A funeral and then back to school

Mon., September 4, 1933 - Bright sunshiny day.  Mother came in about 8:30.  We fixed a bouquet of our garden flowers, then out to Ola's about 10:30.  The funeral was at the house at 1:30.  The yard was full of cars and the house full of people.  So many pretty flowers were sent.  The church was full of people and more outside.  I took some pictures of the flowers at the cemetery.  Howard brought me to Behmers this evening.
Tues., September 5, 1933 - Mr. Behmer took us to school this morning, getting there at 8:00 with the Nurnbergs ahead of us.  Hot and windy today.  Bruce Stahl and Charlotte Faye Behmer are my beginners.  I started to make out an order for new books.  Mrs. Behmer came after us tonite.
Wed., September 6, 1933 - Warm today but not so windy.  Today Bruce said he was tired of working.  He and Charlotte Faye have quite a time remembering to keep quiet.  Mr. Behmer went to town this evening.  He bought a broom and floor oil for school.  The Nurnbergs were absent this p.m. to go to the circus at Norfolk.  Ronald was sick this p.m. 

I had to giggle that the brand-new student was tired of working so early in the school year, I am guessing he was new because he just turned old enough to start school, not that he was a seasoned pro from another district.

I had trouble keeping quiet pretty much up until 12th grade.

So sad

Fri., September 1, 1933 - Mother ironed and canned vegetables at Kochs' today.  She got home about 2:30.  I slept late this morning.
Sat., September 2, 1933 - I went to Wayne on the train this morning and up to Aunt Mildred's.  Met Alma at the noon train.  After dinner we went to the teachers' meeting at the courthouse.  We stayed for supper (by Uncle Chris' invitation) and John took us to Winside about 8:30.  Mom met me with the news that little Leeroy had been drowned in the tank this evening about 6:00.
Sun., September 3, 1933 - Ola, Annie, Uncle Hans and Aunt Lena were in this a.m.  Mom made a little white blouse for Leeroy.  Mr. Behmer was here early this p.m. to tell me they would be gone this evening.  I asked him if I could have tomorrow off for the funeral.  He came back this evening and said I could.  Reuben Meierhenry was up here a few minutes. Howard took Mom and I out to Ola's tonite.  Mom stayed all nite.

Such an awfully tragic thing to happen to a little boy and his family.  But how special that just days before Grandma took some pictures of him and he asked her for that kiss.  Special memories for all of them, I'm sure.

The article is from the September 4 printing of The Lincoln Star.

India Ink

Tues., August 29, 1933 - Mother worked at Kochs' this a.m.  I finished the ironing.  Mounted most of my fair work.  Went down town after India Ink this p.m. but couldn't get any.  I went down to Miss Mettlen this evening to find some India Ink.  She said I could go to Wayne with her tomorrow morning, so I hastened home and finished mounting the fair work.  Got a letter from Ray today.
Wed., August 30, 1933 - I went to Wayne with Miss Mettlen this morning and took my fair work to Miss Sewell's office.  Home at 10:30, Ola there and Mom and I went with him out to the place.  I took pictures of Annie, Ola, and the kids.  We had dinner at the Carroll schoolhouse.  There weren't as many at the Carroll Free Day this year as other years.  Saw the free movies and was at the dance a few minutes.  Home at 10:30.
Thur., August 31, 1933 - Mother at Simans' all day.  I sorted and arranged my school material this morning.  Annie, Ola, kids, Mr. and Mrs. Frink and Donnie came this p.m. and we went to my school.  Greens were cleaning it.  From there we went to Norfolk.  Howard came up this evening and we went to the dance in the "piggy-house" at Lambrechts.  Had a good time, got to bed late.

Anyone know what the piggy-house is?  I may have asked before, but do not recall a reply.

Otherwise, everything seems fairly comment-less this time.  So, for your reading pleasure, a list (from wikipedia) of non-art uses for India Ink:

Hanetsuki (羽根突き, 羽子突き) is a Japanese traditional game, similar to badminton, played by girls at the New Year with a rectangular wooden paddle called a hagoita and a brightly colored shuttlecock. The shuttlecock must be kept in the air as long as possible. Girls who fail to hit the shuttlecock get marked on the face with India ink.

Amateur tattoo artists will sometimes use India ink for tattooing the skin. Non-medical grade India ink should not be used for homemade tattoos because it contains chemicals which could cause poisoning.

In pathology laboratories, India ink is applied to surgically removed tissue specimens to maintain orientation and indicate tumor resection margins. The painted tissue is sprayed with acetic acid, which acts as a mordant, "fixing" the ink so it doesn't track. This ink is used because it survives tissue processing, during which tissue samples are bathed in alcohol and xylene and then embedded in paraffin wax. When viewed under the microscope, the ink at the tissue edge informs the pathologist of the surgical resection margin or other point of interest.

