1926 June 2nd Wednesday

A little sprinkle of rain in a.m., very cold N.E. breeze all day but bright in p.m. I made bread, fussed with poultry and ordinary work. George & William to Moores and put in corn. Will went around the cattle. Mr. & Mrs. Menz, Gale and Ada here to-day. Jake Wisenberger got some eggs to set hens. 2 men looking for several neighbors stopped to inquire the way, big guys. Ben Clausen went to Lattimores. C. Elshire’s and Menz’s got a planter at last place so put in his corn in p.m.

1936 June 2nd Tuesday

Some clouds and only a peep of Sun in a.m. then p.m. got real cloudy and a real rain. I got meals and slept in p.m. and washed the clothes, for Will got in water and I dried the dress shirts and Will hung out colored ones in eve. Will got Ben’s harrow in a.m. and Thomas and LeMoyne fixed fence east side of river pasture and they with Ben who Will got after the rain butchered a hog as it is very cool.

1946 June 2nd Sunday

Sun shone and very warm then breeze from Southeast would chill. I got breakfast. Will chored and we went to east to tell Narvin no deal for work but first to Furreys. A bullhead Fish Dinner and so much else, took them to Kriz-Sazama ball-game at Kriz Diamond. Sazama Team won. We left Furreys home, got wheat there had cracked at Abbotts after we told Narvan “no deal”. Home to chore, eats and quit for day.

1956 June 2nd Saturday

Bright day. Leslie fixed Wagner fence. Will, Vere and Leslie worked at machinery to see what he needed in repairs. I just got eats and not much else as I am all in. Shamrocks are at Johnsons and will go home tomorrow noon to Rochester, Minnesota. I baked pies, 1 blueberry and 1 apple with Sugarine and a pumpkin for Will. Out eats are as usual, meat, potatoes, bread, milk, lettuce & sauce.

1926 June 1st Tuesday

Bright & cool day. Will planted some vegetables on Clausen sod and Ben broke sod and in p.m. they went to Valentine and got seed corn and home early eve. George disced the Moore field for William’s corn and William finished our corn. Rena, Helen, Charlotte, Edward & Leo came and brought back the clothes of Louise’s that Helen wore to St. Francis, they helped with clothes and dinner as I washed all the clothes. Tom, Stanley, Thomas, Madge and Harold came for syringe.

1936 June 1st 1936

Sun shone until in p.m. clouds and was cloudy early morning also. I got meals and was all in so not much else but laid down in p.m. and played solitaire. Will took disc to Furreys on Moore Creek. Thomas got a load of hay for the barn and he and LeMoyne put it in the barn. LeMoyne went around the cattle in a.m. and late p.m. I helped the men gather junk out of basement for they also cleaned the yard and some at the barn. Will plowed for garden and a piece north of alfalfa for melons and went to Lattimores but did not get their harrow so on to the store and none there so home.

1946 June 1st Saturday

Partly cloudy, very chilly, had to have fire in heater. Sun shone some. I got breakfast. Will chored. Narvin, Donna and Johnny came so after we visited awhile we all went to Valentine, had dinner at Bob’s Cafe, got chicken feed, groceries, paid Fullerton and ate a lunch at Home Bakery. Will had to go to J. C. Hall 1 block west of Main Street to have his back treated and he got Sweet Spirits of Nitre and has to take in water at night. We got home at dark and Narvin, Donna and Johnny went home but first Will made a deal to have Narvin and Family come here to help but when we got in house, we figured couldn’t make a go of $100 per month for his cash wages besides meat, chickens, milk varieties, vegetables, eggs and furnished house for them to live in so we went to bed all in a puzzle.

