Depression era

There are 13 posts filed in Depression era (this is page 2 of 2).

Jan. 31, 1923: All arrangements for Papa’s Funeral about completed

1923 Jan. 31st Wednesday

A fair day but colder. We are still up town and boys come home to chore morn. & eve. Nellie & baby Fred Jr., Tom Whiting, Mr. & Mrs. D. Dorian & Thelma Garcia came on 1 o’clock. All arrangements for Papa[‘s] Funeral about completed.

Jan. 31, 1923

Jan. 31, 1923

1933 Jan. 31st Tuesday

N.W. wind very cold, cloudy and some snow but quit before sun-down. I got meals and gathered cobs. The men chored and went to Moore Creek and fixed fence and hay-stack, took lunch and Noble Moore helped. Ben Clausen and Murrel (Red) Couser here at mid-day. Mr. & Mrs. John Gaul came in a wagon and I sent them to Will on Moore Creek and they went to Ralph Walton Home to sign for R.F.C. Relief. Narvin Boyd came for the night from Sundquists.

Jan. 31, 1933

Jan. 31, 1933

1943 Jan. 31st Sunday

Was 14 above in a.m. got to 30 in p.m. but I had a cold in head and it ached so staid home and Will to Harry Furrey’s to tell them Cecil Roundy, Valentine, said cow Harry got at Red Sale had abortion. Will said one of these Holsteins lost her calf yesterday. He came home to chore for W.D. is at Gehlsens to Ralph’s Farewell dinner. He went back to Ft. Riley, Kans. this eve. I had lunch at noon, made Jello so we had a fill in eve.

Jan. 31, 1943

Jan. 31, 1943

1953 Jan. 31st Saturday

Foggy, Frosty East Wind. Sun shone awhile in p.m. Dan and Family to Valentine to get Pick Up Springs and Shifting Lever fixed, home before Dark. Will cleaned kitchen and got mail and fixed Floor Lamp, put Scotch Tape on the Plastic Cover of Shade to hold the torn spots and I wrote in diary, sewed a little on everyday dresses, got eats, played in eve some solitaire and Will and I played Canasta.

Jan. 31, 1953

Jan. 31, 1953

Jan. 31, 1953 (continued)

Jan. 31, 1953 (continued)

Jan. 19, 1933: Dakota Farmer subscription

1923 Jan. 19th Friday

A cold night and all day and at times cloudy, looked like storm. Will finished chores and went to Mill to get ground feed and got mail and went to bed without dinner and staid there until 4 o’clock. I ironed all day and went with Will over river in eve to get hogs in and it was so cold I chilled through & through and fell down and such a jar. Will is still sick at bedtime. Louise will try to get a ride in so Will never went. Papa is the same and still in bed as he is weaker.

Jan. 19, 1923

Jan. 19, 1923

1933 Jan. 19th Thursday

Bright, nice day. Wm did the chores for Will has a cold on the lungs and staid indoors all day. I got meals and visited with men in p.m. First one to come was George Hawley, Dakota Farmer subscription Agent, and we got it for 6 years and a large map as premium. John Welch from Tripp Co. came to fix Duke’s teeth, had dinner, then Jay Tate came to see about Community Sale and Roy was here in a.m. and he and Wm drove calves to field and he went to Ross’s in p.m. and Ben came back with him. Ben wants someone to help him butcher to-morrow. Narvin Boyd came in eve with a team and wagon and staid all night, he will husk corn for Sundquist. Thomas & Stanley came in eve and Wm & Narve went up to care for a cow.

[Lisa’s Note: The Dakota Farmer was founded in 1881, the year of Hattie’s birth, and continues to be published today. Paula M. Nelson writes, “During the terrible days of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s, when advertising was nil and the staff minimal, the Dakota Farmer had its largest number of subscribers, over ninety-six thousand” (Paula M. Nelson, “‘Everything I Want Is Here!’: The Dakota Farmer‘s Rural Ideal, 1884-1934″, in The American West: The Reader, edited by Walter Nugent and Martin Ridge, Indiana University Press, 1999, p. 179-80).

Jan. 19, 1933

Jan. 19, 1933

1943 Jan. 19th Tuesday

Was cold last night, got to 26 below but sun shone and this afternoon temperature rose, was 28 above. Elsie and I got meals. I laid down in p.m. and cut out 4 everyday dresses, 2 for winter, 2 for summer. Elsie washed dishes, swept floors and washed clothes for Billy, hung them out to dry, those hung out yesterday switch[ed] out for a strong south wind and not so cold. Henry and Wm V.E. chored, gave cattle cake but first W.D. have the car to thaw out. Claude Van Epps came so W.D. and he went to Herman Schneiderweits to see about a cream separator and Schneiderweit will let Claude use his until Mrs. Schneiderweit comes from Cheyenne, Wyg. where she has Dan Wagner children and her youngest daughter. Will fed chickens and put a glass in window to put in south east corner of Wagner house, it will lead out to porch. Henry fixed chairs and late afternoon he and Wm Van Epps took 1X4’s that were in front-room to thaw out to the Wagner House to fix window and door frames. Will chored in eve, got in coal, fed chickens and took care of the stock at the barn so when Hank and W.D. got back from Wagner house, they were ready for supper.

