Spats

Tues., January 22, 1935 - Still intensely cold.  We had hash for our hot lunch.  Robert and Ruby back.  Studied this evening.
Wed., January 23, 1935 - Somewhat warmer but not much.  If we don't have warmer weather so the kids can go outside, they'll drive me crazy.
Thurs., January 24, 1935 - Cold today in schoolhouse til about noon.  Had rice for hot lunch.  Several spats that ended in "tears" today.  Warmer tonite.  Started studying at 10:00 and quit at 1:00.

Obviously, Grandma used the word "spats" to mean arguments or some such.  I found, however, that the covering of a shoe, also often called spats, is actually the shortened version of the proper name, spatterdash.  Which made me wonder if that word had any connection to haberdashery, but I didn't find a quick answer and left it at that.

But, in looking for a photo of spats to include here, I came across the above.  That's a photo of Harold Lloyd, a Nebraska son.  According to information found with the photo, he was a teetotaler (another word I need to look up as to its origin because it is such a fun word), and if he was truly drinking anything in this photo, it was most likely soda pop.

From wikipedia:

     Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stunt performer who is most famous for his silent comedy films.
     Harold Lloyd ranks alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton as one of the most popular and influential film comedians of the silent film era. Lloyd made nearly 200 comedy films, both silent and "talkies", between 1914 and 1947. He is best known for his bespectacled "Glass" character, a resourceful, success-seeking go-getter who was perfectly in tune with 1920s-era United States.  His films frequently contained "thrill sequences" of extended chase scenes and daredevil physical feats, for which he is best remembered today. Lloyd hanging from the hands of a clock high above the street in Safety Last! (1923) is one of the most enduring images in all of cinema.  Lloyd did many of these dangerous stunts himself, despite having injured himself in August 1919 while doing publicity pictures for the Roach studio. An accident with a bomb mistaken as a prop resulted in the loss of the thumb and index finger of his right hand (the injury was disguised on future films with the use of a special prosthetic glove, though the glove often did not go unnoticed).
     Although Lloyd's individual films were not as commercially successful as Chaplin's on average, he was far more prolific (releasing twelve feature films in the 1920s while Chaplin released just four), and made more money overall ($15.7 million to Chaplin's $10.5 million).

Happy birthday to Grandmother?

Sat., January 19, 1935 - Went up to the schoolhouse about 9:30.  Took about 2 hours to get the room warmed.  Howard didn't come, it's 8 degrees below zero tonite.  We played 500 Rummy until 11:30.
Sun., January 20, 1935 - Didn't get up until 10:30.  Embroidered all p.m.  About 14 degrees below zero this afternoon.  Had ice cream this evening -- just set the pan with mixture outside and let it freeze.  Tasted very good.
Mon., January 21, 1935 - Everybody except Ruby and Robert in school.  Still very cold.  About 16 degrees below zero tonite.  Grandmother is 82 years old today.

Usually Dorothea is Grussmother, right?  Oh, well.  It's all good.  I hope she had a good birthday.

The lady on the right in the photo is Dorothea's sister, Martha.  While I remember hearing about family in Holyrood, Kansas on occasion, I do not recall learning much about her or her clan.  A quick trip over to ancestry.com provides good information.

I have found her husband's name was Peter Hermann (Henry) Siemsen, born on Fehmarn Island, like all of Dorothea's and Martha's ancestors.  I need to read up some more, but one thing that jumps out about Peter/Henry is that his brother Johann Heinrich Siemsen, died at sea.  Both Holland and Indonesia are mentioned, which could mean someone is mistaken or perhaps he was living in Holland and was traveling and died in the waters off Indonesia.  I may have to research some more.

In sorting through the oodles of information available, I am not sure of the right name for Dorothea's sister.  Her tombstone should be the best guide, I would think and it reads "Dorathea Magdalena Siemsen -- nee Kahler".  But other family trees and records include the following names in various orders, one had three of the four:  Martha, Magdalena, Dorathea, Dora.  I also found the name of the ship she and her family traversed the ocean on in order to arrive at New York in 1899.

Here are some details:

     The GRAF WALDERSEE was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg in 1898 for the Hamburg America Line and was one of four sister ships. This was a 12,830 gross ton ship, length 561.2ft x beam 62.2ft, one funnel, four masts, twin screw and a speed of 14 knots.

     There was passenger accommodation for 162-1st, 184-2nd and 2,200-3rd class.

     Laid down as the PAVIA she was actually launched on Dec. 10, 1898 as the GRAF WALDERSEE and commenced her maiden voyage from Hamburg to Boulogne and New York on April 2, 1899.

