Thursday, February 27, 1936 - Mother and Daddy Went Away

 

"Jack and I went over to Moore's house.  Mother and Daddy went away.  Before Mother went she gave Jack medicine and told him to go to bed, but he didn't.  Mother gave us each a sandwicth.  It had lettuce, Meat, salad dressing and butter in it."

My goodness!  I have so many questions!  Who were the Moores?  (I'll have to research them)  Where did Marie and Bryan go?  Why did Shirley cross out the last two sentences.  

And Jack!  He was always being naughty, ha ha!  I'm guessing Shirley often was exasperated with him because she was probably supposed to be watching him.

Wednesday, February 26, 1936 - Joyce's Perfume Bottle

 

"Jack is sick in bed with a cold.  I went to school today.  Joyce has got a perfume bottle and lets everyone smell it.  Daddy went after Mother.  Jack feels better now.  Mother made Joyce's doll a bonnet."


I'm guessing Joyce was given an empty perfume bottle to play with.  I wonder if Marie knitted, crocheted, or sewed that doll's bonnet?

Tuesday, February 25, 1936 - The Thaw

 

"I went out doors and played.  Bob came home this morning.  Aunt Elsie got her hair waved.  It is awful slushie out doors.  Marie came over to play we played school.  Mother & Daddy went to Angie's and Elsie's house."

Monday, February 24, 1936 - The Fifth Grade Arithmetic Book

 

"Tomorrow I think we are going to be through our fifth [grade] arithmetic book.  Bob is staying at our cousins house.  I fell down twice in the water going to school.  I baked a cake while Daddy went after Mother."

I wonder which cousins Bob was staying with?  They had so many!  I'm guessing Shirley fell because it was icy and slushy.

Sunday, February 23, 1936 - A Movie and Sunday School

 

"Mother clean the bedroom for me.  Billy and I went to the show.  We had to wait about 2 hours before we could get in.  I went to Sunday School today and got 12 papers.  I washed my stockings out so they will be clean for School."


I wonder what movie it was?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

 

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."

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.

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.