The Finale

Happy New Year! This is the final entry of the 1936 Diary of Irene Smith Dolton blog. Thank you to all who have stepped back in time with me; the devotees, & casual observers alike. I appreciate everyone who has taken time out of their crazy modern lives to read a little about a 55 year old widow trying to make it through the Great Depression. She baked like crazy. Maybe that's where me & my sister's get it from. It's in our genes!

Irene Smith Dolton lived to see her only grandchild, my father (Iliff W. Dolton, Jr.), get married & have 2 children of his own. Unfortunately, she died on January 28, 1969, & never got to meet me & my younger sister. She lived with my father & his parents, Iliff Sr. & Mildred for a time. When she didn't live with them, Dad would visit her in the summer for weeks, & she would bake him oat flake cookies! Iliff Sr. always called his mother "sauerkraut", because she was always ready. She just took off her apron, and grabbed her cardigan & purse.

For those of you who find your way to this blog in the future, feel free to comment. I will keep this active & will respond to all comments. To start at the beginning, click HERE.

Irene Smith Dolton c. 1945

Thank you for coming along on this journey.

Wednesday, December 30, 1936

windy-
I made a baked custard for dinner-
Mr. John Nobles tuned the piano* this morning-
Harry took Clara to town to get her hair curled-
Rec'd a letter from Iliff-

John Noble, piano tuner*

*John Noble was indeed a piano tuner in Ithaca, NY. http://tcpl.org/local-history/documents/IthacaDirectories/ICD_1936L-Z.pdf

Saturday, December 26, 1936

plesant day-
Made lemon pie and got dinner
Harry, Clara & Mother went to Ithaca-
Clara talked on phone to Dr. Moore-
about Mother's condition-
She may not recover-
must be kept quiet as much as possible-
Iliff and Mildred spent the evening with us-
Gave Iliff $15.00 for Mr. Booth-

Thursday, December 24, 1936

plesant s wind
Made a layer cake with date filling and cherry pie and 2 shells and apple turn over for dinner-
Mopped the kitchen and dustedthrough the two living rooms & kitchen-
Clara & Harry came about four o'clock this afternoon-
Iliff came and took me over to the Searles' tree
Had a wonderfull evening-

My Christmas Tree from 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 1936

Frosty and cold N.W. wind-
Done the ironing today-
Sent packages to McGraw and letter to Iliff-
Rec'd Xmass card from Lloyd Bower- Montana-
James Bristol called on Aunty this forenoon-
Mother has been very good all day-

Friday, December 18, 1936

Snowy & north wind
Cold 12 [degrees] above zero this A.M.
Made jello and whipped cream of evap. milk-
and oatflake cookies
Harry came this afternoon to stay all night-
I stretched pillow cases this afternoon-
Sent letters to Iliff and Alice and a card to Ida Ammack and to Lloyd Bower for the ladies
Mother good today-

Thursday, December 17, 1936

Cloudy & colder-
No wind
Washed two sweaters and a wool skirt for Mother-
Empted the reservoir and washed it out
Basted ends and hems of two pair of pillow cases this P.M.
Rec'd letter and postage stamps from Iliff-
Mother good all day-

Wednesday, December 16, 1936

plesant all day-
Made tapioca custard for dinner and 3 pt cans of beet and cabbage rellish-
Harry done the chores and fixed the weights on the coal box etc. etc and left us for Half Acre 3 P.M.
I rec'd new roll of films from the Agfa Ansco Corporation* Binghamton
Wrote leter to Iliff this eve-
Mother good today with no bad results from her fall-

Agfa Karat c. 1935-1955*

*This is film for her camera. For more information check out Ansco on Camerapedia. <Image from http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Agfa_Karat >

Tuesday, December 15, 1936

plesant all day
Went to Mrs. Evans' for 2#* Butter
Rec'd letter from Iliff
Harry came this afternoon and took Mother and I to Ithaca-
Had a nice time
Harry treated me to a banana split-
Mother good all day-
but fell in the wood house this eve
did not hurt her so she said-

Cabot's Ice Cream in Newtonville, MA-  Banana Boat

*No, Irene didn't mess up her hashtag. This means 2# = two pounds.

