Wednesday, May 31, 1961

It got very hot today & sultry. Mom & Marilyn came out & we all gave each other permanents. It took most of the day. Seemed like they all turned out pretty good - not too tight. Ron went out tonite but didn't sell anything. Todd got an invitation to Susie Umbarger's birthday party tomorrow. We got a ring for her. Rained during the nite.

Tuesday, May 30, 1961

Decoration Day.
Pretty nice day until about 3 - then it got cloudy & rained. This morning, Ron & Todd went fishing down at Earl's cabin with Barron, Scott & Edith. They didn't catch anything. They got home about noon. I did some work, made a salad & deviled eggs, then went to store & took girls out to Maytag Park to play a while. About 1 we went over to Mary Ann's for hamburgers. Came home about 3 & Ron & Jilll slept. This evening Ron went to Y to play duplicate with Tom Bachman. I went over & had a drink with Clarence & Nellie & talked.
Mom had all 5 of Zenas' kids & familys, Howard & Marge, Avonell & Wilbur. We didn't go because it was rainy & Todd had a toothache.

Monday, May 29, 1961

This morning had to go to store for soap to wash. Stopped to take Marian's bowl back - stayed for coffee. Marg walked over and it was almost 11 before I got home. Then Marilyn & Mom stopped out & Nellie came over for coffee. After lunch I did some washing & some ironing - which took most of the afternoon. In evening Ron went out to sell. Came close, but didn't.

Sunday, May 28, 1961

Nice day!
Kids went to Sunday School. Marilyn brought Jeff out & he went with them. Ron's mom cooked a turkey on the grill & we went over for dinner. Mom had Cleo & John over in late afternoon for hamburgers in yard & we went over there. Then home.

Saturday, May 27, 1961

Nice day. Started to clean today, only got upstairs done, then I stopped & we took kids over to Ron's folks & went up & took a tour thru the new Maytag office building. Very nice! We picked up the kids & stopped over to Mom's. Marilyn & Lowell got there last nite. We came home & I did some cooking. We ate then took kids over to Rock Creek Lake to fish. It got cold though & we didn't stay very long.

Friday, May 26, 1961

Nice day - hemmed up a dress for Joni this morning - ironed this afternoon. Cleaned the kids up & we went to the shopping center & bought Todd some new jeans. I got a penny-candy jar for Mary for secret-pal Valentine gift. In evening went to club at Mary's. I got a black glass perfume bottle from my secret pal. We talked about out 10 year class reunion next year. Irene is expecting in Sept.

Thursday, May 25, 1961

We'll know in 2 days if Kip is a daddy.
This morning I planted 5 lemon seeds and 12 grapefruit seeds. Hope they will grow. Hemmed up the skirt to a summer dress. This afternoon I took Jill & Todd over to Mother's & she kept them while I went to visit school. After that I took books to library & got new ones & traded in my orange tickets at Stockton's for a bead & jeweled switch-plate. Joni got her Brownie handbook. We stayed home tonite & I did some typing for Ron.

Wednesday, May 24, 1961

Nice day - I washed sheets of all beds but Joni's & hung them out. Was planning to visit school this afternooon but 2 of the groups were having tests so I didn't. I mowed yard & planted lilac bush again & ageratum. Ron put in a 14 hr. day at factory & meeting with Hayler at nite.

Tuesday, May 23, 1961

This morning I took Todd & Jill to Karen Miller's birthday party. They came today & installed our water softner. This afternoon - hemmed up skirt - & took Todd to the dentist. Went over to Edith's & got Rhubarb & baked a cobbler tonite. Ron went to play duplicate bridge at the with Bunn.
John & Cleo got here.

Monday, May 22, 1961

Did a little bit of cleaning for bridge today. Being gone yesterday, house was still pretty clean. Had bridge here tonite. Margaret filled in for Pat Empting - & won low - a glass jar & Pat K. won high - 2 boxes candy. Ron had to go to Des Moines for a meeting. Nellie took all 3 kids over to her house & gave them their baths & kept them till after 9. We gave Marian & Diane their baby gifts.