Jan. 19, 1943

Jan. 19, 1943

1953 Jan. 19th Monday

Some snow until late p.m. then Sun Shone a little. Calvin is able to be Up from his Bronchial Touch of Pneumonia later part [of] last week at Sandhills General Hospital, Valentine. Will says he plays with his Toys and steps around fairly well for he couldn’t walk Saturday when they brought him home. Men gave cattle feed and went to Whiting Store to mail letters and get mail. Dan works at a Rack he is making for his Pick Up box. Will had to rest a while and lay down so I am making a Quilt Top and I cut blocks while he rested awhile late p.m. I played a little solitaire and got eats.

Jan. 19, 1953

Jan. 19, 1953

January 3, 1933: Berry is now our governor

1923 Jan. 3rd Wednesday.

Was cloudy most of day and cold until towards — just lovely. Will & William snapped corn and finished on hill on B’s. I was sick so just baked bread and the meals and went for mail in eve. The men are very tired as they covered a lot of territory.

January 3, 1923

January 3, 1923

1933 Jan. 3rd, Tuesday

Bright, nice day. Yesterday was S.W. breeze and to-day N.W. but not too windy to put hay in barn for Will & Roy put 5 loads hay and one of oats not threshed. Wm looked at traps, took stock to field and got same in eve and worked at hog shed in garden. I got meals, baked a walnut-cocoa cake, started to make apple-jell but no thick. John Sloss of Crazy Hole here to see if he could get Red Cross Flour, he came horse-back and it is all of 10 miles or more down there, so horse traveling is coming back this winter for Berry is now our Governor. I cooked dried-corn and pork bones for dinner also made some sauce this day. I feel bum so rested in p.m. and gathered cobs in eve. The stock enjoy feeding in the field but are beginning to destroy oats in stack so must haul it in.

[Lisa’s Note: For more on South Dakota governor Tom Berry, see “The Cowboy Governor.” This diary entry also played a role in the Flash Narrative “Horse Traveling Is Coming Back.”]

January 3, 1933

January 3, 1933

1943 Jan. 3rd Sunday.

Was 2 degrees below zero at 10 a.m. so must of been real cold in night and early morning sun shone and a Northwest breeze. Last night some wind and snow fell that it was piled in roads to-day. We got breakfast and at noon a lunch of vegetable soup and sandwiches. Elsie swept floors and washed dishes this forenoon. I baked a spice-cake, put brown sugar, walnut icing on it. Elsie fixed jello last eve and we took cake, Jello and sandwiches to Tom and Sadie Whiting’s 29th Wedding Anniversary. Had a nice lunch of sandwiches, plenty of cake, jello 2 kinds and whipped cream, pickles, coffee and cream. They got presents of rugs, lace-table cloth, silver Dollar[,] dresser scarf and sugar and creamer. We all played pitch and some 500. Prizes of High and low went to Leonard, a box [of] cigars and [to] me a knife holder. Mrs. Wallace Gran [got] stationary and Graydon Hallack, an ash tray. We got home at dark. Those there were Mr. and Mrs. Jay Tate, Raymond and Dick, they left in a little while to go to 4H Meeting [at] Schneiderweit School-house, then to Carl Andersons to see Pauline, who is home from Sioux Falls, where she and Mildred are attending Beauty and Secretarial Schools. Mildred is working now.

Those at Tom’s besides Tates were, Mr. & Mrs. Carl Gehlsen,; Rita Marie and Bobby, Mr. & Mrs. Graydon Hallock, Judy & Graydon Baair, Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Whiting and Gary, Mr. & Mrs. Wallace Gran, Betty and Leonard, Mr. & Mrs. Wm Chauncey. Mrs. Thomas F. Whiting Jr. and Doris, Mr. & Mrs. Wm Van Epps and Billie, Will and I. Will’s cough is worse this eve and I have indications of a cold again but after a french-fried toast supports bed.

January 3, 1943

January 3, 1943

January 3, 1943, cont.

January 3, 1943, cont.

1953 Jan. 3rd Saturday

Partly cloudy but not bad. Dan and Will ground alfalfa this a.m. for Bulls and Calves and in p.m. ground ear corn for them also. I got eats, played solitaire and Men did odd jobs then Will no feel good. I never saw Betty and Calvin. Don’t know if they went to Mission.

January 3, 1953

January 3, 1953