So am I the only person who hasn't heard of this?

September 14, 1932 - Lloyd brought Ronald and me to school.  I didn't play with the kids this noon because I was too tired.  Mrs. Walker and the girls went to church tonite.  I did the dishes for them.
September 15, 1932 - Delmar went to the fair today and wasn't at school, of course.  Mr. Walker, Bud, Mike and Mote went too.  Mike entered the Ford and Pig race and won 1st prize, which was $5.  Bud's going to enter tomorrow.
September 16, 1932 - Lawrence and Ronald went to the fair.  Mrs. Walker sent 4 large cantaloupe to school today.  We ate 3 at noon and the other at recess.  Dismissed school at 2:45.  Mom came after me at 4:00.  I drove home and tried to run over a truck.

I am positive I have never heard of a Ford and Pig race.  Here is what I found on wikipedia:

"The Pig-N-Ford Races are an auto racing event staged at the fair.  The races are run every August during, and as a feature of, the Tillamook County Fair. Drivers use stripped Model T Fords with stock mechanicals. Five cars are lined up with the engines off at the start line of the Averill Arena horse racing track. Drivers stand next to the grandstands. When the starter pistol fires, the drivers run to the opposite side of the front straight, grab a live 20-pound pig from a bin, then must hand-crank their car and drive it one lap. They then stop, kill the engine, get a different pig, and race another lap. The first driver to complete three laps in this manner without losing their pig is the winner.  The race was first run in 1925. The official story is that two local farmers were chasing a runaway pig in their Model Ts and were having so much fun, they decided it should be a race at the next county fair. The Pig-N-Ford Races have been run every year since 1925. Drivers belong to the Tillamook County Model T Pig-N-Ford Association, and membership is often a lifelong affair. Cars and memberships are often passed down through families or sold to close friends. Some of the cars that first ran in 1925 are still on the track today."

I wonder if PETA knows about this.  Must not, or no one cares, because they still hold the races, at least in Tillamook County.

And all of that is distracting me from Grandma's comment about trying to run over a truck.  Sounds like she had a full day that day.

Picnic, or no picnic?

September 11, 1932 - Ray came in this morning.  He's going to fix his car, so it's "good-bye picnic."  Mom and I went out to Ola's with him.  I washed my hair this afternoon and Lilly finger-waved it for me.  I fixed hers for her, too.  Ray brought me back to Walker's this evening.
September 12, 1932 - The League had a treasure hunt tonite.  We started at the church and went east and south of Hoskins, through stubble fields full of sand burrs and everything  We went about 5 miles before we found the treasure which consisted of suckers.  Played games at the church when we got back.
September 13, 1932 - Played ball this noon.  I went home with Ronald tonite.  We were over to Green's a few minutes this evening.  Willard Maas' birthday.

Well, it seems Uncle Ray is tinkering with his sister's destiny here.  But, as we know, all was right in the end.  Sorry for the teaser, but I wrote the truth when I said there was an Iversen sighting.

Speaking of Uncle Ray, Mom and I went to the Memorial Day program at Winside yesterday.  I had not been since high school, I'm pretty sure.  Honestly, I had forgotten about it until the speaker, who was several years behind me in school, mentioned that the school band performed at the program each year.  School was out, but we had one more band obligation to fulfill.  Not that it was a onerous obligation, just bad timing if you were really anxious for summer like most kids were.

We heard Uncle Ray's name called during the reading of the roster of deceased veterans.  As Mom commented later, the crowd was very quiet during the seven to eight minute reading.  One would expect that to be so, but often there are some folks that just have to whisper about something or other.  We didn't hear any of that kind of thing.

I know I am going to forget someone, but the other names were heard read from the family were Uncle Chris Jensen, Ramon Nielsen, Uncle Raymond Iversen, and a newly-realized cousin, Peter Petersen from William Andersen's (Grandpa Bill's) branch on the family tree.  I thought I saw a Legion marker by Uncle Chris Andersen, but Mom doesn't remember him being in the service, so it's more likely that I'm not remembering correctly.

In skipping ahead a bit in the Winside history, I note that in October of 1932, W. C. Lowry, the last of the Civil War veterans in Winside, died at the age of 89.  I am sure we heard his name called as well.

The photo is of the flag on Grandpa and Grandma's house, before he was gifted the flagpole.  Looks like it was before there was a birdbath there, but I do see the boot scraper.  Wish I'd grabbed on to that when we were getting the house emptied and ready to sell; could sure use it now.

