A little trip out of town

Fri., September 27, 2002 - Merilyn brought Raymond I. here at noon.  We spent the afternoon playing Kings Wild.  Tom came after work for Raymond.
Sat., September 28, 2002 - This morning Mary, Mitch, Anna, Per (Mar's friend from Denmark), Nancy & I drove out to the Danish Cemetery 7 miles north of Lincoln.  A small but well kept cemetery -- was started in 1890.  I didn't wander around much --- was cold, windy & sprinkled a little.  Nancy & I had dinner (at noon) at Popeye's.  She brought me to the apt. & then went home.  I slept most of the afternoon.
Sun., September 29, 2002 - Nancy came in p.m.  She fixed grilled cheese sandwiches.  I showered & then Nancy went home.

I remember the trip to the Danish Cemetery.  As I recall we really had no reason to go, other than we all had driven by it numerous times whenever we were on Hwy. 77 and were curious.  And I can confirm that it was cloudy and drizzly.

A quick look online shows the cemetery has about 250 burials, the most recent in 2018.  The earliest year of birth I found for someone buried there is 1829.  And as one might guess, there are several people buried there that were born in Denmark.

What do you suppose is going on?

Sat., May 27, 1933 - I ordered new curtains for my room and got them today.  They surely look cool and nice.  Mom and I went to the cemetery about 5:30 and cleaned up and trimmed the bridal wreath.  I went down town this evening.  Went to the show with Irene Iversen.  We saw "Doctor X".  Oh!  It was spooky.  Howard brought me home in his "rattling good Ford."
Sun., May 28, 1933 - To S.S. and church this morning.  Rained early this morning and this afternoon.  Mrs. Davenport was over here this evening and said the lightning burnt out some of the wires.  There were only two or three big flashes this p.m.  I slept most of the afternoon.

This is certainly one of the longer wikipedia movie plots, and I think I will have to see the movie to sort this all out:

     Doctor X is a graphic mystery-horror film with some tongue-in-cheek comedic elements. It is considered by some to be of the "old dark house" genre of horror films, and takes place in 1932 New York City and Long Island.

     Reporter Lee Taylor (Lee Tracy) is investigating a series of pathological murders that have taken place over a series of months in New York City. The murders always take place at night, under the light of a full moon (the newspapers dubbing them the "Moon Killer Murders"). Furthermore, each body has been cannibalized after the murder has taken place. Witnesses to the events describe a horribly disfigured "monster" as the killer.

     Doctor Xavier (Lionel Atwill) is called in for his medical opinion, but it is learned through meeting with the police that the ulterior motive behind this is to begin an investigation of Xavier's medical academy, as the scalpel used to cannibalize the bodies of the victims was exclusive to that institution. Aside from Xavier, the other suspects are: Wells (Preston Foster), an amputee who has made a study of cannibalism; Haines (John Wray), who displays a sexual perversion with voyeurism; Duke (Harry Beresford), a grouchy loudmouth cripple; and Rowitz (Arthur Edmund Carewe), who is conducting studies of the psychological effects of the moon (Rowitz also displays a notable scar on one side of his face). It is learned that Haines and Rowitz were stranded in a boat with another man, and that while they claimed he had died and they had thrown him overboard, it was suspected that they had, in fact, cannibalized him.

     The police give Xavier 48 hours to apprehend the killer in his own way. During this time, Taylor investigates the doctor's intentions and in the process, meets Joan Xavier (Fay Wray), the doctor's daughter. Joan is exceedingly cold to Taylor, particularly after finding out that it was his story that pointed a finger at her father and ruined his first attempt at locating the killer. Taylor, however, manages to find a romantic interest in Joan before being escorted out. He is then walking out of the house as the maid dumps ice water on him.

     The setting switches to Xavier's beach-side estate on Long Island. There, all of the suspects are brought in for an unorthodox examination of their guilt: each member (excluding Wells, because it is known that the killer has two hands and he has but one) is connected to an electrical system that records their heart rate. When a re-enactment of the murder of a cleaning woman appears before them, the detector will expose the guilty man who will have no choice but to confess. Dr. Xavier's butler and maid, Otto (George Rosener) and Mamie (Leila Bennett), carry out the reenactment.

