February 17

1926 February 17th Wednesday

Cloudy Ash Wednesday and cold North wind all day, and real cold towards evening. Louise to school and William took over some cobs in p.m., so she came home with him, and he then went to C. Elshire’s place on Moore Creek, and drove out our horses. Will isn’t all well but better, and went outside a little. Abe Elshire went to O’Kreek and brought our mail in evening, and it was greatly welcomed. I did not feel good, so only cooked the meals. Cecil Roundy came when we retired and sold his corn to Will.

1936 February 17th Monday

Sun shone all day but N.W. wind blew quite hard and piled snow in drifts about 8 ft. N.W. of house and well is nearly covered and was real cold. The men chored and gave stock hay and stayed indoors until late p.m., gave cattle cane and chored. I got meals and sewed on dress.

1946 February 17th Sunday

Bright, nice day. Will chored. I got breakfast and we went to Furrey’s. Harry had a blood vessel break in his eye Feb. 5th during snow storm but it is a little better now and Harley had mumps last week. We had a nice dinner there. Have to chore in eve, stopped at Abbotts and they are okay. W. L. will be home from Sioux Falls tomorrow.

1956 February 17th Friday

Bright, usual cold. Men fed cattle and Janis’s to Rosebud but did not bring Darryl home as he has a fever, and came home 8 p.m. Usual eats, read and play solitaire. Darryl will be home Monday.

February 16

1926 February 16th Tuesday

Was a nice day and warm but sun set in a cloud. William went down south and got horses. Will still laying around and visited with Jake Wisenberger, Jr., also Fred Menz stopped on way home from Tom’s. Yesterday John Carr traded turkeys, and Friday Ray Carr and Jackson, who bought East Camp, stopped to buy pigs. Louise to school and I washed clothes and so slow all day.

1936 February 16th Sunday

A S.E. wind and snowing all day, changed to N.E. towards eve. I got meals and baked a white cake for LeMoyne’s 21st Birthday. Read stories and played cards. The men gave cattle hay and finished choring and Frank went horseback on Alabam to Lattimores to spend the day, back at 4 p.m. Will and LeMoyne went in dump cart to the store, drove Prince and Pete and went south, between the rivers and back the old road east of store. Tom and Stanley had some tough trip to Winner but got back Friday night with groceries and coal.

1946 February 16th Saturday

Fair day and the usual round of work, for Will and Van Epps fed stock and I am not so well. Van Epps went home to take his cream to Kleins and get mail, so Will got it in eve at Van Epps. 3 meals, played solitaire, read and listened to Radio. Will to Valentine this p.m. in a hurry to get necessities for fear of storm.

1956 February 16th Thursday

Bright, cold. Usual feeding of cattle and caking. Janis’s went to O’Kreek this eve to call to see if Darryl could come home tomorrow. Men to go up to mail letters.

February 15

1926 February 15th Monday

Bright and warmer than yesterday. William hauled a load and Will was sick with a load on lungs all day. Dave went home to St. Francis at noon on horseback. Louise to school and I did ordinary work. Mr. Menz passes hauling lumber, for C. Elshire’s new improvement on Moore Creek.

1936 February 15th Saturday

Sun shone all day but was cold. I got meals, baked bread and Frank turned the churns at noon so I finished the butter in a hurry, also mopped front-room and took a bath. Will chored, watered stock, loaded manure and put all the paint into cans so it could be put away. Henry Arcoren came for 1 gal. of sugar as there isn’t any at the store. Tom Stanley and Pat Karnes went to Winner Thursday for groceries and not back last eve when Henry came home. Frank and LeMoyne gave cattle a load of hay and cane, put one load hay in chute near round-corral and 2 loads left on racks.

1946 February 15th Friday

Bright, nice, got to 56 above, a southwest breeze was 30 when I got up so not cold. I got meals. Will helped me at noon, for Van Epps stayed for dinner, then Will and he doped a yr. steer for lice. They put a yr. heifer in barn yesterday for she has diarrhea. They fed cattle hay, cleaned barn, then went to start Van Epps’ car, which, with a new coil, went off. Marjorie walked to school this a.m. Will laid down in his bed this p.m. instead of on front-room davenport. I listened to radio, played solitaire and not much else. Van Epps got Marjorie in eve, for his car goes now.

1956 February 15th Wednesday

Bright, cold and men gave cattle and both went to store to mail letters. Athel came with milk and got a few eggs as we don’t have many. Usual eats, rest and card playing and Janis’s were up and we visited a little. Athel went home as she didn’t stay long. I gave her the usual from frying and lard.

