Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Saturday, February 22, 1936 - Trying to Make Candy without Kerosene


"Mother, Daddy and Jack went to the show.  I got some candy ready to cook and there wasn't any kerosine.  When Mother, Daddy and Jack got home we had lunch.  I cut pictures out of papers for Billy."

 

Friday, February 21, 1936 - A Day with Elsie

 


"I went down to Elsie.  She gave me a peice of cake.  Her brother was there too.  Elsie came down here.  We had peanuts and pop.  I gave Elsie two magazines to read.  Elsie and Angie have a battery radio."


I found an interesting article about battery-operated or "farm" radios here.  Most homes in the country did not have electricity.  Batteries for radios were not the neat little metal tubes we know today.

Saturday, February 20, 2021

Thursday, February 20, 1936 - Mr. McCrilles Sold Us a Radio

 


"I went to Elsie's to day.  Mr. McCrilles sold us a radio.  Mother went to work today.  Elsie gave me two doughnuts.  Daddy let me go with him after mother.  We saw three boys riding on the back of a car."


There is a Clarence W. McCrilles, born about 1900 in Arkansas, enumerated with his wife Cleo and his two daughters, Lawanda and Anita, in Muskegon in 1930.  By 1940, they were living in Hazelton, Shiawassee County, Michigan, but stated they had lived in Muskegon in 1935 (a question unique to the 1940 census).  The 1936 Muskegon City Directory also has him living on Route 5, the same as the Robbins family.

Friday, February 19, 2021

Wednesday, February 19, 1936 - The Busy Bee Club

 


"Mother didn't go to work this morning because she didn't feel very good.  Mother and Joyce went over to Server's to the busy bee club.  Daddy went to Grandma Kenfields."


This was the second day in a row that Marie didn't go to work, yet she attended the Busy Bee Club.  I am wondering if she was having "female issues."  Searching for Busy Bee Clubs online yielded lots of results, mostly women's church groups not limited to any particular denomination, but also as social reform groups.

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Tuesday, February 18, 1936 - Another Letter from WKBZ

 


"Mother didn't go to work today.  Marie didn't come to school.  I got a letter from W. K. B. Z. Spelling bee.  Mother is making Joyce a neckscraf [sic].  Mother also made a hat.  Mother made the beds for me.  I don't know if I am going to the Spelling bee."


Will Marie get to participate in the radio station's spelling bee?  Or will she be disappointed like last time?

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Monday, February 17, 1936 - Candy and Pennies

 


"Jack's teacher gave every pupil candy.  Marie didn't come to school this morning.  Joyce is learning to cut paper with her shears.  I have been saving my pennys.  I have 26¢ now.  Jack has 15¢ ($1.15) now."


I used this Inflation Calculator to figure out that 26 cents is about $4.89 today. Fifteen cents in 1936 is about $2.82 today, and $1.15 is $21.64 in today's money.  I am wondering if Jack had a dollar bill in addition to 15 pennies.

Doing a little digging on the internet told me I could get a 2.5 oz. Snickers barfor five cents, and a loaf of bread for nine cents in the 1930s.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Sunday, February 16, 1936 - There Was No Sunday School

 


"I went down to Aunt Elsie's.  Angie and Elsie are going with Don and Bertha to Grand Rapids to see Aunt Josie.  Aunt Elsie gave me two muffins.  I went over to Marie's.  She came over here too.  There was no Sunday School."


I wondered if there was a special occasion for Don and Angie and their wives to visit Josie (and Lloyd).  I checked Lloyd's and Josie's birthdates and anniversary, but none of them were in February.

Monday, February 15, 2021

Saturday, February 15, 1936 - Trying to Take Mr. Taylor Home

 


"Mother and Daddy are trying to take Mr. Taylor home.  I hope they don't get the car stuck.  Mother and Daddy got home alright.  Mother bought Joyce a pair of shears.  She dosen't know how to use them.  Mother bought us some candy."


Between the deep snow, the bitter cold, and the rural roads, I can imagine trying to travel anywhere by car would be an anxious venture.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Friday, February 14, 1936 - Valentine's Day

 


"I got six Valentines.  Our teacher gave each pupil a Valentine with a sucker in it.  I went down to Aunt Elsie's.  She gave me two peices of cake.  Jack got five Valentines.  Aunt Elsie got a Valentine from her sister today."





