The year 1932. Rose is a thirty five year old school teacher in a country school. She is unmarried and lives at home with her parents and family in a rural area in the state of Iowa. Rose has not been teaching and is helping with the house and farm work.
We ended last weeks diary reading with this post. Monday, February 15. Helen baked bread. Misty a.m. quite good P.M. Thompson out to work on coup. Bill Corwin and Floyd down in eve. Sewed.
Now we continue with the new readings for this week.
Tuesday, February 16, 1932. Cloudy, Rainy P.M. and evening. Down to McFaddens to play cards. Started to snow and froze up. Sewed.
Wednesday, February 17. Cold. Ground covered with ice but rough enough to stand up on Sewed on slips, Helen too. Pioneer Nat. Bank in waterloo closed.
Thursday, February 18. Good day. Warmer P.M. To cem Assoc. at Alma Eades. Harland to town. County Union met at Waterloo. Banks in C. F. closed.
Friday, February 19. Took Mama peddling in C.F. Men here to see about bank waiver. Harland, Mama & I up to Vaughns.
Saturday, February 20. Good day, but chilly. I took Mama to Waterloo. Snowed a little this P.M. Harland went skating. Roy Lents here to see about bank waiver.
Sunday, February 21. Very good thawy day. Harland went down to see Clarence. Nobody came, stayed home all day.
Monday, February 22. Good day. Helen washed. Mama and Harland to waterloo & C. Falls. I mopped. Harland to play cards.
End of the diary of Rose for this week. We are seeing some trouble with the banks, this is what happened during the Great depression.
Now on to visit with Emma.
We continue the diary of Emma. The year 1933. Emma has been a widow for 1 year and 5 months, she is living in the United States in the State of Iowa. Emma lives in a small town community and has a busy life. Some of her grandchildren are brought into town for school and often they stay for awhile with her. One of her grandsons stays with her longer than the others. There is much interaction that goes on with her family, her children live in rural areas and one daughter lives away and writes letters. Emma's grandchildren come to visit her often and a few of them are old enough to be helpful. Emma misses them when they are not there. You will start getting the feel of who they are as we read through the diary.
Last week we left off with this post on Wednesday, February 15, 1933. A very pleasant winter's day Thawed a little. Lem was in this a.m. brot me a pt of cream. He isn't feeling nor looking well. Oli came in this evening from their Tea for Mothers & stayed till his Daddie came for her.
Now on to this weeks reading.
Thursday, February 16, 1933. Weather warming up. Got Holdrege news paper today. Just as I feared Alvin was found dead & alone either heart failure or a stroke. He loved his Holdrege friends & his own home there better than living with others.
Friday, February 17. Quite a spring like day. Lem was in early this a.m. with a load of hickory wood. Received a long letter from Della. James this noon & a lot of snap shot pictures of Alvins's children. His monument & casket, seems he died very suddenly as he had wished to go.
Saturday, February 18. Had a surprise this P.M. Bessie and Oli came walking in with the twins. Got their first pictures taken today. I was up town this a.m. mailed a letter to Melia & Grace. Abe came in at noon with a load of wood & took dinner with me.
Sunday, February 19. Was surprised to awake this morn about three o'clock & hear it raining. Have spent the day at home all alone reading & writing. Cleared off this P.M.
Monday, February 20. Has been a spring like day till this even is all clouded over & wind is blowing hard. I did some baking this a.m. Have been tying comforter or lounge robe most of the day. Abe & Leighton were in this a.m.
Tuesday, February 21. Abe was in this a.m. & men working for the county are cleaning up timber on North side of creek. Mrs. Galley came this PM & helped tie comforter. Had to call early this even to fix kitchen light, spring broken, cost .35 ct for repairs & work.
Wednesday, February, 22. Weather mild & roads muddy in places. Have been out to Bessie's most of the day. Babies both so nice. Lem has in a new kitchen floor. This even Edwards brot ice cream & came over to celebrate his birthday.
End of this weeks diary readings.
We can see with Emma's diary how important it is for people to come to visit and also to get out for a bit. In the past neighbors, friends and family would visit and eat meals together. They would visit and have tea and coffee, pie or cake or just visit. There are many things that were done in the past that would be so helpful if we could bring back to now. Grandma Donna
