March 18

1926 March 18th Thursday

Cloudy around the horizon but bright and S.E. wind changed to N.W. in p.m. and cloudy eve. Will & William picked up things and fussed with horses and after dinner Will & I went to the store and the men hauled hay. Mr. Menz & Fred went to Valentine. Louise to school and in eve tried to solve out how folks or some folks made money. George Smith or Presto came for the night and he & Will went to Wisenbergers.

1936 March 18th Wednesday

N.W. wind cool, quite strong and some dust moved but sun shone all day. I got breakfast, baked bread and washed at our car, not much of a job done. LeMoyne and Thomas chored and cleaned the barn. Mrs. Chauncey brought Mr. and went back home right away. Will and Mr. worked at Shed until near noon, then we all went to Sale east of Old Abbott place, we came home to chore and eat supper. Will bought oats at Kounovsky’s sale so went to store to see if Stanley would haul them tomorrow.

1946 March 18th Monday

Cloudy most of the day, snowed some last night, was nearly 40 above in p.m. I had to lie down at near noon until Will came to eat at 1 p.m. after he and Van Epps gave cattle hay and cubes and fed calves. Van Epps went home for the day. I got eats, wrote in diary, listened to radio, played solitaire, read some. Will chored and read a lot today. We thawed snow for battery water for coming year. Will chored in eve early as snow and none too pleasant outside, he read and listened to radio. Dolly Swanson Furrey went by on horseback to her School at Harry Furrey’s where she stays. Marjorie never went to school today.

1956 March 18th Sunday

Bright, nice day. Louise got a nice supper of Chicken, Gravy, potatoes, dressing, Salad made by Mary, 2 banana-filled pies. I made Jello but Mary finished it by adding fruit mixture. No one came so I laid down in p.m. and slept and slept. Louise and Mary went for a walk to North Tenant house and to barn. When Northwest wind would strike them it was so chilly they came back and we played pitch and casino until eve. They got fuel and eggs. Janis’s went to O’Kreek and back at 5:30 p.m so chored at barn, and Louise gave Vere some eggs and called him the City Boy going for eggs as he was going to coop and shed, and Mary had eggs here, so he got their share. We get 1/2 to give Thomas’s some for milk.

March 17

1926 March 17th Wednesday

Hazy morn & strong N.W. wind in a.m. and bright but not pleasant St. Patrick’s Day on account of wind until in p.m. real nice. Louise to school and home real early as sun high since days longer. William went for horses and had dinner at Elshires and home in p.m. Mr. A. Elshire came over and killed 2 horses for the hogs towards eve. I put eggs in the incubator and made pumpkin pie and the other work. Will went to Menz’s and got the wagon and took the buggy home and in p.m. cleaned the barn. Fred Menz & Mrs. Raymond Knight came for some eggs to set in incubator. Several cars went by this day. LeMoyne came for medicine as Leo & Seth are sick, and brought some meat.

1936 March 17th Saturday

This is St. Patrick’s Day and Birthday of American Legion, 17 years ago in Paris. Sun shone until evening clouded, was cool and a few clouds all day. I got meals and baked custard-pies and slept in p.m. for a long time as I am all in from our trip to Tripp and Gregory Counties yesterday and we had a late supper, for Thomas and LeMoyne put 6 loads of hay in big-stack on Hampls and brought one home and put it in the barn, then fed the cattle a load of cane, for they all came down to the gate near the barn. Mr. Chauncey and Will worked on the shed to-day and talked to the Inspector who came to inspect Fritz at Lattimore’s and Bill Smith at Strids.

1946 March 17th Sunday

Snowed quite a bit last night and to-day, stopped late p.m. This is St. Patrick’s Day. I got meals, laid down in p.m., played solitaire, listened to radio, played rummy and pitch with Will. Van Epps came in p.m. and they gave cattle hay and fed calves grain and hay. I popped corn in eve and drank some beer so went to bed with stomach pains. Will chored and indoors most day.

1956 March 17h Saturday

St. Patrick’s Day. Bright, nice day. Chester, Ellen, Elaine, Darryl and I went in our car to Mission to call Otis O’Neill as he said that he would help us with whatever he could do, so Will may be at Valentine on Train coming from East between 9 and 10 a.m. but day went by and no Will. Men gave cattle 2 Stacks hay this day but staid home this eve, so Louise, Mary and I were alone. Mary and I played pitch as Louise is tired, read and went to sleep in Big Chair so to get ready for Bed, so we quit and Mary went to the bed to take off all the bedding and mattress and Louise fixed the catches. Louise and Mary ironed a lot of clothes.