1956 June 1st Friday

Bright and S.W. wind quite strong. Will, Vere and Leslie cut out 11 calves and their mothers, 1 dry cow, 2 2-yr heifers that will calf later to Big Pasture and turned 13 bulls out of their small pasture to 2-yr heifers and some cows, 18 in all to calve. Bulls are a nuisance around place. Athel, Dorris, Jimmie, Bobbie, Patsy and Danny Whiting came to wash a Big Washing and dried some on line, brought ours in. Vere had dinner with us, chicken and macaroni, pie, ice-cream, salmon, bread, coffee, Coolade. I had tea. I put dishes in washer and Athel and Doris finished the dishes and swept floors. I laid down and slept and slept, when I awoke, Whitings had gone home. Will went to Bartlesons place with car and Vere had dinner here and put screen doors and hall out of basement and front rooms and at his place. Children played & played and Shamrock got a cart of eggs.

1926 May 31st Monday

Real strong N.W. wind in a.m. but p.m. bright, cold all day. Will shelled corn and took out to the boys in a.m. and p.m. and he and I went to the store in the eve. George and William listed in corn. Ben Clausen who went to S.W. Boyd Co. Nebr. last Friday came back with his car this noon and car broke in p.m. on his place. Dick & Ernest Elshire here to-day to see William Whiting. Julius and his mother are at the Elshires since yesterday.

1936 May 31st Sunday

Quite a strong south wind until in late p.m. clouded, wind changed to N.W., was a real rain for awhile. We took ice-cream to Legion Picnic and Furreys brought cream so we had some to-day. Mr. Lattimore and boys were fishing yesterday and Ben to-day, he came for dinner and went out with Will & Harry to Fairview ball-game against Hidden Timber. Thomas and Lemoyne came in at daylight in Tom’s car then went to game in it. Dorothy was sick so Louise, Harley and I were glad we stayed here. We gathered a sack of cobs in p.m.

1946 May 31st Friday

Rainy again this day so Will stayed in bed, got up to eat and turn Croppy to calf. We went to pasture in p.m. and it misted rain on us, we then got the mail at Whiting Store and brought in milk cows, also looked at crop on Strids. We laid down this a.m., read a lot in eve. I had to do the chicken feeding, get in and take out water, get cobs & coal and the eats.

1956 May 31st Thursday

Bright day. Vere and Leslie finished chores and Will and I took them to Chas. McCormick’s to brand, castrate, ear mark and dehorn their calves. We looked at cows up My Creek, came home to rest. Johnson, Mrs., Billy, Shamrocks Mr. & Mrs., Grandma, sister and 8 yr. old cousin (a small girl) went to Valentine in Shamrocks’ Dodge Car, a gray bluish color, came home as Will and I going out to get Mail, and men were at Thomas’s for lunch of Cherry Pie, Ice Cream, Hot Weiners and bread, coffee and cream and homemade butter. Will had ice-cream & pie and I sat in car. Mr. & Mrs. Charles Russell at Thomas’s for pie and ice-cream, just came there and went home. Pearl & Elaine came to take a lunch but only ate and piled dishes in kitchen. Patsy, Bobbie and Danny Whiting are at Thomas’s staying this summer.

1926, May 30th Sunday

Bright, beautiful morning but got real hot at mid-day and clouded in evening, but not much rain. Helen and I went to communion and early Mass, and Will took in Legion doings and joined it and had a dinner there, but Helen and I just walked around and lunched, so am all in. Came home from Saint Francis in the evening via Mission and Ed’s, and dark when home. William and George went to Clearfield and played with Dorian, and home when we did. Memorial Services at St. Francis were fine.

1936 May 30th Saturday

Bright, nice until around mid-day a strong South wind and dusty. I got breakfast then washed dishes, fixed lunch, got ready, for Will and I went to O’Kreek to Memorial Services. The Legionnaires decorated 2 graves in Catholic Cemetery, several in Episcopal Cemetery, had a program at Guild Hall in connection with O’Kreek School Americanism program. Then we took Billie Gunhammer, Dolly Mae Haukaas, and another little girl to Boarding School. We went on to Cemetery near there where Legionnaires decorated the graves, to Mission Park, had dinner, back to Boarding School to Americanism Program by O’Kreek, Mission and Parmalee. Mission got first trophy given by Dan Dorian Post No. 245. It is a banner of Legion Colors and Emblem. We came back to O’Kreek, watched ball-game, O’Kreek vs. Wood, then to Furreys where we stopped awhile, home for supper, for Thomas and Lemoyne stayed home all day, chored, got their dinner, cleaned the house, went swimming, and Stanley came for them in evening to go to dance somewhere.

