Just like the here and now

Tues., April 14, 1936 - Had to wash the dirt off all the desks this morning.  Today was windy but not dusty like yesterday.  Reviewed again after school.
Wed., April 15, 1936 - Windy and dusty again today.  Reviewed with the seventh graders after school.  Cut out quilt blocks for my friendship quilt, I got 35 from Mrs. Nieman.
Thurs., April 16, 1936 - Nice today, rather windy but no dust.  The usual after school chore, reviewing!

The photo is from the Nebraska State Patrol's Facebook page taken on I-80 near Seward yesterday.  Some time after seeing this I learned of the 20+ vehicle pile-up that resulted in a fatality and several injuries.  It is not hard to believe it happened after seeing this photo.  Scary stuff.

Cane be gone

Sat., April 11, 1936 - Mom and I went to Wayne again in Edwin's car.  This is my last treatment.  Orders are not to sit too much nor lift too heavy things.  Went to Card Club at Davis' tonite.  We all had to dress like kids.  Had a good time.
Sun., April 12, 1936 - Beautiful Easter Sunday.  Ray in for church again.  Martha had her baby baptized.  We were going out to Harry Kahler's this p.m. because they're moving tomorrow, but Aunt Emma, the boys, Sophia & John came down. Howard and I went to the show tonite, Dick Powell in "Thanks a Million."
Mon., April 13, 1936 - I'm really much improved.  I left the cane at home this week.  Very, very dusty and windy today.  Reviewed with seventh grade.

The movie sounds like fun, and it was a musical to boot.  Who doesn't like a good musical?

     From wikipedia:  Stranded in a small town in a downpour, the manager of a traveling musical show (Fred Allen) convinces the handlers of a boring long-winded local judge running for governor (Raymond Walburn) to hire his group to attract people to the politician's rallies. When the show's crooner, Eric Land (Dick Powell), upstages the judge, he's fired, but on a return visit he saves the day by standing in for the judge, who is too drunk to speak.

     Impressed by his poise, the party's bosses ask Eric to take over as candidate. The singer, knowing he has no chance to win, agrees for the exposure and the radio airtime in which he can showcase his singing. Soon, though, his girlfriend Sally (Ann Dvorak) becomes annoyed at the amount of time Eric is spending with the wife of one of the bosses, and she leaves when she thinks he has lied to her.


     When the bosses ask Eric to agree to patronage appointments that will lead to easy graft for all of them, he exposes them on the radio, telling the voters that voting for him would be a huge mistake and urging them to vote for his opponent. At the end Eric is, of course, elected governor, then reunited with Sally.

     Thanks a Million was nominated for the Academy Award for Sound (E. H. Hansen) in 1935.  It was remade in 1946 as If I'm Lucky, with Perry Como and Phil Silvers in the Powell and Allen roles.

Movie poster from Twentieth Century.

Nothing much on the good doctor

Wed., April 8, 1936 - Felt pretty tired and stiff today, a result of the treatment I guess.  Took my gift to the Goodling baby after school.  Niemans weren't home from Sioux City so I started supper.
Thurs., April 9, 1936 - Had another treatment at Smolski's after school.  Got home about 6:30.  Niemans had company tonite.
Fri., April 10, 1936 - Good Friday.  This p.m. we raked the school ground instead of having drawing.  Mr. Nieman took me into town right after school.  Went to church tonite, and then down to the Lodge.  Got there in time for lunch.

I was hoping to find some information on Mr. Smolski, but all I came up with was a findagrave.com entry with his birth and death dates (1893 - 1952) and that he is buried in Wayne County.  Ancestry.com tells me he was born in Poland and spoke Polish, listed his occupation as a doctor, and in 1930, lived in Wayne with his wife and seven children.  By 1940 his father-in-law was living with them.  But, that's all I have. 

Feeling better

Sun., April 5, 1936 - Mom and I went to church.  Slept quite a bit this p.m.  Howard and I saw "Show Them No Mercy," a picture about kidnappers.  Came out to Nieman's.
Mon., April 6, 1936 - I feel better today than I have for 3 weeks.  I really think I'm getting better at last.  Reviewed after school.  Mom called and said she would take me to Wayne tomorrow.
Tues., April 7, 1936 - Am still feeling good.  Mom came about 3:30.  Dismissed school then.  Went to Wayne, did some shopping, took a treatment from Joe Smolski, and then got a permanent at the same place.

I like the ending of this movie.  Go, Sport.

