1941 Dec. 5th Friday

Bright but cold, and snow thawed slowly. I got meals, visited with Bene Clausen, Hank and George Haukaas. Bene walked in and Ed Spotted Elk of Springcreek Day School, his wife, 2 small children, a brother-in-law and wife came so Ben went with them to Wisenberger Place, saw one roan mare, but not other horses so back here and I got dinner as Hank and George came in Pick-Up to see about getting Carol’s bed and they took these Indian Men and Bene to Winter Pasture to see other Roan Mare and he was satisfied but wanted the colts so I sent them home to see later about colts. Will chored and went to [Bachmann’s] where he was to get Mr. and go to Valentine to get Car Winterized and he came back early eve and said that Mr. [Bachmann] wasn’t home so Will to town alone. Haukaas went to Shack, got Carol Jean’s Bed, took to Tom’s and gave them $2.00 to go on Seth Whiting’s account. Haukaas took Bene with them to Store.

December 5, 1941

Dec. 6th Saturday

Was bright, nice but a south breeze cool. I got meals, Will chored and we went to Rosebud saw Mr. Sherfey Farmer and he said would see about request for colts later so to Ed Spotted Elk’s 1/2 mile west [of] Spring Creek Day School. His Mother and Sister and another Indian rode to St. Francis and Men staid there, Women to Rosebud. We got home at 12 o’clock so I got dinner. Will gave colts in p.m. water in a pail, they drank it. I went with Will afternoon to Wagner Mill and he put Bentonite in tank and finished pipe to carry water and side of yard east of tank. We came home. I laid down, then mopped kitchen. Will hauled 4 loads manure out of the barn.

December 6, 1941

December 6, 1941, continued

Dec. 7th Sunday

Northwest wind strong and dusty at times but Bright all day. I got meals and Vivian Whiting Haukaas washed Breakfast and dinner dishes, they came at 10:30 a.m. but I never had work finished yet. Hank, Vivian, Johnny and Johann came early, went home after supper and Will turned on radio at 7:15 p.m. and they were broadcasting War News for Japan had attacked Manila, Pearl Harbor and continued several places in Pacific Ocean. Bene Clausen walked in, so he went with Hank and Will and Johnny to take back to Winter Pasture horses Will brought in this forenoon in order to get 2 roan Mares their colts and another team with colts. Ben went home and Will and Hank chored in eve.

December 7-8, 1941

Dec. 8th Monday Immaculate Conception Blessed Virgin

A beautiful bright day. N.W. breeze cool. I got Breakfast and Supper and had dinner at Rosebud Dave’s Cafe. Farmer changed colt request for Spotted Elk there, [went] to Mosher, paid for Lumber. Paid Leases on Range Unit. Stopped at Whiting Store. Stanley will have horses to Rosebud Wednesday.

Dec. 9th Tuesday

Sun shone until near noon began to cloud, was real chilly, never got about 28 degrees and Northwest wind quite Strong. Will chored and got in water and took it out also hung clothes, brought them in, took dump cart got wood in front-room and snow is forecasted. I got meals, laid down in p.m., washed clothes, wrote in diary and listened to War News. The islands of Guam, Midway and Philippines are hardest hit and several hundred killed and Injured. I visited with Bob DuBray who came about 4 p.m. from Whiting Store in Boyd’s Car for he stays there. Will hauled in water, chored, got in 2 roan Mares, their colts, and the Bay mare, Sally, her colt and another one belong[ing] to an old Mare with Scotty on Wisenbergers are in barn and Will hauls water to them. Will also put cattle in yard at Wagner Shed late p.m.

December 9, 1941

1944 Sept. 3rd Sunday

Was a beautiful day, sun shone, no clouds and wind not too much. I got breakast and Will and Van Epps talked some for he came for a letter that they left last night for Billie, Elsie and W. D. came with some watermelons and staid until 11 p.m. for we just talked. Will and I took salt to Big Pasture, left 1 sack at windmill on Moore Creek. One tank had little water in it for pipe was filled with Moss. Will got it to flow. We stopped at Pierce’s for Bobby came to tell us that his Mother had a bridle for Harley so we took it to him, had dinner of fried chicken, gravy, potatoes, jell, bread, butter, cabbage salad, coffee. Lunch was cookies, cold cocoa, and coffee, also had cold-packed peaches for dinner. Will and I stopped at Abbotts in eve. He was fixing his hay-stacker at east-gate so we stopped awhile and Mrs. Delores, Billie and Cora Ann came with Plums they picked on Furrey-Whiting Land, so [they came] out to where we were and we went to [the] House and had fried pheasant, gravy, potatoes, Bread, rolls with Plum Butter in center, String Beans, Butter and Plum Butter for spread. We stopped at North Mill on Sec. 2 North side of hills and put a sack [of] salt there on our way to Furreys and there was only a few cattle at this Mill. Wm Pierce got Carl Schuppan with his truck to take in saddle horses to Yankton Mid-west Farmer’s Day tomorrow. The Winner Saddle Club all went down.

