February 23, 1929 (Saturday)

Bright, warm day until late p.m. a few clouds and from thaw was damp and colder in eve. Dave went for Louise and home at p.m. as they go via Store and O’Kreek. her social last eve a pronounced success and baskets brought over $19.00. She cleaned front room and lamp. I mopped kitchen and [got] the meals and Louise and I cleaned church and got groceries at store in eve. Will & Roy hauled alfalfa and cleaned barn and Dave went to his place to see about water for cattle at Moore Creek and took them to Dave’s place. Dave and Roy went to Dave’s place to a dance but Roy came back.

February 24, 1929 (Sunday)

After a full-moon night started to snow early morn and was real foggy when we got up and dark all day but not so cold. Dave came in at 2:30 a.m. from his dance. Ben Fitch brought him home. Roy & Will chored after we had breakfast. Dave, Louise and I went to Mass but Father Gaul no came so Ed & family and us came back. Merle, Frank L—-, Don Hansen and Fred Horstman came and last 2 got corn. Ed, Frank L—— and Ed & Will went to Dave’s place in p.m. to look at cattle. Louise wrote letters in the p.m. after Ed’s went home.

February 25, 1929 (Monday)

A bright nice day and thawed some in a.m. but p.m. not so thawing. Will & Dave took Louise to school and on to Winner and Will was going to Moosmiers (?) at Dixon, S.D. and not home at bed-time. Roy chored and went to Dave’s and got 2 cows and Ray and Sorrel over east. I got meals and sewed on black dress. Don Hansen came for a load of corn and went right back.

February 26, 1929 (Tuesday)

Bright, nice day and thawed again. Roy chored and went to Dave’s and got a load of straw and a load of hay in p.m. Will & Dave came in from Winner middle p.m. and they chored in eve. The Salmon vs. West & Scott Libel Suit was thrown out of court. I cut out some percale dresses and made bread.

February 18, 1929 (Monday)

Not so cold until late p.m. got real cold, some clouds and snow during day and some snow in eve but bright real cold night and moon shone. Will took Louise to school via store and O’Kreek and home late noon. Roy & Dave put hay in barn and alfalfa to the cattle and then they all went to Dave’s and let down the wind-mill and home nearly froze, chored and Will & I went to Rosebud to Legion & Auxiliary Meetings. I also sewed and got meals.

February 19, 1929 (Tuesday)

Bright but real cold south wind, a little warmer in eve. Frank B—— was here yesterday and wanted to move in Dave’s, oh my! take no answer as NO. The men chored. Dave went to store and froze car. Roy went to cattle on Moore Creek. Will & I all in but I managed meals and slept in p.m. so Roy washed dishes. I had a sore foot and could hardly walk.

February 20, 1929 (Wednesday)

After a cold morning was a real nice day and thawed some snow. Will, Roy and Dave went to Brinkman sale N.W. of Witten so they only chored. They went from the store with Mr. Frank L—- and home late eve. I sewed on my black dress and not much eats but baked bread.

February 21, 1929 (Thursday)

Bright and cold. Will went to O’Kreek after wind in a.m. quit blowing snow from N.W. and he had car trouble so home late p.m. with Bernard Flood who wants to buy a team and he also brought a subpoena for Dave to appear at Weston Scott vs. Bailey & Salmon libel suit so Dave took Bernard back to O’Kreek and went on to Winner for the night. Will & Roy chored. I sewed on dress and got the meals.

February 22, 1929 (Friday)

Bright, warm day. Dave came from Winner as no trial until Monday. Will went to store after he and Roy chased & caught a coyote which came at the watering place north of shed before dogs saw him so the men and dogs caught the coyotes east of pasture. Roy skinned coyote and chored and in p.m. they all just worked around the places and read mail. This is George Washington’s birth-day as he was born Feb. 22, 1732, so Louise is giving a social. I just got meals and sewed a little on dress.

February 14, 1929 (Thursday)

Bright but not so warm. Will & Roy cleaned the barn after Men chored. Dave cut Wm’s hair and they went to St. Francis late p.m. Phillip Dorian and a Mr. Douglas came from O’Kreek in the p.m. I got meals and finished 3 petticoats for self.

February 15, 1929 (Friday)

Bright thawing day but north side in breeze from West it was cold and freezed as I hung out clothes that Will helped me rinse after I washed them and brought in, in the eve and Louise ironed them as Dave came from St. Francis via Haukaas School and brought her home. St. Francis played Holy Rosary basketball and won. Wm. Whiting staid up there. Will was sick in a.m. Roy went to Pierce’s, got our sorrel horse and they drove him to Dave’s in p.m.

