1943 May 1st Saturday

Strong south wind, got real dusty and was chilly, below 60 at noon. Will chored, fed bulls, looked at cattle, took Van Epps, who walked down to skin that dead cow but it made him sick, so he went home. Will got ready, took eggs to store and mailed letters which I finished writing this forenoon to mail and on to Valentine to get car tuned up at or before 11 a.m. and he got back at 8:30 p.m. just at dark, so chored then we ate hamburger gravy, bread, ice-cream and cold and hot water. This is May Day and for so many days it has been strong winds from south, southeast and northwest and dusty and gets real chilly at times [so] that we have to have a fire in heater. This is Kate Smith’s Birthday, radio entertainer. I sewed on Will’s nighties and ate lunches, no Will home until evening. He said that he saw Nellie and Janie Hollenbach at Valentine and took them home from downtown to Effie Gasons.

1943 May 2nd Sunday

Was quite a nice day after chilly night and sun shone all day. I got meals, laid down in p.m. Went with Will both morning and eve to look at cattle, counted the Big Stuff in morning and all are here.
After Will chored in eve and we looked over cattle, we stopped at Van Epps. W.D. was getting ready to chore and showed us the little chicks, they have wing feathers, also tails and are doing fine. Joe (Josephine) Gehlsen, Rita, Bobby, Mary Armbruster, Bill, Elsie, Billie and Margie went to Elmer Chauncey Place to paper the kitchen, and Bill came home to chore and the others later in Carl Gehlsen’s car as he is operating the White Eagle Filling Station east end [of] Mission, where Turgeons were. They will move to Burke, S.D. and Gehlsen Family will live in house near station. Will and I went to Wm Pierce Place. Mr., Mrs., Leah and Bobby Pierce were there. They had been cleaning the house. Will brought home a pork roast, we had it for dinner and ate sandwiches for supper out of it and Grape-nut Flakes after we came from Pierce’s. We stopped at Wm Abbotts and Mr., Mrs., Cora Ann, Billie came out to car. Delores was washing dishes. Mrs. Anderson (Mrs. Abbott’s mother) is at Abbotts for Brownie Anderson and Mrs. and 2 small daughters brought her out. She came to winner by bus from California, Missouri and Omaha, where she has been with children.

1943 May 3rd Monday

Sun shone, was quite nice out of wind which came from the west. I got meals, sacked up cobs with Will’s help and he then helped Van Epps turn yearling steers out of pen. Van Epps creosoted posts to be used at his yard fence, and Will built a hot bed for tomato plants south of shanty, also cabbage plants. Van Epps went to get a trailer wagon load of hay for our bulls and dragged the cow that died west of his place near road to a ravine north side of Wagner and State Land Pasture. He then went to Joe Hoon Place where Claude Van Epps lives, no one home so he loosened the Porch and room that is his from other buildings to bring home to Wagner Place. Elsie, Billie, Mary Armbruster went with Elmer Chauncey to his Place to finish papering pantry and laying rug in kitchen. W.D. had dinner here. I sewed on Will’s nighties and finished all but buttons and cut out mine.

1943 May 4th Tuesday

Was very cloudy, no moisture so sun shone later. I got only breakfast for Will went to Winner to get car repaired, the fenders, brakes adjusted and came home at 10 p.m., brought ice-cream so I got up to eat at 10:20 p.m. and ate, for only lunched to-day. No chored in eve, but I got water and some wood in. Sewed on Will’s nighties and not much done. Standard Oil Winner left 105 gals. gas. Mrs. Merritt here looking for Will and W.D., went to Joe Hoon Place to see W.D. and Van Epps.

1943 May 5th Wednesday

Wind blew from the south but sun shone and Will chored, went to Van Epps for W.D., Elsie and Billie were at Claude Van Epps to-day, put their house and porch on Chauncey’s hay sweep, and Bill used Chauncey’s tractor to pull them home and never saw them until evening when I went out to get wood at wood-pile, so to-day Will and I went to Whiting Store, got some groceries and no one home at Van Epps, for saw Bill take Chauncey’s tractor home. He used it to pull house to their place, but when we got back they were home, for Elsie and Billie took car down for Bill to come back, and Elsie is in bed with the measles and very sick. Will brought me home and went back to help W.D. take porch off the hay-sweep and he came home for dinner and back again to work. I laid down and sewed on everyday dresses for myself, also got meals and read some.

1943 May 6th Thursday

Northwest wind, dusty and not nice but sun shone. Will chored and went to Van Epps and they moved kitchen off of the hay-sweep and Elsie is real sick so he came home for dinner. I got meals, laid down in p.m., sewed on everyday dresses for myself. Marjorie stayed home from school yesterday and so doubt will [stay home] all this week to care for Billie as Elsie has to stay in bed and W.D. and Whitcher are working at the house.

1943 May 7th Friday

Sun shone but was windy and dusty. Will took crate [of] 12 doz. eggs to Whiting Store and got some salt for the cattle and the mail late p.m. and he and Van Epps got their kitchen up to the rest of house and porch in place, ready for cement floor. Elsie is still not so well but thinks she will get better. Margie takes care of Billie. I sewed on everyday dresses and laid down in p.m., just for a minute, got meals as Will comes home at noon for dinner.