Iversen "sighting"

September 8, 1932 - Played ball again with the kids.  Did some hektographing and also inked some copies today.  Made out lesson plans this evening.
September 9, 1932 - Played ball with the kids at noon.  Mom came after me about 4:30.  I went to Rebekah Lodge tonite.  They're having a picnic at Iversen's Sunday.  I hope I can go.
September 10, 1932 - Rainy today.  Mom and I went to Norfolk this p.m.  We each got a new green winter hat.  Ray helped Ola cut wood today and didn't come home tonite.

How nice that the day of the picnic is for my next post so I can keep those wondering when Grandpa will make an appearance in suspense a bit longer.

The photo is of "1930s winter fashion", but of course I have no idea what Grandma and Grandma Anna's hats were like.  It's a neat photo regardless.

Grapes? Boots?

September 5, 1932 - I played ball today with the kids.  Made out some reports after school and read from "The Child Builder" tonite.  Mom and Ray were going to get grapes from Wittlers this morning.  I wonder if they did.  And tomorrow Ray starts helping Mr. VonSeggern do carpenter work.
September 6, 1932 - We went to League at Lorene Jochens'.  Played games outside.  We had sandwiches, cake, and watermelon for lunch.
September 7, 1932 - Played ball today.  Mrs. Walker and the girls and boys went to church and I washed the dishes, and Mr. Walker wiped them.

I had no idea anyone ever grew grapes around Winside.  Perhaps the town missed its destiny as wine country.

I intended to keep up with the Winside History book in 1932 and add items for that year (in addition to doing the older stuff like I have been) to match the dates and events in Grandma's diary.  I was cleaning my desk today and found notes to that effect.  So, I'll do a teensy bit of catch-up now.

From the book, earlier in 1932, Mrs. August Nehring, age 96 was laid to rest, and Peder Jacobsen (age not noted) died.  The Whisker Club was organized on July 21 with 42 members. The rules were that they whiskers had to stay on until August 20.  And that is because the Old Settlers Picnic was on August 19.  The entry in this history book was:

      "August 19, Old Settlers Picnic was a big success; Dr. McIntyre who won first prize in the Whisker Club, was arrayed in an ancient dress suit consisting of a high silk hat and a swallowtail coat.  He also had spectacles to say nothing of a perfect set of sideburns that were as real as they make 'em.  Mrs. Emma Agler, 80 years old, was the oldest Wayne county settler."  I would like to see a photo of Dr. McIntyre's in his costume and whiskers.

Now I am caught up.

Here is a school picture of Mom in February of 1945.  I am curious as to why the kids have shoes on, but there are boots lined up outside.  What's up with that, you country school veterans?

Hair

September 2, 1932 - George missed school this a.m. because he was sick.  I played ball again today.  Lloyd and Mayme came after me tonite.  There was a dance at Uncle Hans' but we didn't care to go.
September 3, 1932 - Mayme washed her hair this morning and I fingerwaved it for her.  Ray took us to Wayne this afternoon to the teacher's meeting at the Court House.  We went down town tonite and I got a library book.  We came right back and went to bed early.
September 4, 1932 - We went to church this a.m.  Lloyd came after us after dinner.  We went to the ball game at Hoskins between Plainview and Hoskins.  Mayme brought me out to Walkers about 5:30.  I went to church with the folks tonite.

I have been watching Downton Abbey and the era of the season I am in is the 1920s.  Lots of fingerwaved hair on display.  Very pretty.  I wonder how time-consuming it was to do that.  I believe my straight, coarse hair would not have led to a good fingerwaving result, so I am glad it was not stylish when I was concerned about such things.  Bad enough that my bangs never feathered.  The photo is of the character Edith, who has the best fingerwaves on the show, in my opinion.

Playing ball, and the big ball in the sky

August 30, 1932 - Played ball this noon.  This evening the girls and I looked through the catalogues and did some shopping.  We each "bought" a new hat and dress.
August 31, 1932 - Cloudy about all day.  Minnie wasn't at school, George said she was sick.  Played ball today.  This afternoon we looked at the eclipse of the sun.  It was only a partial eclipse here.  In the New England states they had a total eclipse.
September 1, 1932 - Played ball at noon and recess.  I fixed my "dress" for tonite before supper.  Dorothy J. went along with us to the party. Mike, Mote, Della Meierhenry, and Clarance Schmitt won the prizes.  It was a tie between the two girls and the two boys.  Roland Stahl and Gustav Perske birthday.

Lots of ball games going on at the start of school.  I have assumed Grandma meant baseball or softball, but I suppose that isn't necessarily the case.

I hope they looked at that eclipse safely.