Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal - April 1, 1918 -

 April 1 - Mr. Weaver took Fred to Atlantic today.  We took three or four pictures today to fill out a pack(?) of films & then Fred took them to Atlantic to have them developed.  I hope they are good.  I sewed and old waist & an old shirt together today.  Now I have a house dress.  This afternoon I put embroidery collar & cuffs on my blue and white striped dress & Mother crocheted in where Hazel's jacket got burned & put buttons & button holes in an apron for Hazel.  I sorted over the clothes for to wash tomorrow.

2 - Today we washed.  It was so windy & the air was so full of dust I didn't think I would dare to hand the clothes on the line but just when I was ready to hang them up a little sprinkle came just enough to help keep the dust from blowing up.

3 - We backed bread & ironed this forenoon & I swept & dusted & heated the basement & put in an order for a Red Cross meeting.  This afternoon Mother & Hazel & I went to the Red Cross meeting.  Mrs. Neltz & Mrs. Sonderman cleaned up the basement after the meeting all ready for S.S.  I ironed after supper but did not finish.

4 - Mother & I swept the church this forenoon.  Hazel picked up the papers for us.  I also took some of the ashes out of the furnace.  Mother washed a pair of pillows for me.  I finished ironing this afternoon & mother went over to Elda Kuester's to see the baby.  Mr. Weaver took her over.  I raked the rest of the front yard today.  Mr. & Mrs. Bors came in to see us this afternoon.  Ma walked back from Kuesters & got here just before Bors left.

5 - Mother & I sewed today.  We made or started pink checked tissue gingham for Hazel & made her a flannel shirt.  Mother lengthened about six of her dresses.  I had two cards from Fred.  We visited Albert at Camp Dodge Tues. (the 2nd?)

6 - We did up the Sat. work & cleaned the church this forenoon & this afternoon we finished our sewing.

7 - We went to church.  I gave a talk on the Message Bearers & Mrs. G.P. Schuler on the W.M.S. & Mrs. E Eshelman on the Ladies Aid & Mr. H C. Schuler on church finances & S.s.  He said the finances were in a better condition this year than they had been for years or as long as he knew any thing about it & he told the people that the preachr's salary ought to be raised.  In the evening Mr. Schuler could not get the lights lit.  So they had to get a few small lamps for the church then the Y.P.A. gave a program.  I played, "God Be With You Till We Meet Again," for the close.

8 - We made Hazel a couple of aprons out of Fred's shirts.  They make pretty little aprons.  Fred came home just as I was getting up.  6:30.  I had planned to have the chores & every thing done when he got here.  He went to Grant to look after the car.  It was not quite ready.

9 - I set two hems this morning.  We cleaned the attic today.  Fred brought the car home.  Today he did pretty well running it with one hand.  Mother took the goods off of a quilt to day & washed it.

10 - we put the goods back on the quilt today.  Fred went to Grant with the car this afternoon.  He did not feel good all forenoon & this PM Dr. Montgomery told him he had symptoms of small pox (which is going around in very light form).  He went to a Council of Defense meeting this evening. Today is Hazel's 3rd birthday.  We got her a little wagon & Mother made her a birthday cake with three candles on it.  We go the basement ready for the Ladies Aid meeting for tomorrow.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal - February 26, 1918 to March 31, 1918

 26 - We dressed Fred up & took him to Red Oak.  Mr. Schuler & Harold took him in their car.  We had an x-ray picture take & it showed all the ligaments in his should were torn.  I washed clothes while they were gone.

27 - I rolled up the clothes but didnot iron.  I was pretty tired.  Knokes were here last night & kept us up so late.

28 - Today was the Ladies Aid.  I did not go.  Mrs. Eshelman & Mrs. G.P. Schuler & Mrs. Sime Sondermann,& Mrs. H P. Neitz & Mrs. Frank Wohlenhaus came in to see him.  I ironed all day but did not get done.  Frank Knoke & George Bicking came in in the afternoon & Emery Eshelman, Mrs. Eshelman came in too.  Said they (Ladies Aid) were going to serve dinner at Gene Eshelman's Sale in a week & I should bring a cake if I could &she said I did not need to have my sewing done for the Red Cross for the next meeting if I couldn't.  People are very sympathetic.

March

1 - I finished ironing & did some mending.  Mrs. Walter Eppelsheimer & Mrs. W. W. came in to see us a little.  She brought us some sausage & head cheese.

2 - I did up my Saturday wash.  Mr. & Mrs. Weaver came over in the afternoon & I cleaned up the front rooms & scrubbed the front porch after they were gone.

3 - Fred went to church and preached.  I taught my class again & also had a Message Bearer meeting.  We  talked about getting up a program.  There were services at Lyman Lutheran Church.  But we did not go.

4 - We had an early dinner & while Fred was getting ready to go to Grant.  Mr. Weaver took him down so he could straighten up his accounts & then brought him up to G. Kuester's where the Dr. was (Elda was sick) & I cleaned up his clothes for his trip then is was nearly 3 o'clock when he got home & he asked me to get ready to go along & so I did.  Mr. Weaver took us to Atlantic & by 7 we were in Atlantic.  The roads were pretty bad.  I was afraid we would upset.  We got to Des Moines alright but our train was gone so we went up to Brother Faust's to stay over night.  Hazel slept on the way to Atlantic a little & then on the train she kept awke all the way until we go to Brother Faust's, & then she went right to sleep. 

