Note: In April of 1923, the Whitchers lived on a farm about a mile from Spencer, Nebraska. They had already begun to make plans to move to Todd County, South Dakota.
April 1, 1923: Easter Sunday. A bright day until towards evening cloudy. South wind cool in a.m. but afternoon quite warm. We did up work and Will started to trim those few cherry trees and cut his hand. William Whiting came out about 11:30 a.m. and he and Will went for a ride in the afternoon via Ableidingers, Chas. Clouse and via Dist. 14 school house and on home. I just read and did a little work after.
April 2, 1923: Cloudy & cold N. wind all day and a few drops rain in a.m. The men hauled old hay on fields, got ready to butcher. Mr. Ableidinger came and butchered in a hurry, then Will went along to town via Ableidingers. Mr. Anderson and family, Joe L. stopped for eggs. I fixed curtains.
April 3, 1923: A bright warm day. Will cut hog so I could handle then went with Mr. Ableidinger to feed yard and got a cow, had dinner down there. Chas. cleaned old hay stack butts and in p.m. the men put three loads hay in barn. Mr. Geo. Knoll came looking for cows and hogs. I put up curtains in south room and started to render lard. William Whiting came out and stayed all night as he is getting ready for Todd Co.
April 4, 1923: Was cloudy in night and early morning but bright day and cold, so I started to cook meat but didn’t have to worry, also baked bread. The men hauled all hay from wild stack in, and went to Spencer with hogs in evening and brought Charles’s Hampshire back. William Whiting left for Todd Co. this a.m.
April 5, 1923: A beautiful forenoon but in p.m. wind & small clouds at time and wind quite strong and dusty, a little sprinkle once in p.m. Charles helped Mrs. wash clothes in a.m., and p.m. plowed on B.’s in hog lot. Will got water and disc at Wards in morning and disced rest of day on Dave’s near orchard. I washed clothes and finished canning meat and mince meat, and we all so tired in evening. Part of Langans returned from Colombe, S. D. today as they went to Mrs. John Langan funeral yesterday. She died at Norfolk Monday morning of pneumonia.
April 6, 1923: A cloudy day and cold N. E. wind all day. Will disced in forenoon but so cold, had to go to Sherlocks to warm and in p.m. took disc to Spencer to get sharpened. Chas. plowed at hog lot on B.’s all day. I ironed in a.m., and in p.m. mended Will’s overalls and in evening felt bad and so tired.
April 7, 1923: A little sleet during night and snow early morning but not much. Cloudy & cold until middle p.m., then bright but still cold. The men cut poles & wood and I was so sick, stayed in bed all the afternoon. Mr. & Mrs. Anderson and family stopped to pay for eggs.
April 8, 1923: A bright day, a little cool in morning but warmer as day passed on, a beautiful evening. Walter Ableidinger came for Mr.’s knife, and Will went with him on with Mr. to Petersons, had some time to get on Lazzes as he threw himself. After dinner Will took nap, then rode Lazzes to Knolls and he got Will off, skinned his face, hurt finger and shoulder & hip. Billy Knoll came for Lazzes and he got away again, but Will rode peaceably in evening. I did only necessary work as I still feel bum.
April 9, 1923: Another quite nice day but a little cloudy in evening. Will went to Spencer to see Doctor about finger, and his little finger on right hand is broken. He took eggs, got 21 cents per doz. I started my jacket suit. Charlie worked across creek and in p.m. Will helped him put in hog fence.
April 10, 1923: A bright day but cold N. E. wind. Will went with Charles to hog fence and worked a while, then went to L. E. Lentz Sale at Fr. Randall with Messrs. Bradstreet and Scanlan. Charles worked at fence and had dinner at noon, and in p.m. unloaded hay, hauled alfalfa and cleaned barn & disced a little near orchard and took Knolls’ spreader & rack home. Will came back about 6:30 p.m. and felt sick on account of jolt Sunday. I sewed on suit all day and got so much finished, as I didn’t get dinner.
April 11, 1923: A bright day and S. E. wind a little in morning, but warm toward evening. Will went to Spencer, got Barley and sowed it across road on B.’s in p.m., and Charles disced cornstalks south of house all day, but towards evening started to disc barley. I still sewed on suit this day.
April 12, 1923: A bright day and quite warm, in fact hot in p.m. and strong S. wind. Will disced barley and Charles harrowed hog pasture and put in rye, and in p.m. disced and Will sowed wheat & oats, oats which he got at Ableidingers at noon, finished at 7:30 p.m., sowing. I baked bread, churned butter and took jars to basement and in p.m. started a waist.
April 13, 1923: A cold N. W. wind, bright until towards mid day, clouded and rained now and then in p.m. Charles disced oats and Will stayed in until Dr. Hines, L. I. came to see if Biddy was stifled, but only a little. Will took 3 Legs out and worked on disc, and in p.m. Will disced and Charles started roof on corn. Will drove 3 Legs alone in evening on disc and Charles did up chores, after supper he went to Spencer. I put hooks & eyes & buttons on suit. Floyd Sherlock got the seeder in morning.
April 14, 1923: Bright early morning but such a dust storm during midday, could hardly face it and quite cold, but evening better. Will disced oats until hurt broken fingers then came in to bed, and Chas. made place to feed pigs, finished oats discing at noon. In p.m., Will to Spencer. Chas. cut posts. I finished jacket and made petticoat and hemmed skirt. Anderson of Holt stopped for eggs.
