in Depression era

April 8-30, 1933

1933 April 8th Saturday

A bright, nice day until in eve some clouds and a N.E. breeze in fast, blew quite hard all day but mostly in north. The men chored and N. & H. Boyd came for a horse and Wm helped them get it and when they took it home in p.m. he went to feed horses hay on Moore Creek, and he chored in eve. and Fr. Martin helped him as he came for night. A horse-buyer of Valentine here to buy horses in p.m. I got meals, finished washing, mopped floors, and baked bread. Roy here and took car to store, and Wm and he went up there and he cut Will’s hair and they brought down Roy’s hogs and Thomas got them and Will and Tom went to Winner with a truck load of Roy’s hogs, Ora Daywitts’ 4 more, 14 cases of eggs and 6 cans of cream. Fr. Martin here for night and Will in 11 p.m., so we now retired.

1933 April 9th Sunday

Some snow until ground is white but quickly thawed in a.m. but was chilly N.W. breeze. The men chored and Will and Ben who came fed stock alfalfa and Wm and I went to church. Fr. Martin got up and went to the Boarding School for 8:30 Mass and back to H.T. for late Mass. Geo. O’Connor along so we came home and Will and Ben went up and got him and Fr. Martin came later for dinner, they went home to Mission and St. Francis in p.m. I got meals. Kenneth Whiting here after church and Geo. Kelin and 2 men in eve.

1933 April 10th Monday

Bright, but cold day, a N.W. breeze chilly. The men chored and Will got a load of hay at Roy’s for stock and Wm worked at barn. I got meals and slept in p.m. L. Lattimore here in p.m. Ben got Brownie to get in Jenny the mule but Fred Rahn of Witten came to deal for his 4 horses or rather colts for a team so he went to Witten and bought Brownie back in eve. Will went to store and got coal that he and Tom got at Winner Saturday.

1933 April 11th Tuesday

A strong N.W. breeze and was chilly but bright. The men chored and Will got a load of hay at Roy’s. Roy stayed here last night as he moved Maggie and Clyde to Dan’s yesterday and came for another load and took it this a.m. He is working for John Carr and will move to Parmalee later. I got meals and visited with Ben in p.m. for Wm went around fence of big pasture and Will disced in p.m. on Wm’s place. Wm fixed disc in a.m. Jay Tate and Iner Sorensen brought fanning-mill and Mr. Lattimore and Fritz Van Epps, Jerry Karnes and Pat Karnes came and fanned Lattimore’s speltz, stored in our barn and took 4 loads and Allie Walton got 1 load. Chas. Pierce and Dudley, U. Dow of Valentine was here in p.m. selling McCarron’s Products of Winona, Minn.

1933 April 12th Wednesday

N.W. wind strong, dusty, cold and some clouds. This is Jake’s and Leo Whiting’s birthday. The men chored. Will and I have headaches. Wm went to Moore Creek to disc his land and Will started to take Ben’s horses over there and met truck so men walked back across river and they bought Steel and Girlie, a gray team from Will, and Will took them with Ben’s [team] to Ben’s to load in truck. Fred Rahn, Witten, also John Storms bought team. Will to Moore Creek in p.m. and brought a load of hay back in eve. I got meals and not much else but get out goods to make everyday dresses. Mr. Albert E. Brown walked in to see about R.F.C. funds and walked down to Loren Walton’s after dinner. Erban Brown had his arm operated on and wants to come back from Omaha now with family and his mother as soon as funds available.

1933 April 13th Thursday

Bright but cold, was snow 100 miles east [of] here yesterday but none here. Will had a headache so he chored late and Wm chored early and he and I went to church at H.T. Fr. Martin came in in the night and we never heard him but he went up to bed. I had a headache in night and continued most of day. Wm went to look for a colt in big-pasture in p.m. Dr. Smith and Bob Jones here about R.F.C. funds. Will and I to Legion meeting in eve.

1933 April 14th Friday

Will and I went to Ross’s and Whiting’s last eve to give R.F.C. purchase order blanks, got Pat, Violet Karnes and Dorthy & Reuben, Tom and Margaret Bergin and Tommy and we went to Legion meeting and back at 1 a.m. so I am all in to-day but got 2 meals as Will and Wm took lunch to Moore Creek and I washed clothes. Will got in water, fed stock oats-hay and he and I went to the store early a.m. before he went to Moore Creek to disc. Wm drove horses to big [pasture] and put a load of hay on rack for Will to bring in eve. Ben Clausen got a load of barley at John Wisenberger’s in p.m. and he was here yesterday with his new team and had them to-day. Mose Boyd here in p.m. and went to Moore Creek to see men, he broke his stirrup strap so fixed it here. Bud Whiting here for eggs late p.m. but I no have any to spare. The clothes dried but underwear.

