Frances Russell S 1950 Diary

Frances Russell’s 1950 Diary

Jan 1...(Sunday) Nice day. Shirley came after her kids. Me and the kids played cards, jacks and dominoes.

Jan 2...We finished hauling in corn fodder, butchered a hog. Harold was here to get a wheel.

Jan 3...20 below this morning. We cut up hog.

Jan 4...Cold. Doyle took meat to the locker. I made soap, rendered lard, made head cheese.

Jan 5...Doyle took hogs to the sale. I patched, salted the meat, helped shuck corn.

Jan 6...We went to Nunn & to Harold’s & pumped water. Went to Campbell’s & got Capt. Shirley & Harold were here.

Jan 7...I mopped and cleaned house. Shirley left the baby. They were here for supper.

Jan 8...(Sunday) We made ice cream. Cozads were here. Heplers & Jim & Erlene were here in the eve.

Jan 9...I worked. the wind came up awful. They were supposed to butcher.

Jan 10...Elah came after a hog. We butchered a beef. I put clothes away.

Jan 11...Doyle took hogs to the sale. Gladys went to Heplers & spent the day. Heplers were here for supper.

Jan 12...We cut & wrapped meat. I ironed and made a pie. Doyle went to Greeley.

Jan 13...I made 13 pt. of mince meat. Jim & Erlene came & paid for the hog they got.

Jan 14...I was sick all day. Washed with the little machine. I ironed. Shirley brot the mail out.

Jan 15...(Sunday) Windy as heck. We stayed home. Doyle helped Belmore. We popped corn.

Jan 16...Mary stayed home. We butchered a hog for Prange. Went to Pierce and Nunn, took Merky to Hobart.

Jan 17...Windy. I made donuts. Patched and painted the kitchen linoleum.

Jan 18...Cold. We cleaned up rye off the ground.

Jan 19...We took Campbells with us to Greeley, got groceries & a bike at the sale.

Jan 20...I washed with the electric machine. Doyle went to Greeley & got hay & blankets for Frank.

Jan 21...We ground feed, unloaded hay. I mopped and ironed. Harold & S were here in the eve.

Jan 22...(Sunday) We stayed home all day. Keenan was here all p.m. We popped corn.

Jan 23...Doyle went to a sale with Charley. I mopped, patched, painted a cot.

Jan 24...Snowed last night. I patched.

Jan 25...Awful cold. I made some skirts & a blouse for Gladys.

Jan 26...Cold. I made Gladys a pr. of jeans. Doyle went to Pierce & Nunn.

Jan 27...Doyle & Kenneth went to Greeley. I made Gladys a blue striped dress.

Jan 28...I cleaned house, mopped, helped with the hogs.

hogs

Jan 29...(Sunday) Cold & snowy. We stayed home all day.

Jan 30...Cold & snowy. I made me a new dress.

Jan 31...Cold & clear.

Feb 1...Doyle went to a sale & bought hay and a tractor. I washed. The wind came up.

Feb 2...Cold & clear. We unloaded baled hay. I cleaned house & ironed. Went to Hobarts & got lumber.

Feb 3...Warmer. We went to Nunn & Pierce and pulled Campbell’s car. Fixed the barn.

Feb 4...We put the feed grinder together. I mopped and cleaned, made a Kenneth a cake. Mary dressed the chicken.

Feb 5...(Sunday) We stayed home all day. Nice day. Jim & Erlene were here in the eve.

Feb 6...Kenneth stayed home with a cold. Doyle & I went to Nunn & got the mail.

Feb 7...Nice day. Gladys was sick. I kept Shirley’s kids. They brot Hazel & here husband by.

Feb 8...The bus brot Bobbie home sick. I made rolls, donuts.

Feb 9...We went to Greeley and got Ken a suit, Mary a pr. of Sun. shoes & groceries. Saw Hazel downtown.

Feb 10...Doyle went to a sale with Charley. I cleaned house.

Feb 11...The kids went to Hobarts. Doyle took Kenneth & Mary to the dance.

Feb 12...(Sunday) We stayed home. Shirley & Harold were here for supper. I fixed candied popcorn.

Feb 13...I washed.

Feb 14...Windy. We went to Ault & got a linoleum and put it down. I made a cake. Shirley was here.

Feb 15...Doyle went to a sale with Charley. I kept Shirley’s kids and ironed.

Feb 16...Swell day. Doyle went to Ault. I patched. Tommy fixed the roof.

Feb 17...Windy. Made Doyle a birthday cake.

Feb 18...We ground feed with the hammer mill. Butchered a hog.

Feb 19...(Sunday) Swell day. We went to Heplers. No one home. So we came back by Coffmans.

Feb 20...We cut up pork & took it in to Pierce and on to Nunn & got the mail. Shirley was here awhile.