April 15, 1923: Was cold in morning and cool all day but bright N. W. breeze. I walked to church at 8:30 a.m. and returned, washed dishes, got a bite and Will chored, in p.m. we went to Wm. Dreher funeral. He died at Dallas, S. Dak. very suddenly. We stopped at H. Bradstreet’s, and I & Langans at folks.
April 16, 1923: A bright but cold day and very little breeze, what was from North. Will harrowed then went to feed yard to see about buying heifers, but nothing doing. Chas. then harrowed and in p.m. dug post holes, and Will harrowed. I didn’t do much as felt all in from walk up town yesterday. Rudolph Johnson came for Ableidingers’ walking plow.
April 17, 1923: A bright day and forenoon quite pleasant but a little cool and p.m. wind blew from the south quite hard at times and dusty. Will finished dragging oats near Sherlocks and after chores Chas. got water for me to wash clothes, and they finished at 10:30 a.m., then fixed things around here, and in p.m. Will sowed oats on B.’s and Chas. disced them in. Will went up town to take abstracts to Mr. C. S. Sutton, also Buggy wheels to Joe Machu. I washed clothes and they dried in a hurry on account of dry wind, and baked cake in evening, and Will helped me get ready to set a few hens. Floyd Sherlock brought seeder back and got his buggy in a.m. Mr. Barden brought registered letter.
April 18, 1923: A bright day and a.m. south breeze not warm, but p.m. quite warm. Will finished putting in oats on B.’s and Chas. fixed hot pasture on B.’s and at noon on way home to dinner, Chas. had runaway with Biddy & Duke, but jumped so O.K. The men hauled poles, in p.m. Mr. Knoll came for cattle. I sewed a little, made Bread & Butter.
April 19, 1923: A bright day until towards p.m. clouded, a strong south wind and quite dusty, just before a few drops of rain in evening, wind blew so hard from S. W. Will got plow ready and started to plow on B.’s but it wouldn’t work, so he came to southeast of house. I started to clean kitchen, got alastaine on. Geo. Knoll got disc. Chas. worked at home.
April 20, 1923: Cloudy and a little rain at times all day and cold. Will did up chores and got alfalfa for cows and some fox tail to cover the corn, also some posts from across and took Cows over the river, as was cold towards evening and damp, different than last couple of nights, for was so warm had to put sheets on and used oil stove yesterday. I didn’t do much as was all in from yesterday.
April 21, 1923: Sun shone bright today in p.m. but forenoon rainy at times, N. W. wind this day. Will did up chores, got cows over the river and some alfalfa, then wagon ready. He helped Ableidinger haul hogs in p.m. to Bristow, and came back at 5 p.m. and went to Spencer. I cleaned a little wood work in kitchen and put part curtains back.
April 22, 1923: Sun shone at rising and a couple of times early morning but cloudy all day and cold and sprinkle in p.m. Will did up work, also got his breakfast as I went to 8:30 a.m. Mass, walked up and back, went to Communion. We both were tired so rested in p.m. Will fed hogs in evening across river. Have incubator hatch today.
April 23, 1923: Cloudy & misty all day. Chas. dug closet hole partly and Will plowed in p.m. They got trees to set out in yard. I sewed buttons and fixed a little mending, wasn’t very pert.
April 24, 1923: Was a beautiful bright day but a little cool. Chas. got place south of house ready for Will to plow, which he did all day and Chas. set out trees. I fixed things a little and cleaned stove. Mr. & Mrs. B. Ellsworth came for eggs for setting.
April 25, 1923: Cloudy all day and forenoon misty at times, and p.m. a regular rain until evening, first of season and I caught enough water to wash clothes. Chas. put in his potatoes, that is worked at them between showers. He went with our oats to get ground and brought Flour home before planting. Will plowed forenoon and p.m. didn’t go out in rain until evening to chore. I baked bread and fussed with setting hens and made a cake in evening. Will after supper sat down to read. I looked over his shoulder. He turned quick and knocked my chin with his shoulder. I nearly went the trip as couldn’t breathe, talk or swallow. A man came here in rain, looking for C. Ward.
April 26, 1923: A bright day but a little cool on account of dampness but breeze dried clothes I washed with first rain water of season, it frosts every night. The men went to Spencer in a.m. after feeding hogs & chores and in p.m. shingled chicken coop. Mr. & Mrs. Geo. Knoll came in p.m. for H. Bradstreet’s incubator. Mrs. C. Sherlock came in evening for eggs.
April 27, 1923: A nice day. Chas. finished his potatoes and got Knolls’ spreader, feed at Mill and cleaned barn and Will plowed all day. I didn’t do much as was tired from washing.
April 28, 1923: A nice day. Chas. dug post holes forenoon and p.m. plowed where Will couldn’t with gang plow. Will plowed a.m. and we went to Spencer p.m. Andersons stopped for eggs.
April 29, 1923: Was a beautiful day. We went to Wards for water and posts, and had dinner, rested, did part chores, drove up to McDuffees, stayed until 9 p.m.
April 30, 1923: A bright day but S. E. wind started to blow hard about 10:30 a.m. and a regular dust storm in p.m., that is dust would come in streaks and towards evening began to cloud. Will plowed and just before noon broke double trees, so after went to Spencer to get one, then plowed rest of p.m. Chas. shut hogs out of barn over river and worked fence around Knolls’ land between here and track. Will got smoke-meat in for me from hole and I wrapped it up and not much else, as I am bum. Mr. C. Johnson was buried at Spencer this p.m.