March 16th

1926 March 16th Tuesday

Bright but cold South wind. Will & I went to Menz’s, got buggy and on to O’Kreek and made 21 applications for pasture lease and saw Dorians and home in eve, went via Haukaas’s also. William got hay this morning and was at Tom’s when we got home, just returned. The Men fixed incubator this morning so I arranged the regulator this eve. Louise to school and was starting to chore when we got home. Some men went through the yard.

1936 March 16th Monday

Quite a few small clouds passed all day, S.W. wind changed to N.W. Sun shone all day and a beautiful sun-set but colder. A sprinkle or only a few drops of rain on wind-shield down north of Hugh Smith’s north of Dallas, for Will and I left at 10 a.m., to Clearfield, then to the Bernie Daugherty Farm to see about getting 80 head of cattle to pasture but only a man there as Mr. was with Mrs. in Sioux City where she is having an operation, then to Winner, ate dinner, then to sale pavilion where Will saw Cliff Smith and Earl Adrians, then to Hugh Smith’s road where Mr. and a truck man were trying to get a truck of wheat out of the mud. Then to Oscar Lundstrom’s 1 1/2 miles north of Dixon, Gregory Co., S. Dak., back to Winner, then to Chas. Ellis where he not home, that was about 10 miles N.W. of Winner, ate Supper, then home at 9 p.m. Frank came in last night so he had to go to White River so after helping LeMoyne put hay in hay-mow, he left for Lattimore’s for all time, will no more work here as he will farm at Lattimores this year, so Will went to Chaunceys but Roy was husking corn for Dan Southwick so he got Thomas Whiting and Thomas and LeMoyne put 4 loads of hay in stack and brought 1 to the barn, then chored and got supper. Knute Strid and Bill Smith came to have Will and I witness a farm-lease between Knute and Oscar Strid and Bill Smith, they went home at 9:30 a.m. so then Will and I hurried to get ready to leave for Tripp County.  Saw some large dirt drifts from the dust-storms of last couple years, north of H. Smith’s and east of Winner, where were the worst.

Near Dallas, South Dakota, 1936

Dallas, South Dakota, 1936

1946 March 16th Saturday

Rained and changed to snow in eve. Men fed cattle and Van Epps ate dinner then went to Kleins with his cream and eggs but no mail as train late. He broke axle to his car so a long time coming back. Van Epps were at a program at Kleins School last night. Will and I usual choring, eats and rest.

1956 March 16th Friday

Bright day. Chester and Vere gave cattle hay and broke clamps and cable, so Chester, Ellen, Elaine went to Valentine, got them from John Harvey, charged until Will gets home. A letter says he will be released to-day from Clarkson Hospital and home next week. Men gave cattle hay and took Darryl, David, Jimmie Whiting to school. Vere got Darryl and boys late p.m., also the mail. Louise and Mary baked 10 pies and 2 crusts to be filled as Banana Pies. There are 20 pies in deep freeze now, apple, cherry, strawberry, raisin, blueberry and pumpkin

March 15th

1926 March 15th Monday

Bright but N.W. wind cool and quite strong at times and real dark night. Will went to Snyder and on to O’Kreek and to Rosebud to see what land was leased north-east and late eve as he came horse-back, on to Rosebud from O’Kreek. William helped the Bailey Brothers, Guy & Ray, get in a small mule and take same home after dinner. Mr. Menz came and also went home in p.m., 2 young men from Winner came to look at Haisch horse and went right back. Louise to school and washed her hair in eve. Mr. Coyner & son Pete and Abe Elshire here to-day. I did ordinary work and my shoulder pained so I laid down in p.m. and fixed some els to set in eve.

1936 March 15th Sunday

A beautiful morning but clouds, colder, a N.W. wind toward noon and continued about same all day. I got meals, played solitaire and in eve LeMoyne and I played rummy. After choring, Frank went to Lattimores for the day, and LeMoyne and Will went to store, took Thomas along to 20 miles towards Valentine, got 2 roosters for Ben and left them there and 5 for us. Home for dinner at 2 p.m.

1946 March 15th Friday

Cloudy, misty, but Will got in water and we washed clothes. Will took out water and we left clothes indoors & I hung dark ones to dry by heater. I got meals, laid down in p.m., played solitaire, read some. Van Epps went home before dinner and he hauled out some manure first. Abbott came for his horse and he and Will took our eggs to Whiting Store, got groceries and mail, a lot of it.

1956 March 15th Thursday

Bright Day. Men gave cattle hay. Vere stayed here and Harry, Billie & Harley, so Harley & Vere went for mail, a letter from Will. Louise washed Big Wash. Athel & Patty brought Big Wash, took home today. Billie Abbott came to see cattle on Horseback. Janis’s except Darryl went to Winner to get groceries for them and us.