     In Autumn 1910 she was rebuilt to 13,193 gross tons and with accommodation for 408-2nd and 2,310-3rd class passengers.

     She started her first Hamburg - Philadelphia crossing on Oct. 28, 1910 and her last Hamburg - New York - Hamburg voyage started on June 27, 1914.

     On March 23, 1919 she was surrendered to the US government under the war reparations scheme and was used to repatriate American troops from Europe and later as a naval transport.

     In 1920 she was ceded to Britain and managed by P&O Line until 1922 when she was sold to Kohlbrand Werft, Hamburg and broken up. -- [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1,p.405] [Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.4, Hamburg America Line]

The family arrived in September 1899, so the ship was still fairly new then.

Quick one

Wed., January 16, 1935 - Foggy today.  Hektographed some geography for the 3rd & 4th grades.  Washed and waved my hair after school.
Thurs., January 17, 1935 - Tomato soup for hot lunch today.  Corrected papers and studied history.
Fri., January 18, 1935 - Colder today.  Went to card club at Walkers' tonite.  Snowing when we came home.  If it's colder tomorrow night Howard said he wouldn't come to take me to town.

I am drawing a blank here, so this will be short, but will keep my progress going.  :-)

The rest of 1934

Sun., January 13, 1935 - Very cold today.  To S.S. and church.  Embroidered this p.m.  Played Squeak and High Five tonite after Howard came.  Had a dish of chili at restaurant before we went to Goodlings.  Started fire at schoolhouse.
Mon., January 14, 1935 - Warm in schoolhouse this morning.  Verdelle Mae absent today.  Somewhat warmer this evening.  Went to be early.  Wayne Wendt came after school complaining about how people said he took the gun and glasses from the schoolhouse the nite of the program.
Tues., January 15, 1935- We had hot lunch today, mashed potatoes and corn.  Corrected papers tonite and made hektograph copies of workbook material.

I very fondly remember playing Squeak.  Or is it, I remember playing Squeak very fondly.  In any event, I did not realize it had been in the family for so long.  I wonder when it was first introduced to us.  A quick search of the internet reveals others play under the same name with the same or very similar rules, so it is not unique to just us.  I will keep my eyes and ears open for surely there is more information to be found.

You may note Grandma uses less-than-complete sentences in 1935.  This is because, as you can see in the photograph, her diary is the five-year type and she did not have much room for her thoughts.  Previous diaries were one-year and she had a whole page available then.

On to the remainder of 1934:
     July 16, T. H. Hill and Miss Emma Mittelstadt of Norfolk, were married.
     August 16, Old Settlers Picnic.
     August 23, most of the farmers are cutting their corn and shocking it.  Drouth conditions this year have caused the farmers to take this means of saving their feed.
     September 1, picnic finances show a balance on hand of $252.66.
     September 3, school opened with 87 in high school and 90 in the grades.
    September 13, a four-day Farmers League Tourney was held netting $62 for the band fund.
     September 27, J. C. Schmode, a World War veteran, received a George Washington Purple Heart medal from the government.  This medal was originated by George Washington and issued only to soldiers wounded in action.
     October 4, Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Bahe opened a restaurant in the former Dr. McIntyre office building.
     October 4, a Karl Stefan for Congress Club has been organized in Winside with a charter membership of 101.
     October 14, Alfred Westerhaus, 17-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Westerhaus, died of injuries received today when he was struck down by a speeding car a quarter of a mile east of town.
     October 23, 120 people were served at the "Karl Stefan for Congress" supper served by the Trinity Lutheran Aid.  Karl was the principal speaker.
     November 8, the local Red Cross branch turned over their funds to the county amounting to $200.
     November 22, Matt H. Boyle, formerly editor the the Tribune, died.
     December 2, Merle Paulk and Miss Charlotte Cary were married.
     December 20, Fairacres Dairy north and west of Winside, won the highest test for the month of November with 39.8 pounds of butter fat in a state-wide competition of dairy stock.
     December 20, Maurice Hansen and Esther Jurgensen of Carroll, were married.
     December 25, A. C. Goltz, a lumber man here for many years, died suddenly.

I haven't looked ahead, so this may be a spoiler, but I see that Karl Stefan was elected and served from 1935 to 1952.  From January 1935 to September 1951, he missed 37 of 1,664 roll call votes, which is 2.2%.  This is better than the median of 3.1% among the lifetime records of representatives serving in September 1951.  (from govtrack.us)

This is from wikipedia:

     He was born on a farm in Zebrakov, Bohemia (now Czech Republic) on March 1, 1884. In 1885 he moved with his parents to Omaha, Nebraska, United States. He was taught in the public schools and later a Y.M.C.A. night school. He joined the United States National Guard, being first a private in the Illinois National Guard and then a lieutenant in the Nebraska National Guard. He was an inspector of telegraphs in the Philippine Constabulary from 1904 to 1906.

