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.

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.