September 3, 1944

1939 Sept. 2nd Saturday

Bright, very hot in fact I just perspired at times sitting in front room, had to close one [window] on account east wind blew papers around, makes it more hot, but was a nice eve. I got meals, laid down in p.m. and played solitaire, listened to radio for Poland and Germany are fighting and England and France are about to enter. Will and Narvin chored and fixed the barn windows in the shanty. Bud Whiting was here last eve just as we got back from Winner and wants to know when they [can] mow hay for Narvin on Moses’s land.

September 2, 1939

1940 Sept. 2nd Monday

Bright, hot day, South wind quite dusty at times, was warm last night and again this eve. I got only breakfast for Seth chored and got his family and we went to Labor Day Celebration at Winner. Got there for the Parade, and had a nice place north of Weeks Filling Station facing north to road from Fair Grounds. The Parade consisted of American Legion, Civil War, Spanish War Veterans, Indian Scouts with Carl Nelson in the lead and a lot of Indians, Butte, Nebr., White River and Winner Bands, Floats, a lot of them. God Bless America was nice by Women’s Clubs. The Mountaineers was real nice. Saw Foster May, W.O.W. Radio, New Commentator and Chevrolet Dealer announcer. He has light [hair?] and is not so tall, for reached George Bailey, Winner, just above the shoulders. A good looking man, always smiling. The Jimmie Lynch Death-Dodgers were at Fair Grounds. Home at sunset.

September 2, 1940

1939 Sept. 1st Friday

South wind Hot and was bright after a few clouds of early morning and clouded again in eve but mostly electrical-storm, very little wind, only at first of storm. I got meals, and washed all dishes, for Will washed the clothes and I rinsed them, and he put them on line and brought them in after we ate dinner for Narvin rode around cattle and he got back at noon and said that Mr. Wm Anderson, Father of Mrs. Wm Abbott, died suddenly in [the] night at his home at Winner last Tuesday, and is to be buried today at Winner, so we got ready, went to Winner, got there just as the services started at Lutheran Church along the street going into Winner. Will and Narvin went to [the] church, and I sat in car, and Will got to coughing so he came to car. Narvin went with Harry and Harley in their pick-up, and Will and I took Louise, Dorothy and Billie in our car. We went to the cemetery. Mrs. Anderson fainted so there was a delay in the funeral procession moving out of the church to [the] cars. After the funeral we stopped at Outlaw for awhile so Louise and I could visit. We had ice-cream cones. Will, Narvin and I [went] to sale pavilion before coming home.

September 1, 1939

1942 Aug. 31st Monday

Cloudy, damp, began to mist and real rain in forenoon and again a cloud in late afternoon brought a real shower, sun shone during mid-day. I got breakfast and dinner, dinner was at 2 p.m. for Will and I started for Valentine, took 5 old roosters and was to get chicken feed. We met Mr. and Mrs. Wm Abbott and Cora Ann coming here to sharpen sickles just east of Thomas Whiting’s Jr. so they got in with us and we went to Valentine as planned and got business attended, some beef-steak and ice-cream and came home to a late dinner. Abbott and Will put a pole on Abbott cow in round corral and let her and calf out, they went to River pasture so fence don’t stop them yet. Abbott sharpened sickles and Will fixed fence around trees east of house at old Garden. Gerald went to Jones Stacking Outfit—no one there so came home to get stacker and sweeps to north side [of] Wagner Place and turned horses in horse pasture south of house. Will paid him some on Stacking and He went home to go some place in the car, for they will leave here soon to live at Bert Roundy’s, as Dell Furrey will got to Army Oct. 1st, and Gerald has Cattle and hogs, also Roundy’s work to be done. We never ate supper, had Lemonade and cookies before Abbotts left.

August 31, 1942

1939 Aug. 30th Saturday

Bright and North-East breeze cool. I got meals, laid down in p.m. and played solitaire, also baked bread and a cake in eve. Will and Narvin chored, went horse-back to Winter pasture where they brought in 143 cows and over a hundred calves and 5 bulls, there was one bull here and 8 cows and they branded 10 calves, this makes 135 head calves, 3 being mine H-W brand, also 4 of the cows and 1 yearling Heifer in Big Pasture. After branding they took the cattle to Big Pasture and we had to eat by Lamp light again. Ben Clausen, who the last 2 days has been moving hay on Wagner land, stopped to see if he can use sweep and get a loaf [of] bread but bread not baked yet.