March 14th

1926 March 14th Saturday

Cold N.W. wind, cloudy and snow a little at times all day. We all got up late, in fact was nearly noon when the work was finished so Louise & I made cake and fudge and the men, Will and William, ate it but we had our share. William cut Louise’s hair in p.m. and we all then played cards as it was too cold for Louise to go to Tom’s to teach catechism.

1936 March 14th Saturday

N.W. wind blew quite strong, some clouds colder and a flurry of snow in p.m. so Frank and LeMoyne put 4 loads of hay in Stack on Hampl land and brought a jag home on account of wind, they took lunch. I got meals, played solitaire and sewed together 28 Durham sacks for 2 covers for 3 gallons of lard and 2 gallons of tallow. Will made a lot of progress on shed. We listened to Oglala vs. Bridgewater play for finals at Huron and it finished at 10 p.m. so Mr. Chauncey went home. The score of game 22 to 24 in favor of Oglala. I heard game in afternoon between Oglala vs. Harrisburg, Oglala won.

1946 March 14th Thursday

Partly cloudy. Will chored and Van Epps and Will and Abbott cut out 7 mares, 3 geldings and Van Epps team, but Webster did not come to buy. Roy and Babe Drey and Mrs. Abbott came to buy a sorrel mare. Abbott worked at training his saddle horse got from us.

1956 March 14th Wednesday

A little cloudy but no moisture and sun shone again. Elaine came up to play with Mary and Ellen in p.m. and helped Louise finish cleaning our room and dusted mattress and springs on Will’s bed. I wrote Will. Chester mailed letter at Klein Corner when he took David, Jimmie and Darryl to school and he got them and the mail at 4 p.m., a letter from Will.

March 13th

1926 March 13th Saturday

Cloudy and snow from the S.W. and quite cold and sun shone only at times in p.m. Henry Arcoren & Will fixed the mangers in barn and in p.m. Will, Henry & William started to fix the ice-house and after supper William took Ernest to Richard Elshire home as they came this p.m. on a visit and folks not sure they were here. Will & I retired early and William spent eve at Abe Elshire’s and Henry Arcoren went to play for Tom’s Dance in the new store and E. A. Elshire came for Louise to dance also. Louise cleaned rooms and ironed clothes and did ordinary work as my shoulder still pains. John Wisenberger came in p.m.

1936 March 13th Friday

Strong North wind, quite chilly, a few clouds. I washed clothes, for the boys got water in. Will went to the store and mailed a letter to Joe H. May, Valentine, for he and another man were out here yesterday to insure the buildings. I also hung out part of the clothes and mopped the floors. Will hung part of them and brought all in. It was too windy so Frank, LeMoyne and Will worked at the Shed and Will went to Browns but Mr. was sick so he talked to Chaunceys on their way to Valentine and Mr. will come tomorrow so Ben walked over and they all worked in p.m. LeMoyne and Frank just before noon gave the cattle some cane.

1946 March 13th Wednesday

Bright warm day. Will and Van Epps gave cattle hay after Will chored and Van Epps went home. Will and I to Rosebud, had dinner at Old Hollenback Cafe. I to clinic. Will went to Board Meeting of Selective Service, also he, Chester Lambert, wife and Jennie Colombe went to a fire by fair grounds. Mrs. Lambert and Jennie Colombe are secretaries at Draft Office. I saw Mrs. Wm Colombe at Clinic. We picked up an Indian Girl at Hill leaving Rosebud and she wanted a smoke. Will said he had only tobacco. I told her to eat an Orange, which she did and when she got out at Mission, she put sack under her arm and later was carrying it down the street. We had malted milk at Hoffine’s, got ice-cream and groceries and came home to chore and supper. Van Epps and Abbott put horses from Big Pasture to River Pasture.

1956 March 13th Tuesday

Bright, cold. Vere and Chester gave cattle hay and Louise washed some things, put them on porch line and got them in, in eve. Started to snow from N.W. but quit so no snow on clothes. Ellen washed and put her clothes on line at home. Chester took David, Jimmie & Darryl to school and got them at 4 p.m. Louise and Mary took looked at things out of closet under steps to go upstairs and these are out in den. Usual eats for us. Billie Abbott brought mail from Will written on Sunday by himself and lines over each other, and one written by Grey Lady and said that Will had a beautiful room, Pink Walls and Venetian Blinds to Match. Will’s eye is better and his hearing is being treated also. Ellen came up in p.m. Mary & Elaine played sleeping in bath-tub.