February 16, 1929 (Saturday)

Bright until at mid-day some snow and in p.m. wind blew from S.E. and cold. Louise mopped the house and ironed the rest of clothes and cleaned her clothes. I got meals except dinner. Will & I went to store. Roy Carr’s to phone or rather telegraph Nell at Ravenwood, MO. and Ed’s but no one home here but left Turkey and got quilt. Frances, Dave & Roy chored. Roy went to Moore Creek, got horses, killed one for hogs in p.m. and I put on new shoes.

February 17, 1929 (Sunday)

Snowing & Cloudy or rather N.W. wind blowing snow but sun [shone] at Mid-day but not so bright late p.m. and eve. The men chored and played cards and read. I made pumpkin-pie and the meals and Louise washed dishes and wrote a lot of letters in p.m. One to Nell at Ravenwood, MO. and Dave, Will, Roy and I played cards. I wrote to Los Angeles and Kilgore, Nebr. and popped corn and Louise made pop-corn balls. Merle stopped on way to the [store?] and return to C. Elshire’s.

Thursday, November 24th, 1955

Bright day, but cold outside. I made Salad and no one [would] eat it, was Lime Jello, White Seedless Grapes and Apples. Scalloped Corn, no care for it either but Furreys came with Roast Turkey, Oyster Dressing, Mashed Potatoes. We fixed Pickle, Cranberries, Cream Pumpkin Pie, Parker house Rolls, Butter, Bread, Coffee and Tea, Water. Lunch was Coffee, Pumpkin Pie and Cookies. Men went in our car to Hills and around here, got a few Rabbits. All helped with getting dinner on, Mary, Dorothy, Myself and Louise. Harry, Will, Harley and Billie played Pitch. Louise & Mary washed dishes and Dorothy and I slept. They went home [at] 4:30 p.m. Janis’s went to O’Kreek for dinner at her mother’s and [were] home after dark. Will put [out] cow with calf and Arkie had a Bull calf to-day. Spot is [the] one we milk and Bell the Holstein man calf this winter. Vere turned out from calf. Everybody is somewhere. Athel and Doris and Jim with Mrs. Carmen Harp, and Jack, Chuck, Betty and Sis with them to Guy Harp’s, Ainsworth, Nebr. Thomas, David, Jim and Carm stayed home.

Thursday, November 24th, 1938

Cloudy, cold, N.W. wind. I got breakfast and Will and Narvin chored, they then shaved and I just washed dishes so we went to Harry Furreys’. Had a Turkey-dinner also potatoes, gravy, dressing, cranberries, apple-salad, butter, bread, coffee, cream, pumpkin-pie. We visited in p.m. and we came home to chore. Mose Boyd is helping Furreys pick corn and was there for dinner. Furreys get a lot of eggs so gave us a shoe-box full for we get only 1 or 2 a day.

 

January 23, 1937, Saturday

Bright but cold. I dried clothes or part of those I washed Tuesday on the rack near heater, got meals, mended and ironed a few pieces, baked 2 mince-pies and played solitaire. Thomas got hay on Ferron land for the cattle and chored in eve, for Will came in just at dark to help him, for Seth walked home with Edward Whiting Jr., and Evard Roubideaux who walked to the store. Seth had a sore throat this p.m. is reason for going home. Will said there were a lot of men at store to trade to-day. They put 2 more layers of ice in Tom’s ice-house. I took a bath this p.m. and it helped my feet a lot.

January 24, 1937, Sunday

Was bright or partly bright and warm until toward noon a real blizzard continued for a few hours and cold N.W. wind. I got meals and read part of Arizona Bill, played solitaire and after supper Will and I played Casino and Thomas made an order for some music. He got 2 big loads of hay on Ferron land and came home in the blizzard. Will helped him unload. Will chored and was to get wood but only an armful. Blizzard quit late p.m.

January 25, 1937, Monday

Sun shone bright but was cold until in p.m. south-sides thawed some. Will chored, cut out the ice in water-hole and hung out some clothes. Seth came on Cody, has a sore throat but got in wash-water and cleaned ice-hole. Thomas got 2 loads hay on Ferron Land, fixed his hay-rack. After washing clothes, 2 mopped floors, got meals.

