in Misc. Diary Entry

April 4-10, 1943

1943 April 4th Sunday

Was chilly in breeze but sun shone and I had a fire in Kitchen stove to cook some meat I cooked on bone yesterday, took off of bones and put in jars last eve, cooked in oven this a.m. Harry, Louise, Harley, Dorthy, Billie and Lowell Williams came, had dinner, went home in eve, took incubator home so will try to raise more chicks. The boys went to Fish but no get any, only some clamshells. Harry liked Rutabagas I had cooked with beef and I am glad. W.D. and Claude Van Epps went to Carl Gehlsen’s to take a hog home. Elsie came for beef-steak for dinner and again towards eve with Bill to say they would wash clothes if no can meat, so no do. Will and I went to Wm Abbotts in eve and played 500 until 11 p.m. We feel better.

1943 April 5th Monday

Sun shone but Wind blew so hard from the South, one could scarcely work so W.D. took a gray mare to Winter Pasture and put some calves to wean in round corral and when Will got back from Mission and Rosebud, he helped put 4 in barn for it would be difficult to put with others in bull-pen. W.D. chored and stayed indoors and read in p.m. on account of wind, then at 4:20 p.m. he walked home, got his trailer and car, went to Wm Abbotts, got the fresno or scraper and back here in eve to finish work. Wm Abbott and John Sundquist came to got to Mission for Abbott to get tire permit, Whitcher, Bonds, and Sugar Card for help and canning as we are nearly out but for what neighbors give us. Sundquist got his first Rationing Cards for Canned Goods, Meats, etc., Sugar, Coffee. He gave Will a point to buy a lb. of coffee and we are happy. Abbott and Sundquist went right home and then Will said that they went to Rosebud to see about the sub-marginal and paying for hay to be cut on Indian Land and we have to pay for use of sub-marginal land and also get hay permit. I got meals, laid down in p.m. and started to cut out an everyday [dress] for myself. Men look at cows calving morning & eve.

1943 April 6th Tuesday

Bright, nice day. Elsie and Billie came with W.D. this morning to cook their bones of the pork and some beans so she filled 11 jars to put in oven in the morning. Robert Meyers of Winner, Soil Overseer, came to where Will and W.D. were making a door for Cattle Shed on Wagner’s and helped them, so here for supper and the night. Margie went home, no one there, down here for the evening & supper. Will and Van Epps chored, caked cattle and looked at those calving, a few each day now.

1943 April 7th Wednesday

Bright, nice day. I got meals but Elsie helped at noon and evening for I baked 2 lemon and 1 cherry pies before noon, we put her pork and beans in roasters with water and jar rubbers in bottom to prevent jars from cracking as they were set on top [of] stove while we got dinner and cooked in oven in p.m. and Elsie sealed them herself. I laid down in afternoon and got up to take a bath for I am all in. Bob Meyers helped Will and Van Epps move manure out of shed on Wagners and after dinner he went to Mission so the men worked pretty good and got a lot finished. Margie walked home again, no one there so walked down here and said that she was hungry so ate a sandwich. They went home after supper and I never washed dishes, was too all in again.

1943 April 8th Thursday

Bright, nice day. I got meals, laid down in p.m. and played solitaire. Will and Van Epps chored and finished cleaning Wagner Shed and after dinner cleaned some at the shed here, then they quit and Will looked at cows calving and went to Kleins’ Store to get Tobacco, Van Epps along and then he went home for the day. Will chored in eve. They have 4 last fall calves, weaning them in barn so have to haul water from well for them.

1943 April 9th Friday

Was a warm day and clouded and began to [rain] late p.m. so Will and I sacked a lot of cobs at front porch and put them in front-room. We put cobs in cake sacks. Wm Van Epps worked at home to-day, started to fix a hog-lot west of his barn. I got meals but for dinner and supper we had eggs and sardines and leftovers.

1943 April 10th Saturday

Still it rains and is real damp. Will and Van Epps chored and Van Epps brought down a large calf to wean, put in bull-pen. They feed it milk and he got a yearling heifer at Frank Van Epps and it was trying to get out [of] bull-pen also. W.D. took Billie and Margie to Frank’s. Elsie stayed home and mopped her house and she came late p.m. to get meat so we gave her last mess [of] steak and I put the rest on to boil but no get done. Elmer brought Mary Armbruster to Van Epps this p.m.

  1. Wish I knew more about the rationing, especially as it applied to folks at Hidden Timber. Wish I’d thought to ask my dad when he could give me details.

    Also, it appears that she’s canning meat in the oven? Never heard of that.

  2. I did some Google research. Am even more amazed that people survived the oven-canned meat. An NDSU publication suggests that it is difficult to control the oven temperature. At Hidden Timber in 1943, there was very limited electricity, which must have made this even more problematic.

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