Tuesday, June 30, 1936

plesant but cool
I made oatflake cookies & a sour cream cake*-
Harry came 1-30 and went with Clara to Syracuse^ to get tickets and drawing room reservations for the trip to Montana
Mother upset all day because Clara fixed brackets for Aunty's shelf and also going to Syracuse and leaving her home-
They returned about 8- P.M-

Google map showing current routes from Ludlowville to Syracuse^

* I was getting worried. Looks like Irene got a cool day & got right to baking!

^I wonder who is going to Montana & when. We'll have to wait & see.

Monday, June 29, 1936

plesant all day
Clara & Mother went to Ithaca and got supplies for Carpenter Mr. Alexander to fix windows and paint floors and put up picture molding in front room.
Mr. Marshall, Electrician, came to fix wiring receptacles for lights & stove & a light over the pump. Dr Stuard came & took Mothers blood pressure- all O.K. good^ all day.
Harry & I took out rug from middle room
*Harry went home this eve.



 ^Actually a double underline in the diary

*This line is written vertically up the left hand margin of the entry.

Sunday, June 28, 1936

Sunday plesant all day
Cool-
I baked a slice of ham in cream and got dinner
Harry & Clara went to Levanna to Dr. Folletts' Indian Village*
did not return until 1-30 for dinner-
Mother was very nervous and had a bad afternoon & evening
Iliff called this eve-
had Hyers root beer & sandwiched-
Clara gave me check for $15.00 pay to June 29

Article about Dr. Follett from Geneva Daily Times- June 24, 1939*

*Dr. Follett was an archeologist & anthropologist working at the Algonquin Indian site in Levanna, Cayuga County, NY. By 1939 he had written a book, & made a few presentations on the topic. Harry & Clara must have gone to see the archeological site & picnic. The article can be found HERE.

Saturday, June 27, 1936

rained all night and forenoon nice & gentle-
Harry & Clara took Mother to Genoa to Dr. Stuard's.
I rec'd letter from Christine-
Harry & Clara went to Auburn and had supper on the way-

Friday, June 26, 1936

plesant all day
Harry set out Aster plants for Aunty-
Clara got two cherry tables ready and loaded in Harry's car and Harry & Clara went to Ithaca with them this afternoon
Mother got terribly upset and was nervous all afternoon-
I finished the ironing and got the meals and regular work.
Harry called on Iliff this eve-

Thursday, June 25, 1936

plesant all day
Aunty has a bad spell today did not eat any supper-
was lying down all afternoon-
Clara unpacked her car and bags & trunk-
Harry worked in garden and cleaned up the two cars-
Mother was pretty good today
I done some ironing and got meals etc-

Wednesday, June 24, 1936

plesant all day
Harry came 10-30 this morning
brought plants to set in garden
Mr. Curran came with truck for hay-
He kissed the Blarney Stone for sure*-
Aunty rec'd her mirror-
Clara came 9-40 this eve-
12-30 ^now and just going to bed-
Mother has been restless and cross to all of us today-

Tisha Dolton (me) kissing the Blarney Stone October 1997*

*This made me laugh so hard, I just had to include the photo of me kissing the Blarney Stone when I studied a semester at the University of Limerick, Ireland. I love you Irene!

Tuesday, June 23, 1936

plesant all day
Done the washing today and see a woodchuck in the garden eating carrotts this afternoon-
He ran and I wasted a shot at him and I then chopped burdocks about the corn house so I could see him to get a shot at him-
Had new lettuce from the garden for tea
Mother was pretty good today-

Monday, June 22, 1936

plesant all day
Harry dug burdocks and pulled weeds around the garden all forenoon and went to Auburn after dinner
Mother, Aunty, & I each rec'd letters from Clara-
I answered so Harry could take it to mail in Auburn-
Mother pretty good today-

Sunday, June 21, 1936

Sunday, plesant but cool-
Harry hoed the potatoes and made cucumber hills and sowed the seed-
Has been busy nearly all day & evening-
I made some Hyer's Root Beer*-
Iliff called this evening-
Mother has been pretty good all day-
I combed her hair etc-

Hires' Rootbeer ad 1894^

*From Wikipedia: "Hires Root Beer kits, available in the United States and Canada from the early 1900s through the 1980s allowed consumers to mix an extract with water, sugar and yeast to brew their own root beer. However, most consumption was of pre-bottled root beer."

^Image from the 19th Century American Trade Cards collection at the Boston Public Library. View digitized copy here.