From https://catalog.afi.com:

The kidnappers of young Tom Hansen demand $200,000 in unmarked five, ten and twenty dollar bills from the boy's family. The boy's wealthy uncles and a family friend agree to contribute large sums, but they and the boy's father refuse to allow FBI investigators to furnish marked bills to track the criminals.

During a thunderstorm, a young married couple, Loretta and Joe Martin, get stuck in mud with their baby Trudy and dog Sport, and find an abandoned house to wait out the storm. The four kidnappers arrive at the house, after having picked up the ransom money and delivered the boy. Tobey, the leader, locks Loretta, Joe, Trudy and Sport in a bedroom. Because Trudy needs medicine for a cold, Tobey dedides to go with Joe to buy the medicine and have Joe pass some of the money in a few nearby towns, so that Joe will be suspected if the money is marked.

While they are gone, Pitch, a gang member who was in favor of killing the Martins right off, gets drunk and irritated as the baby cries. When Tobey and Joe do not return at their scheduled time, Pitch points his gun at Gimp, a gang member who sympathizes with the Martins, and demands the key to the bedroom so he can kill them. As Pitch is about to shoot, Tobey and Joe arrive. Irritated at Pitch's drinking, Tobey announces that they passed every bill and will leave in the evening.

Meanwhile Reed of the FBI reveals to an assembled group of law enforcement officers that they were secretly able to substitute serially-numbered bills for the Hansen's money and that any bill whose serial number begins with the letters L, M, N, O or P and ends with the numbers 5, 7 or 9 is a ransom bill. This information is broadcast across the country. As the kidnappers prepare to leave, they hear one of the broadcasts and learn that the bills Joe passed have turned up. Although Pitch wants to kill the Martins, Tobey decides they can lay low for maybe a month and then pass the bills far away.

While Joe, using Loretta's scissors, tries to enlarge a hole in the bedroom floor leading to a cellar, Sport grabs a piece of Pitch's clothing. Pitch throws a wad of bills at the dog, who then runs outside with the money. As the dog begins to tear up the money, Pitch shoots him. After Pitch runs back to the house, Sport crawls away, leaving some of the torn bills in the open. Tobey then orders the others to leave. Pitch and Buzz, the fourth gang member, pull out before Gimp is ready, leaving him to walk.

After Pitch and Buzz pass money at a gas station, a young attendant calls in their license plate, and a roadblock is set up. Buzz is killed, while Pitch, shot in the arm, escapes. Gimp, seeing an ad for a twelve-dollar train ticket to Phoenix, exchanges bills at a few church collection plates, but when he goes to buy the ticket, he finds that the twelve-dollar rate has gone up. After he pays the difference with a marked bill, he is shot as he tries to board the train.

At the house, Loretta calls for Tobey to unlock the door so that she can get hot water for the baby. Joe waits to attack Tobey with a scissors, but before Tobey opens the door, Pitch returns and apologizes. When he suggests that he and Tobey use the phony passports that he has in San Francisco to leave the country until everything has settled down, Tobey agrees.

Meanwhile, Sport is attended to at a hospital, where he was taken after an old man found him. Reed orders 500 men to the location where the dog was found. As they prepare to leave, Pitch offers to kill the Martins, and Tobey hands over his gun. Pitch, however, shoots Tobey and then kicks in the bedroom door. Joe creates a diversion by running outside so that Loretta can grab the machine gun. After Pitch shoots Joe in the shoulder, Loretta mows Pitch down and then the police arrive. Later Reed tells Joe and Loretta about a reward, while Sport is awarded a medal for heroism.

Movie poster from wikipedia.

I still need to find a Bunco group

Thurs., April 2, 1936 - Mr. Nieman took us to school this morning and started a fire.  Quilting at the church again today, so we had a ride home tonite.
Fri., April 3, 1936 - Had a ride to school again and Mr. N. also started the fire.  Raymond came after me and took me to town about 6:00.  Howard couldn't come tonite because his folks were going to Chris & Clara's.
Sat., April 4, 1936 - Warm today instead of the usual wind and snow of the past week. Annie and kids came in this p.m.  Annie helped us tie the wool quilt Mom pieced for me out of old dresses of mine.  Went to Wagners' to a birthday party for Kenneth.  Howard won high prize.  We played Bunco.

I have been dreadful about mentioning any, as had been my plan, but I notice I missed both Grandma Anna's and Uncle Raymond's recent birthdays.  I was not able to post on Uncle Raymond's actual day anyway because of being away from the computer to go to Marvie's funeral, but I should have/could have noted Grandma Anna's big day.  Grandma Anna's namesake started her new "big girl" job today.  So, I can note that, at least.