January 26, 1937, Tuesday

Sun shone and was warm enough that thawed the snow for one could see damp ground even away from south-sides. Seth and Will went to Tom’s and Lemoyne and Stanley, got a load of straw here on truck so they finished the 3rd Layer of ice in Tom’s ice-house and came home in eve. I got meals, played solitaire, baked pumpkin-pies, a cake and cooked prune-sauce and was all in, also swept the boys’ room up-stairs. Thomas gave the cattle hay from water-hole, put a load of straw at our ice-house. Lew McKee came to see how many of his cattle here. No mail-man to Hidden Timber yet since the storm.

January 27, 1937, Wednesday

Strong N.W. wind, cold and a little snow fell at mid-day, was a S.E. wind last eve. Thomas went for hay and the racks skidded on icy-roads in wind so he came back, gave cattle hay from big stack at home. Seth cleaned ice-house, found 43 small snakes so put them to freeze. The men in p.m .cleaned barn. I got meals, dressed a turkey and baked bread.

January 28, 1937, Thursday

Sun shone but was cold. I got meals and dried some clothes, played solitaire. Lemoyne, Stanley, Bud and Set Whiting and Will put ice in our ice-house. Thomas got hay from Ferron Land. Ben came at noon from the store, gave us grapefruit and 2 cans beef from relief.

January 29, 1937, Friday

Not so bright to-day and was cold. I got meals, dried clothes by heater, played solitaire, visited with Nell Larmer as she walked to store from Ed’s yesterday and came with men on the last load of ice for they put more loads in ice-house to-day but Bud never helped and Will and Seth up to dam to cut ice in p.m. Thomas got 2 loads of hay on Ferron Land for the stack to-day.

January 30, 1937, Saturday

Bright but cold. Thomas got 2 loads hay on Ferron Land and chored, for Will and Seth and Lemoyne and Stanley got 2 thick layers and 1 thin one in house and finished this eve but to pack last layer. I got meals, played solitaire. Will had tooth-ache last night so we are all in to-day for he had to get up to doctor.

January 31, 1937, Sunday

Bright, nice but cold. I got meals, played solitaire and started to read a story. Will, after helping boys chore, shaved and slept a long time. Thomas and Seth went horseback to the store and were back at supper-time. There were 4 boys hunting through Lattimore’s field.

January 23, 1952, Wednesday

The blizzard quit but none too fair, only partly, as hazy clouds when sun came out. Cows just stood as they are, frozen snow on their backs and sides. One calf was down, but Dan got it limbered up and it got up to eat later as the men gave hay to cattle. Fed the big herd behind the hill S.E. of the house. Will is about all in, but we stayed up late to get weather conditions. A Mr. Maxwell from Winner froze to death near his truck, as he was a trucker. Virginia Spinar died at the school house where her mother had taken her, and brothers going from the school had their Jeep stalled. The older brother walked, then mother tried to get a tractor there, but it stopped, so she sent the boy back to care for a small one, and she took the others to the school house where the girls had died from exhaustion. A trucker died somewhere near Pierre at a school house. Mr. Kourt, Winner, died at Vivian from exhaustion. A lot of folks are away. and not found yet.

January 24, 1952, Thursday

Sun shone quite a bit, so the Men gave cattle hay and dug out water by the culvert for the cattle to get some more to drink, as there was not wind enough to pump for them in the tank. An old cow got down north of the hill when feeding cattle, so Dan killed her and hauled her away to S.W. of the house. Also a calf is dead at the S.W. corner of their lot in a snow bank. Flora, 8, Helen, 7, Mr. Pete Judd, their father, a nephew Cecil Judd, 20,got stalled in a Jeep getting the girls from school four miles from home, 18 miles north of Murdo, Jones Co., S. D. The girls were found 1/2 mile from home in a creek bed under a clump of trees, Mr. Judd 1000 ft. from home and Cecil on top bridge floor 1500 ft. from home, all frozen to death. Mrs. put 4 month old baby in a basinet on a hand sled, and pulled it 2 miles to neighbors, and the Patrol was there today to tell her. She expected something was wrong. Lots of cattle are frozen in drifts in these parts. Thomas Whiting, Jr., lost 7 cows, Lemoyne some, Van Epps saved only milk cows out of 31 head. Graydon Hallock lost a lot, also Paulie Charboreaux and Tripp Co. S.W. part lost a lot. We haven’t a road to highway but Dan had to wash clothes to-day so no dig out.

January 25, 1952, Friday

Bright nice so Men gave cattle hay and in p.m. Dan tried to go to Store with Tractor, no get so came back, went horseback, got some mail. Usual pastime and work for me, played some cards.

