July 12, 1946, Friday
Dora Brownfield Mitchell’s birthday. She is buried at White River, S.D. Cool last night but bright, only a few clouds here and there, no rain here, south wind cool at times then real hot. I got breakfast and mended socks. Will chored, visited with Stanley Whiting who came horseback to look for his hog but no find, so he and Will drank coffee and he went home. Lew McKee came and he and Will fixed on mower repairing, visited awhile then drank coffee and went home. Will and I got ready, went to Valentine, stopped at Stanley’s to tell McKee he saw his hog near bull-pen and on way home to give him washers. Will cared for chickens, turkeys, and ducks, we then ate ice-cream. I fried beefsteak. Will looked for Stanley’s hog, no find.
July 13, 1946, Saturday
Some clouds this morning, passed to North and East, then Sun shone, got real warm to 104, then clouds and cooled then warm again, but evening was nice for we had a shower, got real cloudy but passed to the north. I got meals, laid down in forenoon and again in all the heat in p.m. Played solitaire, washed some clothes in cold water so will have to do it over again, mopped hall to basement for Will and I hauled old potatoes and junk to hole on Wagner’s. Will worked at rake and mower and he and Stanley got in our car and looked for Stanley’s hog, for he came horseback but no find. Stanley got 1 of our heifers from Tom’s to Horse Pasture, it is blind with pink-eye. They had coffee, then Stanley went home. Will rested awhile, then got ready, went to Thomas Whiting’s Jr. and took him along to Valentine. Will left here at 2:35 p.m. and returned at 9 p.m., for Thomas brought tractor then came in V8 to his place. Will drove tractor to Thomas’s, came on home in V8. Will got Stanley’s 2 row at their place, left with tractor. Thomas and family went to Mission this eve, for Athel had the chores finished when Thomas got home. Will brought liver and cured sausage links so I fried them, for all Will had in town was 2 malted milks and a cup of coffee, so he had a lunch before bedtime. I lunched this eve and more later again.
July 14, 1946, Sunday
Cloudy, cool until in p.m. sun shone and got warmer. A north to N.E. breeze and was cool. Will chored and I got breakfast for him, for I fasted and Will took me to 8:30 Mass. We stopped at Thomas’s, they did not go, for Thomas has a headache. 2 men brought our New Pastor, Fr. Eugene W. Szalay. He is tall and a blond. Van Epps came down and got a fruit box full of young fries. I had pork sausage and liver fried so they ate sandwiches and drank coffee, then went home. Will and I ate a lunch of sandwiches and lemonade, got ready and went to Mission to Al G. Kelly & Miller Bros. 3 ring circus. First Will got a qt. of ice-cream at Horst’s cafe and we went to trees at park edge, ate it, then to Circus Grounds northwest corner of Mission. A very large crowds, so many had to sit on ground or stand around edges of tent where there were no seats. We saw Elmer Grans, Wm Van Epps, Jay Tates, Henry Sells, Hank Haukaas’s, Bess Adrians. Came home to take salt to Big Pasture and I got a bite to eat. Will to Thomas’s. Thomas brought tractor and Eli. Doris and David went with Will and he took them back.
July 15, 1946, Monday
Bright and not so hot. Will feeds chickens still locked in coop and pen, and he elied the corn on Wagners, 15 acres and came to dinner then finished middle p.m., took eli to Whiting Store, got mail and came home to chore and took garbage to hole on Wagners. I went along, never knew that we were to go to see if Thomas could take the drill and tractor to Boarding School. I laid down in forenoon and p.m., got eats and was too all in, did not do much but fried chicken.
July 16, 1946, Tuesday
Bright, only a few clouds in morning and was hot in p.m. A Southeast breeze. I got breakfast and Will chored. We went to Furreys and Harley and Harry were cutting grain on Larson’s and in p.m. were at Flood Place, so we never got to see them but Louise, Dorothy, Billie and Mary were at Home. They were washing clothes and on our return from Winner, we brought the pork chops, ribs, lard and scraps from a hog Harry had butchered at Outlaw Packing Co. and he took one for us there but will get it tomorrow and put part in locker and bring rest home later. Will seemed to not like for me to go do town and this has been the same for nearly 30 years. We washed clothes on our return and finished by lamp light. Had ice-cream and pork chops that Furreys gave us and I cooked in oven.
July 17, 1946, Wednesday
Very cloudy early morning then sun shone real hot, got to 104 above and towards eve a real rain and wind from the Southwest, drove it under our bedroom door and one above upstairs that I had to mop and mop. Will chored, put clothes on line except 2 pails full and I had a time to walk the line and back but put them on line. Will and I got the washing off of line before the hard rain and they were very dry and in fact hot. Will took drill to Boarding School and got our Todd Co. paper at Van Epps as he came on tractor and took South road, on return he put mower on tractor, last eve he cleaned East Porch where chickens roosted last few months. I got meals, laid down in a.m. and p.m. played solitaire.
July 18, 1946, Thursday
Cool last night and was 54 above this morning, sun shone with clouds north and south but no rain here. I got meals, laid down in a.m. and p.m., played solitaire for I can scarcely walk for painful feet, read some for Will for the mail and mailed letters. Paid Whiting Store all charge accounts. He worked at mower and rake and mowed the yard, turned the chickens out of yard and coop where they have been 10 days and he got them back in eve. He got in milk cows.