Saturday, June 20, 1936

plesant all day
Made a cake and stewed a little rubarb-
took a bath this afternoon-
Hannah with Ann & Matty and Dick & Joann called a little while before supper-
Hannah is so thin & seems so weak.
Harry came before supper.
Mother has been uneasy and nervous all day-
she called on Susie Haring before supper

Friday, June 19, 1936

plesant all day
Mother would not let me take rugs out and sweep & dust up stairs so I mowed the whole lawn all four sides of the house-
Mother has been pretty good other wise-
She locked her room so I would not get in-
Charles stoped for grocery list this eve-

*June 19--
1844-- Texas annexed by the United States.                                                  
1915-- Iceland, with the consent of the Danish government, grants complete suffrage to women.


*Irene's diary, like many, has history facts on the bottom of the page. Since I am such a women's suffrage nerd, I thought I would share the facts for June 19. Actually, according to Kvennasogusafn Islands website, full suffrage wasn't granted in Iceland until 1920. The 1915 date refers to women over 40 years old.

Thursday, June 18, 1936

plesant all day but shower during the night and a good one again this evening and how the garden grows-
I stewed prunes and carrotts and made butterscotch pudding and worked in cellar this afternoon-
We returned the coat to Clara
Aunty won't have it and she wrote to Clara-
Mother pretty good today-

Wednesday, June 17, 1936

South wind and threatens rain all day
Sowed lettuce and beet seed in garden and hoed the peas & corn
Aunty got a letter from Clara
Iliff & Mildred came this eve and got two bushels of wheat.
Mother a little better today than yesterday but told me she could get along without me if I wanted to go-
I need not wait for Clara to come
Aunty rec'd letter & coat from Clara

Tuesday, June 16, 1936

plesant all day
Mother was lost this morning right after breakfast-
I ran over to Susie's and then all the way to Leroys' and no one had seen her.
Charles brought me back across lots found tracks in the grass up the lane but she was here when got here-
I made cookies and got dinner and hoed in garden-
Mother restless and sulky and does not want me.

Monday, June 15, 1936

plesant all day
made rubarb pie & stewed rubarb for sauce & made macaroni & cheese for dinner-
Hoed from the corn all the small vegetables and 2/3 of tomatoes
Harry hoed the potatoes and berries & painted the sawed off limb to maple tree & nailed a piece of tin over it-
He went home this eve-
Lizzie Hughes spent afternoon & evening-

Sunday, June 14, 1946

Sunday, plesant all day
Had hamburg steak, new tomatoes cabbage sallad, & strawberry shortcake for dinner and more strawberries and  ^musk mellon for supper-
Iliff came this afternoon and we went to Cemetery-
Harry took Aunty, Mother & I for a ride this eve to Union Springs and his house & back home-
The sunset on the Lake was beautifull.

Map of routes from Ludlowville to Union Springs

Saturday, June 13, 1936

plesant all day
made ginger bread and done usual Saturday cleaning and mopped south porch this forenoon and weeded all the small vegetables in the garden this afternoon-
Susie Haring called at tea time and showed us her moths
Luna Moth and the Peacock Moth-
Harry came this eve and brought us pink & white peonys beautifull

White and pink peonies from my mother's garden

Friday, June 12, 1936

plesant but cool
worked in the yard weeding flower beds and cutting grass with shears & weeded the row of lettuce & hung the map & fixed a window shade in porch for Aunty-
Mother has been very nervous & cross all day-
Made a rice pudding  for dinner & gathered milkweed stalks-

Thursday, June 11, 1936

rainy forenoon
Finished the ironing this forenoon-
sewed my shoes and done some mending and hoed the onions & swiss chard etc- this afternoon-
Mother was good all day-
wrote a letter to Clara-

Wednesday, June 10, 1936

plesant all day-
Harry came this morning and cultivated the rest of the garden over except the onions and I had hoed the peas & corn-
He built steps at the end of the stable for Aunty & fixed the roof over her porch-
He brought strawberries for shortcake-
Iliff called this eve-
Aunty gave him a dozen eggs-
Mother nervous this eve-
Harry went home this eve-
*Rec'd letter from Clara


*This line was written up the outer, left-hand side of the entry.

Tuesday, June 9, 1936

plesant all day-
Done the washing this morning
scrubbed the toilet and fixed Auntys screen door
Mother did not make a great deal of trouble but was quite nervous and did not like the wash-

Monday, June 8, 1936

Rainy this morning & cloudy all day-
very much needed-
Harry made Aunty a chicken coop today- and took Aunty to Myers to ask about the coal & got a few groceries-
Mother & I stayed home-
She has been very nervous all day.
I set out petunia plants and done regular work-
Aunty rec'd letter from Lloyd and house dress from Clara
Dress too big- Aunty does not like it.
*Harry went home this eve-


*This line was written up the outer, left-hand side of the entry.