1933 April 15th Saturday

Bright, nice day. I got meals and mopped floors and ironed and mended some clothes. Will got a load of hay in the hills for stock and went to Lattimores and store late p.m. Wm finished discing his land on Moore Creek for oats and they will sow the oats later. Rena, Kenneth, Lemoyne, Clarence and Yvonne were here in late p.m. and they brought a pail of cream and got 1 gal. of eggs to color for Easter.

1933 April 16th Sunday

This is a bright warm Easter Sunday, in fact hot at mid-day, a south wind quite strong. Will and Wm chored and fed mare that had 2 dead colts yesterday and I got Will some breakfast and he then took Wm and I to Louise and Harry’s, and he stayed there and Harry, Louise, Harley, Dorthy Mae, Fred, Wm and I went to church at O’Kreek to 9 o’clock Mass by Fr. Goll and we all went to communion and back to H and L’s for Breakfast at 12 o’clock and home in p.m., visited with John Wisenberger and gave Clarice Brewer of near Hidden Timber an order on Dr. Smith for R.F.C. Order, as he and 2 other young men here, then Wm stayed home and Will and I went to Pat Karne’s to borrow a seeder, stopped at store, then to John Boyd’s to look at a harness that Mose Boyd wants to trade for horse he is breaking. Mrs. Boyd gave us seeds and flower plants. The men chored and we ate supper and retired for am all in.

1933 April 17th Monday

Bright until in eve a cloud in west horizon but got no farther and a strong south wind all day. The men chored and got that mare, who had colts in barn, then Wm fixed a place for flowers south of house and set out lilies and went to Ben’s, fed stock oats-hay and chored in eve for Will went to Witten, Hansen’s and Winner and took Mr. & Mrs. Tom Bergin and Tommy along with him on his long trip and they in at 10 o’clock p.m. Mr. & Mrs. Geo. Smith’s daughter Mary Lou is near death’s doors at Winner General Hospital.

1933 April 18th Tuesday

Bright, warm and dusty, strong south wind, a little to S.E. at times. I got meals and went with Will to Pat Karnes and Tom Bergein and got Karnes’ seeder and Tom Bergin brought it down as he came for 35 bu. speltz from Lattimore, had dinner, also Henley Boyd came and Wm, Will and Stanley Whiting came also so with Tom Bergin and Boyd, they dehorned calves and yearling and are all in, in eve, but Boyd and Bergin went home. Mr. Lattimore came with Jim Fisher and Vern Couser, and Couser got 60 bu. speltz. Mr. Earl Allen and son came to see if they could get 25 head cattle in pasture this summer. Mr. H. E. Cady and son came to get R.F.C. Orders and seeds. Lloyd Totten also came for same. I cut out an everyday dress.

1933 April 19th Wednesday

S.E. wind blew strong all night and to-day partly cloudy. About 10 o’clock last night Bud and Thomas Whiting came in truck and said that a lighted candle on dress in bed-room caught things afire and a 22 shell exploded and hit Tom on side of neck and he bled terribly so they got Will to go up in our car to Rosebud Hospital with him last night. Not knowing seriousness of the wound, Wm and I worried terribly so Wm started to store after choring but met Stanley fixing fence so he came back, he had a headache but went to Moore Creek in p.m. and got a load of hay for stock. I got meals but was worried so baked bread, cinnamon rolls and made choke-cherry jelly all before 12 o’clock, for I got up at daylight and Wm later so we had breakfast early. Will came back from Rosebud at 3 p.m. and he said Tom was quite well as he had piece of bullet-steel taken from neck and bleeding stopped but to stay at hospital until to-morrow. He brought Noble Lindermann and a Miller boy to John Wisenberger’s from Rosebud, they went up with Dr. Reneston of Bonesteel as they live at Pawnee Reservation.

1933 April 20th Thursday

Partly rainy all day and cool. The men chored and got in small calves in barn. Ben came and he rode to store with us for Will and I went to Rosebud and got Tom at Hospital. On way up stopped at Pat Karnes, drove to B. Place, told Carl Bergin to tell Tom Bergin not to work on road, to Sazama’s and Mr. went with us, had dinner at Mission.

1933 April 21st Friday

Cold, cloudy, north wind and a sprinkle of rain at noon then brighter awhile in p.m., cloudy again in eve. I got meals and washed clothes but it rained so I put it off or to soak. Will went [to] Armbrusters, Tottens and Pitts where he had dinner. Wm went [to] Ben’s to see about butchering his hog but Ben has the tooth-ache so no butcher and in p.m. Wm cleaned west side coop and set a hen and Will oiled harness, one of them he got from Boyds.

1933 April 22nd Saturday

Bright, nice day but cool indoors, a south-west breeze. I got 2 meals for Will and Wm after choring took oats and disc and sowed on Wm’s place on Moore Creek so took lunch at noon and home late eve with a load of hay. I finished washing clothes and got all dry but left out one underwear and mopped floors and made butter out of our own cream. Rena, Lemoyne, Charlotte and Yvonne brought us meat on way to Mission. A man and wife soliciting for Samaritan Army was here yesterday and Wm gave 50 cents and one old hen.

