Friday, July 31, 2015

Stretching it around the world


October 11, 1932 - Got a ride to school with Bob Nurnberg this morning.  Still pretty cold.  I went to League at Maas' with the kids tonite.  We played indoors.
October 12, 1932 - Warmer today.  Got a ride home from school tonite with Mike, in the lumber wagon.
October 13, 1932 - Got a letter from Marjorie and her pupils asking us over there for a Halloween party October 28.  Talked to Mayme this evening.  I asked her to come home with me tomorrow nite so she could get a permanent from Anna Boyd.

I have no sparkling commentary on Grandma's comings and goings but want to get this posted as it is one post closer to whenever Grandpa enters the picture.  I wonder what on earth is taking him so long.

I did find something interesting that happened far away from Winside on October 11, 1932.  As part of observances of the 100th anniversary of the invention of the telegraph by Samuel Morse, the chairman of the Postal Telegraph Company sent a telegram around the world in a record time of 4 minutes and 45 seconds. The message, "What hath God wrought," was identical to the original one that Morse sent from Baltimore to Washington in 1844.  And look where we are now with global communications.  That's a photo of the somewhat intense-looking Samuel Morse.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Laura Wiseman Lawson


October 8, 1932 - Mom came about 9:00 this a.m.  We took an order for school books down to Templin's.  Went down town this p.m. and got some gloves for myself.  Went to the dance at Carr's tonite with Lena Neiman and came home with Ray.  I had a really good time.  Willie stayed the rest of the nite.
October 9, 1932 - Ray and Willie went out to Ola's.  I went along and brought the car back to town.  This evening Mom and I went out to Ola's to get Ray so he could go along to bring me back here.  It was snowing when we got here.
October 10, 1932 - Feels like winter this morning.  Mrs. Jochens and Dorothy visited school this p.m.  I washed and finger-waved my hair and also finger-waved Evie's.

There was certainly no cause for Grandma to have taken note, but on October 10, 1932, my great-grandmother Laura Wiseman Lawson died.  I have, but not with me, a copy of her obituary.  I think the headline was something about the last of a pioneer family.  And in a way, she certainly was that.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Flash cards


October 5, 1932 - Back to school again.  Made flash cards for Harry's reading this evening.  Got a letter from Art Kahler.  He says he was discharged from the service Oct. 1.  He plans to go to Hot Springs, S. Dak. about the 12th of this month.  Martha Brogren's birthday.  Francis Andersen's birthday.  Lorraine Schmitt birthday.
October 6, 1932 - Wrote letters to Jane and Francis Andersen tonite after school.  Went to church with the folks this evening.
October 7, 1932 - Got a card from Mom tonite and she says she won't be after me until tomorrow.  She's at a RNA convention at Randolph today.  I went to church this evening with the folks.  LeRoy Brogren's birthday.

I remember flash cards and I made some for my two kids along the way, but I imagine they will eventually fall by the wayside and people will some day not even know what they are/were.  A bit of a shame, I think*.

I keep meaning to ask, what is this RNA that Grandma Anna was involved with?  It pops up every now and then I do not know what it is.

Back to the rest of the busy, busy 1903 in Winside:

     June 4, Marshal Smith has been busy trying to keep the chickens out of the park.  They seem to know a good thing when they see it.  There are other old roosters who enjoy the beautiful park too.
    June 17, a train wreck occurred about a mile and a half west of town in which three cars ran off the track.  One car was loaded with butter and eggs, the other two with coal.
     July 4, Winside spent the 4th in Hoskins.  E. R. Gurney was the speaker of the day.  In the afternoon most of the Winsiders took the train to Wayne spending the rest of the 4th there.
     July 16, nine big goose eggs, yes, that was the score Hoskins took home with them.  No wonder, the colts were hitched up right, batted right, rode on the merry-go-round right and felt right.  Kaiser Wilhelm Heyer had a wing on him like an Ostrich, steady as a clock and caused 13 boys to lay down their clubs at the old family plate.  And support, perfect with the exception of two little mishaps which didn't cut enough ice to make a milk shake.
     August 1, the Winside Brick Yard is doing fine and they hope this fall we will have a building boom.
     August 1, Winside is assured of a lecture course this season.  Six fine high class entertainments have been booked and we hope the community will turn out so the promoters will not have to "dig up."
     August 13, Girls' Basketball is doing some real playing.  This is the first time in history of the town that girls played this game.
     October 22, John Van Scorah was burning weeds northwest of the school house and the wind came up suddenly, fanning the flames so much that the M. E. church, parsonage and barn were threatened.  Neighbors rushed in to help him put it out.
     October 29, E. R. Gurney and family moved to Fremont, Nebraska.
     December 14, G. E. French bought part of the E. R. Gurney interests in the Merchants State Bank.

*I stand corrected.  When I went to the web to find a photo of some old flash cards, I found all kinds of new ones.  Perhaps they still have some life left in them.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Alligators!?!