Saturday, February 13, 2021

Thursday, February 13, 1936 - "A man was trying to sell daddy a radio"


"We went to School today.  We drew names for Valentines today at school.  I got a boy's name.  His name is Clifford Bromley.  I slept on the davenport tonight.  Mr. Taylor is still here.  A man was trying to sell daddy a radio."


I did a Google Image search for 1936 radios and found lots here.  Because Shirley has mentioned a radio station in her diary, I assume the family already has one.  

Clifford Arthur Bromley was born 9 September 1922 in Michigan.  In 1930, he was living with his mother and stepfather, Julia and Peter Paul in Grand Rapids, and in 1940, they were living in Muskegon.  Clifford grew up to serve in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II and died 10 March 1962.

 

Friday, February 12, 2021

Wednesday, February 12, 1936 - Lincoln and Mr. Taylor's Birthday

 


"There were 22 pupils at school today.  Our classroom wrote stories about Abraham Lincoln.  Todays is Mr. Taylors birthday.  Mrs. Taylor and another lady and Mr. Taylor visited here.  Mrs. Taylor and the other lady named Fern went away.  Mr. Taylor stayed at our house."


Thursday, February 11, 2021

Tuesday, February 11, 1936 - Helping Grandma Lewis

 


"I went to Grandma Lewis.  She was sick in bed.  I set table, washed dishes got a glass of water and few other things for her.  I looked at the Sunday paper at Grandma's house.  We have to go to school.  I will be glad.  There is not much to do home.  Its too cold to go out doors and enjoy it."


Mary J. (Wilkinson) Lewis was an invalid for the last few years of her life.  She was diagnosed with Addison's Disease around 1938 and died in 1940.  I'm sure she appreciated any help that Shirley could give her.

Monday, February 10, 1936 - "The snow comes up to my waist in some places"

 


"Mother and Daddy and Billy went to the show.  Jack and I made Valentines.  Bob made Johnny cake.  for dinner.  We didn't have to go to School.  The roads are not plowed.  The snow comes up to my waist in some places."


Interesting that they couldn't get to school, but they could get to the theater!

Sunday, February 9, 1936 - A Homemade Puzzle

 



"Jack, Joyce, and I played Sunday School.  It is so cold out that they didn't have Sunday School at our School.  Jack and I didn't know what to play.  Mother cut a picture into peices.  She gave it to us.  We tried to put it together.  It was a hard puzzle to put together.  Mother and Daddy went o Grandma Kenfields."


It's obvious that the snow and cold are starting to take a toll.  No school, no Sunday School.  I'm not sure if Sunday School was held at the school building or the church, after reading Shirley's entry.  I'm guessing that the frequent visits by Bill and Marie to the Kenfields were to help out the elderly couple with the snow removal and to check up on them.


Saturday, February 8, 1936 - The Snow Shoveling Crew

 


"The snow is blowing.  Bob, Jack went skiing today.  I went down to Elsie's.  Men were shoveling the road to their house.  I baked a cake.  We had part of it for supper.  Jack carried half of a pail of water for Elsie.  Daddy went over to Grandma + Grandpa Kenfield.  Bob went to work on the roads shoveling snow, but couldn't because they had to be 18 years old."


That must have been a disappointment for Bob.  I'm sure he could do a man's work, as he had been helping to support his family for some time.

It sounds like neither Shirley's household nor Angie and Elsie's household had running water.  There is a photo of a well pump in the back yard here.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Friday, February 7, 1936 - Skiing on a School Snow Day


"Bob, Jack and I went skiing this morning.  Jack and I found a little hill to ski on.  We could ski up and down the hill.  Marie Server came over to play.  Bob gave us a penny.  Bob was skiing on a bigger hill then we was.  The snow came almost up to my waist.  This has been the worst winter for years."


Shirley was correct.  The winter of 1935-1936 was the coldest on record for many of the midwestern states, and February in particular set new low temperature records. 