     Things go awry, however, when a number of events inhibit the experiment. First, Taylor breaks into the home and hides in a storage closet, but is rendered unconscious by gas that the killer puts in the room. During the experiment, a blackout occurs. Wells, in another room controlling the equipment, appears to fall through a glass door. When power is regained, it is discovered that Rowitz, whose monitor supposedly revealed him as the guilty party just before the blackout, has been murdered, a victim of a scalpel to the base of the brain.

     Taylor is discovered by the staff and Xavier has no choice but to keep him there until the investigation is over, lest he report back to his paper. Joan decides to be friendly to Taylor, as she sees that he is the only one with enough intuition to solve the crime. Later that night, it is discovered that during these hours, Rowitz's body has been cannibalized.

     The following evening, the police allow Xavier an extension till midnight to apprehend the killer. Xavier again asks Otto and Mamie to re-enact another of the murders. Mamie is too frightened and ill to play her part, so Joan takes Mamie's place. All of the men, save for Wells, are this time handcuffed to their seats. It is during this that we find out that it is, in fact, Wells who is the killer. Through a "synthetic flesh" composition that he himself has created, Wells has been creating artificial limbs and a horrific mask to carry out his crimes in order to collect living samples of human flesh for his experiments. It turns out at first for years he had been searching for a secret manufactured flesh and eventually finds it; so, he went to Africa one time, not to study cannibalism, but to get samples of the human flesh the natives eat. In order to collect his final victim, Wells sneaks up on Otto and strangles him. Then, he proceeds to reveal himself and his intentions for collecting Joan as his specimen in front of everyone.


     Just as Wells is about to strangle Joan, Taylor — posing as one of a series of wax figures representing the killer's victims — jumps Wells and the two men get into a scuffle. As Wells lunges towards Taylor, Taylor grabs a kerosene lamp and hurls it at Wells. Set on fire, Wells stumbles and crashes out a window and falls down a cliff into the ocean. Reporting his story into the paper, Taylor tells his editor to make space in the marriage section for Joan and himself.

More importantly than any movie plot, an astute reader might notice that I have posted only two days of Grandma's diary instead of the usual three.  This is because, for some reason, Grandma abandoned her diary for a full month during the summer of 1933.  One can only imagine the reason.  I have eliminated the idea that she misplaced it, because she has been so very diligent in writing that she must have had a set place for her diary so she could access it every night or very often, at least.  I want to believe she and Grandpa were having such a grand summer that she collapsed into bed each night, too tired to write anything.  We will never know.  The next post will start with June 27 and Grandma just jumps right in with her escapades while being enrolled in summer school.

Memorial Day 2016

Thurs., April 6, 1933 - Light covering of snow on the ground this morning, all gone by first recess.  Reviewed so much today my head is just about dizzy.  I hope Laurence does well tomorrow.  Read and listened to radio this evening.
Fri., April 7, 1933 - Seemed funny with Laurence gone.  Mom was here at 4:00.  We stopped in at Misfeldts.  I asked Marjorie about having our school picnics together.  We didn't make any definite plans, but I guess we'll take them to Norfolk.  We went out to Ola's, had supper there.  The baby is a month old.  He's grown a lot since I saw him last.
Sat., April 8, 1933 - Washed my clothes, ironed them and cleaned up the house.  I went down town this evening to the library.  Met Alma and we had quite a talk.  She accompanied me on my wanderings!  Mom was working a jig-saw when I got home.  I helped her finish it, of course.

Normal sorts of stuff for Grandma, so I'll veer off to 2016.

Yesterday was Memorial Day and I was lucky enough to get to ride to Winside with Bill and Tom and Bev.  First we attended Dorothy Jo's 90th birthday open house at the church.  From what I heard there were over 100 people there.  I tried to keep an eye out in case there were not enough chairs and someone needed mine to be able to sit for a while.

After that was over, we all headed to the cemetery, one of my favorite places as mentioned previously in this blog.  I had not walked around there with that particular bunch of folks before and therefore the conversations about this or that stone were different from different perspectives.