1936 v. 2018

Mon., March 30, 1936 - Cold and windy today.  Walked to school all right, but used Grandad's cane.  Mom called up tonite to see how I was feeling.  Snowed last nite.
Tues., March 31, 1936 - Snowed again today.  I felt punk as the dickens tonite.
Wed., April 1, 1936 - I was fooled twice today.  Mrs. Nieman went to the church for an all day quilting. Verdelle Mae and I had a ride to school and home from school tonite.  Mr. N. started a fire for me.  Howard took me home tonite to get some clothes.

Sounds like everyone in 1936 was having a similar spring, aka everlasting winter, that we are having here in 2018.

School on the weekend

Fri., March 27, 1936 - Edwin up here again.  Mom did the usual work at school.  Howard came after me and I went to lodge.  My ankles are swollen.  I guess this is caused from sleeping in a chair and having my feet hang down.
Sat., March 28, 1936 - Seemed funny to go to school today.  We hurried with classes and dismissed at noon.  I sorted school junk and took 3 boxes of stuff home tonite.  Card club at Mann's but I couldn't go.
Sun., March 29, 1936 - Ray came home last nite.  He and Mom went to church.  Annie, Ola, and family came in this a.m. and stayed for dinner.  Howard and I saw Will Rogers in "Steamboat Round the Bend" here in Winside tonite.  Went out to Nieman's after the show.

School on Saturday must have meant there weren't substitute teachers at the ready for Grandma to call up on short notice.  The kids probably weren't thrilled, but at least it was over quickly.

From wikipedia and IMDB re the movie -- "Steamboat Round the Bend" is a 1935 American comedy film directed by John Ford, released by 20th Century Fox and produced by Fox Film, based on the 1933 novel of the same name by author Ben Lucien Burman. It was the penultimate film of star Will Rogers and was released posthumously.  It is about a Louisiana con man who enters his steamboat into a winner-take-all race with a rival while trying to find a witness to free his nephew, about to be hung for murder.

Known as "Oklahoma's Favorite Son", Rogers was born to a prominent Cherokee family in Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma). As an entertainer and humorist, he traveled around the world three times, made 71 movies (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), and wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns.


By the mid-1930s, the American people adored Rogers. He was the leading political wit of his time and was the highest paid Hollywood film star. Rogers died in 1935 with aviator Wiley Post, when their small airplane crashed in northern Alaska.  He went on the outing in search of material for his newspaper columns.  He brought his typewriter along and typed as they flew.

Grandma Anna was so nice

Tues., March 24, 1936 - Felt worse this morning after trying to sleep in bed last nite.  Mom hunted up Edwin.  Mom is going to use Edwin's car the rest of the week to take me to school so she can help me more with my janitor work and treat my hip.  Howard came in tonite.  We went to Niemans and told them my plans.

Wed., March 25, 1936 - Edwin brought the car this morning.  Mom started the fire for me.  She came after me at 4:45, swept the floor, etc.  I felt good today.  Slept in the big chair tonite again.

Thurs., March 26, 1936 - Edwin brought the car up again and had breakfast with us.  We decided at school today to make up one of the days this Saturday.  Mom went quilting at Fred Wittler's tonite.  Cold and snowy.

I wonder how long it took to "hunt up Edwin".  Nice to have a cheerleader for a mom.  And this is probably my most-used photograph, but I can't help myself, I like it so much.

New names and sad news

Sat., March 21, 1936 - My rheumatism worse today than it's ever been.  Alma came down to see me this a.m.  This p.m. Henry Kahlers from Osmond, Mrs. Henry Schnellbecker, two Mrs. Busses, and Emil Kahler, all Kahler cousins of Mom's from Kansas were here.  They had been to a Dr. in Dakota and were on way home.  Irene & Helen took me to Lewis for another treatment.  Not going back until less pain.
Sun., March 22, 1936 - Didn't feel much better.  Ray came home in the forenoon.  Mom started putting hot epsom salt packs on my hip.  Drove out to Oscar Mann's about 5:00 to see if it would be all right if I didn't teach Mon. & Tues. so my hip would get better.  He said it was O.K.  We drove around and told Goodlings, Wackers, Davis & Fischers.  Howard here tonite.
Mon., March 23, 1936 - Mom continued her steam treatments.  Annabelle was here a little before school this morning.  Howard was here a few minutes tonite to see [me?].  Am going to try sleeping in a bed tonite after spending the last 2 nites in Grussfather's big chair.

I may have to crank up the genealogy research; those Kahler cousin names are brand-new to me.

