Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:27:17 GMT

Sunday, November 30
Elaine and I rode to church with Gilbert L. Had Wm. and family, Wilfred, Bessie & Harry here for a birthday oyster supper. Fine day, but cold.

Minnie and her granddaughter caught a ride to church this morning with Gilbert Lamon... Minnie seems to enjoy oyster suppers on the most festive occasions - New...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:35:52 GMT

So it is a lie... I knew it!

Saturday, November 29
Leonard is improving. Mild weather. Elaine worked all day at Carl's store. Sold brown puppy to farmer near Theresa, $1.00.

Leonard appears to be on the mend. Maybe he'll be able to keep his tonsils after all... The mild late autumn weather continues in Hounsfield, New...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (Derwenz) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:14:56 GMT

Minnie certainly can't say she has no friends!! We should all be so blessed! She has been well-remembered on her birthday. I don't think I've ever gotten that many birthday cards for any one birthday in my entire 53 years on this rock, so far! I'm quite confident that a US Mail truck will back up to Minnie's doorstep next month to unload a few mailbags full of Christmas cards for her!!

Minnie seems to appreciate those utilitarian, or...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:56:38 GMT

Friday, November 28
Dr. came again to see Leonard. He has tonsilitis. Esther Alexander has a son, also Hilda Fry, a daughter. Rec'd 27 beautiful birthday cards.

I wonder if Leonard will have to have his tonsils removed... It's a mini baby boom! Minnie's received word today of two local women being safely delivered of...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:05:25 GMT

Thursday, November 27
Leonard is sick. Dr. Fox came. Mrs. Wakeman & Lola Cooper came about C.C. class meeting. Children gave me 2 boxes handkerchiefs.

This is the second time in two weeks that Dr. Fox has had to pay a call on the Conklins... The minister's wife and another woman paid Minnie a visit today, probably to discuss...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:50:39 GMT

Wednesday, November 26
Made out stockholders dividends, 5%. Tomorrow is my birthday. This is the last day of my 73rd year.

The Conklins celebrated Thanksgiving last Thursday, as New York was one of the 23 states that followed President Roosevelt's recommendation in 1940 and 1941 that the next-to-the-last Thursday in November be...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:05:17 GMT

Minnie seems to have corresponded with a wide circle of friends and relatives all year round, too, not just at Christmas. Well, I'm glad she ordered the cards nice and early. She's got a few weeks to get those cards addressed and stamped!

Tuesday, November 25
Rosamond and Mrs. Hynes came. Brought nice pair of hose, candy, flowers for...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (Derwenz) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:04:28 GMT

I'm wondering if John Wilton was Harry's father. According to the 1918 area farm census, John's farm specialized in hay, and dairy farming. If this is so, then Harry may have come to the Conklins with, at least, some experience in a related profession. John Wilton is listed a having one child. His farm contained 480 acres - definately one of the larger farms in the vicinity.

"Seventy Christmas...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:44:33 GMT
Monday, November 24
Muriel Walker brought my Christmas cards yesterday (seventy). First sale of cheese by Mr. Wilton, $2.26. Elaine is working at Carls 2 to 9 P.M.

Seventy Christmas cards?!? I think the most I've ever sent is twenty or so. It was just two weeks ago that Muriel Walker called about the Christmas cards. She must have...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:07:29 GMT
Sunday, November 23
Rainy, P.M. At home. Heard Rev. Thornberry. "God, our Helper" and Ray Washburn, "The Gideonites." They are placing Bibles in hotels and P. Camp.

Judging from the words "at home," it sounds as if Minnie didn't get to attend church services this morning. Fortunately, there was plenty...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:22:54 GMT
Yep, that's a burial record for Minnie's daughter-in-law. At the time of this diary entry, she's still 37 years old, in good health, and now five months pregnant with her fifth child.

Saturday, November 22
Carl's store phoned for Elaine to work there today and she went. Rec'd a box of lovely candy from Gladys Campbell, Farmington, Conn....

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (Derwenz) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:35:08 GMT

Here's some info I found on one of the Conklin Clan:

Doris E Conklin

Born: 10-07-1904
Died: 08-01-1975

Spouse: William B Conklin (D. 09-23-1989)

Interment: Dexter Cemetary - Brownville/Jefferson Co.

Could this be the Doris that frequently crops up in Minnie's diary?

Steve
...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:12:25 GMT
Friday, November 21
Our pastor, Rev. Wakeman, spoke over the radio this morning, "Conquering difficulties." Doris and Elaine went to Watertown to do Christmas shopping.

The minister of Brownville Methodist delivered the radio devotional from studios in Watertown this morning... I guess "Black Friday" is a tradition...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (Derwenz) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:52:15 GMT
I tried to dig for any info on the Gilmores but, I wasn't too successful. I did find a Doris Gilmore, who died in 2004. She was the mother of a Mary J Weaver, who died in 1993. Perhaps the hounsfield records don't have much to say about the Gilmore because they eventually went South, and stayed there.

Steve

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:22:16 GMT
Thursday, November 20
Thanksgiving. Lovely radio services. Much for which to be thankful. Elaine and I were at Wms. for chicken dinner. Gilmores started south Wed.

It sounds like Minnie enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving morning at home listening to the radio - and not having to prepare a massive dinner all by herself! (She probably did that...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:52:19 GMT
Wednesday, November 19
Wm. & Doris went to Raymond's funeral at the Catholic Church in B- and to the cemetery. School closed at noon for Thanksgiving. Children all had pictures taken at W-.

William and Doris attended Raymond Walrath's funeral in Brownville. The funeral mass probably took place at the Church of the...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (Derwenz) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:37:41 GMT
"Raymond Walrath died on November 16, 1941."

Well, this was, indeed, news we were expecting - especially in light of the data contained in the Hounsfield records. A perusal of the Hounsfield records revealed nothing regarding the mysterious Earl mentioned in Minnie's diary entry. I did find one Earl walrath. But, he died in 1929 and, therefore, he couldn't possibly be the Earl whom...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:45:57 GMT
Tuesday, November 18
Raymond Walrath passed away Sunday at 4:30 at Biggs Hospital, Ithaca. They brought him to Earl. Doris and I went over to the house this evening.

Here's the news we've been expecting. Raymond Walrath died on November 16, 1941. He'd been at Biggs Hospital since at least October 22 and had an operation...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:45:26 GMT
Monday, November 17
Wm. better today. 15º above this morning, but nice day. Wrote to Henrietta G-. Mrs. S. D. Lansing and Chaplain Eric Espelien, Pa.

Brrr! It's awful brisk these days in Hounsfield for there still to be green grass on the ground... William is feeling better after his episode with kidney stones last night... Minnie...

Re: Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:01:49 GMT
Sunday, November 16
Wm. took us to church and S.S. Mr. Wakeman preached a fine sermon from John 14, 6-. Wm. had an attack of gravel Sun. night. Dr. Fox here.

William drove his mother and eldest daughter in to church this morning, where they enjoyed a sermon based on the passage: "Jesus answered, 'I...

Minnie's Day: A 1941 Diary

feeds@yuku.com (KirtlandHill) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:46:43 GMT
In 1934, Minnie Gladwyn Conklin, a farmer's wife, began keeping a daily journal --- a journal she would continue for the next nineteen years. We've read through her journal for 1940, one day's entry at a time, and discussed them in another thread. This new thread will be dedicated to Minnie's diary for the new year - 1941. I'll start with a bit of a recap:

Born November 27, 1867 in Sackets Harbor, New York, a tiny settlement on the eastern shore of...