February 14

1926 February 14th Sunday

A cold N.W. wind, snowed in night and some this a.m., but sun shone in p.m. and real cold. Will is still sick but he and Dave hauled a load of hay in the morning, and in the p.m. stayed indoors, and William went to Tom’s, but no mail so in the evening Louise and I played cards. We had chicken and some cake today, and spent the day visiting. Fred Menz and Gale, Ethel and Marcella went back to Boarding School.

1936 February 14th Friday

Sun shone in a.m. but it snowed from S.E. in p.m. and was cold, so Will went to store, came back and put some paper on our door. He went horseback on Tennessee, also a Bolin boy went by on way to store. Will watered stock in a.m. Frank and LeMoyne put one stack of hay at S.E. corner of corral and hauled rest to cattle and left a load on rack. They get this hay north of the barn. I got meals and hemmed 1 outing sheet and 10 dish-towels.

1946 February 14th Thursday

St. Valentine’s Day. Bright but not too warm, Northwest breeze. I got meals, laid down in p.m., played solitaire, listened to Radio, played rummy and pitch with Will in eve. Will and Van Epps fed cattle hay and Van Epps walked from junk hole, for his car quit, and Will and he went up after feeding stock to pull it home and Will came back for dinner. A cow of Van Epps’ got hung up in feed rack and died. He skinned and dragged her out with tractor. He and Will in our car went for Marjorie but she walked home.

1956 February 14th Tuesday

Valentine’s Day. Partly cloudy and cold. Men fed cattle and a man came for Elaine & Ellen and took them to O’Kreek and Wood and Rosebud, and Darryl operated on tonsils and 2 teeth pulled out in front but he ate supper and Chester got them at O’Kreek in eve. Will and I as usual, eats and played cards and rested.

February 13

1926 February 13th Saturday

Was a little cloudy all day and S.E. wind. Dave and Will hauled hay and in p.m. Will went with Oscar Haisch and Mr. Friescolme (Barringer Credit Man) to look at Haisch Horses. They left for home, and Will and William and Dave went to Hidden Timber Store after William drove horses out of hay. He feels better today. Dick Schmidt stopped awhile this a.m. Mr. and Mrs. A. Elshire and baby Howard and Fred and Gale, Ethel and Marcella Menz were here last evening. Louise cleaned rooms and washed clothes. I made bread and gathered a few cobs in evening.

1936 February 13th Thursday

Sun shone in a.m. then at mid-day the N.W. wind rose, drifted snow and was real cold but sun would shine at times. The men chored then Frank and LeMoyne gave cattle hay and hauled one load to the hay-stack and Henry stacked it at S.E. corner of corral. Will watered the stock in a.m. then the wind blew so hard and snow drifted so that Frank and LeMoyne hauled a load of manure to under east porch near basement hall, for everything is freezing in basement, some jars of canned stuff broken or cracked on account of freeze so Will put paper on hall-door and he laid on davenport in p.m. for he had a headache and it was a nervous sick one so Bromo-Seltzer helped him and he helped chore in eve. LeMoyne and Frank got some more thinner cattle in barn-yard and gave them a load of cane and nearly froze. I got meals and hemmed outing flannel sheets.

1946 February 13th Wednesday

Sun shone Bright, was Zero this morning but got to 31 above in p.m. I had a sore throat and headache so never went to Lew Haukaas’s funeral at O’Kreek. Will went and he came back at 4 p.m. so was a short funeral and a lot of folks there, also relatives. Ed, Rena and Edward and Tom Whiting there. Van Epps takes Marjorie to school, came here to drink coffee then he and Will fed cattle hay and he went home. Will put all the Big pieces of Monday’s wash on line. I went out later and changed pieces so that sun shines on them all, also got in 4 sacks of cobs, wrote in diary, got the meals, never laid down as I said Rosary at hour of Lew Haukaas’s Funeral. I am drying some small pieces indoors.

1956 February 13th Monday

Bright and Men fed cattle and Ellen and Elaine stayed home. W. J. and Chester took the Sprayer back to McKees to store in his barn and went via Store and West road, stopped at Thomas’s, no one home so did not get Milk and came home. Ellen came up this p.m. I got eats and played solitaire and we played cards in eve.

February 12

1926 February 12th Friday

Was a nice day. Will was sick with the grippe and a bad cold, so indoors today. William chored some and Dave helped him some. Louise to school this Lincoln’s Birthday, also Valentines exchanged and Louise got several from her pupils. I did ordinary work and cooked the meals.