1933 April 23rd Sunday

Bright, nice day but cool indoors. I got breakfast for Wm and Will. Fr. Martin came last eve and stayed all night so I went to communion at 8:30 a.m. at St. Therese Church, H.T. and Harold Whiting came back with Wm and I after church and Thomas came later in truck and he got a hog at Totten’s.

1933 April 24th Monday

Bright, nice but in p.m. some clouds and towards eve quite cloudy and a N.W. wind blew quite hard but no rain. The men chored and Wm took lunch and disced all day at his oats on Moore Creek. Will and I went to John Wisenberger’s, he not home, went to O’Kreek, on to Clarence Sell’s to see about pasturing cattle, no cattle, to John Hauff’s, gave him R.F.C. Garden Seeds, to Joy H. Tates, talked Legion Convention at Winner tomorrow, on to Pat Karnes and he said Convention Wednesday, our mistake, so to Tom Bergin and Mrs. said they go, so back to Tates and he knew date, to store, home. Frank, Jr. Prokop of Spencer, Nebr. came and he and Will gave cattle alfalfa, had dinner and he went home. young Totton brought 2 mares to breed to Mike. Mrs. Tommy (Louise) Colome here about pasture agreement.

1933 April 25th Tuesday

Bright except a few floating clouds and S.E. chilly breeze. The men chored and Wm went to Moore Creek and finished discing in oats. Will fed cattle alfalfa. Rena, Kenneth and Yvonne came to sell Lemoyne’s share of corn or rather corn taken for rent on his place but Will no buy. I got meals and baked bread and clothes ready to go to town to-morrow. Wm went to John Boyds in p.m. and took Noble Moore, where Farmer Brown and Agriculturist McKenzie of Rosebud put in a garden and he no home at bed-time. Will worked around place in p.m.

1933 April 26th Wednesday

A real snow-storm before we got up and continued until 10 a.m. and after men chored Will and I got Pat, Violet, Mrs. Bergin and Tommy, went to Legion Convention [at] Winner, no snow down there and sun shone in p.m. but cool. Will went on to Dallas and he and Hugh Smith looked for cattle to pasture south of Dallas but no find, he came back to Winner in eve but no convention, the rest of us went and Pat and Violet to Banquet, then we came home. Saw Mrs. Elmer Grans at Wilson Hospital, Winner, also Baby Boy and Mrs. Jim Hornback and very ill sister Fancis D. of Wood. Wm chored, went to store and Ben Clausen’s.

1933 April 27th Thursday

Bright nice day, only a little cool. The men chored and Wm went to Ben’s with some wood and helped him butcher a hog and home middle p.m. and Ben came along and Wm took oats out to Will to sow as Will helped John Wisenberger get started to drill in oats north of alfalfa, then he disced in oats he sowed Tuesday p.m. Mr. Lattimore and Mr. Deneker got speltz in bin here. I got meals and as we got in at 12:30 .m. from Legion Convention, I am all in as usual but rested in p.m. and feel better in eve.

1933 April 28th Friday

Bright, nice, until toward eve clouds and rain in eve. The men chored. Wm finished discing in oats, also John Wisenberger finished at late noon and took tractor back to John Wisenbergers where he works as he is Canadian John. Ben Clausen has a swollen jaw but Will and he managed to make sausage and cut up hog as Will got it and the barrow this morn. Mr and Mrs. John Boyd here to see about selling a horse so Will went to O’Kreek this eve and Mr. Bechstel here and said that Guy Bailey to build a house, so Will let Pat, Tom Sazama and Carl Anderson know and had supper at Andersons’. Home via Boyds in the rain storm after dark and some wind.

1933 April 29th Saturday

Partly cloudy until in p.m. real cloudy and rain towards eve and continued at bed-time. The men chored and Will waited for Farmer Brown and Charles No Heart to come to buy a team and after they bought it, he left for Winner and Colome and not home at bed-time. Wm went to pasture to see horses and in p.m. he and I went with Rena, Lemoyne, Charlotte, Yvonne to track meet at school-house. I had a head-ache all day but managed to fix some lard and mopped floors in eve. Will and I salted sausage in casings in a.m. but I am all in, just managed to drag around. John Boyd brought his horse up this morn. Noble Moore Jr. came and went to school-house with us.

1933 April 30th Sunday

A cloudy, damp day. The men chored for Will came in at 11 o’clock from Winner so all in. Wm and I went to late church and brought Geo. O’Connor back with us and Fr. Martin came later. Ben Clausen, Noble Moore, Erban Brown here to-day and all ate dinner but Erban, he came for garden-seeds and has a real-bum T.B. left arm and just got back from Omaha, Nebr. I got meals and visited with men in p.m. and washed dishes in eve while Will and Wm went to John Boyd’s to see if Narvin is back from Bad Nation.

  1. Enjoyed reading a few of the entries in the diary. My family presently owns some of the ground they she writes about. I know many of the names that she writes about as well.

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