Thursday, November 5, 1936

Snow 4 inches deep
wet and heavy hanging to trees
Shoveled paths all around
Made tapioca custard, cottage cheese and cooked cauliflower for dinner-
Sewed on my princess slips this afternoon
Rec'd card from Christine
Mother good all day-
Aunty helped shovel snow-

Cauliflower

Thursday, October 15, 1936

plesant all day-
Have not eaten much today-
Pulled Aunty's beans and poles
Mother and I called on Mr and Mrs. Clayton Haring to learn about voting^ in Ludlowville
He will see I am registered-
Ella Miller and Leroy Lobdell called-
I dressed a burn on her arm and we picked up wlanuts
Leroy Bower got uscereals in town-
Mother good today-
*Rec'd card from Christine Uncle Oscar died Tuesday eve Oct. 13-

League of Women Voters poster

^Irene is registering to vote for the upcoming elections. Way to go! 1936 was a presidential election year. 

*This line was written vertically up the left hand side of the diary entry. I don't know who Uncle Oscar is, but he is more than likely a Smith, if Christine Smith wrote about it to Irene.

Sunday, September 27, 1936

plesant and cool
Sunday and lonesome-
Mother stayed in her room nearly all day-
I took my bath after dinner-
George, Bertha, & Christine* came for a little while-
George looks rather bad weighs only 163 lbs about 40 lbs under his usual weight-
Iliff did not come this eve-



*Irene's relatives George & Bertha Smith came with their teenage daughter Christine. Their elder son Chester (Chet) was already married & living away from home.

Thursday, September 24, 1936

rainy day and how welcome but fair this eve again-
Did not rain enough to help the wells any
I make a little chilli sauce and a batch of crab apple jelly today-
Mother has been good today
a little restless to find her rubber coat-
Sent letters to Clara and Christine-

Tuesday, August 25, 1936

plesant all day with a little shower this eve-
Christine done the ironing of my clothes and Harrys' _
I made an elderberry pie and a shell and Harry, Christine, & I went to Ithaca for afternoon-
Harry bought a tire-
Iliff, Mildred, Harry & I took Christine home to McGraw for supper and spent the eve-
The Fowler family & Harry Messenger gave us a concert-
wonderfull time
*Iliff and Mildred home to stay


*This statement is written up the inner left hand side of the diary entry.

Monday, August 24, 1936

plesant all day
Done the washing today
Christine made a chocolate cake fine-
Harry carried the water for me-
Harry, christine, and I went to Taughannock Falls^ and T'Burg,* & Mecklenburg back to Ithaca-
Iliff and Mildred came home-
reporting a fine time at Thousand Islands-

Map showing potential route for the trip stated above in 1936

^Taughannock Falls is a NY Sate Park named after the waterfall. It is located on the western side of Cayuga Lake. See above map.

*This is Irene's abbreviation for Trumansburg, NY. See above map.

Post card Iliff sent his mother while on honeymoon 1936

Contents of the post card Iliff sent Irene on Aug. 24, 1936

Dear Mother,
We have arrived to our first stopping place near Sacketts Harbor, 12 miles from Watertown.
Had a nice trip. Enjoyed every second of it.
        Love,
                  Iliff & Mildred-

Sunday, August 23, 1936

plesant all day
Bob came and done chores and Harry spent 2 hours at the Howell Home this forenoon and got his Montana pictures
Harry & Christine & I went to Auburn & Owasco Park this P.M.
Had a wonderfull time-
Then we took Delbert and went to hear Mr. Flaxington talk on his travels-
brought Florence home with us.
*wonderfull day

Diary page showing clipping about the band concert

*This statement was written vertically along the left hand margin of the diary entry as you can see in the image above.

Saturday, August 22, 1936

Iliffs' & Mildreds' wedding day-
plesant all day-
Rev. Flaxington performed the ceremony with Lewis Hyers as best man and Francis^ as bridesmaid-
Francis & Christine decorated the car-
Fourteen guests for dinner
Mildreds' dress was white and her going away attire was a suit
They left amid showers of rice for Thousand Islands-
Harry took Christine & I to a show this eve "Kelly the 2nd"*

Rev. Flaxington, Mildred Searles & Iliff Dolton's wedding day Aug. 22, 1936

Guest list for the wedding

Marriage announcement in the local paper

Irene's diary of the wedding & announcement pasted in

^"Francis" should be spelled Frances. Frances Sharpsteen was Mildred's younger sister. As Frances was already married & a mother, she would have been Mildred's Matron of Honor, not her bridesmaid.

*Kelly the Second was a movie starring Patricia Kelly & Cecil Callahan.

Friday, August 21, 1936

plesant all day
I made the brides cake and another for supper-
Harry and Iliff polished Mildreds car this forenoon and drawed water for Delbert and went to town-
Harry, Iliff, and I went to McGraw to get Christine-
I rec'd letter and check for $5.00 from Clara as a gift-

Front of postcard to Irene dated August 21, 1936

 c/o of Ella Howell. (Is this "Mother" or "Aunty"?)

