Clara Belden diary

Clara Belden (composition book) diary items
Feb 9 to Dec 31, 1936 and Jan 1 to Feb 21, 1937
Page 1 to 23 written in ink, cursive
pages very fragile.

Paga1IMG_20250309_145903_MP (1644K)
Diary Page ( right click to view full size)

2-10-1936	Our anniversary; received a box homemade candy from Clara Belle and a blanket from Evelyn + Alice.
2-11	Alice went to Dr. Richardson in afternoon I took care of Philip and sewed quilt blocks. Tried to sell raisonettes in evening but didn't succeed, decided to quit.
2-12	Didn't send letter to Mr. Loche decided to go and see him and return samples later. Alice, Philip and I went to Mrs. Wm Sammons. Alice went to YWCA at Elsie Koch's in evening back about eleven
2-18	Another blizzard. Alice has a terrible cold, went to CB's, B + M and then came back and had hard spell while at dinner. I had Mrs. Davis send CB + john over.
2-14	More snow
2-15	Robert + I went to Beloit and to see Mr. Loche and Mother.
2-16	No church. Went to see how Mrs McDowell and Clara Newton were. Evelyn + family to dinner; Florence and family here to supper and until 8:30.
2-17	Did wash and lot of other work. Wrote Helen
2-18	Found out there was church Sunday, Ironed + cut quilt blocks. Alice + Earl went to see Adams in eve. Mrs. McDowell over awhile in afternoon.
2-20	Sold dress to Mrs. Hanson 4.98
2-21	Went with Alice to see Mary Pomeroy bot groceries
2-22	Went to Rockford to Mother's and ??/
2-23	Went to church + S.S. Dr. Samon conducted communion service + visited S.S.
2-24	Washed, sewed and sold dress to Mrs. Bender.
2-25	Ironed + canvassed. Didn't sell.
2-26	Went to Florence's with Alice, Evelyn, David + Philip. Clara Belle came later. Earl + Robert looked for a job. Ruth, Karl, Irvin, Mr Busker came in evening.
2-27	I canvassed in Rockton, sold 1 dress
2-28	Icy, A + E told Evelyn they might move if they got Hutchin's house
2-29	Went to Beloit bot cloth for 2 aprons and 5 yds toweling.
Mar 1	Went church + S.S. Alice went church tool Mrs. McDowell. Earl took his family + Louis + I to Grandma's. Florence + family + John + Clara Belle here to supper.
Mar 2	Washed, visited with Mrs. Ratzlow
Mar 3	Tuesday ironed + baked. Had a cold.
Mar 4	CB to dinner, Robert + Ganon went to Chicago.
Mar 5	Finished quilt for Philip, cold worse
Mar 6	Helen, Don + Janet came at 8 P.M. made trip in 5 hrs.
Mar 7	CB here to dinner, Florence and family here to supper.
Mar 8	Mother up, Robert brought her. Earl + Alice + I went to see her home. Helen + co went back home at 12:35. Didn't attend church service
Mar 9	Washed + did curtains for bathroom + spare room Robert took Garrows to Darlington
Mar 10	Went to Evelyn in A.M. ironed and sold a dress to Mrs McCurry and 1 pr hose to Mrs. Newell.
Mar 11	Ironed spare room curtains, got room straightened, mended. A + Earl went to Evelyn's. Elmer + Lenore here in evening. Robert went to Yate's to see about job; nothing doing ??
Mar 29	Went see how they were at Evelyn's. went for ride and saw Hendershot's Canada. Florence and family here to supper and until 8 o'clock
Mar 30	Robert started work at fox farm. I finished getting hosiery order.
Mar 31	Rec'd sample super box sent order for hosiery. Mrs. Whiting here in afternoon. Alice ha teeth cleaned. Bought wire fence for front yard 92 ft cost 5.75. Berths + Lloyd Busker here in evening. Karl had new car.
Apr 1	Snowed during night. Robert dug in ditch.
Apr 2	Snowed again 6 in deep now. Robert wouldn't go to work in A.M. Today is Fannie Culver's funeral. Robert worked in afternoon. Another snow. CB wave my hair.
Apr 3	Robert worked. I bargained for 12 lilies. Went minstrel show.
Apr 4	Robert worked
Apr 5	Snowed hard, went to church + S.S. and see mother. Moe's have moved.
Apr 6	Washed. Went to R.I.A. election
7	Went to town meeting + Com. Meeting L.A.S.
8	Mrs. McMaster papering for Mrs. McDowell so they can move home.
Apr 11	Alice sick, decided to go back to Evelyn's
18	Alice + Earl moved back, started for town at 3:45. Louis home for afternoon, he + Robert finished sawing kindling.
Apr	I sold 12 lilies + Mrs Ratzlow sold 2 for Easter.