March 12

1926 March 12th Friday

Was cloudy, for snowed a little in night and flurries this morning, real cold forenoon, a little warmer but not pleasant in p.m. although bright and snappy. Will, Glen, Henry and William separated the horses. Glen took them in p.m. to Mission and Will helped him and came home and put broncos in barn and chored. William & Henry went to Hidden Timber Store in the p.m. Louise to school and finished her monthly report this eve. I made bread and did the ordinary work as my shoulder still pains. Several pupils have had colds. Some cars went and one had frozen radiator.

1936 March 12th Thursday

Bright, nice day and warm. I got meals and hemmed some dish-towels, played solitaire. Frank got 2 loads hay on Hampl Land, gave cattle cane. Will and LeMoyne went to Royal Union Sale on Antelope Creek South of Mission. Thomas Whiting, Harold Wheeler and Wm Abbott went along from the Store, they got stuck at Grans coming home.

1946 March 12th Tuesday

Bright, hot day. Will chored and he and Van Epps gave cattle hay. Van Epps went home to have Bud Whiting get corn at Pailing. Will and I to Bartleson’s Sale to Carter. Harry at Sedlaceks Sale. Home for eve, went back to Abbots first to tell him to get in horses from Big Pasture tomorrow.

1956 March 12th Monday

Bright day. Vere and Chester fed cattle and swept a road to hay lot and North barn to up hill to Klein Pasture, on to Thomas’s and cleaned a little there, to store and back. I mailed letters by him. No school. Louise cleaned cupboard in pantry. I started to clean our room by picking up things. Mary does jobs also. Janis’s not here to stay, just up to get meat.

March 11

1926 March 11th Thursday

Bright forenoon and N.W. wind quite strong and dusty, clouded middle p.m. and cold wind in eve. Louise to school and in eve gathered several sacks of cobs. William, Will & Glen went for horses and Henry after he and Roland came from Knoskeys dance, went to help them, and Roland went to Jacksons at East Camp. I hung out the clothes but was real windy and dusty so brought them in just before a sprinkle. I made a cake and fussed at cooking. Curt Elshire came for his horse. Tom came early morn on way to Menz’s to catch him before Winner trip.

1936 March 11th Wednesday

Ground was white with snow but sun shone, a N.W. wind and clouds, so snow melted. I got meals and not much else but play solitaire. After choring, Will and Frank went to Lattimore’s, got Curtis Wood and Mr. Lattimore, then on to Ed’s got Rena and Yvonne, left them at Mission and others went to Rosebud where Frank made application to lease Curtis Wood’s farm. They came to O’Kreek, got our battery and left Curtis Wood there to hitch-hike home to North of Witten. LeMoyne got a load of hay on Hampl Land and in p.m. after cleaning barn they all worked at Shed.

1946 March 11th Monday

Bright, nice day. Will chored and Van Epps came so they fed and caked cattle, drank coffee and Van Epps went home. I got meals, laid down in p.m. and am still having pains in stomach, played solitaire, read, so did Will in p.m.

1956 March 11th Sunday

Sun shone. Men gave cattle hay and Janis’s were up in p.m. Chester and Louise played Mary and I, and Ellen kept score. They beat us, 3 to 1. Will is at Omaha Clarkson Hospital Room 529, did not hear from him on account of storm, snow at Omaha. Louise & Mary baked pies and they ate some for lunch and put some in freezer.

March 10

1926 March 10th Wednesday

Was a nice day after cloudy morn and cold N. Wind, last night about 10 p.m. there was some sleet fell so Will got up to get in cows & calves, waded River for one calf, got feet wet and broke lantern on old cow. The men finished corral and separated horses. Tom and Joe Story, Roland Wilcutts, Henry Arcoren, Glen McEachran, Will and William did the work. Mr. & Mrs. Menz, Ada & Delilia came for eve. Mr. to the store. Louise to school and she and Delilia worked in eve. I washed clothes. 2 men from Valentine here to see Tom.

1936 March 10th Tuesday

Sun shone in a.m. but wind from N.W. blew so hard that dust moved and clouds also until late p.m. began to snow and was wet and colder at bed-time and still it snowed. I got meals, baked bread, finished Will’s pants and made a belt for my black velvet dress and slept 2 hours in p.m. and played solitaire. LeMoyne chored and got a load of hay on Hampl Land, put it in round-corral chute for wind brake and some on big-stack, moved the lumber from gate to shed and put some corn in barn from cribbing in yard. Fritz went to N.E. Witten and got Curtis Wood, took him to Lattimore’s and he came here for the night. Henry came but he couldn’t do anything alone so went home and brought our mail in p.m. Will went to Valentine, back at 5 p.m., he then got some water by priming the well as LeMoyne couldn’t get any at noon.