I learned over this weekend that Marvin Andersen died.  Granted, he lived a good, long 90+ years, but this is still sad news to me,  There are obvious reasons, but one of them is you rarely see someone so happy and joyful that had such good cause to be mad at the world and to be bitter about what life had dished out.  While I am sure his family will miss him dearly, one can't help but think about the happy reunions he is having in heaven.  Especially with the sweetheart in the photograph above.

Swearing?

Wed., March 18, 1936 - Goodlings have a baby boy, born early this a.m.  Seem to be feeling better.  Mom called up about 6:00.  Niemans went to town tonite and took me up home.  Mom was at Thies' quilting so I had to go up there to see her.
Thurs., March 19, 1936 - I don't think this ??? rheumatism is getting any better.  The worst part is getting in and out of bed.  Irene came about 5:00 and we went to Lewis for treatments.  Howard was here at Nieman's when we came back.
Fri., March 20, 1936 - Rheumatism not any better.  Irene and Helen came to schoolhouse for me.  Irene and I each had an adjustment.  The girls had a shampoo and fingerwave.  We had a farewell party for Jean and Marjorie C.

Are those question marks Grandma's way of swearing about her rheumatism?  She certainly seems to have been patient with it so far, but everybody has a limit.

As for Baby Goodling, I found a Walter "Ed" Goodling, Jr. born on the right day, buried in Pennsylvania.  His parents were Walter, Sr. and Bertha Koch Goodling.  The information says the junior Goodling was a retired farmer and carpenter.  His parents are buried in Pennsylvania as well.  Another Goodling son, Donald "Buster" Goodling was born in 1928 in Laurel, Nebraska and buried in the same cemetery as the rest of the family.  It's got to be the right family, I would think.

Busy, busy?

Sat., February 22, 1936 - Lovely day.  warm and thawing a little.
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Mon., March 16, 1936 - Rheumatism is worse today.  Mom and Ray came out to Nieman's about 6:00.  Mom can't find her Chicago Mail Order catalog.
Tues., March 17, 1936 - Had to use a stick to walk home tonite because of the pesky rheumatism.  Irene and Raymond came after supper to take me to Lewis at Wayne for adjustments.  Howard was here while I was gone.

Well, Grandma must have been busy with something important to uncharacteristically miss so many days of her diary.

I had never heard of the Chicago Mail Order catalog before, but here's a page from 1935.  I know now why Grandma Anna was interested.  Look at those prices!

You learn something new every day, right?  I did not know that mail order came before some big brick-and-mortar stores.  From encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org:

"Mail-order retailing became a big business in Chicago. During the half century that followed the establishment of a mail-order company by Aaron Montgomery Ward in 1872, Chicago companies dominated the business of selling directly to consumers across the country by using catalogs and deliveries through the mail. Montgomery Ward and Sears, both based in Chicago, were the leaders of the early mail-order industry and became giant enterprises through catalog sales long before they began to open retail stores. Even after the 1920s, when the growth of the mail-order business slowed, Chicago companies continued to stand among its leaders. By the end of the twentieth century, when Wards went out of business entirely and Sears no longer issued giant catalogs, the city's mail-order industry was no longer the precocious adolescent it had been in 1900. Nevertheless, Chicago remained home to several leading companies in an evolving but still important sector of the economy.

By the early part of the twentieth century, the mail-order retailing business—led by the Chicago giants—had become a major sector of the American economy, through which millions of rural consumers purchased a variety of goods. This development, which was part of a general trend in which commodity consumption by individuals and households was taking on greater economic and cultural significance, was both embraced and resisted. By 1919, Americans were buying over $500 million worth of goods a year from mail-order companies (roughly half of this business went to Wards and Sears alone). The millions of bulky mail-order catalogs sent from Chicago to points around the country had become important cultural documents, with significance that went beyond the purely economic. Particularly in rural areas, which were still home to half of the American population as late as 1920, the catalogs served not only as a marketing tool, but also as school readers, almanacs, symbols of abundance and progress, and objects of fantasy and desire. For many consumers, the kind of mail-order retailing pioneered by Wards and Sears offered a wider variety of goods (which ranged from the smallest items to entire houses), more generous credit terms, and lower prices than they could get from local merchants. Farmers' groups, which tended to favor the bypassing of economic intermediaries, were supporters of the mail-order business from the beginning. Local merchants, on the other hand, fought the national mail-order houses in both the economic and political arenas. Between the 1890s and the 1910s, U.S. postal policy became a battleground for retailers. The adoption of rural free delivery in 1898 and parcel post in 1913, both of which were enacted by Congress over the objections of local retailers and their allies, represented victories for the mail-order business and for Chicago."