There are 30 head of Steers and Heifers in Big Pasture, so Men left them there, these were late calves last year.

August 30, 1939

Mary and Ed Whiting, Aug. 29, 1920
(Hattie’s parents)

1943 Aug. 29th Sunday

Bright, nice day but a few clouds late p.m. I got meals and we lunched in eve, fried chicken at noon, fixed jello and bananas. Will fed chickens, milked cows and we went to count cows and calves and only 4 bulls in Big Pasture but cows and calves are OK. We came past Wm Abbotts, they were asleep, for last 10 days [they] had a Sister from California visiting and they came in at 2 a.m. from Winner. Mr., Mrs., and Billie got up and we staid awhile, then [went] home. After resting until 7 p.m. and eating lunch [and] feeding chickens we went to Mission, got ice-cream cones, back to Boarding Scool to Show, Ruggles from Red Gap. This show was funny, all the ways, got in at 10:55 p.m. This is Louise Furrey and our Dad’s Birthdays.

August 29, 1943

1944 Aug. 29th Tuesday

Sun shone, clouded in middle [of] the afternoon a Northwest breeze, was real chilly. No rain when I am writing this at 3:30 p.m. but will add tomorrow about change if any. This is Louise Whiting Furrey’s Birthday, also Ed L. Whiting Sr.’s, my father who is dead several years, birthday. Will went to Mow about Big HIll east [of] Lundermans and Mr. Chauncey Sr. is mowing north of Sundquists and he came to Will and they ate dinner together. It rained towards eve so Will got damp and being cool, [he] got cold so came in, ate Supper and went to bed before dark to get warm. I got breakfast and supper, lunched at noon, laid down at 11 a.m. and again at 3:15 p.m. for I was in all in from and it was cool, so I slept until I got the headache at noon. Van Epps came to see if Will was moving, for he turned his car over in the creek west of his house. Last eve he followed Joe and children and Mr. Armbuster [went] around through gates by here and left car at foot bridge, and to-day he and Billie went to get it, and Billie was getting into things in back, so he reached to get Billie to front seat and into creek he went. Billie got wet to his waist and it is cold to-day, so got block and tackle to pull car out, but [could not] do it alone. Mr. wait[ed] for Will to help him later to pull it out of creek.

August 29, 1944

1940 Aug. 28th Wednesday

Was cool in night but warm day. I got meals, laid down in p.m. and visited with Rena, Yvonne and Clarence, who came down at noon, while waiting for coal-oil at Whiting Store and I gave Yvonne the dark wine colored Velvet dress of mine, so they went home after dinner to make it over for her. Seth moved dirt with 4 horses. LeMoyne rode first in forenoon. He wanted to quit working here for he and Will went to O’Kreek to get pipe for well cut and had it threaded at McKee’s for they had the tools that belong to Paulsen, O’Kreek Garage Mechanic. They got back to windmill east of Strids, but no fix, that is put back pipe. Will and I took LeMoyne home after. He took his saddle but Will [will] get his clothes later. Seth walks home after supper.

August 28, 1940

1944 Aug. 28th Monday

Sun shone was hot in sun but not so bad in shade. A Northwest breeze to Southwest then to South and Southeast in eve. I got breakfast. Van Epps brought Pete, Prince and Alabama home and Mrs. Carl Gehlsen, Rita, Bobby and RoseMary (Ann) came so all Van Epps went with them to Winner, also Mr. Armbuster (I guess but I never saw him). Will and I went to Hank Haukaas’s where they were Combining Barley Bundles, and Herman and 2 boys, Herman’s brother-in-law were helping Hank. Will asked to use Fanning Mill and it is ready to go for they repaired it. We went on to Winner, had dinner at Ryan Cafe. Got Bond fixed so it could be sent in to get signature of Company in New York City, then to Bud Anderson’s American Victory Circus, North of Railroad Tracks on grassy plot. It was enjoyable for me. Tent crowded to overflowing but Will no like it. We saw Van Epps, Gehlsens, Pierces, Abbotts. Claude Sully got our tickets so we got in, in a hurry and [had] nice reserve seats. Met Mr. Chauncey Sr. going to mow north of Sundquists when we went to Winner and Mrs. got him in Pick Up in eve so we met again at gate going out of River Pasture, talked awhile, then [went] home for was getting cloudy in West and Lightening. Had ice-cream, 1 1/2 quarts. I fried Liver and fresh-pork and we also had sandwiches, to be before any rain. Gehlsens went home after dark.

August 28, 1944