April 18-30, 1943

1943 April 18th Sunday

This Palm Sunday was a nice forenoon but wind blew in afternoon and not so nice but sun shone. I got breakfast and washed dishes. Will chored and we went to look at cattle. I counted 75 calves. On return, Will took a bath and I asked him to drive to St. Francis, S.D. to get lilies and plants from Bro. Perry and to visit Jake’s and Bill Whiting but no visit in Whitcher, so we came home, got hamburger and root beer at Estes Cafe, Mission, and ate, brought home a qt. ice-cream. After eating ice-cream Will chored, looked at cattle, we then ate fried eggs and bread and jell. Van Epps went to Elmer Chauncey’s where Claude, Elmer and W.D. plastered the kitchen. Women folks along. This is the Ray Bailey Place, just across divide.

1943 April 19th Monday

Sun shone and was cool, only 20 above this morning. I got meals, laid down in p.m., cut out a brown stripe dress for every-day and sewed a little on it. Will and Van Epps caked cattle, then Will disced and Van Epps worked at his hog-pasture fence. Elmer took Mary & Elsie and Billie over to decorate Chauncey home. The Wills came for dinner and continued their work in p.m. Wm Van Epps went to get mail Saturday eve and after supper he and Will went to Kleins where they [are] burning fields off.

1943 April 20th Tuesday

Was very windy but no moisture, only a few clouds then sun shone. Will and Van Epps chored and Will finished discing the field on Wagner Place. Van Epps worked at his hog-pasture fence. I got meals, laid down and not much else for I am all in but played solitaire.

1943 April 21st Wednesday

Sun shone and Men chored and caked cattle and fixed Bull-pen fence for they put the heifers out of Bull-pen Monday for the heifer of Van Epps was bred Sunday. Van Epps went home in p.m. to fix his barn roof and put roofing on it, also fixed his hog-fence. Leo, Clarence, Carol Jean and Norma Fay came for repair piece for their disc, but we no have any. Bob Meyers came and he and Will went to McCormick’s (Chas) and got a hand seeder, they sowed 6 acres of Grammar grass and rolled it in with Chauncey’s roller and our tractor. They took turns each round and sat in front tractor and scattered the seed. Meyers went back to Mission after supper.

1943 April 22nd Thursday

Was a nice day. Will chored, looked at cattle. The calving is getting over now. He then hoed trees west of house, and ground between trees for garden. Van Epps worked at home to-day. I got meals, laid down in p.m., cut out some everyday dresses and sewed on them a lot so am tired this eve.

1943 April 23rd Friday

This is Good Friday, sun shone but wind blew from south. I got meals, laid down in p.m. and sewed on everyday dresses, so far I have finished all but buttons, one red, 1 red print and 1 brown stripe and quit for the week-end on this sewing this eve. Will chored and he and Van Epps caked cattle, then they got in Scotty the stallion from River Pasture and towards eve Will went horse-back to get some mares but had to ride hard and got 2 to Wagner and on our hay land and played out, but he looked at cattle just before dark. Van Epps disced his garden in p.m. Wm Abbott came for a ladder as he is painting their house.

1943 April 24th Saturday

Sun shone but wind blew quite hard from Northwest. I got breakfast and Will chored and he and Van Epps looked at cattle and got Scotty and mares to Wisenburger Place. Van Epps went to store with cream and then on to Elmer Chauncey Place to help them and get a load of wood. Elmer, Mary, Elsie and Billie painted, cleaned and started to paper Chauncey House all week. Yesterday no school so Margie went along. Will and I went to Mission to get a $250 bond, have lister put off of the list of saleable machinery, for Wm Abbott wants to use it. We went to Mrs. A. B. Turgeon (Mary Dolezal) who runs White Eagle Filling Station sale of bid on beet and cucumber pickles for me, also gave me enough points to buy hamburger. We got ice-cream but only a quart.