^The banana split was invented in 1904 by apprentice pharmacist David Evans Strickler in Latrobe, PA. See the article HERE. < Image from Wikipedia http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Traditional_Banana_Boat.jpg >

Sunday, December 13, 1936

Sunday-
freezing & cool-
Made a banana cream pie-
Combed Mothers hair & washed her neck-
and got the dinner and cleared it away and Aunty washed the dishes for me-
Iliff and Mildred came for me to spend the afternoon at Searles'
Charles and Marcia was there also-
Iliff left for Buffalo 5-15 P.M. and Mildred and Florence brought me back-
Had a wonderfull time-

Saturday, December 12, 1936

Cloudy but plesant day
Mildred, Florence & Delbert came for me at 11 A.M.-
to go to Ithaca to Xmas shop-
Went to Victoria Hotel for dinner-
Met Howard & Ida Ammack in Hotel too
Iliff did not get home as he had Saturday work-
Telegraphed to Mildred
Had a nice afternoon-
but what a crowd-

Wednesday, December 9, 1936

Strong south wind cold-
Done the washing today-
Mother very good about it-
Rec'd letter and some postage stamps from Iliff-
Leroy Bower finished drawing the corn from the field-
Mother had nose bleed this eve-


                                                                       

Friday, December 4, 1936

Cloudy with snow covering trees and shrubs
Harry took pictures this forenoon and done all the chores-
I rec'd letter from Iliff-
Mother has been good all day-
I sent letter to Iliff-

Tuesday, December 1, 1936

4 [degrees] below zero-
south wind
dinner and creamed celery
Sent a letter to Iliff and rec'd one from him-
Temperature rising this eve
12 [degrees] above zero at nine o'clock P.M.

Wednesday, November 25, 1936

plesant & thawed
I made a pumpkin pie & a shell and a layer cake with lemon filling
Harry came for dinner & Mother & I went to Ithaca with him for supplies-
I got me some stockings-
I rec'd a nice letter from Iliff today-

Tuesday, November 24, 1936

plesant day & warmer
Thawed a little today-
about 4 inches of snow this morning-
Made oatflake cookies and stewed pumpkin this forenoon
sent letter to Iliff-
Combed Mothers hair and swept & dusted upstairs this afternoon-
Mother tired but good all day-
She prowled all night last night so was very tired-
gave her a pill-

Monday, November 23, 1936

plesant day & cold
Rec'd letter from Iliff and also Clara with check for $20.00 paid to Dec- 2-
I got parsnips from gardens for dinner-
I erupted ashes in south room stove and laid kindling for fire in both stoves and swept up etc.getting ready for Thanks giving- Mother good

Letter from Clara to Irene dated Nov. 21, 1936

Pages 2 & 3 of the Nov. 21 letter to Irene

Page 4 of Clara's letter to Irene

Envelope showing Nov. 21, 1936 Newburgh, NY postmark

Friday, November 20, 1936

plesant & warmer
Helped Aunty clean paint in her dining room-
Subscribed for the magazine "Sucessfull [sic] Farming" and "Better Homes & Gardens" $3.50
Mother was good today-
but does not want to go to bed-
Sent a letter to Iliff-

Better Homes & Gardens December 1936 issue

Thursday, November 19, 1936

plesant & cold
Made a rice pudding and finished cleaning the kitchen paint to day-
Rec'd a nice long letter from Alice also one from Iliff.
Aunty sent a letter to Clara
Mother has been good today.

Wednesday, November 18, 1936

blizzard & cold windy north east-
I stewed apples and also onions and made oat flake cookies-
Sent a paper & card to Iliff this forenoon-
Mother has kept in Auntys kitchen and slipped off to bed upstairs this eve about 8-30 and has not came down at 9-30 so am going to bed myself-