Feb 21...Cold & windy. Doyle took the tractor to Pierce. I ground sausage.

Feb 22...I made a cake and some soap, mopped the kitchen, sewed.

Feb 23...Awful windy. We took a hog to Hoovers, got 100 chicks. Went to a show at Pierce.

Feb 24...Bobby stayed home. We went to John Deere Day. Wind blew awful. Put chicks out in tubs.

Feb 25...Bobby was sick all day. I cleaned house.

Feb 26...(Sunday) Nice day. We took Bobbie to the Dr. Harold & Shirley were here.

Harold, Shirley, Frances & Doyle

Feb 27...Doctored Bobbie all day. I washed. Doyle went to Greeley with Charley.

Feb 28...Doyle went to a sale. I ironed. Made bread. Harold & Shirley were here for supper. Bobby felt better

Mar 1...Cold. Bobby stayed home. Doyle went to a sale with Charley. Doyle took the kids to PTC.

Mar 2...We worked on the truck motor.

Mar 3...We measured wheat land. Shirley was here. I made bread, donuts, mopped & waxed the bedroom.

Mar 4... We ground feed. I cleaned house. Went to town with Doyle. Made a cake.

Mar 5...(Sunday) Floyd, Marian, Ma, Pa, Ronnie were here for dinner. Cozads, Harry, Keenan, Harold & Shirley were here.

Mar 6...Awful windy. Bobbie stayed home. We put down linoleum indoors.

Mar 7...Bobbie stayed home. I embroidered. We took out ins. I made bread. Awful windy.

Mar 8...Mary stayed home. She was awful sick in the eve. I washed. Coffmans were here.

Mar 9...Mary stayed home. I sorted spuds. Doyle & Charley hauled in 50 sacks of spuds. I ironed 1 bu.

Mar 10...I washed the salt off the pork. Mary stayed home. Finished ironing. Doyle had to go to Pierce after Bobbie.

Mar 11...We sorted spuds all day. Harold & Shirley were here in the eve.

Mar 12...(Sunday) Snowy. We stayed home all day. Popped corn. Suppose to go to Harold & Shirleys for dinner.

Mar 13...Nice day. I cleaned house. Cut spuds. Doyle went to Nunn.

Mar 14...Nice day. I cleaned house.

Mar 15...I put chicks in the b(?). We cooked 2 boilers of hog spuds. We went to Pierce & got groceries.

Mar 16...We cooked 3 boilers of potatoes for the hogs. Windy. I screened oat seed.

Mar 17...We took the drill & tractor to Harry Boyds.

Mar 18...Windy. I mopped. We put linoleum sqs. down in the hallway. It snowed.

Mar 19...(Sunday) Art was here for dinner. Heplers were here in the afternoon. I made donuts.

Mar 20...Awful windy. Kenneth stayed home from school. Doyle went to Nunn.

Mar 21...Nice day. I washed and mopped. Harold brot the mail by. Doyle went to a sale at Wilson Corner.

Mar 22...We ground feed all afternoon.

Mar 23...Windy. Awful windy. Carol S. came home with Mary.

Mar 24...We went to Nunn & I went to Shirleys. We went to 14 and to Pierce. We dug out and fixed fence.

Mar 25...I gave Mrs. Hobart a Toni. Cleaned house. Mary set with Ruby & Bus’s kids.

Mar 26...(Sunday) Cold & windy. We stayed home. I made litebread & buns. Bus brot Mary home.

Mar 27...Windy. We sacked spuds. Doyle went to a sale. I ironed. Aggie & Louisie had heifer calves. We helped Cleo have a bull calf.

Mar 28...Windy. Jen’s calf was born. We went to a sale at McGee’s. Got pillows & hamper.

Mar 29...Windy. We fixed fence and broke an axle in the Ford. We put a partition in the barn.

Mar 30...Nice day. We went to Greeley, got paint. Paid taxes. Vern Smith stayed with Kenneth.

Mar 31...Windy. The kids went to a spelling contest. I patched.

Apr 1...Nice till noon. We ground feed. I made a cake, cleaned house. Doyle & K went to town.

Apr 2...(Sunday) We went to Heplers. Doyle found Elah’s billfold. Enid & Marian were there.

Apr 3...It came a short blizzard. I patched socks.

Apr 4...I washed. It turned off snowy. Doyle went to Greeley & got spuds. We sorted spuds till late.

Apr 5...We sorted spuds. Charley was here. Me and K & M went to PTC with Jim and Erlene.

Apr 6...I put the chicks out in the pen. Washed on the board. We put a hitch on the truck. Took Shep to be vaccinated.

Apr 7...Swell day. I mopped & cleaned house. We done the chores alone. I ironed till 10. Doyle got home late.