1943 April 25th Sunday

Sun shone and some clouds in p.m. but no moisture fell. I got meals. Will chored and looked at cattle and said that Van Epps fixed a crossing with hay on the old road N.W. [of] his house and had Billie with him. They all went to church at 11 a.m., W.D., Elsie, Billie, Margie and Mary Armbruster. Will took me and came for me just as Mass was starting at nearly 12 o’clock. A Father Gordon and a Brother of St. Francis came, for Fr. Grether is at St. Micheal’s. We went to Whiting Store and so many getting groceries that we were late home for dinner. Will and I went to Harry Furrey’s and Mr. and Mrs. Roundy, Gerald and Anthia and Loretta were there. We stopped at Wm Abbotts and they gave us Easter Eggs and Will got harness that Abbott used of ours. We came to our cattle, looked at east side of Creek, went to Van Epps. Elsie showed us their chickens, half of them are Gehlsens’. Carl, Joe, Rita Marie, Margie, Billie, Mary Armbruster and Louis Armbruster, the Dad, were at Elmer Chauncey’s Place and came back just as we got there so we staid awhile, then went [to] west side of creek, looked at cattle, home for supper, chores and the evening.

1943 April 26th Monday

Strong south wind changed to west and then northwest and was real dusty but Will and Van Epps got in water and I washed clothes, rinsed them late p.m., then with Will’s help put some on line and they dried in a hurry, so I brought them in for blankets blew off of the line. I got meals, laid down in p.m., played solitaire. Geo. Klein came at noon for the well machine that Francis Turgeon’s son brought here one day last week, for his well caved in. Van Epps and Will caked cattle for last time this forenoon, then they took hay rack off the wagon, got wagon box and seat at Van Epps in p.m. W.D. staid home in p.m. for their company staid until 1 a.m., the Gehlsens, Armbrusters and Elmer Chauncey, and he is all in to-day. Will went to Whiting Store, got the mail and mailed letters. A letter from Harold J. Volz, Winner, S.D. said that Mrs. Viola Walker Lincoln of New York who was with him out here last Thursday to see her land that lays south [of] John Sundquist’s and wanted to sell it but we no want it for it isn’t much good to us. Volz thanked Will for helping him change his tire that went flat in our yard. John Sundquist walked to Winner last Saturday and never got a ride until he was 4 miles west of Winner and Herman Schneiderweit brought him home yesterday. He has a motor for his car at Whiting Store, so got it today.

1943 April 27th Tuesday

Wind blew very strong from Northwest and continued to-day, was real dusty all night and to-day until near noon began to settle a little for just sprinkle of rain and clouds passed away so Will and I hung out rest of washing and it dried in a hurry. I laid down in forenoon and again in p.m. for had a headache and would chill at times in forenoon for never got more than 50 above until in afternoon was warmer. Will and Van Epps after their chored [were] finished fixed fence so Scotty couldn’t get out of Wisenburger Place and Bachman horses out of Winter Pasture, then they went to Lew McKee’s but man folks not home, only Mrs. McKee Sr., so Will left Van Epps home and he laid down in p.m., had a rest, then fixed harness, got in horses to drive to fix fence for tomorrow.

1943 April 28th Wednesday

Sun shone then wind got strong from southeast and cloudy but no moisture here. I got breakfast and supper for Will chored and Van Epps came, they hooked up a Bald Face Gelding (Brown, White Face) with Prince, and Will had to ride Alabam to hold him down going out but coming in they rode in wagon, fixed fence from Sundquists to 2 miles north and 1/2 mi. east, took lunch at noon. I sewed, finished 2 dresses and cut out last 2. Mr. Merritt, Mission, came but no find Van Epps. Bob Meyers, Winner, came for the night late p.m.

1943 April 29th Thursday

Northwest wind blew all night and continued to-day and was dusty. Got cloudy towards eve but no moisture fell, was chilly, got to 65 above so I had to have a fire in heater. I sewed but finished only 1 everyday dress, three dresses haven’t buttons and holes yet. I got Breakfast and Supper, only lunched at noon for Will and W.D. took lunch, drove the broncho but didn’t need a saddle horse to-day for the broncho went nice to-day. They fixed fence, all but the divide and what Wm Pierce will fix for Frescoln and Dodson and Big Pasture will be repaired. They came in late p.m. I have back-ache and a broken nail on right which I cannot cut until Will came in, in eve, but no quit pains in back. Bob Meyers left after breakfast to go places.

1943 April 30th Friday

Bright, got to 28 above, so froze last night again and cool to-day, had to have fire in heater. After breakfast I went with Will to look at cattle, no calves but a dead cow that has been sick for some time. Stanley came and W.D. took 4 hogs and went with him to Winner to get corn for his hogs and poultry. Will moved cobs on east porch, took sacked cobs that were in Front-room to basement. I wrote in diary, laid down in p.m. and made out orders to National Army Store, Montgomery Ward and Lane Bryant. Margie Totton came in eve, so we went with her to look at cattle in eve.