     He moved to Norfolk, Nebraska in 1909 to serve as a telegrapher. He became an editor of the Norfolk Daily News until 1924 and a radio commentator and contributor to newspapers and magazines until 1934. He was president of the Stefan Co. and publishers’ agent for magazines and newspapers.

     During his years as WJAG's first announcer, Stefan is credited with developing much of WJAG's programming, including a noontime show. Stefan, who announced WJAG’s noon news report, opened his daily broadcast with a trademark greeting: “Hello friends. Hello everybody! You are listening to WJAG, the Norfolk Daily News station, and we’re located at Norfolk, IN Nebraska. On the air with the regular noon-day program –– the lunch-hour session of WJAG’s radio family.” One of WJAG’s first announcers, Art Breyer, who worked sans pay at the Norfolk station “for the fun of it,” labeled Stefan the “backbone” of WJAG. Breyer said Stefan’s “personality enabled him to become intimately acquainted with the listeners.” In typical charismatic fashion, the local newscaster personalized a livestock quote on one of his noon reports. “Sam Kent,” Stefan declared, “I’ve got good news for you today. Understand the price of hogs is 6½ cents today, and that’s going to make everything all right.” Stefan’s radio persona, says Breyer, “endeared himself to the public.” But Stefan had more than an appealing personality to draw listeners, he dispensed information. WJAG’s first announcer not only peppered his noon broadcasts with local affairs but also news from the Norfolk Daily News’ Associated Press (AP) newspaper wire.

     Stefan was not only an announcer and newscaster but also the creator and producer of station programming. In 1922, he originated the “radio family,” whose members gathered around a mythical dinner table each noon hour. Its aim, Stefan said, was “an unwritten understanding . . . that the station was to [be] run by its listeners –– the radio family.” Mr. and Mrs. George Salter of Norfolk served as the first “father” and “mother.” In fewer than two years, WJAG dispensed hundreds of “official” titles to its listeners: mail carrier, banker, chicken-eater, crippled girl, sweetheart, corn-king (Art Breyer), hog-man, shoe-man, Scotchman (Bill Graham, and later, Don Bridge of Norfolk), goat trainer, goat milker, wolfhound-man, and mayor (J. B. Hassman of Coleridge). In 1930, WJAG selected a new radio “father.” L. B. Musselman, a Civil War veteran and Nebraska pioneer, succeeded the late G. B. Salter as head of the family table.

     Stefan was elected to U.S. Congress in 1934 and later became a member of congressional committee aiding inauguration of the Philippine Commonwealth Government in Manila in 1935. He was a delegate to the Interparliamentary Union in Oslo, Norway in 1939. He was also an official adviser at the 1945 United Nations Conference in San Francisco, California.

     He ran and won to represent Nebraska's 3rd district in 1935 and was reelected eight times. He died while in office on October 2, 1951 in Washington, D.C. He was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Norfolk.

     Norfolk's Karl Stefan Memorial Airport is named in his honor.

I cannot find anything about his death, so perhaps 67 years was considered a good old age to live to and the particulars were not particularly note-worthy.

A bit of 1934 after all

Thurs., January 10, 1935 - Have quite a bad cough today.  Went to Carroll to installation tonite with Helen, Irene, Margaret C. and Howard.  Treasurer wasn't there and Helen didn't have to say her part.  Lucky girl!
Fri., January 11, 1935 - To Wayne for installation tonite and dance afterward.  Had a flat tire on way home three miles east of Winside.  Didn't get home until 3:30.
Sat., January 12, 1935 - Rained this p.m.  Slept until 10:00 a.m. and napped in p.m.  Mom and I went down town this eve.  Annabelle was here last nite until this p.m.  Read until about 10:00 tonite.

I am going to guess that Margaret is Aunt Margaret Christensen and so I'm adding her to the labels on this post.