Sunday, May 21, 1961

Very nice day. We went to church & kids to Sunday School. Ate at 15¢ hamb. & then drove down to Phil & Ernie's. Stayed till almost 9.

Saturday, May 20, 1961

Ron sold 1 record plan today. I spent the day cleaning good. Ron went to bank & signed to take water softner & they will install it Tuesday. We cooked steaks out tonite & then went to bed about 10.

Friday, May 19, 1961


Today meant to clean, got started putting winter clothes away so ended up cleaning out cedar chest & closets. Spent all day getting the up stairs cleaned. Tonite we went to the Root Beer Stand for supper & then took the kids to a circus - Hagen Bros. out at Pleasant Place in N.E. Newton. Their first circus - they sure enjoyed it & it was real good for a small circus.

Wednesday, May 17, 1961

Sewed - working on 2 pc. blue skirt & blue & white top.
Rain all day.
Called tonite about buying a used Lindsey water softner 6 wks old - cost $592 with interest charges - can buy for $300.
Ron's men's group had their duplicate bridge tonite at Bill Galloway's. Ron in 4th place for 3 mo. average.

Tuesday, May 16, 1961

Ron played Duplicate Bridge at the Y tonite with Andy.

Sunday, May 14, 1961

Mother's Day - Rainy. Went to Elks for dinner. In evening we had our folks and Mary Ann's family out for hamburgers. Nice day.

Saturday, May 13, 1961

Cleaned today. Ron went out to sell. Kids went to movie in afternoon. We cooked steaks out - stayed home.

Friday, May 12, 1961

Went to the Mother-Daughter Banquet at the church tonite with Mother & Nellie & girls. I had a corsage of 3 red roses & 2 white carnations - girls had a verigated carnation. Very nice!
Clarence got home while we were gone.

Blogger note: Clarence and Nellie were our next door neighbors.

Sunday, May 7, 1961

Kids went to Sunday School. Mom & Zen came out. Nellie came over & helped Mom work on purse decorations for Mother-Daughter Banquet. Cleaned some late afternoon.

Saturday, May 6, 1961

Windy today. Joni has a cold so the kids didn't go swimming. I dug dandelions in the yard just about all day. Ron put up my clothesline & started to put up the railings in the back entry. Late afternoon I took the kids & Lori & Gary to Woodland Park to see airplane & ride on horse swings. Stayed home in evening - went to bed about 9.

Friday, May 5, 1961

Today the U. S. shot their first man into space. He was recovered & okay.
Joni went to Brownies at Mrs. Jones today. Rainy, dreary day. Had coffee with Margaret this morning.

Blogger note:
Link to video of the Freedom 7 launch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h31c_yfemQY

Monday, May 1, 1961

Ron's back bothered him all week-end - still sore today & he stayed home. Took Todd to school today for pre-kindergarten tea. Took Jill along. After we got home Phyllis came for coffee. Then kids & I took May Baskets around.

Sunday, April 30, 1961

Kids went to Sunday School. Clarence left for Chicago. Went to Ron's folks for dinner. Got ready for May Basket day.

Saturday, April 29, 1961

"Rexall 1¢ sale" today.
Today - took kids for swimming lessons - got groceries - got ready for bridge. Debbie came out to play. Phyllis called - they were home for week-end - Brad comes for Drake Relays. Had couples Bridge tonite. Had Bunn's & Bachman's - Crow's couldn't come. Got thru early - 11:30.

Friday, April 28, 1961

Went to Diane's for coffee this morning. She had her baby tonite. A boy. Bert Vermillion came out with Margaret this afternoon & cut my hair.

Thursday, April 27, 1961

Tired today. Didn't do much of anything but rest. Took stork back & took kids to library to get some different books.

Wednesday, April 26, 1961

Cleaned again today. Went uptown, bought a lamp at I.S.U. in Dutch Auction - $10 lamp for $3.25. Finally got ready and had the shower tonight. Everything went off okay.

(blogger note: I.S.U. is Iowa Southern Utilities, the area power company.)

Tuesday, April 25, 1961

Cleaned again today. This afternoon Margaret & I went shopping for shower things & a gift for the baby.