Apr 19	Went to church + S.S. and mother's although I could hardly speak aloud. Everybody except Helen here in evening. A + Earl, Florence + co here to supper.
Apr 20	Felt better. CB hung out and brought clothes in and did most of housework for me. Robert started work at Curry's. Men setting trees at town hall. I sold 4.65 hosiery. A + E, D + P here for a while, letter from Helen.
Apr 25	Went to Beloit with Evelyn + Kenneth
26	Went to church S.S. + Rockford all children here except CB + Helen.
28	Alice sick. Stormy didn't wash, cleaned S. bedroom
29	Alice sick. Cleaning Robert's room + washed , took care Philip in afternoon
30	Finished R's room, made curtains for same and did ironing, delivered hosiery in eve. Louis at Patterson meeting at elevator. Called on Beard's
15/May 3, 1936	Alice took all of us to Beloit to see antiques in store windows.
June 4	Alice took me to Beloit to see centennial parade at Beloit
June 5th	Helen and Don came to supper time. Janet stayed at Blacks'.
June 6	I went to town with A + Earl. Robert finished work at McCurry's'.
" 7th	Helen + Don started for home at 12:40. Louis + I went to see mother, Evelyn + family went to Chicago. Alice + Earl to Maxines's for picnic. F and family here to lunch.
June 30	Lee Roy Jones rider for Chappel came at noon to board.
July 6	Lee Roy Jones left Chappel's
July 10	10 Mr Ernest Johnson came to board at supper
July 13	Jack Strong rider for Chappel came to board.
July 11	Ted had tonsils out at hospital
July 16	Helen, Don + Janet came at 11 P.M.
" 17	Helen + Don went back for goods. Don got a job at Ingersoll's + came back with goods at 11 P.M.
16/July 18	H + D came back with
Aug 28	Frank a jockey 16 came to board
Aug 2	Mrs Brown Left
" "	Jack Maxedon played + sang at SS. Mrs Olson's father and mother at preachers
Aug 3	I was taken sick (summer complaint) Helen did work after dinner.
Aug 3	Her + Mrs Olson called was too sick to see them Helen still doing work.
" 5	Helen did work, Olsons called
" 4	Louis and August Knope started tearing out plumbing/ louis on vacation started the third
Aug 8	Don, Helen + Janet went to Waterloo as Don's mother was worse
Aug 13	Evelyn, Kenneth + boys started on a trip.
" 15	Helen + co returned. I bot dress and 2 aprons. L + I went to Beloit + Rockton in evening.
20	Evelyn + family returned from trip to Canada
19	Alvin Wilcox papered front room $7.25
17/Aug 20	Mrs Vinicone helped me clean
21	Our supper at (Chicken pie served 100 beside those who served
22	Robert + I went to Beloit in A.M.
23	Didn't go to Rockford. Borders left last night. Don took us for ride and we took our lunch to Evelyn's and ate with them. Alice's anniversary and we all forgot it.
Aug 30	We had mother up and all went to Evelyn's for picnic dinner. Alice and Earl rented the Lawson house
Sept 5	Helen + Don went out for evening and Helen gave me 50 cts. A + Earl nearly moved.
Sept 7	Labor Day. Helen + Don took Louis, Robert + I to the Starved Rock State Park.
18/Sept 12	Fall Festival rainy, had morning pageant, too rainy to have night production. Mother + Earl Robbies up.
Sept 13	I'm about down sick, had to go to much as I'd invited Mrs. Roy Tompkins to give illustrated talk at S,S. Alice came in afternoon. real sick with abdominal pains like appendicitis. Dr. Irvi?? Came and stayed an hour and pain was less. Louis went to the Interlake Conference at Harlem Church. Helen + Don secured an apartment on Evelyne St. Rockford.
Sept 14	Alice better went home at night
15	Helen + Don moved. I went to Alice's in afternoon CB brought me to her house in rain and then home
19/Oct 1	Robert started work in Chappel Bros at night in Bakery.
Oct 3	Helen + Don took me to Beloit to trade
Oct 2	Alice + I went to Rockford. She got a green dress + I got a hat + Shoes.
Oct 16	Alice was operated for appendicitis at Municipal Hospital by Drs. Orvisin and Flarrity, It was just in time CB took care of Philip while I was gone/
Oct 17	Have Philiip and Earl here, Alice as good as could be expected
18th	Went to S.S and Louis and I went to Mother's in afternoon. At hospital in eve.