Microbiologists use India ink to stain a slide containing micro-organisms. The background is stained while the organisms remain clear. This is called a negative stain. India ink, along with other stains, can be used to determine if a cell has a gelatinous capsule. A common application of this procedure in the clinical microbiology laboratory is to confirm the morphology of the encapsulated yeast Cryptococcus spp. which cause cryptococcal meningitis.

Medical researchers use India ink to visualize blood vessels when viewed under a microscope.

Scientists performing Western blotting may use India ink to visualized proteins separated by electrophoresis and transferred to a nitrocellulose or PVDF membrane.

Model railroaders use a mixture of India ink and isopropyl alcohol as a wood stain, graying wood to appear aged and to bring out detail.

India ink is used diluted as an ultra-fine polishing medium for making precise optical surfaces on metals.

In ophthalmology, it was and still is used to some extent in corneal tattooing.

Once dry, its conductive properties make it useful for electrical connections to difficult substrates, such as glass. Although relatively low in conductivity, surfaces can be made suitable for electroplating, low-frequency shielding, or for creating large conductive geometries for high voltage apparatuses. A piece of paper impregnated with India ink serves as a grid leak resistor in some tube radio circuits.


Zoological museum specimens were often tagged in India ink, either directly or on a piece of tracing paper stored along the specimen, because of its durability even when submerged in preservative fluids.

Who knew, right?

Distracted?

Sat., August 26, 1933 - Cleaned up the house.  Started to sort my school material but didn't finish the job.  Mother went down town, but I went to bed early this evening.
Sun., August 27, 1933 - Uncle Max came in this forenoon and Grandad, Mom, and I went home with him.  Sophia and some other kids had gone to Norfolk for watermelons.  When they came back we had all we wanted to eat.  Uncle Max and Aunt Emma brought us home.  Went to the Granada with Howard,  Saw Chas. Ruggles in "Papa Loves Mama" and Ann Harding and Wm. Powell in a picture, I didn't see the name of it.
Mon., August 28, 1933 - I slept late this a.m.  We ironed most of the clothes.  Annie and the kids were in this afternoon while Mom finished Annie's dress.  This evening when they were in the car ready to leave I kissed Annabelle goodbye but not Leeroy.  When I stepped away from the car, Leeroy called, "Kiss me!"  Quite unusual for he doesn't care much for the loving act.  Mom and I wrote to Ray tonite.

How does one go to a movie and not see the name of it?  Distracted by a dashing companion, maybe?  Here's the plot to the only movie I found with William Powell and Ann Harding in 1933, Double Harness (from wikipedia):

     When spoiled younger sister Valerie Colby (Lucile Browne) becomes engaged to be married to Dennis Moore (George Meeker), a more level-headed Joan (Ann Harding) decides to do the same, not because she is in love, but in order to make something of herself. She chooses unambitious, wealthy playboy John Fletcher (William Powell), who owns a troubled shipping line.

     She eventually spends the night in his apartment. To Joan's annoyance, over the following months, she finds herself falling in love. When John shows no interest in marrying her, Joan forces the issue. She arranges for her father, Colonel Sam Colby (Henry Stephenson), to find them in a compromising position. John graciously agrees to do the honorable thing and marry Joan. However, on their honeymoon cruise, he lets her know that he expects her to grant him a divorce after a decent interval. They settle on six months.

     Joan prods her husband into taking an interest in his family business. To his surprise, he finds that he enjoys it. As the new Postmaster General (Wallis Clark) is a good friend of her father's, Joan invites him to dinner, hoping to land a government contract.

     Meanwhile, Valerie goes into debt due to her extravagant spending habits and borrows from her big sister over and over again. Joan gives Valerie all she can afford without touching John's money. Finally, she pawns a ring for half the latest sum Valerie needs, but tells her that it is the last time.

     That same day, John finally realizes that he loves his wife. However, when he goes home, Valerie goes to John behind Joan's back and cons him into give her a check. Joan finds out and tears up the check. In her anger, Valerie blurts out how Joan trapped John into marriage.

     Disillusioned, he turns to his former paramour, Mrs. Monica Page (Lilian Bond). Joan follows them to Monica's apartment and confesses all, including the fact that she has fallen in love with him, to no avail. She then tries to salvage her dinner party. To her delight, John shows up and makes it clear that he believes and forgives her.

And this is even better.  I could not find Papa Loves Mama, so I searched for Charles Ruggles' movies and found one he made in 1933 titled "Mama Loves Papa".  Grandma was perhaps more distracted than I originally thought.  Or else she was just tired.  Or genetically prone to imperfection like the rest of us.  I like to think she was more interested in Grandpa than details such as movie titles.  Here's a short plot of "Mama Loves Papa", courtesy of wikipedia:

     While Wilbur Todd (Charles Ruggles) is content with his middle class life, his wife Jessie (Mary Boland) aspires to a higher social standing. She insists he wear fine clothes because she believes that clothes make the man. When his strange new clothes bring derision rather than admiration, and tired of his wife's constant nagging, Wilbur goes off on a drunken spree and innocently becomes involved with the village vamp, Mrs. McIntosh (Lilyan Tashman).