Friday, December 25, 1936

Cloudy with rain this eve-
Stuffed chicken with celery & onion dressing-
Fine dinner
Harry & Clara got a cedar tree and decorated it and took pictures of it with Mother & Aunty-
We exchanged presents this eve-
Gib & Vera spent the evening with us-
We served cake & tea & port wine-
Wonderfull day-
*Got $20.00 check from Clara paid to Dec 30, 1936

December 1936 edition of Home Arts Magazine

*This line was written vertically up the left hand side of the diary entry.

Tuesday, October 27, 1936

plesant but cold
Made chocolate custard for dinner-
cleaned out the reservoir to the to the kitchen stove-
Harry took Mother and I to Ithaca-
I made application to the Ithaca Service Bureau for another place*-
got my shoes half soled and a new corset and slip-
Wrote to Clara this eve-
Vera & Gibb called
Harry bought clams for soup.


*Is Irene looking for another job?

Sunday, August 9, 1936

Sunday plesant & warm
Dusted all through and made cornstarch custard and got swiss chard greens for dinner-
Took my bath before I dressed this morning-
Gibb Malone came for Aunty about 4-30 and we had supper at Vera & Gibbs and then went to Freeville Camp Meeting* and heard Mr. Ceney from Illinois speak & give messages
very good sermon & messages too.

Description of a camp meeting in Freeville, NY in 1875*

*Camp meetings were frequent in Central & Western NY. Above is a excerpt of a camp meeting held at Freeville in 1857 (p.76) from Historical Sketch of the Village of Freeville by Albert B. Genung published in 1942.

Thursday, August 6, 1936

rained last night cooler today-
Washed more windows and washed off porch and furniture
Genie Hall came this afternoon and stayed to supper-
Vera and Gibb with Sadie Cockran came this evening-
They invited Aunty and I to go to Freeville Camp meeting* with them next Sunday eve-

Current Google map showing possible routes from Ludlowville to Freeville

*Freeville, NY in Tompkins County, only had one church, but held many camp meetings with tents & itinerant ministers coming to preach. Central & Western NY have a history of religious fervor, particularly in the early 19th century when the Second Great Awakening took hold, & lead to the regions nickname, the Burned Over District. This lead to the founding of Mormonism by Joseph Smith in Palmyra, & Spritualism with the Fox Sisters in Hydesville. There is an neat blog I found, if you are interested- Exploring the Burned Over District.

Monday, June 13, 1936

plesant but Hot
Aunty went to Vera's to pick currants and Clara went on to Ithaca to do last shopping
Mother was bad-
Clara finished her packing this afternoon and I got the currants picked over-
Harry came for supper and left for Lloyds in Montana about 9 o'clock taking the 11-43 train from Syracuse-
*Aunty and I are all alone-

Red currants are my favorite, not sure about Irene.

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

Saturday, May 30, 1936

Cloudy and damp all day
Sprinkled rain this morning-
Harry took Mother & Clara to the cemetery and to the hot house gardens (Lockwoods) for flowers and came home for dinner and Aunty went with them to the cemetery again after dinner-
They called on Vera
I made a cake and stewed rubarb and made strawberry shortcake* and fried fish for dinner-
dressed a chicken this afternoon for tomorrow
Mother good all day-



*I don't know about you, but I was getting worried that Irene hadn't baked in a while. LOL

Tuesday, May 26, 1936

plesant all day cool
made butterscotch pudding and done general work-
Susie Haring called-
Vera, Gib Malone & Eilene Pealo came this eve-
Vera taking treatment of Langford Baker, Chiropractor and is better-
I wrote to Florence & Mildred this morning and rec'd letters from Clara and Bertha-
*Shot two woodchucks with one shot.



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

Sunday, February 9, 1936

Sunday
Harry and Clara left 2 o clock this P.M.
Had nice chicken dinner-
Clara measured the front south room and measured linen for lunch cloth and 4 napkins for Mother to fringe-
Vera and Gib* called this eve
also Iliff and brought me some of Mildreds birthday cake^ and ice cream
Mother has been fine today




*Vera Dolton was the daughter of Frank Dolton. Frank & Irene's husband Willard were brothers. Gib (or Geb) was, supposedly, Vera's husband. No one in the family would talk about the relationship & some deny Vera was ever married. I actually met Vera & her older sister Hazel a couple of times. They lived together in a house in Niagara Falls for many years.

^I have to say, that Mildred's chocolate cake that I made yesterday was better the second day. My pastry chef sister suggested I cut the flour to 2 c & add 1/4 c cocoa powder for a moister, more chocolaty cake.