Contents of postcard to Irene from Hannah

Dear Sister,                                                                         Aug 21
         I am at Florence's in Liberty having a good time, She drives her car so I have had a lot of nice rides.
Bob is at a boy scout camp for more than a week. He has a week more.
Florence is going to take me to Walton some day soon just for a day. We had our Eells reunion ^at Binghamton Park the 9th and I came home with Florence that day. So I've been here nearly two weeks. I will be home soon. Hope you dont go to see me while I am away ^but will come after I get back. love Hannah please write

Thursday, August 20, 1936

plesant & cool
Iliff took us for a walk over the farm this morning.
Corn is fine, gathered some ears for supper & the buckwheat good for this year-
We then went to McGraw and eat lunch with Bertha & Christine.
Harry got Mildred a box of candy in Cortland
We went to see Lewis & Ann Hyers this eve-
Iliff & Mildred got license at Ludlowville-

Map showing current route from Ludlowville to McGraw, NY

Friday, July 24, 1936

plesant all day
rained all night
Rec'd letter from Christine telling the family expect to go to Michigan to see Winnie
start next Friday night the last day of July-
Iliff took me to Ithaca and I bought a pair of silk stockings-
Mr Palmer drawed 6 load of hay-
Chas' wife and baby was here this afternoon-
*Fay Smith & Floyd Fenner called



*This statement is written vertically along the left hand side of the diary entry. 

(I apologize! I originally posted the July 25, 1936 entry here. This is now the actual July 24, 1936 diary entry.)

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-

Sunday, May 31, 1936

plesant all day-
Clara left 12-30 noon today
George, Bertha, Chester, & Christine came about  two hours this p.m.
Harry took us for a ride after they left and Aunty & I called on the Hamiltons and Ed Emmons
Iliff called this eve-
Mother very restless and unhappy since Clara left us-
 

               Would You?*

If I thought a word of mine,

    Perhaps unkind and untrue,

Would leave its trace on a loved one's face,

    I'd never speak it--

              Would you?

If I thought that a smile of mine

    Might linger the whole day through

And lighten some heart with a heavier part,

    I'd not withhold it--

               Would you?

                                                         --Anon.

*The above poem was found in Irene's diary. It was cut out of a newspaper, & I thought I would include it here. Nice sentiment.

Friday, March 27, 1936

Rained this early morning but faired away so Harry worked in the yard most of day
I made a crabapple pie* and oat flake cookies^ and dressed a rooster and helped some in the yard this afternoon-
Rec'd a letter from Christine and Bertha-
Mother has been wonderfull today-



*Crab Apple Pie recipe is on the post for February 17, 1936. 

^My Oatmeal Cookies on the post for January 21, 1936.

Wednesday, February 26, 1936

Thawed but snowed some-
got grain from upper barn and done all the chores-
Washed kitchen windows out and inside too-
Finished apron* for Aunty and started one for myself.
Mother has been fine
Sent letter to Clara.
Rec'd letter from Christine
Iliff called this eve-


*OK. I've counted. Irene has finished 5 aprons; 4 for Mother, one for Aunty. Now she is working on one for herself.

Thursday, February 13, 1936

Cold 16 [degrees] above zero S.E. wind at noon today- stormy*
Mended Mothers sweater
Rec'd a valentine and letter from Christine today.
Susie Harring called this P.M.
Mother had a bad spell this afternoon- determined to walk alone to Leroy Browns-
She got quiet before bedtime-
She wrote a letter to Clara-

Nor'easter in Greenwich, NY- February 13, 2014

*I'm thinking Irene's storm in Ludlowville in 1936 was nowhere near what we are getting in Greenwich right now in 2014. Holy nor'easter Batman! The snow & wind are crazy right now.

Friday, February 7, 1936

Cold zero this A.M.
Done all the chores and got corn and grain-
Swept and dusted up stairs-
Rec'd a letter from Christine today-
Harry Baker came this after-noon and brought groceries & meat and shovelled out driveway
Mother has been wonderfull all day



*Irene really loved to double up on her "L"s. I was just chatting with someone on Twitter about weird double letters in English, like bookkeeping, misspelled, & earrings, but in Irene's case these are misspellings. At least she is consistent with it.

Thursday, January 30, 1936

Trees covered with frost this A.M. 4 [degrees] below zero.
Done all the chores and made cream pie and oat flake cookies this A.M.
Rec'd letter from Christine- She passes Regents in Spelling 97, Arithmetic 90%
86 in Silent Reading*
Uncle Marell has a heart attack.



*The NY State Regents testing has changed a lot over the years. I know in the 1960s, my parents did not have Regents in Spelling or Silent Reading. Is Silent Reading just reading comprehension? When I was in high school (1988-1992) I took Regents in Course I, II, & III (math), Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish, Global Studies, US History, & English.

Saturday, January 25, 1936

Cold but plesant
Zero this A.M. rising to 10 [degrees] above just after noon-
Done all the chores and shovelled path to corn house for corn-
Made a layer cake with crabapple jelly filling. Made apple sauce*-
Charles came for list of groceries to get for us in town
Rec'd letter from Christine-
Mother difficult this AM-



*I wondered whether Irene was cooking apple sauce on Jan 16 when she stated she "cooked sweet apples." Since she used the term apple sauce on this date, I can only assume that 9 days prior, she was cooking something else.

Thursday, January 23, 1936

Clara's birthday
Christine's birthday*
Stormy and windy and cold wave-
Rec'd letter from Clara telling about a storm in Newburg-
Done all the chores today and hemed Aunty's dress and finished an apron for Mother
Mother has been pretty good all day-

List of birthdays found in Irene's diary

*Christine refers to Christine Smith. I never met her, but I did meet her brother Chester Smith & his wife Laura when I was in high school. They grew orchids for Cornell University. You can see Chester & Christine's birthdays listed on the paper above.