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.

Monday, December 28, 1936

plesant all day
Made oatflake cookies
Mother has been upset all day-
Clara has indigestion and I had nervous headache
Going to bed at nine o'clock-
Harry & Clara hiked to the woods and then Harry went to Auburn and got his own car-
Rec'd letter & card from Florence Beebee-
Aunt Em has grippe-

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 10, 1936

Thawed all day-
Snow nearly gone-
I made Butterscotch pudding and oatflake cookies-
Aunty slipped on the ice and fell this morning-
was I scared
bruised her hip a little-
Mother very good all day-
Luther Bower called looking for Harry to sell his hay-
Wrote letter to Clara and Aunty wrote too-

Wednesday, December 2, 1936

Snowed all day
thaws this eve
Mother rec'd letter from Clara
I made oatflake cookies and creamed onions this forenoon
Combed Mothers hair and done general work-
Shovelled walks this afternoon-
Harry came before supper to stay all night-

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-

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-

Monday, November 9, 1936

Cloudy and cool but not freezing-
pumped a pail of water from the well this morning*-
Sent a letter to Clara telling her the good news also a letter to Iliff.
Made oat flake cookies and stewed apples-
and raked leaves and finished banking the north side of house-
Mother good all day but difficult this eve-
not bad-


*So glad to hear there is water in the well. You can tell the importance of this news because she specifically sent word to Clara & Iliff!

Monday, November 2, 1936

Rainy Monday-
Went with Harry to S. Lansing garage and to Mrs. Evans' to get water-
got the dinner and made oat flake cookies and a plain cake with chocolate icing this afternoon-
Had a plesant evening visiting-
Harry and I took out the screen sash and put in the glass this P.M.
Harry fitted weather strip to Aunty's North doors-

Wednesday, October 21, 1936

plesant & warm, beautiful day-
Rec'd letter from Iliff and mailed one to him-
Harry  Baker & Mr. Fred Clark came to go hunting  this afternoon-
No game-
I made 4 pts cauliflower pickle-
Tapioca custard and ost flake cookies-
helped Aunty make 8 glasses of red grape jelly-
Leroy Bower called and asked me to go hunting -
Aunty told him I was sick so we did not go-

Irene's single barrel, 12 gauge shotgun

Wednesday, October 7, 1936

rainy forenoon
plesant afternoon & warmer-
I made butterscotch pudding and oat flake cookies* dug some potatoes and picked a pall full of tomatoes this forenoon-
Ironed this p.M.and mended this eve-
Rec'd a card from Iliff-
Mother has been good to day-



*If you are new to the blog, welcome. Oat flake cookies are one of Irene's favorite things to bake as regular readers are well aware. For my own oatmeal cookie recipe I take you back to January 21.

Friday, September 25, 1936

plesant and cool
Sent birthday card to Florence Searles today-
Made oatflake cookies and put away jelly-
Canned two more qts of pickle pears.
Chas took the eggs to market today-
Harry called this P.M. on his way to Half Acre-
Mother was prowling all night so was quiet today-
Harry Teeter, Harold & wife called on Aunty today-

Thursday, September 17, 1936

plesant & cooler
I canned 2 heads of pickled cauliflower making 3 pts and picked and canned 7 pts of tomatoes today-
Harry came and we went over to Iliff's for supper
Had a wonderfull time-
Iliff had roasted beef and had made chocolate cookies & we had creamed potatoes & sweet corn on the cob & peaches & cream
*Iliff had telephone call from Curtis Kendricks Buffalo


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

Wednesday, September 9, 1936

plesant all day
Mother rec'd letter from Clara telling us of her safe arrival
I picked and canned two cans of plums and made oatflake cookies^-
Iliff, Florence & Delbert called this morning-
There is to be a variety shower* for Mildred Saturday afternoon at Florences
I eec'd invitation from Frances today
Harry called this eve on his way to Iliffs

Invitation to Mildred's variety shower

Envelop for the invitation above showing postmark

*A "variety shower" appears to be very similar to our current bridal shower, but it is done after the bride returns from the honeymoon. Games, gifts, & food were common themes, as they are now.

^It must be cooler, Irene is back to making oatflake cookies!  

Saturday, August 8, 1936

plesant all day
Charles came to get grocery list
Made molassas cookies
Lizzie Hughes came to suspend the day-
Done a part of the ironing and tacked scrim on one window in Aunty's south bedroom where Harry sleeps
Rec'd letters from Clara and Harry telling us they leave Libby 11 o'clock Saturday and arrive in Syracuse early Tuesday morning
*Jay and Elsie DeFano move to Ithaca today-


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

Monday, August 3, 1936

Hot day-
Monday plesant all day
Aunty and I both washed curtains
Aunty for north room upstairs and I washed the three in pantry and the two pair in kitchen-
I made oat flake pudding* for dinner from the left over cooked oat flake-
put in an egg, sugar, and milk with vanilla-
It needed raisins, dates, or prunes or something else to give flavor
Mr. Bergdoff did not press hay-

Visitor list from Irene's diary

*At first I thought Irene wrote pudding instead of cookies, but as I read further... how ingenious! I think dates would be a good choice, though I make my oatmeal cookies with cherries, so that would be my choice.

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, May 25, 1936

plesant & cool all day
Made oat flake cookies and helped a little in the garden-
Harry planted peas corn, string beeans, lettuce beets, parsnips & potatoes-
Harry took Mother & I to Ithaca this afternoon and ordered coal and got tomato onion, & pepper plants.
Iliff with us this eve- Mother good
*Harry got me ice cream & birthday^ card.

Irene Smith Dolton b. May 25, 1880

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

 ^ Today would have been Irene's 134th birthday. My daughter, Fiona was born on this same say as Irene in 2001.

Happy 134th Birthday Irene! 

Happy 13th Birthday Fiona!

 

 

Thursday, May 14, 1936

plesant but cold wind
Had a fire so baked molasses cookies, lemon pie & macaroni and cheese* this forenoon-
finished mowing the lawn so it is mowed all around the house-
four sides-
this afternoon-
Mother has been good today-
wanted the fire-



*Ah, so there is a fire. Don't waste it! Get some baking done.

Tuesday, May 12, 1936

plesant all day but warm
Helped Aunty with her cabinet & dining table-
She washed the dishes-
Mother rec'd letter from Clara and book from Lloyd-
I shot an owl from maple tree two shots-
Mrs Evans & Elnora called this evening-
delivered girl scout cookies-
Mother good all day.