I walked out to Ola's.  We wanted to see the baby and it didn't look as if Ray would come in after us.  Annie gave me her program books to use to get ready for my program and box social.  Ray took me to Walker's this evening.
November 16, 1931 - Today is Mr. Walker's birthday and I gave him the 45 suckers I promised him Friday.  He was surely surprised, I guess he didn't think I'd really give them to him.
November 17, 1931 - I went over to Lydia Wittler's tonite with the Walker kids.  We girls quilted on a quilt of Lydia's.  It was my second attempt at quilting, but I didn't do so bad as I might have.

I like babies a lot, but to walk what I think was a pretty good ways to see one in the sleet?  I don't think so.  And he isn't the baby in question, but Uncle Ray could probably be called a baby in this photo, so there ya go.

I am guessing Mr. Walker turned 45 years old.  Yes, I'm pretty much a genius.

The beginning of a lifetime hobby

November 12, 1931 - Mr. Jonson took us to school this morning.  Walkers had a quilting party today. This evening Hazel and her mother, Mrs. Braun, Mrs. Maas, and Mrs. Fred Jochens were here quilting.
November 13, 1931 - I tried my hand at quilting tonite and it went pretty good.  Ray came after me and he stayed awhile.  We had a lot of fun trying to quilt and talk at the same time.
November 14, 1931 - I went down town this morning a little while.  Mother and I went down this evening.  I got a library book to read at school.  We also went to the show.  During the show, Ray was hunting for me.  He wanted to go to Hoskins.  He went without me but didn't have a good time, there weren't very many there.

I really like the comment about having fun trying to quilt and talk at the same time.  I would have loved to have seen a 19-year-old Grandma doing that.

Popcorn, again

November 9, 1931 - Rainy and disagreeable today.  Mildred and Evelyn are cutting quilt patches for new quilts.  Mildred is making a tulip quilt and Evelyn is making the double-wedding ring.  We picked out a play that the young folks are going to give for the box social.
November 10, 1931 - Rainy and bad again today.  Bud popped corn tonite and he surely has a real method of doing it.
November 11, 1931 - Miss Sewell visited school this morning during Arithmetic classes.  Everything went just fine.  I went home with Ronald tonite.  Mr. Jonson came after us.  The roads were quite muddy.  We played Pinochle Rummy after supper.

Pretty normal stuff here.  Enjoy.  The quilt isn't a tulip pattern nor a double wedding ring, but I had to post a photo of a quilt nonetheless.

Box social

November 6, 1931 - Mayme and Lloyd came after me this evening.  We went to the Hoskins pavilion to the carnival given by the High School.  Bernice and I decorated the interior of Lloyd's car with confetti.  Lloyd won two boxes of candy, which he gave to Mayme of course.  My but confetti is a nice thing to have down your back and in your clothes.  Mayme and I talked from 12:00 to 2:30 after she got in the bed.
November 7, 1931 - I went over to Alice's this morning and she washed and finger-waved my hair for me.  Washed and ironed my clothes, etc.  This evening we went to the masquerade dance at Hoskins.  We surely had a punk time.  There were only a few there that were masked.
November 8, 1931 - We slept real late this morning.  Mayme and I spent the entire afternoon trying to decide about our box socials.  I'm going to have mine December 17, and she's going to have hers December 18.  They took me back to Walkers' early and I was in bed at 8:30.

I had a notion of what a box social is/was and I looked it up to be sure.  Seems I was on the mark.  The article did say that they fell out of favor for a time, but seem to be having a resurgence.  I am all for a resurgence; something to get kids away from all the texting and other technology.

Mom called me yesterday to say Aunt Aileen died.  I do not know if she had siblings, but she was the last of Grandma and Grandpa's tier on the family tree, including spouses.  A bit of an odd feeling to think of that.  Of course, the only photo I have of her is one she almost missed being in.  But, there she is in the back in yellow.

What on earth?

November 3, 1931 - Today has been real nice and warm.  I mailed an order this evening for some workbooks.  We went to League this evening at the home of Lorene & Ezra Jochens.  I had a good time.  Yesterday continued:  Bud and Mike came up to the school house this morning and straightened everything up except the cob house.  Harry Heckendorf brought me a couple of dead mice and I didn't jump when he showed them to me.
November 4, 1931 - Another nice day.  I got most of my library books today.  The whole family was looking at them this evening.  Mr. Walker showed me pictures of their trip through Yellowstone Park a couple of years ago.
November 5, 1931 - Mrs. Dedlow and Kenneth Jonson visited school this afternoon.  I got a letter from Mother today saying I could stay with Mayme this weekend.  Mr. Walker, Bud, Mike, Mr. Jonson, and Mr. Nurnberg came up this noon and straightened the cob house.

Goodness!  Now I really wonder what happened to the schoolhouse.

We sure had a nice time in Yellowstone, we being Nancy, me, Mitch and Anna.  I am pretty sure that was 2003.  I am also pretty sure it was quite different then from when the Walkers went.

Little whippersnappers!