October 2, 1932 - I went to S.S. and church this morning.  Ray went up to Uncle Hans' last nite and he and Edwin are working on his car today
October 3, 1932 - Art Koepke took Leona, Mayme, and me to Wayne this morning.  It rained most of the day.  We went down town before supper.  I looked for a new dress, but couldn't find anything I liked. Aunt Mildred's have moved.  They have a lovely home now.  Gerald is staying with them and going to college.  Irene Weible's birthday.
October 4, 1932 - Mother misunderstood me and didn't come to Wayne after us girls tonite.  We had to go home on the train.  Glen met us at the depot.  They took me to Hoskins as soon as I got my suitcase packed.

It must be one of those days, but I have nothing to add here to Grandma's activities.  So, I'll fall back on some Winside history.  The entry for 1903 is so long I'll have to do half now and half another time.

     January 1, J. C. Eckler is the new editor of the Winside Tribune.
     January 8, R. R. Smith of the P. V. Elevator, won a sewing machine at the Lound and Anderson drawing.
     January 15, 586 carloads of stock, grain, beets, potatoes, junk, etc. were shipped out of Winside during 1902.  289 cars were shipped to Winside.
     February 5, Winside markets:  hogs $6, wheat 59c, oats 24c, ear corn 24c, butter 18c, eggs 20c.
     February 12, Mr. Miller of the Nebraska Clark Automatic Telephone Co. has secured about 25 business and residential people to install telephones.
    March 12, Herbert Lound received two alligators from Wylie McClusky in Florida.  They have caused much attention in the drug store window.
     March 19, Mrs. H. E. Siman furnished the music on the new piano at the Hoskins dance.  Piano music for dances is very stylish now and fast taking the place of other instruments.
     March 26, Rev. Wigton of Norfolk preached his last sermon in Winside Sunday evening.
     April 16, Mrs. Wiggs and the Cabbage Patch was reviewed April 11 by Mrs. Schroeder at the Woman's club meeting.
     April 16, Curt Benshoof got to monkeying around in Mundy's store yesterday and landed in the cellar by the short route.
     April 23, George Needham and Alva Beeson are the proud owners of spotted pups, and are perfectly willing to stay awake nights and listen to the melodious cries of their pets.
     April 26, With the wind blowing a gale the Hoskins Huskers met the Winside Winners on the local diamond.  Score 15 to 13 in favor of Winside.  Hoskins put up a good game but lacked a pitcher that could put 'em over.  In the great contest both artists in the box threw curves from 5 to 10 feet wide.
     May 1, Gust A. Bleich and Carl Wolff went into partnership in the Harness shop.
     May 5, Mary Crosby Carter, wife of A. H. Carter, passed away.
     May 20, Winside easily defeated Hoskins at Hoskins, 17 to 7.  Needham, the Winside twirler, fanned 11 men and Ramsey, the "stop short" covered himself with glory.
     May 28, Work has again begun at the Winside Brick Yard.  It was moved from the old site a few rods north where better clay may be found.  A well has been dug and ample water has been found.

It seems that the first part of 1903 was plenty eventful.  Alligators in Winside . . . I'll be darned.

Monday, July 6, 2015

2015 goings on












September 29, 1932 - My "Wayne County Teacher" came and says that Institute is next Monday and Tuesday.  I played ball this noon.  Talked to Mayme tonite.
September 30, 1932 - Mom came after me about 5 o'clock.  We went over to Behmer's a few minutes to see about having the school furnace fixed.  Annie and Ola and kids were in this evening for watermelon.  Claus, Pete and Clara were here a few minutes, too.
October 1, 1932 - Mom, Ray and I went to Norfolk this morning.  I got some school prizes.  I went with Ray to the barn dance at Carr's tonite.  Had such a good time that I want to go next Saturday.

I am guessing Institute is what we called teachers' convention (I think that is what we called it in my day anyway . . . my day is 35 years ago now).  I do remember we got out of school for a few days and that was what mattered.

This last weekend was the Nielsen-Iversen family reunion.  We didn't make it up for the Friday night weenie roast and fireworks, but went to the gathering on Saturday at the Legion Hall in Winside.  I feel safe in saying a good time was had by all.  Dorothy Jo wished to pass along her recording secretary duties and gave them to Mom, who wasted no time in passing them to me.  I suppose I should find out what all is involved so that I do not drop the ball somewhere along the way.  I did a very quick count of the sign-in sheet and counted 89 people for the Saturday lunch.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.  The next reunion, in 2018, will be Grandpa's kin's turn to be in charge.  The last I knew the weenie roast would be at our place and the Saturday meal in Wahoo.

I made a concerted effort on Saturday to talk to people other than those I see most often and did pretty well.  I had a grand time sketching out the family tree for Sabrina.  I think I managed to clear the air rather than muddy up the waters, but the family tree is a slight bit confusing for the younger ones.  I am so happy that she wanted to know who was who and what was what.

The photos are from 4th of July picnics in the past.  Thank goodness.  Some of these hairstyles and fashion statements definitely need to stay in the past. (The blog program has a limit on the characters in the label box where I name who and what is in the post -- so I couldn't get everyone tagged.)