1946 May 30th Thursday

Rained at times all day, was cool. Had to have fire in Heater. Sun shone awhile in afternoon and only partly cloudy rest of day. I got meals, laid down in forenoon, for Will milked cow and had to stay in bed until we went to Pasture awhile after dinner on River to look at cattle. We never got in milk cows this evening, and I had to do most chores.

1956 May 30th Monday

Bright, cool day. N. W. wind strong. Vere went with us to O’Kreek Service at Graves. Chester & Vere in firing squad. Henry Sells and John Jensen color Bearers. Flag Guards Jack & Harry Jensen, Commander Wayne Holmes, Chaplain Wilbur Miller, Flower Girl Barbara Jansen, flower boy Bobbie Holmes, Program & Eats (sold) at school House.

1926 May 29th Saturday

Bright, warm day and towards p.m. clouded and a shower late eve. Will went to C. Elshires and hauled in the cows as he & George moved steers last eve and in p.m. to St. Francis. Helen & I along, took in entertainment and a cool reception but got by. George & William listed corn. We stopped at Hidden Timber and traded and in a.m. did ordinary work. Rena, Seth & LeMoyne came from Hidden Timber and Helen’s did not come so I gave them Louise’s clothes so she could go along to St. Francis.

1936 May 29th Friday

Quite a few floating clouds and south wind cool indoors. It was 3 years ago this night at 10 o’clock that I got me bone above ankle cracked lengthwise and rheumatism in knee and stiff ankle, left one, and the hip is out a fraction so I have a time to walk at times. I got meals, for the men finished the hay on Moore Creek and brought hay stacker and one sweep and got in for dinner at 1:30 p.m., so in p.m. LeMoyne and Thomas started to clean manure away from house-banking, then LeMoyne went around cattle late p.m. and Thomas started to chore. Will made a screen-door for the outside hall basement door, then he helped chore for they milked and separated this eve, for the first time in eve this season. I baked bread and a cake for here and picnic to-morrow.

1946 May 29th Wednesday

South wind blew quite hard and got to S.W., clouded and a real rain in eve. I got breakfast and supper for we ate dinner at Rosebud Cafe, got groceries at Mission, came home for Will to lay down as his back pains very much but he got in milk-cow and fed chickens. We  took Hank Arcoren to St. Francis. He had to drive part way. Will all in with back injury. I got Breakfast and we had a lunch in eve.

1956 May 29th Tuesday

Rained some last night and damp this morning but Will took Vere and Leslie to Abbotts, came back to get our branding irons. Chas. McCormick came with him, they went right back to where Vere, Leslie, Gene, Dick Whiting, Don Holclaw, Bud Whiting, Thomas Whiting and David, Stanley, Gary & Curly Whiting and W. J. Whitcher were, as he opened gates and talked count. He was to come home but no do until after dinner, when folks went to Dreys. Athel & Doris and Babe Drey helped cook. Mrs. Abbott had fried chicken, roast meat, gravy, potatoes, scalloped corn salad, noodles (chicken), rolls & butter, bread, coffee, cream, lemon, cherry pies, cakes, pickles. Johnson’s washed some clothes.

1926 May 28th Friday

A regular lightning and thunderstorm and so much rain last night and a.m. bright but at midday and into p.m. real rains for awhile but bright at 3 p.m. until eve. Will went to Carter, took Ben Clausen as he was going home at noon so he and George went to Ed’s in p.m. and got Ed’s car. George & William listed in a.m. and William alone in p.m. Mr. Menz came in p.m. and got his team of horses and cut Will’s hair. Curtis Elshire came and said 2 cattle struck by lightning.

