1923 Jan. 6th Saturday.
A bright day but p.m. a little hazy and south wind cold. Elmer Nelson came with corn and staid for dinner and then he went with us up town and on return went home. I am feeling better as my headache quit and Will feels quite well. He had haul[ed] alfalfa and took care [of] stock besides trip to town.
Jan. 6, 1923
1933 Jan. 6th Friday.
Sun shone except an awful dust storm from N.W. was so thick covered sun at mid-day and dust quit moving late p.m. but N.W. wind still blew until eve. Will & Roy got in 2 loads oats hay and too windy, so quit and Will took cattle to field and herd[ed] them until 2 p.m., came in to dinner. Wm did his chores and started to pick cobs in hog-lot but Pat Van Epps and Erban Brown came also Kenneth Whiting so Ken & Pat got gas at store then they all got Truck out of river for Mr. Lattimore went with Brown last night and they came here late, paid Will for hogs, started to cross river, broke in so walked home. Brown fixed our car. Kenneth went home after wind quit some in p.m. Wm got cobs again late p.m. Roy took his calves to John Carr’s after no haul-hay. I got meals, baked bread & cinnamon rolls.
[Lisa’s note: While the official first major “black blizzard” of the Great Plains would not hit until November of 1933, the month of January 1933 is often cited as the beginning of the dirt storms that would eventually lead to the Dust Bowl.]
Jan. 6, 1933
1943 Wed. Jan. 6th
Frosty, sleety morning, cloudy most of day and at times spitted snow but sun shone late p.m. Elsie and I got meals. I got up 6:20 a.m. so laid down after breakfast and again in p.m. I have a sore throat so treated it to keep from getting worse. Will still has a cold but managed to go in V8 Car to help get in cattle as Wm Abbott came on Tony our Black saddle horse and Wm Van Epps on Pop-Eye, they got cattle in from Wisenburger Pasture, cut the calves, 10 old cows and Abbotts away herd. Abbott took his home. Elsie finished ironing and mopped the kitchen-floor.
Jan. 6, 1943
1953 Jan. 6th Tuesday.
Some Clouds and not so nice but Dan and Betty took Calvin to Clinic [in] Valentine to have him get [a] shot and dope to put in Red swollen eyes (Pink Eye). They saw Glen Coles at Valentine and came back at dark. Men gave cattle hay First. Usual Pastime and meals for me.
Jan. 6, 1953