 

Thursday, February 6, 1936 - Wool Socks for Jack and Family Photos

 


"Grandpa Kenfield bought Jack a pair of wool soxs.  Uncle Angie and Aunt Elsie visited to our house today.  Elsie has a new dress.  Mother showed some pictures of Angie, Daddy, Mother's brothers and family, her sisters and family and us kids, etc.  I gave Elsie a picture of me.  Mother gave her one of Angie."


My grandfather Bob told me that when he was young, he and his brothers and cousins would work all summer at Grandpa Kenfield's farm.  At the end of summer, Grandpa Kenfield would purchase each boy an outfit for school.  This makes me wonder if Jack did some chores at the grandparents.

I love that Marie was showing family photos to Elsie, making her feel like part of the family.  I wish I could time travel and see what family photos were being shown and given.  Perhaps one of them was the Robbins family portrait seen here.

Wednesday, February 5, 1936 - Calendars for the Bedrooms

 


"I went down to Elsies and ate supper.  I made a calendar for Bob, Bill, and Jack to hang upstairs.  I made one for our Bedroom.  I gave Joyce my crayons so as to color.  I didn't have to go to school today.  The snow is so deep and the roads not plowed, so they shut the school up."


What is interesting about this entry is that it explains the sleeping arrangements.  The boys slept "upstairs", which I believe was probably a half story or attic, given the photos we have of the house.  There is a window in the south gable.  It appears that Shirley and Joyce shared a bedroom.  Where did Bryan and Marie sleep?  Did they share a room with the girls or did they sleep on a fold out sofa in the living room?  Were there two small bedrooms on the main floor?

Zillow states this house has only one bedroom and one bath, and 552 square feet, but then again, it states the house was built in 1938, which is obviously wrong!.  The square feet is probably considered usable space only and the upstairs is likely not counted.  Another real possibility is that there was no bathroom at the time my family lived there.  They likely had an outhouse and used a tin tub for bathing; and then later on, one of the bedrooms was converted to a bathroom.

Tuesday, February 4, 1936 - A Good Book and a Report Card

 


"I bought a book home from school called Just David.  I like it very much.  Bob read it through tonight.  I got my ears and fingers cold coming home from school.  I got my spelling words alright.  I wanted to go to Elsies, but couldn't.  I got my report card.  I got A in reading, Health, English, Geography and spelling.  I got B in Penmanship, arithmetic and deportment."

Just David was written in 1916 by Eleanor Hodgman Porter, the author of Pollyanna.  It was a bestseller.  Now out of copyright, you can read it for free, here at Google Books.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Monday, February 3, 1936 - A Hair-Do, Dice, and Sweet Popcorn

 


"Mother went down to get her hair curled.  She said I could get mine curled in spring.  I went down to Aunt Elsie's.  I played dice with Mother and Daddy.  Jack poped corn and put sugar on the corn because he liked it sweet.  We had a half a hour noon at school.  We get out a half a hour earlier."


I remember my Grandmother Robbins (Jeanne - Bob's wife), who was a beautician, talk about how perms were done in the old days, with electric curlers, each one of which was wired.  Sometimes hair would burn.  I imagine it would also be dangerous, with the possibility of electric shock if there was a short.  The price of beauty!

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Sunday, February 2, 1936 - Sunday School, Paper Dolls, and Candy

 


"I went to Sunday School today.  We bought a Sunday paper.  I cut the paper dolls out of it.  Jack and I went to Grandma Lewis.  She gave us peanuts and candy.  She gave me some paper dolls for Joyce and I to play with.  Bob gave us a penny to buy candy.  Mother gave us some candy too."

Monday, February 1, 2021

Saturday, February 1, 1936 - Time with Aunt Elsie

 


"Mother had to make her coat shorter.  I went down to Elsie's house.  While I was down there she washed a few clothes and baked biscuits and a cake and moped the floor.  Mother and Daddy went down town.  I had supper at Elsie's.  Angie got a job, he has to work in the after noon till 8 or 11  P.M.  I stayed at Elsie's about four hours.  Mother bought me a pair of mittens.  Joyce got shoes and broom."


At only four-foot-eleven, my great-grandmother Marie had to make a lot of her clothing shorter, I imagine!

It sounds like Angie worked a swing shift.  I'm sure Elsie appreciated Shirley's company (and probable help) while her husband was at work.

Was that a toy broom for Joyce?