1936 May 28th Thursday

Cool south wind, floating clouds and toward eve clouds in west heavier but no rain. I got 2 meals, baked bread, washed glass jars and bottles, finished buttons and button-holes on my everyday dresses, laid down in p.m. and played solitaire. The men took lunch after choring in morning and put up 4 stacks of hay for Furrey and back to chore in eve again. Will had sweep-tooth run in ground so got thrown off and hurt his right leg. A car drove in here and right out so I never got to see who it was. We drink root-beer up supper these evenings and it is good.

1946 May 28th Tuesday

South wind to South East. Sun shone until about 4 p.m. got cloudy, some clouds easier but passed. Hank chored, for Will can scarcely walk, he to look at cattle in field, came in to get to bed, staid all rest of forenoon. I got meals, laid down in forenoon and p.m. wrote in diary, played solitaire. Bus McKee stayed and helped Hank put 3 stringers for Wagner House of cement. They finished at 2 p.m. so took Will to Winner to have treatment at Dr. Jansen’s. They had supper at Winner. Home at sunset so ate ice-cream, 1 gal. brought from town. Bus took his tractor and lister and went home. Hank chored, for Will can scarcely walk but helped Hank do some choring. We ate more ice-cream before bedtime.

1956 May 28th Monday

Bright nice day except windy from N.W. quite strong. Leslie finished drilling in alfalfa on Scissons and in p.m. he and his father-in-law Mr. Shamrock went to Valentine with Pick Up as it stops at times, we left it at Ford garage and Mr. Otis O’Neill said that they would look into it and let us know when finished, so they came back with us. We got groceries and gas on 20 at East end. In p.m. Vere took dirt off west basement window and put it on low place North of kitchen. Shamrocks and Johnsons are home. Will & I ate lunches as he not in notion to buy anything.

1926 May 27 Thursday

Sun shone only a little in a.m., cool S.E. wind and in p.m. dandy showers so quite a bit of water fell and on retiring looked like rain. Ben and Will listed corn and Will went to Shop and got lister fixed in a.m. and in p.m. rain prevented work. William is sick so went to the store to see when Tom will go to town but already went. We put in some seeds and set some hens. Fred Menz went by in the rain to the store. The ducks & turkeys are a nuisance but hope to raise a few. Mail from Hidden Timber to Valentine, Neb. and return 2 times a week so William brought mail home. I did ordinary work but cooked beans, sauce & chicken to cook on stove.

1936 May 27 Wednesday

Quite a strong south wind and a few clouds but no rain. I got meals, washed the clothes, hung them out and brought them in. Will got the water for me. He went to stack but Shorty Snyder of 12 miles east of here brought 2 mares to breed so went for Will, they had dinner then visited with Noble Lunderman Sr. and a man from Herrick. Will brought lunch home, forgot it so boys never ate until 3 p.m., they put 2 stacks up, had to fix stacker in p.m.

1946 May 27 Monday

A very Strong South to South east wind and it was chilly indoors and got real cloudy and hazy in eve. I got meals, laid down in forenoon and p.m. played solitaire, visited with Thomas, Athel, Doris and David Whiting who came for setting hens and eggs. Will and Hank put in forms to put braces or stringers for Wagner House in p.m., for Hank got the cement mixer at Devoraks this a.m. Bus McKee came with his lister and listed 15 acres of corn on Wagners and stayed all night.

1956 May 27 Sunday

Bright, nice day. Rained in p.m. Mass was at 12 o’clock noon and I thought being a nice day we could go but Will’s eyes bothered, had to rest all a.m., and p.m. we went out to look at cows and calves up My Creek and State Land and wheat grass. 1 heifer had a calf N.W. corner of State Land, was OK and we looked at this it this morning but no calf until late p.m. Bob Brinda, wife and little girl came and he & Leslie & Shirley, 8 year old girl and Jerry’s sister looked them over when we were out. It rained some in p.m., was muddy. Brindas went home after supper and Vere isn’t home. Vere got him last eve and they were at Parmalee vs. Wood, rained out, so back to Pete Farner’s as blew out tire & tube and broke well. Will and I alone this eve as it is damp so had to have a fire as dampness enough to make cool. We don’t see any other folks but those here.