1946 March 10th Saturday

Bright but cool. I got breakfast for Will and he chored, took me to 8:30 a.m. Mass. I went to communion. I went to J. H. Tate’s with Grans. Will came home to feed calves and get ready to come to Tates with Mr. and Mrs. We went to O’Kreek to Wilbur Miller home to Legion Meeting in basement of schoolhouse which is the dining room for Indian Day School pupils. It is a nice place with tables, benches, hot and cold water, sewage drain out of the building but toilets are outside. Eats were baked beans with lots of bacon, roast beef, macaroni with meat, potato salad, cottage cheese, vegetable stew, several dishes of vegetables and meats, pickles, sandwiches, cream and coffee, cakes of nearly a dozen varieties, cookies, Jell-O, fruit salad, pie. Men went upstairs in classroom and women in basement. We came home via Roundy’s at Walcutts place to tell Dolly Furrey to go to Elmer Chancey’s for Billy Furrey has the mumps, but she was gone to Harry Furrey’s. We left Tates at home, on to here to chore, eat a lunch and rest.

1956 March 10th Saturday

Cloudy, snowy, sun shone towards eve. Billie Abbott came horse-back and said that snow was up to belly on horse in places but again not too deep so horse could plow through. Chester and Vere gave cattle hay and put a cow in barn to calf and let the Big herd in yard. Janis’s were up and Ellen went home to get dinner and told Elaine to come for dinner but she wouldn’t and cried and cried so we scolded her and she went to yard gate and cried so Mary took her to their gate. We fixed the Plastic Curtains I got yesterday for front-room and bath. No mail so Men didn’t get out, only to look at cattle.

March 9

1926 March 9th Tuesday

Bright and not cold but East breeze quite strong and in eve clouded. Will went to Lew Haukaas’s and returned mid-afternoon and started to work on corral, and William, Glen McEachran and Henry Arcoren helped him after they came in with horses which took nearly all day to round in, so we had early supper, for they had dinner. Mr. Menz came this morning and went back when Will went to Haukaas’s. Louise to school and glad for early supper as her lunch slim. I finished the lard and made bread & a real tart plum pie.

1936 March 9th Monday

Bright nice day and night are real warm for winter bedding. I got meals, started to hem Will’s everyday pants, and Rena, Clarence and Robert Roubideaux came so we went up-stairs and cleaned boys room and picked up junk and she took a box full home to make a rug of rags. I talked a lot to-day and found out a lot, too. LeMoyne scraped the new cattle shed ground level and did the chores, they also went to Bill Smith’s on Strids and got him and a post hole digger and Frank got a fresno at dam at Hidden Timber and then he took Bill Smith back home to get his Sunday clothes and they went to White River to get a resettlement loan and Frank stopped after he took Smith home in eve, then went back to Lattimores for the night. Henry Arcoren sat at home until near noon waiting for Bill Smith to take him to Mission, as he went with Frank and never told Henry. Henry came at noon to work on the shed and he got his frozen potatoes out of basement and only a small paper sack full left as they were all spoiled.

1946 March 9th Saturday

Sun shone and we got up late and Will was all in from his trip yesterday but chored and helped Van Epps feed cattle hay and cake. I got meals and laid down for my stomach hurts but played solitaire, listened to radio, read in eve for Will got mail at Van Epps in eve as he went home before dinner to go to Kleins to trade and got mail.

1956 March 9th Friday

Snowed last night but it went in a hurry, sun shone at times but then cloudy and midday sun shining so we had a nice shopping at Valentine via Mission and got real cloudy and started to snow in eve but we got home, picked up Doris at Mission where she boards to go to High School. When we got here Athel & Doris went home at once as she came this morning in her car and Ellen put it in Garage as no Prestone in Radiator. She said if a letter is at P.O. she would bring it down as Will is fair and I am anxious to hear but she did not come as snow got bad. Chester went to look at cattle after dinner and did not com back so Ellen got Darryl at Thomas’s for Thomas is at Winner with calves to sell. Ellen, Louise and Mary cleaned Pantry, Hall to Basement and North Porch. Elaine just played. I am all in from trip to Valentine. Chester got Vere at O’Kreek and they started back through Hills, got stuck, went back to Paulsen, on to 18. Ellen & children met them, on to O’Kreek. Snowed awful, so to see Pick Up and their car come back in snow was a blessing. Pearl Whiting visited this a.m. with girls.