Apr 8...We took Kenneth to the spelling contest in Greeley, came back by Harry’s & Cozads. Peg had a calf.

Apr 9...(Easter Sunday) I made an angel food cake. Hazel & Harry, Shirley & Harold were here for dinner.

Apr 10...Windy. I kept Howard Marvin while they moved. I patched.

Apr 11...Nice day. I patched. Doyle worked on Harry’s place.

Apr 12...Nice day. Joanie’s calf was born. We went to Pierce & sold eggs & got groceries.

Apr 13...I was sick all day. We put calves in the pig pen. Mrs. George Anderson was here.

Apr 14...Nice day. We cleaned seed. Went to Pierce. I ground feed in the eve. K & M went to Greeley.

Apr 15...Foggy & cold. We ground feed, took meat & butter to Pierce. Went on to 14 and to Nunn.

Apr 16...(Sunday) We helped Bunny have her calf. Cozads, Heplers & Harold & Shirley were here.

Apr 17...I washed. Doyle went to Harry’s place.

Apr 18...Snowy & cold. Boots’s calf was born. I run cows & ironed. Doyle went to Pierce.

calf

Apr 19...Snowed last night. We ground feed. Ray came after Capt. I made donuts. We fixed fence.

Apr 20...Nice day. I patched.

Apr 21...Nice day. We cleaned barley seed. Went to Nunn & Pierce, got groceries. I patched.

Apr 22...Doyle & K went after cross arms. I mopped & cleaned house. Mary set with Bus and Ruby’s kids.

Apr 23...(Sunday) We went to 14 & to Nunn. Sat around in afternoon.

Apr 24...Windy. We went to Greeley. I got stuff for me 2 dresses. Stopped at Boyds & Shirleys.

Apr 25...Nice day. Lockheed died. I painted bedroom ceiling.

Apr 26...Windy. We found the kittens. Mary stayed with Carol. I painted the walls in the bedroom.

Apr 27...We ground feed, took the tractor to Harrys & to Pierce & got gas.

Apr 28...Cold & cloudy. Doyle & K took Jan to the sale. We built a stock rack.

Apr 29...Snowed last nite. Doyle & K went to Greeley. I made a cake & mopped. Doyle gave me $100.00.

Apr 30...(Sunday) Nice day. We stayed home. Harry B. was here. Harold & Shirley were here awhile.

May 1...We built calf pen. Whites were here. I washed.

May 2...They moved the outfits home. I rode the drill all P.M. Carol stayed with Mary. Kenneth stayed at Smiths.

May 3...I rowed drill till noon. Mrs. White spent the P.M. I made donuts.

May 4...Cold. Bubbles’s calf died. We went to Greeley. I put $100.00 in the bank, bog Bob shoes, sold cream.

May 5...Windy. We de-horned calves, built pig pen fence and shed. Whites & Ray were here.

May 6...Nice day. Doyle went to 14. Sorted spuds, planted onions. Mopped. Made rolls & buns.

May 7...(Sunday) Rained most all day. We stayed home.

Russell family

May 8...We went to Cozads. Stayed most of the day. Came home through Pierce.

May 9...We ground feed till noon. Then I done up my work, patched.

May 10...I painted walls. Gladys went to school. Nick & Keith got killed.

May 11...No school. Mary went on a picnic. I painted the dining room walls.

May 12...We took the kids in to get the report cards. I painted front room. Boyds were here. H & S were here for supper.

May 13...We took cream to Greeley. Moved Harry Boyds. I went to Nick & Keith’s funeral.

May 14...(Sunday) We all went to Ault to a show. Earlene & Jim were here till late.

May 15...I done a big wash and it rained. I ironed, finished in the eve.

May 16...Nice day. We ground feed. Moved cows to 14. Planted peanuts.

May 17... Nice day. We planted garden.

May 18...We planted melons. It rained. I patched & made Gladys’s pajamas.

May 19...We went to Greeley & got kitchen linoleum & congowall & groceries. Shirley was here.

May 20...Planted garden. Washed curtains. Doyle run over Shep.

May 21...(Sunday) Doyle & Kenneth went to haul dirt on the football field. H & S were here for dinner. Shirley & Jackie were here. Lula and C. were here. I gave Shirley a perm.

May 22...Nice day. We washed. I painted the kitchen walls & ceiling.

May 23...We washed woodwork. I ironed & put up curtain. Made lite bread. Set out tomatoes.

May 24...Rainey. I put up borders on three rooms. Mary went to 4H. I mopped & waxed floors.

May 25...It snowed all day. We put up congowall. Doyle went to Harrys to drain tractors.

May 26...Snowy. We took Bobbie to the dentist.

May 27...I made angel food cakes. Ma & Pa and Marion & Floyd came up and stayed all night.