Lastly we stopped at the veterans' memorial by the courthouse in Wayne.  Bill wanted to see his name there.  Nice that the county is small enough that all veterans can be listed on the memorial, not only those lost in combat or otherwise passed on.  So, we stayed a bit and found other family members' and acquaintances' names.  The shadows were getting a bit long and my photography skills are not what they could be, but the photos above are (obviously) from the memorial.  Hats off to the committee that put the memorial together.

Then we had a most pleasant ride back.

Quite the nice day.

Back home

May 27, 2002:  Greta and Nancy went on the bus with the Boy Scouts and Legionnaires to put poppy wreaths on soldiers' graves.  They went to seven cemeteries.  At noon, dinner in the Legion Hall.  In p.m. out to cemetery to pick up the flowers and planters.  Back to Lincoln at 8:30.
May 28, 2002:  Mary took me for my hair-do.  Very tired and did nothing but lie around the rest of the day.
May 29, 2002:  Still tired -- didn't go to Book Club meeting.

Well, after not posting for a little over a week, one would think I would have something profound to add here.  Unfortunately, I do not.  I do know that I am not 90 years old yet, but I can have two tired days in a row in the circumstances are right.

The photo has nothing to do with anything really, but I couldn't hold back using it.  Love the clothes and also my shoes, the hair, the cars -- all of it.

Jelly mystery

May 24, 2002:  Still haven't found out who gave me the jelly.  It wasn't Helen D., Gertrude or Wayne B.  Mary had lunch with me and I showered.  Chilly today -- had to turn on the heat.
May 25, 2002:  Nancy and I to Winside in the morning.  Dinner at Greta's was liver and onions -- really good!!! In p.m. Greta, Nancy and I went to cemetery to put the flowers on the graves.  There were 14 graves for my side of the family and 20 for relatives and special friends on Howard's side.  In the evening to the Alumni Banquet.  A very good attendance.  I received a prize for the oldest one who had been in a senior class play.  No dance this year so people could stay in the auditorium and visit.  Had a really good time.
May 26, 2002:  Greta made delicious cornbread for breakfast.  Went to church.  In p.m. the girls studied the Power of Attorney information.  Greta shortened Nancy's slacks, we decided on pattern for quilting my hexagon quilt and we played Rummikub.  We had Omaha steaks for supper!  Yum!  Yum! Good.

So much to like about this particular entry; praise (but no surprise there) for Mom's cooking, a visit to the cemetery (still one of my favorite places), exclamation points, and a productive day on the 26th.

Question:  are "we" still decorating 34 graves?  I didn't remember that I had that many to do when I stepped in one year to put out flowers.

Impatience for impatiens?

"May 29, 1995:  Greta, Nancy and I to cemetery in morning to put out flowers.  We ate dinner at the Legion Hall.  Too wet for Nancy to set out any of the flowers.  She left for Lincoln about 5:00.
May 30, 1995:  Arlene R. brought eight chickens that I had ordered.
May 31, 1995:  I planted some petunias in the planter.
June 1, 1995:  I finished the planter and set out the impatiens.

I imagine those chickens were already butchered.  I've said it before and I'll say it again -- it makes quite an impression on a little girl to see her cookie-making, hug-giving grandmother grab a chicken and lop its head off with not so much as a moment's hesitation.  I can still see the stump with the two nails in it to put the neck between.  I can also clearly see headless chickens running and flapping around.  Once I got over the initial shock, I think I was pretty game for the rest of the butchering process.  There's nothing quite like the smell of singed pin feathers at the gas stove or watching the contents of gizzards revealed.  Ah, the good ol' days.  Well, sort of.

Not surprisingly, I have no photos whatsoever of chicken butchering time.  But here's one that shows generally the area where all that took place; not in the backyard but beyond a bit.  Of course, that's Grandma and Aunt Irene painting screens.

Ladies!

"February 1, 1995:  Frank Fleer died last Thursday -- January 26 and was buried at Winside Cemetery today.  Howard was an honorary pallbearer but didn't go the funeral -- he explained why to Sharon and Shanda.  I didn't go either -- afraid of ice.
February 4, 1995:  Bill, Jenny, Patty, Mary, Rick, Mitch and Greta here for dinner.  After dinner the ladies went to Norfolk to shop.  Bill and Rick washed the dishes.  In p.m. Rick, Bill and I played Yahtzee while Howard slept."