Monday, April 24, 1961

Today went over to see Marian's baby. Margaret & I are planning a shower for her Wed. nite. I came home & cleaned my family room floor.

Sunday, April 23, 1961

Dull day. Kids went to Sunday School. We had Jim & Pat over to play Bridge tonite.

Friday, April 21, 1961

Tonite Ron & I went to see Ben-Hur. Judy Rosenburg baby-sat.

Thursday, April 20, 1961


Today I went to meeting at Jean Jensen's for organizational meeting of new Brownie troop of which Joni will be a part. Mrs. Markle will be the leader & they will meet for the first time a week from tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 19, 1961

Cleaned today. Tonite Ron had his duplicate Bridge group here.

Tuesday, April 18, 1961

Marian had a baby girl today. 9 lbs 4 oz. - named her Carol Elizabeth.

Monday, April 17, 1961

Tonite went to Camera Club with Mom & Zen to see slides a man from Knoxville showed.

Saturday, April 15, 1961

Ron put in new picture tube in console set - no cost to us - but only 10 days before warranty of 1 yr ran out.

April 11 Blogger Comment

If Mom could look into the future, she would know that two years from today, on April 11, 1963 her 4th child would be born... a daughter, Jana Lynn. Happy Birthday Jana!

Friday, April 7, 1961

Cleaned today. Tonite we went out to home show at High School.

Thursday, April 6, 1961

Ironed today. Ron filled out Income tax tonite & will mail tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 5, 1961

Started my sweater this morning.

Tuesday, April 4, 1961

Girls rode their bikes to school today. Nice out - smelled like spring. Got groceries, did work, had a big washing. In afternoon Mom came out & brought her knitting - got me interested again. I got my white sweater out again & finished it. Nellie was over - we went to a store to get her some yarn & needles and Mom started her on some dish cloths. I got another sweater kit - gold - at Younkers. Got our meat tonite. Mom & Zenas & Nellie all stayed for supper.

Monday, April 3, 1961

Kids still home from school today for Spring vacation. Didn't get much done today. Sewed a little. Alison Crews came out to play with Joni. Ron had to go to Des Moines tonite for meeting right after work. He had 5 orders to turn in for last week. Got my 2 recipe books today from Starrett's.

Sunday, April 2, 1961


Easter Sunday. Sunny but cold.
Went to church. Went to Mother's for dinner. She also had Ron's folks and Mary Ann & Barron. Late afternoon, Ron fertilized our yard. Evening my folks came out & brought leftovers, then we played bridge.

Saturday, April 1, 1961

This morning kids & I colored Easter eggs. Ron went out to try and sell Record Plan. Came home at 11 and we took Joni & Todd to swimming lesson. Ron brought home pretty 6 glass & pitcher set made in Italy from Goodyear. Ron worked til 7:30. Sold 2 Record Plans. Went to shopping center tonite, bought a $3.00 Ester lily for $1.27 and an azalea plant - $3.57 for $1.38 - also a white shirt and blue pants for Todd.

(blogger note: Family Record Plan was a subscription to yearly photographs of family members from a well know photographer... it seems like it may have been Olan Mills?? Dad was employed by a local manufacturing company as an industrial engineer but was a salesman at heart - he always had some kind of part time sales job before starting his own business in later years.)

Friday, March 31, 1961

Sewed this morning. Cleaned this afternoon. Mom came out and brought Mary & boys. Kenny stayed here while they went shopping.

Thursday, March 30, 1961

This morning Shirley Miller and Ann O'Hara came for coffee & brought kids. Nice day - kids had a lot of fun. Joni & kids are home for Easter vacation.

Wednesday, March 29, 1961

This morning Carol Stratton came for coffee.

Blogger Comment

The blog starts out a little slow... you may have noticed. :)

Starting March 29 there will new entries most days and in the April 1 entry you will get a glimpse of what the journal becomes as Mom begins writing about more of what has happened during her day.

Wednesday, March 22, 1961

Got dog - Susie in heat to try to breed with Kip.
(blogger note: Kippy was our chihuahua)

Monday, March 20, 1961







Had Joni's review at school. She's doing pretty well. Needs help with "reading with more expression" & writing "longer stories".