January 26, 1952, Saturday

Some clouds but mostly Sun shone so Men gave cattle hay and had to make 3 trips to get one stack cut in two, then last half fell off so left it on Sled when they pitched it on. Went to Klein fence with tractor in p.m. after Dan washed clothes and put on line. Never saw Betty and Calvin but they are O.K. Calvin sleeps in day, wakes until late in night. Will and I played cards this eve and usual meals but we have pancakes and fritters for bread. I am all in also.

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Lisa’s Note: For more on the blizzard of 1952, see The Blizzard Of 1952: Before The Storm (by James E. Roghair, Murdo). Also, Hattie’s nephew and niece shared these memories of the ’52 blizzard:

From Harley: “This blizzard started on the 21st. It was a nice morning and Dad and I went out to get hay for the cattle. Suddenly the weather got very still and I remember Dad felt we should get to the house and get Mary Alice and Jean Chauncey from school. We got home and picked up the girls at school. On the way home the blizzard suddenly hit. I was driving and I don’t think I went 50 feet before I hit the side of a drift (the roads had been opened with a snowplow). We walked something over a mile home. We were able to stay between the drifts on the sides of the road, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to stay on course.

We never went out until the storm eased the evening of the 23d. We had ear corn and took some and fed it to the cows. I remember seeing a cow trying to eat an ear and she could only push it ahead of her as there was probably 6 inches of ice frozen on the end of her nose.

I don’t remember how cold it was but, it was cold and this before they thought of wind chill.”

From Dorothy: “Aunt Hattie wrote about the Blizzard of 1952…and…I remember that day! I was teaching at the Lone Hill school southeast of Mission. I roomed and boarded at Veryl Holmes about 1/4 to 1/2 mile west of the school. About a foot of snow fell with no wind during the earlier part of the day. Then, with no warning, a strong wind came up. Parents came and got their kids. No phones. Who knew what was going on? Then I walked to Holmes. I could see nothing and walked right along the fence line until I got to their driveway.

There were huge drifts along Highway 18 east of Mission. The regular snow plows couldn’t handle the snow and ‘rotary plows’ were brought from somewhere.

Mom told many, many times about my dad and your dad bringing Mary and Jean from school that day. She said they came into the house completely covered with snow…the way snow looks when the wind has plastered it over something. They looked at each other and started laughing. It was probably a release of many emotions. Mary was in 2nd grade and Jean in 3rd.

I have wondered now about so many things. There was no way for Chauncey’s to know that Jean was safe. However, I do faintly recall Mom saying that someone went there as soon as they could to let them know that she was at our house. And, how worried was Mom as to where they were as they were walking home.”

January 19, 1937, Tuesday

Was cloudy and middle a.m. started to snow from the Southeast and continued all day. This is Madge Whiting’s 19th Birthday, for she was born 3 days after we were married 19 years ago. Will got in water and I washed the clothes and put in tub to dry later and hung some up in our room and clothes-dryer for our bed it still in the front-room. I got meals, read some of Arizona Bill’s tales of Wild West years ago. Thomas got 2 loads hay, also gave cattle 1 load of alfalfa. Seth came horseback and stayed to help ice.

January 20, 1937, Wednesday

We got up at 8 a.m. to a blizzard from the Northwest, sun peeped out at 11 a.m. and at times in afternoon but the snow moved until bed-time, was moonlight and we could see down the river but was cold all the time. The men just chored, gave the calves 1 sack of cake but couldn’t get any hay to them and threw hay off the big stack to cows behind the wind brake and got in early eve. I got meals, made the sleeves shorter and collar smaller on a work shirt of Will’s, popped corn and made fudge and we played rummy after supper.

January 21, 1937, Thursday

Sun shone to-day but was cold but no wind so the men gave cattle hay and alfalfa and Will saw that the stock got water. Thomas drove Grans’ cattle to Wagner place as they went to N.W. Tuesday, when a S.E. snow but three were gone. Will went to the store horse-back in p.m. to see if Tom’s will get up ice to-morrow. I got meals, played solitaire and had queer pains in my head so laid down late p.m.

January 22, 1937, Friday

Bright day. Thomas got hay from meadow and gave [to] cattle. After choring, Will and Seth went in dump-cart to the store to help Tom put up ice. Ben came in p.m. for awhile. Bolin boys went by in a wagon to store. I got meals, baked bread, played solitaire, had a headache so wrote in diary and doped for headache. Will and Seth came back just before dark and got 1 layer except 1 cake of ice in Tom’s ice-house.