July 2, 1936, Thursday
Beginning to get warm again after the rain and hail of Tuesday. I got meals and Will came in at 1 a.m. from Council Meeting at O’Kreek and was on way home from Winner and we talked some then so I am not a bit rested to-day. Will and Thomas raked, mowed alfalfa and bunched some. LeMoyne went to the pasture to look about the cattle and horses, that is, horses in a.m., back for dinner and to cattle in big pasture in p.m. Schulte cow lost newborn calf.
July 3, 1936, Friday
Bright, hot day. The men chored and Thomas and Will stacked alfalfa, put up 2 stacks. LeMoyne to the horses in a.m. and cattle p.m., was late getting in, for he and Thomas took a swim after Thomas had supper and LeMoyne came in from big pasture. I got meals and ironed the boys’ clothes but not Will’s. Charles Lunderman and Will Tackett here to collect Richard Lunderman grazing pay in full.
July 4, 1936, Saturday
Another bright, hot day, a south wind and a few clouds. I baked bread, got breakfast and dinner, for Will and Noel Lunderman, Herrick, made ice-cream and we ate it and I baked a cake also. I moped kitchen floor and ironed Will’s clothes. Will and Noel went to look at his land, also the Philemonia Dorian land and Noel will take this hay instead of his but must get a hay permit. Wm Pierce came after midnight from Herrick where he got a signature for hay permit and brought Noel along and he will stay here until to-morrow. Oscar Jackson came this mid-day and he went along with us to Hidden Timber sports for the 4th of July. Alice Jackson came back in eve with us and we had supper and went back to dance, met Nellie Larmer, Lee, Boyd, Fred, and Pat Newberry was along but I never saw him. Lee and Fred went back to Furreys after dance, rest stayed here. Mose and Sam Boyd got Thomas & LeMoyne. Stanley brought them in eve to change their clothes for the dance.
July 5, 1936, Sunday
For more on July 5-6, 1936, see “The Hot, Dry, Dusty Summer of 1936.”
Another bright, hot day, a few clouds west of Martin and a sprinkle of rain on us but otherwise was too hot to travel for our car balked on us at Vetal in Bennett Co. and nearly every time we stopped Jake and Will had to fuss with it and prime it. Will got a bottle that had acid in it and had some gas put in it and it burnt his shirt-sleeve & one glove. This happened at Vetal.
We had dinner at Martin, went to Brennan (Wounded Knee) Store, got water, stopped at observation tower wind-mill at Porcupine Buttes, got gas down the Creek, got water at a spring towards Rocky-Ford, stopped at Rocky Ford. Saw George and Florence Clifford also George Clifford of the Rocky Ford Store, [could not] fix car here, so went on to a store at White River Bridge, got a lunch there, went on through the Sandhills after leaving Charles Cliffords, where we got water to drink and put in the car.
The car balked on us after leaving Charles Cliffords and Will was sick from too much heat but he and Jake got the car up a sand-hill and Cora and I. Raymond and she carried George up the hill and we were short on water, but got to John Cliffords just at Sun-down, they ate outside and gave us some supper, they have a cool spring so the water was wonderful and they had cold milk for us to drink. Lawrence Whiting was there for he went from St. Francis with Bill Smith Friday p.m. to get ready to marry Martha Clifford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Clifford, where we are.
July 6, 1936, Monday
The temperature is 110 and 114 and yesterday got to 116. Bright, hot a South wind blew the dust out off the White River Bed towards John Clifford’s, for there is no water in it up there.
Everybody slept out-side, for the beds were there and moon shone all night, it was hot until towards morning. Will and I slept on a cot north of the house near some trees and Jake & Cora and children slept in [a] bed near [the] house. Some slept in wagon and Hay-rack and another bed outside and George, Florence, Laverne, Collins and Tommy slept on the ground.
Most of the folks went to early Mass and we all went to 10 o’clock Mass for Lawrence & Martha [were] married then. A big dinner. Those standing for couple were Lavern Clifford, a Clifford son-in-law, Pearl & Edith Clifford, 2 flower girls. We got at first table, started home 4 p.m. to St. Francis at 9:30 and home at 11:30 p.m.