1936 February 12th Wednesday

Sun shone in forenoon but p.m. began to snow from N.E. Henry Arcoren came for potatoes and his were partly frozen so he took a few home and when the boys got hay on Old Lodge Land yesterday they took the balance of potatoes he had in paper sack and some beef to them. Frank and he took a load to him, they get this hay north of barn on hay-flat. Will and LeMoyne and Ben Clausen who walked over before noon cut an ingrown horn off a heifer, then Will watered stuff, put some paper on hall and Pantry windows and Frank and LeMoyne put a load of hay on rack that they got at this same stack north of barn and gave cattle cane in eve. I got meals and canned 4 qts. frozen Arcoren potatoes last eve and 10 this p.m. Will sealed them all.

1946 February 12th Tuesday

Lincoln’s Birthday. Sun shone but was cold. I got meals, played solitaire, listened to radio, and read some, also visited with Will. Hank Haukaas came to tell us that Lew Haukaas died at Omaha and was to be buried Tomorrow at O’Kreek at 2 p.m. Van Epps stayed for dinner after he and Will fed cattle hay. Hank drank coffee at noon, then went to Ed and Tom Whiting’s to tell them about the funeral. Will stayed indoors awhile late p.m. then chored and I washed my feet before dark so we had a late supper of toast, eggs and cream of wheat, then the radio programs, read and played solitaire.

1956 February 12th Sunday

Was bright and Chester gave cattle hay alone as Will is in bed all this day but I made Custard and fried Beef Steak and Will ate some. Janis’s went to Rosebud this p.m. to see Darryl, getting ready for Tonsil Removal. Will and I played some cards this eve and Janis’s came home this eve.

February 11

1926 February 11th Thursday

A real strong south wind but bright and cool. Ed came horseback, and he and Will and Dave went to Hawkins sale, 10 miles east of here, and were home early in evening. William was at home still under the weather. Louise to school and I did ordinary work.

1936 February 11th Tuesday

Sun shone in a.m. but a S.E. wind brought snow in p.m. The men chored and Frank and LeMoyne got 2 loads of hay from Old Lodge Place, gave cattle one in a.m. and p.m. put one in the barn and gave the cattle a load of cane. Will watered the stock in a.m. and went on Tennessee in p.m. to the Whiting Store but all he could get was 1/2 gal. white syrup, for Tom’s are nearly sold out on account of the deep snow. There are no open roads and people go in wagons, horseback or afoot. Those at store to-day were Messrs. Long, Keopp, Mannhurst,  Lewis, Schneiderweit, Horton, Spencer, Klein, Wheeler, Zeitner and Will. Those that tried to get through to mail towards Valentine were Klein, Wheeler and Thomas Whiting but they couldn’t get past south of Wheelers. I got meals, sewed on outing Flannel Sheets.

1946 February 11th Monday

Partly cloudy, cold. I got meals, laid down in p.m. for Will got in water, tried to start washing machine after breakfast but no go so he went when Van Epps came to feed cattle to help him self out hay. When they finished Van Epps went home and Will came in to start machine, which he did and he took out water and I finished all but rinse before we ate at noon, then rinsed and Will took out Machine. I packed clothes for the night. Only hung the colored and some of my underwear by heater to dry. Will stayed indoors awhile late p.m.

1956  February 11th Saturday

Bright, nice day so Men gave cattle hay and cake and Janis’s went to O’Kreek and Winner to Shop and get groceries, back to O’Kreek to help Della get supper and washed dishes, then home at 8:30 p.m. Ted & boys stay there and go home tomorrow to Rapid City. Yesterday Chester ground corn and I was alone, a car came, was dark green. It was at Thomas’s when we went from Store to Abbotts and met it going East of Kleins when we came. Chester never came to house to see what he wanted. Will mopped kitchen and had to lay down, got in only fuel and no eggs nor fed calves milk by letting cows in to them.

February 10

1926 February 10th Wednesday

Bright but windy. Will got straw for ice after Ed came and skinned another horse. Leo came along. Fred Menz brought Lawrence Sears here this evening, then ran off a tire east of here. Louise to school and William feels bad yet. Dave Whiting came from St. Francis on horseback. I did ordinary work and made bread.

1936 February 10th Monday

Sun shone, no wind and was warmer. I got meals and sewed on Gray everyday dress, finished it. The men chored and Will watered cattle all day and Frank and LeMoyne got 2 loads of hay on Old Lodge Land and gave both loads to cattle and also some cane late p.m.