There's more, but I'll stop at those two paragraphs.

I wonder what all they talked about

Wed., February 19, 1936 - Everybody in school except Ruby.  Still cold as the dickens.

Thurs., February 20, 1936 - Everybody in school for the first time in almost 2 weeks.  Manns and Goodling scooped out the road past the schoolhouse.

Fri., February 21, 1936 - A little warmer today.  Everybody here.  Mr. Goodling stopped at the schoolhouse and offered to take me to town as he was going in anyway.  Of course I went.  Mom and I talked late as usual.

Would maybe have been fun to be a fly on the wall during some of their conversations.  Everyone looks so nice in this photo, from the hairstyles to the outfits to the accessories.

Grandpa at school

Sun., February 16, 1936 - Edwin brought me out this p.m.  I had to walk from the foot of the south side of the hill up to Niemans'.  Howard walked up here tonite to see me.
Mon., February 17, 1936 - The usual five & Howard at school today.  A bad wind came up from the west.  Roads drifted worse than ever.  Mr. Nieman came up about 2:30.  Dismissed school then.
Tues., February 18, 1936 - Everybody except Earl & Ruby here.  Still cold but no wind.  We finished passing out valentines today.

First off, I am glad to know the passing out of valentines was completed -- whew! 

But my main point of interest from these particular diary entries is Grandpa being at school.  Did he stay all day to be sure he wasn't needed for something?  Did he just drop by at some point for a brief visit?  Regardless, I like the image of him sitting there quietly watching Grandma do her teaching thing.

This has had me wondering for a while -- when they let out country school at 2:30 in the middle of a bad winter day in 1936, did the kids just wander home alone?  It isn't as if Grandma called all the parents and told them, right?  Just something I thought about.

Here's a photo of a momma goat and her baby.  Just because.

Valentine's Day

Thurs., February 13, 1936 - Everybody except Ruby here.  Kids are worried about what we'll do with valentines tomorrow if the weather is bad.
Fri., February 14, 1936 - Stormy again.  The usual five and Temmes were here.  We passed out our valentines and played games
Sat., February 15, 1936 - Went into town at noon in a lumber wagon with Mr. Goodling and Mr. Nieman.  Folks surprised to see me.  The cuts along the highway are full of snow!

I would love to see the valentines that were passed out in a country school in 1936.  I can understand the kids being worried -- Valentine's Day was always an exciting time when I was in school.  And of course, making the box for your cards was an even bigger deal.  At least for me it was.  I remember making a swan or some kind of bird for a card box and the base for the body and head of the thing were of styrofoam.  The only red paint around (and I probably was down to the 11th hour) was Rust-o-leum.  I do not remember how I regrouped, or if I had to come up with something else in a hurry, but I distinctly remember the paint melting my styrofoam.

Winter in Nebraska

Mon., February 10, 1936 - Goodlings, Verdelle Mae, Herbert N. and Earl were only ones at school.  They worked to open the road past the schoolhouse this p.m.
Tues., February 11, 1936 - Everybody except Ruby at school.  Still very cold but no wind.
Wed., February 12, 1936 - Radio reported a blizzard but it didn't come.  Only 5 at school.  We had classes around the furnace.

The Winside history book for February 12, 1936 reports 31.25" of snow since January 1.  I'm rather glad we haven't had that kind of snowfall in several years.  Or maybe we have and I've just blocked it out to save my sanity.

I went to the net to look for a photograph of a snow drift and instead found this cute afghan pattern.  Bonus!

So much for a break in the weather

Fri., February 7, 1936 - Wind started blowing about 2:30 causing snow to drift.  Howard came at last recess and said he probably couldn't come after me tonite if the wind kept blowing.  The wind kept blowing and by tonite it is blowing even harder.  I guess I don't get home this week-end.
Sat., February 8, 1936 - Wind still blowing.  Radio reports all highways and railways blocked.  Edwin B. called up and said Mom was glad I was out here, so I wouldn't have to worry about getting back tomorrow.  Embroidered this afternoon.  Tonite we played "I Doubt It."
Sun., February 9, 1936 - Wind still blowing but had lessened by evening.  Slim Goodling walked down here this p.m.  The highway was being opened this evening.

Grandma's handwriting is a bit hard to read, so I am not sure if Slim Goodling is correct.

Cold and snow and all that is not at all fun for some, but I can handle it for the most part.  The thing that gets me is wind.  It can take all the energy and ambition out of me in a heartbeat.  And of course, I live in Nebraska.  Go figure.

At least Grandma had her embroidery with her.