19	Washed + went to hospital with Evelyn.
20	CB did the ironing for me.
20/Oct 23rd	Alice came in the afternoon to our home. Evelyn brought her. She has a cold.
30	I came down with a hard cold. Dr Wivian here said t go to be and stay or have pneumonia. Florence + children here
31	Dr. here said I'd have to stay in bed. Helen on a few ?
Nov. 1	R. C. Hardy took my place at S.S.
2	CB did wash
3	I sat up a little. CB did ironing
4	Up all day
5	Louis received a scarf, book, pajamas, candy, card+ Sat Eve Post for birthday
6	CB over to sew dress and wrapped. A paid hospital bill. Rev Olson called.
7	CB made two pies for us.
8	Wm. And family arrived at 12:25 We had been eating five minutes. Louis brought mother up All of the children and their children were here to see Wm + family. All to lunch except Evelyn + family. Alice + Earl moved back home.
21/Nov 9	Clara Belle did the washing. Mrs Barbara Reed, Mrs. Shaw, + Mrs. Wincecomb called on me.
10	Robert took mother home. Alice came and did dust mopping and dishes. Mrs. Bender + Mrs Hirt and Bertha Hardy called.

Dec 25	Louis, Robert, mother + I ate dinner with Earl + Alice. Hey had a tree for Philip and we gave him our presents for him. The rest all went to the in laws.
Dec 27	A sick as she arrived here in A.M. Earl brought mother up for the day as all went to Evelyn's for Christmas dinner. Mother sick
Dec 28	Alice sick and Earl brought her + Philip over here, sick three times in afternoon. Had doctor twice. Janet sick.
29	Alice better, Dr. here at noon. She, Earl + Philip went Buskers at night to stay awhile Mother is quite sick
22/31	Alice + family returned home in eve. CB took me to Helen's in afternoon. Janet has tonsilitis, tempt. Was 102+
23/1937 Jan 1	Helped Alice then went to church dinner. After dinner went to Mothers and helped there. She has quite a cold. Came back to Alice's and did some ironing After lunch Robert drove for us to Beloit and we all went to the Majestic, home at 10 PM.
Feb 5	Aid dinner here. Mrs, McAmmon + Snook helpers. 48 here and cash for two dinners sent receipts $22.45
Feb 10	Received for our anniversary, cake server CB, picture Amiens Cathedral Alice + Earl. Three lamp shades bought with dollar Robert gave, rubber stair treads from Evelyn + Kenneth.
Feb 14	We ate dinner at Evelyn's, Mother and Alice, Earl + Philip there too.
Feb 21	The weather is too bad to go to Rockford a regular blizzard. River high.

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