1926 May 26 Wednesday

Cool in night and early morn so after breakfast I put a fire in cookstove and got dinner but warm in p.m. and clouded in eve but no rain. Will & William listed corn and George finished discing out west for corn and got in horses, Ben breaking sod. I did ordinary work and fussed with ducks & turkeys. Rena, Edward, Helen, Charlotte, Kenneth & LeMoyne came in p.m. and brought back those setting hens as they got the eggs. Several folks went by but none stopped.

1936 May 26 Tuesday

Cool South breeze but bright, nice. I got breakfast and Supper, for the men took lunch to Moore Creek and put 4 stacks up then broke down and Thomas and Will took Fred back to Furreys and went on to O’Kreek where they had car fixed, home for supper. LeMoyne went horseback to look through cattle and came back, went to tell Bill Smith that his corn-hog check was at the store, for Ben got his of $450. He took our oil-stove to use for a few days. I put dope in my hair twice to-day and finished everyday dresses but buttons.

1946 May 26 Sunday

Bright nice day. We had breakfast. Hank chored. Will got ready. I fixed a Picnic lunch of beans, fresh tomatoes, frankfurters, cheese sandwiches, jello, coffee and milk. Put it in car. Will took us to church, stopped at Thomas Whitings, they no go. We went to Wm Abbotts after Mass, got Mr. & Mrs., Billie, Cora Ann and their lunch of scalloped potatoes, rolls, pumpkin pies. Got to Schuppans Picnic grounds west of Kriz ball diamond where Nelson Furrey School having a picnic. Oh! so much eats. Chicken and dressing, scalloped and potato salads, baked beans, spaghetti and tomatoes, several cakes, pies, pickles, jello, sandwiches, coffee, milk. 2 Ball games between Kriz team with O’Kreek and Ideal, 15 miles north of Winner. 5 innings each game. Kriz won over O’Kreek and Ideal over Kriz’s. Louise, Anthia Furrey and I visited during game and had so much pleasure. Will had to sit on chair by front part of car and visited with Wm Pierce, Bus McKee, Mr. Chauncey Sr. and he said that he had a good time also. We left Abbotts at their home and Brownie Anderson’s wife, Margaret, Margaret Ann, Joyce Marie and Mrs. Fredericka Anderson brought Delores Abbott out from Winner. Mrs. Wm Pierce, Mavis and Carroll Lee visited with us at our car. Clarice Chauncey had a picnic at Sampsons to-day.

1956 May 26 Saturday

Today bright so Vere and Leslie in Pick Up to Tom Sr. & Bud’s cattle at corral north of Thomas’s house where Bud, Tom Sr., Thomas, David, Curley & Gary and Dick and Stanley Whiting, Don Holsclaw, Wm and Billie Abbott were. They worked until late p.m. They brought a roll-away bed from Thomas’s which was at Stanley’s to Johnsons as Jerry’s father and mother of Rochester, Minnesota, also Grandmother, a sister of Jerry’s and small girl cousin got in towards eve. Lew and some other folks got Vere this eve for the week. Billie and Jerry up for eggs this a.m., last few days 32 down to 10 is all the eggs we have, 7 yesterday, 13 this eve and hens not in sight.

Because of some work deadlines, Stanley duties (The Adventures of a Sparrow Named Stanley is now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, and iBooks) and an upcoming out-of-town trip, I need to pause Hattie’s diary entries for a couple of weeks. Please accept my apologies. The entries will resume in a couple of weeks.

Hattie, of course, never paused in her diary writing.