October 31, 1931 - The usual Saturday work of getting my clothes in shape for another week of school.  We all went to bed early this evening.
November 1, 1931 - Mayme and Alice and Mrs. Hall came in to church today.  A class of young folks was confirmed and the Lord's Supper was given.  I went home with Mayme after church.  Tonite Lloyd, Mayme, K.C. and I went to the show at Norfolk.  It was Lowell and Hardy in some kind of prison picture.  It was funny.  Mayme's schoolhouse is a wreck after last nite, and from what I hear mine wasn't forgotten.
November 2, 1931 - It was rather chilly today but it got warmer this afternoon.  I forgot my raincoat yesterday in all the hurry.  I stayed up pretty late this evening correcting examination papers.  I also wrote a letter to Mother asking if I could spend this next weekend with Mayme.

I wonder how terribly the schoolchildren treated their schoolhouses.  I wouldn't have thought that country kids would bother to go to their school to do mischief on Halloween.  Surely going to town to trick-or-treat would be more fun.  But then again, you weren't likely to get caught causing mischief out in the country with no one there at night.

There's K.C. again.  Any guesses as to who that was?

Lowell and Hardy?- Surely she meant Laurel and Hardy.  I found one movie from 1931 that involved those two and prison, Pardon Us.  Here's a summary.  I must say written out like that it doesn't sound overly funny but I bet it was.

     It is prohibition, and beer barons Laurel and Hardy are sent to prison for concocting their own home brew. They are put in a cell with "Tiger" Long, the roughest, toughest and meanest of all inmates. Stan has a loose tooth that causes him to emit a razzberry at the end of every sentence; the inmate interprets this as a coolly defiant attitude and is impressed — nobody else ever stood up to him like that. He and Stan and Ollie become fast friends.
     Laurel & Hardy are also assigned to attend prison school with James Finlayson being the teacher. The vaudeville routine that follows ends with a spitball meant for somebody else hitting the teacher in the face and the boys wind up in solitary. There is a sustained scene of the bleak cells with the unseen boys conversing through the walls.
     The prison authorities decide to send Laurel to the prison dentist to have the offending tooth pulled, but the dentist is incompetent and the procedure goes awry.
After a prison break, the boys escape to a cotton plantation, where they hide out undetected, in blackface. The boys sing "Lazy Moon". When they attempt to repair the warden's car, they are discovered and are sent back to prison. Tricked by a prison guard into calling off a hunger strike by being promised a thanksgiving-style feast, they go to the mess hall, only to be served the usual drab fare. Laurel causes a disturbance by protesting the absence of the feast, but is threatened by the guards. Soon after, as guns are being passed around under the tables, Laurel sets off his gun and causes an uproar. They inadvertently break up the prison riot and the grateful warden issues them a pardon.Laurel inadvertently "razzes" the warden and their exit from the prison has to be a very fast one.

I found a photo of the movie poster, but I liked this photo better.

A Halloween shocker

October 28, 1931 - Today has been a cold and gloomy day.  I got my examination questions today.  Mildred went with Rev. and Mrs. Braun, Lydia Wittler and Dorothy Jochens to a Young People's Convention at York today.

October 29, 1931 - It's trying to snow today.  I started giving exams today and it's some job.  I popped popcorn tonite for my Halloween party tomorrow afternoon.  Mr. Walker and the boys are fixing a "shocking machine" for tomorrow nite, and it's watch out if you don't want a shock.

October 30, 1931 - We had our Halloween party this afternoon.  The kids seemed to enjoy themselves.  This evening Ray and I went to the League's Halloween party.  We surely had a good time.

A shocking machine!!  Boy, I wish I could have seen that.  The Walkers must have thought a lot of Grandma to go to that trouble for her party.

Grandma and popcorn makes me think of Grandpa and popcorn.  He surely knew how to pop it on the stove.  And several of us remember him popping some for we travelers to take back on our drive to Lincoln to keep up awake.  Fine memories.  We also remember that his pot was not that shiny and he did not wear black nail polish.

Mitch learned to pop popcorn like Grandpa, but that was some time ago.  I wonder if he can still do it.

Whispering!

October 25, 1931 - We didn't do much in particular today.  This afternoon we gathered up our belongings and Mother moved back to town.  Ray took me to Walker's this evening.
October 26, 1931 - This was certainly a Blue Monday at school today.  I kept the 4th grade Arithmetic Class in tonite after school.  I got oodles of mail today, but it was all advertisements.  I went to church with the kids tonite.  After church they had a party for the Presiding Elder at Rev. Brown's home.  We had a good time.  Mr. and Mrs. Walker didn't go because Mrs. Walker hasn't been feeling good today.
October 27, 1931 - School was just about as bad today as it was yesterday.  The wind just about blew us off the hill.  Four pupils had to stay after school for whispering.  Evelyn isn'st feeling well this evening.  I copied Civics outline tonite.

I know it was because it was during school hours and that is why the four pupils were in trouble, but I despise whispering in my presence.  I am such a meanie that the granddaughters are not allowed to whisper in the car with me.  I am not sure why it bothers me so much, but argghh!!

Did you know it is somewhat difficult to find a photo of wind?