1946 February 10th Sunday

After a cool morning, bright, nice day but when in Northwest breeze was chilly. Will did the chores and we went to Tates, got him and went to Mission to Legion Auxiliary Meeting at Mission Hall. Over 100 Ex-Service Men World War II, Legionnaire, Auxiliary Members, Supt. C. R. Whitlock, Mr. and Mrs. John Larson of Midland, S.D. Larson is Dist. Commander. Lots of eats and took a long time to have the ceremonials but we got home at dark. Will chored, we ate a light supper but Will got a mince-pie at Hoffine’s. I ate too much so got sick at bed-time. Van Epps went to Chauncey’s Sr. to-day, not home in eve. Wm Abbott went with Neal Chauncey to Winner last eve and he will go with Harry Hansen to Vermillion.

1956 February 10th Friday

Bright and feed was given by men to cattle and Ted Wright and boys came to stay at Janis’s and went away this p.m. Ellen washed clothes yesterday. Will and I went to mail letter, got mail and milk at Thomas’s, then Will had to rest. He washed dishes. We went to Abbotts and Men getting hay and Mrs. cleaning geese. Ellen & Elaine went to Rosebud, took Darryl to Hospital and he will have tonsils out Monday.

January 9

1926 February 9th Tuesday

A bright day and warmer. Ed, Rena, Leo, Edward, and Charlotte came today to school and William still feels bad, but in the evening he helped Will get a load of hay and went all in. Will talked to visitors today for Menz came for a load of bones. John Wisenberger and Dick Schmidt also were here. I did ordinary work.

1936 February 9th Sunday

Still cold. Sun shone but wind blew and moved some snow until p.m. when it was all packed and none to move but was drifted so men shoveled the coop-door so as to feed chickens, they gave stock cane and alfalfa and chored in a.m. Will had a headache so laid down in p.m. and never went to chore in eve but emptied out as much wasted stuff as he could for everything was real frozen. I got meals, played one game rummy with LeMoyne, then popped corn and made fudge.

1946 February 9th Saturday

Bright, nice day. I got meals, laid down in p.m., played solitaire, read some, visited with Jay H. Tate who came in Pick Up and got his fanning mill. Will and Van Epps went to Abbotts, helped W. L. put a load hay in barn then W. L. cut Will’s hair, they came back at noon, then Tate drank coffee with them and he went home and I got dinner. Will and W. D. fed cattle and ate dinner at 3 p.m. then W. D. went home. They cleaned barn yesterday after feeding cattle so Will stayed indoors this p.m.

1956 February 9th Thursday

Bright day. Men fed cattle and I worked at feed bunks yesterday so this p.m. Stanley came in and brought saddle horse but did not unload him. They sprayed some cows, calves & bulls for lice then Ellen helped me give them beef sandwiches, coffee, pickles and ice-cream. Chester took Darryl to School and got him this eve. I got eats and played solitaire and with Will in eve.

February 8

1926 February 8th Monday

A strong N.W. wind, clouds, sleet and snow later part of day and quite cold all day. Mr. and Mrs. D. Schmidt went to O’Kreek and home in evening with our mail. Will and I went to Hidden Timber to get some groceries and that meat we bought off Mr. Totton, and approach to Tom’s bridge washed out, so we broke our buggy right, that is the tongue, and all in all Will got peeved. Louise to school and William helped her cross night and morning. A man from Ainsworth came to buy horses, he came from Tom’s.

1936 February 8th Saturday

Another cold day. Snow moved from N.W. but none fell. Sun shone in p.m. for awhile. I got meals, baked bread and cinnamon rolls for I made butter last eve. The men chored, gave cattle cane and alfalfa, they then cleaned wash-room cupboard and the shelf on dish-cupboard. We played rummy in eve.

1946 February 8th Friday

Cloudy and looked stormy at times but no snow here. I got meals, laid down in p.m., played solitaire, listened to radio. Van Epps and Will fed cattle hay and after dinner Will fixed a gate that light colored bull broke down this noon and he and Van Epps got bull back after Will went to Store, got mail, and Van Epps went with Carl Gehlsen for he walked down from Van Epps at noon and Elsie helped me get dinner for she and Billie came with W. Daniel this forenoon. Carl left his truck at Van Epps and got a roan milk cow from Van Epps to milk. Elsie swept front-room and washed dishes and mopped kitchen, then they went home. W. D. took Marjorie to school and she walked home in eve.

1956 February 8th Wednesday

Bright day. Men fed cattle, worked at feed bunks, and Will and I went to Stanley’s, no one home. From Stanley’s to bunks to feed calves & bulls. Stanley and Pearl home, but Stanley came in from Thomas’s where Dick, Carmen Harp, Thomas, Dick Chauncey, Chas. McCormick vaccinated for Bang’s Disease or Brucellosis the last yr. calves. We brought Dave and Jimmie home, also Darryl, Ted, Della, Jean Marie and 2 small sons of Ted’s went to see their mother at Rosebud.