Sunday, June 7, 1936

Showers this afternoon
Harry and Aunty went to the funeral of Will Hall in Ludlowville Methodist Church*.
Mother & I stayedhome.
I fixed Aunty all up & put on her false wig- and black dress.
My cold is getting better but stay hoarse in my throat-
Iliff came this eve-
His brooder stove is giving trouble- smoking up-
Mother good all day

Ludlowville Methodist Society church*

*According to the Tompkins County Historian's website, "The Ludlowville Methodist Society was formed in 1822 and built its first church, Zion's Chapel, in 1825. During 1867-1868 the congregation moved the chapel to Ludlowville. The last service was held in 1962." (image from website cited)


^A brooder stove is a stove used in a chicken (turkey, duck, etc.) house to keep the flock warm during the winter months. I found an interesting article from the Oregon State University Library talking about how creosote from these stoves was causing "mild burn and dermatitis" on turkey poults in 1946.

Saturday, June 6, 1936

plesant all day
Made oat flake cookies, & cake
Roasted beef, stewed rubarb & prunes-
Mopped & dusted the kitchen & woodhouse-
changed Mothers dress & apron & cap and combed her hair-
Very nervous, looking for Clara through the house all day-
Harry cleaned up Aunty's burdock patch in back yard and made her chicken-coop & cut grass to mulch around tomato plants-
*Mr & Mrs Warren Dean came to buy hay- $5.00 per ton^

Hay Prices- June 12014^

*This line was written up the outer, left-hand side of the entry.

^Current hay prices are quite a bit higher now, probably due to inflation. Bale Price Calculator

Friday, June 5, 1936

plesant all day
Iliff came and took Mother & I to Ithaca this forenoon
Met Lottie Hamblin in town had a nice chat with her.
Finished mowing the lawn this afternoon and hoed the two rows of peas and four rows of corn in the garden.
Chas, wife & baby called and Mort Hilyard came & we bought petunia^ plants of him-
Harry Baker came this eve-
*Mother pretty good today
*she hid in the closet-

Old-fashioned petunias with a bit of larkspur^

*Both lines was written up the outer, left-hand side of the entry.

^Petunia image from Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture website. 

Thursday, June 4, 1936

plesant all day but cool-
Made elderberry pie* & shell and two cup custards & stewed prunes-
Combed Mother's hair and washed her neck-
Mother good-
mowed the lawn on all four sides & only left a narrow strip-
Iliff called this eve-
Charles got groceries & told us Will Hall died this A.M. at 9 o'clock-

*Irene is obviously feeling better because she is baking & cooking! Check out this elderberry pie recipe & video from Urban Nature Man. It even tells you how to pick & clean the elderberries.

Elderberry Pie from Food.com

Ingredients:

• 4 cups elderberries 
• 1 1/4 cups sugar  
• 6 tablespoons flour 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 2 tablespoons butter  
• pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie

 

 

Directions:

• Combine berries, sugar, flour, and lemon juice in a medium sauce pan.
• Heat mixture until it just starts to boil, stirring occasionally. 
• Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.  
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Spread bottom crust in a 9 inch pie pan. 
• Spread berry mixture in pie shell. 
• Sprinkle cinnamon on top. 
• Dot butter on top.
• Put top crust on and seal edges. 
• Poke several vent holes in top crust.
• Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving pie in oven, and bake for 30 minutes longer.

Wednesday, June 3, 1936

A little shower this afternoon and cooler-
Made apple pudding and stewed apples for supper
Still feel miserable with my cold and nearly speechless-
a very unimportant day as not anything happened and felt too dull to make anything happen*
Went up stairs to look over work  to do for Aunty-
Mother fairly good-



*Three days of being ill must be taking their toll on Irene. This is language we have not heard from her. She has always come across as rather resilient, even when Mother  is difficult.

Tuesday, June 2, 1936

plesant, south wind
I am still about speechless with cold in my throat-
Rec'd letter and check $20.00 from Clara paid to June 8-
Iliff called this eve to see how my cold is-
Susie Haring brought over some plants for us-
Aunty feeling better today and Mother good all day-
I have tried to keep by myself so not to give Mother & Aunty my cold-

Monday, June 1, 1936

plesant all day cloudy toward night-
Harry set out tomato & pepper plants and finished planting potatoes and put pulleys and rope on the coal box covers-
I am about speechless with cold in my throat-
Charles called this eve to tell us a cat had been killed in the road
It was not ours-
Mother fairly good
Aunty very nervous & cross
*Harry went home this eve



*This line was written up the outer, left-hand side of the entry.