I like that Grandma called us ladies.  Of course, it was easier than putting down all the names but she could have said gals or something.  Ladies is better.  I thought she had gone, too until I read the part about her playing Yahtzee.  Not because I remember the event so much but because I considered her a lady, too.

Great game, Yahtzee -- easy for kids to learn but still fun for the adults.  I must admit it is also fun to play on the computer.  No chance of dunking the dice in drinks like Anna did that one time.  She was 8 or so and she and Grandma and Mitch were playing at Grandma's place at Pioneer House.  Anna had a class of juice about the same height as the Yahtzee tumbler.  She put the dice in a container to shake them and have her turn, but dumped them in her drink by mistake.  Grandma laughed and laughed. 

Appropriately, here's a photo of Anna and Grandma at the Pioneer House.  Oh, and there's Maude to the left.

Flowers and the Legion Hall

"May 23, 1992:  Nancy came this morning.  She turned the mattress and took off the dust ruffle to be washed.  Alumni Banquet in evening.  Played cards with Greta afterwards.
May 24, 1992:  Took the silk flowers to the cemetery this p.m.
May 25, 1992:  Cold and windy.  Nancy and I and Greta ate dinner at the Legion Hall.  Then to Norfolk to visit Irene.  Nancy left for Lincoln about 5:00."

Busy morning for me, so I am going to let this one stand without comment.  Should be back on track tomorrow.

The cemetery

"May 25 - 28, 1990:  Nancy came Friday night.  Saturday afternoon Greta, Nancy and I shopped in Norfolk -- took our time and really enjoyed ourselves.  Sunday morning Nancy planted the petunias, marigolds, etc. for me.  In the afternoon Irene, Helen, Nancy, Greta and I took flowers to the cemetery.  Afterward visited at Helen's.  Monday ate dinner at the Legion Hall -- visited at Irene's.  Nancy left for Lincoln about 5:30 or 6:00."

Oh, the cemetery.  I know I am not unique this way, but still some folks might find it odd that our hometown cemetery is one of my favorite places.  Physically, it is similar to other cemeteries -- it is up on a hill, has lots of trees, and has some undisturbed prairie sod where the unused plots are.  But I like it because it is pretty and peaceful and several members of my family are there.  Some of those people I knew, others I never met.  But the main reason I like the cemetery is because it is where Grandpa and I used to hang out a lot.  We mowed the cemetery and the school -- when one was finished, it was usually time to start on the other.  It was my first real paid job (well, minus the W-2) and it was fun.

Grandpa rode the riding mower while I got to use a little push mower to trim around every single headstone.  You would think I would have tried to count the stones during one of those many mowing missions, but I never did.  When we took breaks, Grandpa and I would talk.  I only remember two conversations.  One is when Grandpa pointed out a stone and told me so-and-so had planted a rose bush there.  He paused and I looked around a bit.  I thought I knew which stone he meant, but I certainly didn't see a rose bush so I was searching around to find the one he was talking about.  Grandpa waited an appropriate amount of time to enjoy my confusion and then told me the rose bush didn't grow.  I said that was too bad.  He paused and then told me he poured gas on it.  I was horrified.  He laughed.  Then he explained that the lady wouldn't have taken care of it and it would have been hell to mow around, so he did what he did.  He also told me if you pull plants like that out of the ground and then put them right back, they don't grow very well either.  I was still aghast, but he laughed some more and I got over it. 

During the other conversation I recall, Grandpa told me about the night his little sister, Hazel, died.  One winter day, he and Uncle Elmer had taken guns and killed some cats, which was said to be bad luck.  I didn't ask if this was because there were too many barn cats around or why they did this.  At some point, four-year-old Hazel tagged along.  They told her to go back to the house or she would catch her death of cold.  I believe it was during that same night, Grandpa woke up to see the doctor and his folks in the bedroom the kids all shared.  He said he looked over at Hazel and knew that she was dead.  I looked it up, Grandpa was not quite seven years old at that time.  Grandpa never killed another cat in his life. If he had a cat that needed to be put down, he asked someone else to do it for him.

The photo is of Aunt Irene, Aunt Helen and Aunt Clara.  Helen was born about two months after Hazel died and she is pretty little in the picture, so this was taken fairly close in time to that sad event.