Gearing up for Halloween

October 22, 1931 - It cleared up this noon and this afternoon was just lovely.  We had cornbread for supper and was it good. Mayme called me up this evening. I'm going to go up to her place tomorrow nite and get some things from her.  I made out my report cards this evening.
October 23, 1931 - Ray came after me this evening.  We went up to Hall's and I got the balloons Mayme ordered for me.  We went to Annie's.  Ola and the boys are gone this weekend to Rochester to see Aunt Lena.  Mother and Ray are staying with Annie.
October 24, 1931 - I washed my clothes today and tried to help with the housework.  This evening Ray and I took the Chevie and went to Hoskins to the dance.  We had a pretty fair time.  Ola and the boys came back this evening.
\
At first I was thrown by why Grandma would be getting balloons.  Then I figured maybe it was for the Halloween party at school.

Obviously it is Aunt Lena that was at Rochester, but I still do not recall hearing why that was necessary.

Yes, that's how Grandma spelled Chevy.

I don't know that Dale and I made this fabulous dummy for Halloween, but I thought I would throw this in.

Grandma Anna, explained

October 19, 1931 - "Oh! how I hate to get up in the mornings."  I got up at 5:30 this morning.  I got to school about 7:30 and found many dead flies as a result of the poison I put out Friday nite.  Lydia Wittler was here this evening while her mother and Mrs. Wittler went to some meeting  or other.  We had pheasant for supper this evening.
October 20, 1931 - I didn't get up quite as early this morning as I did yesterday morning.  I played "Sheep in My Pen" with the kids this noon.  It was real warm today.  Am going to bed at 7:30 tonite.  I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open.
October 21, 1931 - It's been cloudy and windy all day and tonite it's trying to rain.  I got a letter from Florence Schellenberg today and tonite I wrote about five letters.  Mrs. Walker churned today and I had buttermilk to drink for breakfast, dinner, and supper.  And did it taste good!

Maybe Grandma Anna knew how tired Grandma was getting and that's why she said no to going to Hoskins.

Did Grandma mean Lydia Wittler's mother and Mrs. Walker went to a meeting?  It doesn't really matter, but it was something I noticed.

Buttermilk.  I wonder if it tastes better after a real old-fashioned churning than from the store, because I do not see the attraction.  But I have only had buttermilk from a cardboard carton from the store.  I also wonder if the photo shows the kind of churn Mrs. Walker used.  I think the crank would be preferable to the up-and-down-type of churning.

The Ralph?

October 16, 1931 - Up before the sun again this morning.  I got a ride to school with Mr. Walker.  I was at school by 7:30.  We put up our Halloween decorations today.  Ola and Ray came after me about 7 o'clock.  Uncle Hans came back from Rochester today.  Ray and I went to the barn dance at Schellenberg's tonite.  I had a good time.  Wayne Williams took me home.
October 17, 1931 - Annie was up for breakfast today for the first time since the baby was born.  The baby surely has grown this last week.  I helped Mom with the Saturday work and also did my washing.  Ray and I wanted to go to Hoskins but Mother said "No!"  We all played pinochle.  I washed my hair and took a bath tonite.
October 18, 1931 -  Ray and Ola went pheasant hunting this morning.  We got up at 5 o'clock.  They took me to Alice's so I could get my hair fixed.  We got them out of bed.  We were back home at 10:30.  Ralph and Ervin R. came out to Ola's and I went with them up to Uncle Hans'.  Nobody home so we stopped in at the farm and visited Florence S.  Ray brought me back tonite and I went to bed at 9:30.

Grandma has mentioned trips to Rochester quite a bit.  Can someone tell me what that was all about, if they know?  (I guess one can't tell unless they know . . . )

I wonder how emphatic Grandma Anna was that she got an exclamation point.  I don't think I ever saw her that riled up, but this is 30+ years before I was even born so what do I know.

I am guessing Ralph is Ralph Kahler.  If so, he got a mention without commentary so perhaps they were well over their breakup.

Those are some gen-u-wine 1930's Halloween decorations in the photo.  Rather cute, some of them.

Oh, and Happy Birthday to Grandma!!

I'm confused

October 13, 1931 - Today was just as bad as a rainy day.  The kids didn't know what to do with themselves.  I put compound on the floor this morning and tonite I gave the floor a good scrubbing.  In all the excitement of working so hard I just about got some blisters on my hands.  I went to church with the family this evening, revival meetings.
October 14, 1931 - The folks started picking corn today and as a result got up much earlier than usual. I caught a ride to school and home again this evening with Mr. Nurenberg.  I went to church this evening with the family.
October 15, 1931 - Early to school this morning.  My but the flies were terrible in school today.  I went to church again this evening.  The sermon was especially for young people.  It was interesting.  (I got a ride home from school this evening with Willard Maas!)

I have figured out that compound is necessary to scrub a floor, but is it put down and then walked on all day since Grandma didn't scrub until "tonite"?  I don't think I have ever gotten so excited while scrubbing anything that I just about got blisters.

Seems there is lots of church-going going on.

Willard Maas got and exclamation point, but he is behind since K.C. has gotten more previously.