As alluded to earlier, so far as we know there is no 1934 diary of Grandma's available, but I do have the Winside history book so I'll add some 1934 news even though it is not as personal as a diary.  There's enough that I'll split it between this post and the next.  Off we go:

     January 2, 96 applications for corn-hog loans to date in the county.
     January 30, Guy Sanders, local trucker, was hit by the afternoon passenger train near the Benshoof feed yards.  His cab was badly smashed and when the man was found, he was bleeding quite badly.  First aid was given and the train took him to a Wayne hospital -- He passed away February 1.
     February 1, Mrs. Minnie Morrow was reappointed postmaster for another four years.
     February 4, Ed. Krause, a resident of Wayne county since 1882, was called to rest.
     February 15, Mrs. David Koch passed away.
     March 1, Weible Mercantile Co. is remodeling their store -- the store will be operated on a cash basis hereafter.
     March 4, Walter Gaebler threw his hat in the political arena when he filed for state representative on the Democratic ticket.
     March 22, Glen Hamm has been organizing a Rural Baseball League of which he is president.
     March 28, Citizens State Bank pays out first dividend, or 25 per cent.
     April 12, bonded indebtedness in Winside, $24,000; Carroll, $71,200; Wayne, $445,000.
     April 12, CWA died a natural death -- FERA took its place with 113 men in the county at work.
     April 26,  small fire in the St. Paul's Lutheran garage did about $100 worth of damage.
     April 29, the high school girls' glee club under Miss Rachael Bracken gave a delightful program over WJAG at Norfolk.
     May 16, Steve Porter filed for sheriff.
     May 24, Tribune issued a special school edition.
     June 16, the Winside Bakery, under the management of Wallace Brubaker, quit business.  He had leased the shop the past 18 months from Anton Vondra.

I like that the baker's name was Brubaker . . .

Here is a little about FERA (courtesy of wikipedia), something I had previously heard nothing about:

     The Federal Emergency Relief Administration was the new name given by the Roosevelt Administration to the Emergency Relief Administration (ERA) which President Herbert Hoover had created in 1932. FERA was established as a result of the Federal Emergency Relief Act and was replaced in 1935 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

     FERA's main goal was to alleviate household unemployment by creating new unskilled jobs in local and state government. Jobs were more expensive than direct cash payments (called "the dole"), but were psychologically more beneficial to the unemployed, who wanted any sort of job, for self-esteem, to play the role of male breadwinner. From May 1933 until it closed in December, 1935, FERA gave states and localities $3.1 billion (5.54 billion in 2017).  FERA provided work for over 20 million people and developed facilities on public lands across the country.

     Faced with continued high unemployment and concerns for public welfare during the coming winter of 1933-34, FERA instituted the Civil Works Administration (CWA) as a $400 million short-term measure to get people to work. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration was shut down in 1935 and its work taken over by two completely new federal agencies, the Works Progress Administration and the Social Security Administration.

Hot lunch?

Mon., January 7, 1935 - I seem to be getting a cold, coughed quite a bit in school.  Mr. Goodling took me to town after school.  Mailed order to O.S.S. Co.  Mom had cold and didn't go tonite.  We had plenty of oyster soup at installation.  Howard took me home.
Tues., January 8, 1935 - Felt tired today.  Kids have been playing marbles in schoolhouse and what a racket!  Greased my throat good tonite and went to bed at 7:30.  Had tomato soup for hot lunch at school, tasted fine!
Wed., January 9, 1935 - At times today I seemed to be getting hoarse.  Hope I don't, until after Fri. at least.  Went to bed early.

This is the first mention of hot lunch at country school, but in peeking ahead I see that it happens quite often.  Did mothers bring it in?  I would think Grandma did not have time to prepare a lunch and teach, too.  I would be curious to know how that all came together.

28 North

Fri., January 4, 1935 - Gave exams all day.  The card club met at Hank Koch's tonite.  We're each going to entertain again.  Sides were chosen, at end of season losing side will entertain winning side.
Sat., January 5, 1935 - Washed out some clothes.  Was down town to Miss Mettlen's and the library this evening.  After supper corrected examination papers and embroidered.
Sun., January 6, 1935 - Ray came home late last nite.  Went to S.S.  After dinner I went up to Alma's.  Mom and I went to Mrs. W. Miller to have her bake a cake for Alma and I to take to installation tomorrow nite.  Howard took me to Goodlings.

It's not the best quality, but the photo is a page from the Winside Centennial big red book with the article about 28 North.  There you can see Jean and Marjorie and the Goodling kids, as well as Grandma.  Sort of.  I would sure be nice to have a better image, but again, it is great that someone took the time to take those pictures and that they were around long enough to make it to the book.  It's all good.

These photos were the only mention in the whole book of any Goodlings.  And I can't find anyone with that last name on findagrave in the Midwest.  Not that it matters as to commenting on Grandma's diary, but I find I like the detective work that sometimes comes up.