5 - We had breakfast at Brother Faust's & then went to Depot & got a train to Hampton & there Uncle Henry Marty was there to meet us & he took us all out there for dinner & supper.  Then we visited Brother Preachers in Hampton a while & then walked to the depot & left for Dumont.  There Philip & Wilma & Florence met us and took us to Brother Carvelteis's where he stayed all  night.

6 - Fred visited with Carveltis after breakfast while I washed out a few pieces for Hazel.  Then we went over to home.  Mother was a little beter but she did not know what she was saying any of the time.  We all had to be very quiet as that would make her nervous.  Albert was home from Camp Dodge, too.  We went back to Carveltis again for the night.

7 - After breakfast I ironed 7 then we went back again.  Mother was about the same.  They have a very good nurse.

8 - We played at Carvelti's last night again & today we went over to Fred's home again.  This evening when we got there Mrs. Carvelti was getting redy to leave for her Mother's at Naperville, Ill.  who was very sick.  But she said we should stay there all night anyway.  She left on the non o'clock this evning.

9 - We went over again after breakfast.  Mr. Carvelti & the boys are so handy about the work you don't miss Mrs. at all where it comes to the work.  Hazel did not sleep so very well last night.  But she is better again today.

10 - We got ready for church after breakfast & after the work was all done.  Then we went  over to Fred's home & waited until after Sunday School & then went to church.  Then we went to Nita Boeckemiers for dinner.  We stayed there until about 3:30 & then went home & were there for supper.  Then we went to church & then back to Carvelti's.

11 - We went back again after breakfast.  And then after dinner Hazel got sick.  I think she had the mumps.  She cried all afternoon & part of the evening.  But she slept pretty good.  Mother is kind of suspicious we are here.

12 - Hazel was some better today, but we thought we better not take her out yet to take her home.  So we  decided to stay another day.  We stayed here last night because Hazel was too sick to take her over to Carvelti's. I stepped in to see Mother a little this evening.  she did not look natural at all.  Her face was so red & bloated &  her eyes so starry from the erysipikelas.

13 - This morning we packed up our grips & then we went in to see mother a little.  She looked a little better.  Then we took the  9:50 for Minden & we got home about 8 o'clock in the evening.  Fred phoned H.c. Schuler from Minden and they came to meet us.  Mrs. Eshelman was along, too.  We got a little supper when we got home & then went to bed.

14 - Ina came in to see us this morning & Frank Wohlenhaus came in to fix our phone.  I cleaned up & unpacked our suitcases.

15 Today I made a dress for Hazel.  I did not get it quite finished.  Fred started out for Grant but just as he was starting the Dr. came by & told him he would not have time to se ehim.  He should come tomorrow so he walked to Lyman with butter.

16 - I did up my Sat. work & finished a dress for Hazel.  Fred went to see the Dr. & he told Fred he would not think of letting his arm out of the sling bandages yet for another 4 weeks at least.

17 - We went to Sunday school.  Fred came up in time for church.  There was a good attendance.

18 - I put out a three weeks wash today & two bed blankets.  Fred ran two machine fulls & then his arm hurt him so he had to quit.

19 - I did my ironing today.

20 - Today I did my mending.  I did not get quite done.

21 - I finished mending & made a dress for Hazel out of one of my old ones.  Didn't quite finish it.

22 - I raked part of our front lawn today.

23 - Fred had the care taken to Grant to be overhauled.  I did up my Sat. work.

24 - WE had services both morning & eve.  I gave a talk in YPA on "What would Jesus Do to abolish intemperance."

25 - I made over my Mate...dress.  Started to rather.  I washing Hazel's hair.  Fred went to Grant.

26 - I finished my dress.  Fred went to Grant to look after the car.

27 - I was going to wash my hair this afternoon but just as I was going to start, Fred came home with Cass Wasmer from Grant.  They were going to Atlantic, wo I got myself & Hazel ready in 15 minutes & went along.  On the way we met Edith Walkinshaw.  She was just coming from teaching school & she went along to Atlantic.

28 - I did up my Fri. work today & did a little baking.  About 11 o'clock Mr. Boos came over after us & we spent the day with them & about 4 they brought us back.  We ad the black raspberries for dinner.  They were so good.

29 - This morning we got up at 4:30 & got ready to go to Atlantic to meet mother.  We did not leave here until 5:40 because Russel Schuler couldn't get his car started.  But we got there in time for the train.  Then we came home & had breakfast.  Hazel sang for Mother all afternoon & Mother washed & pressed Fred's clothing for Conf.

30 - Fred went to Grant today to do a little painting on the car.  I baked a couple of cakes & did some of the Sat. work this forenoon & this afternoon I had my Sunday School picnic for my class.  There were 29 here out of 42.  The had a big time.  After they were gone, I swept & dusted the front rooms & mother got supper & I did the chores.  Fred came home from Grant.  He had been to see the Dr. and the Dr. took the bandages off his arm & put it in a sling so he is some better.

31 - This is Easter.  Hazel got ten Easter eggs.  I started fire int he church furnace & taught my S.S. class.  It was very interesting.  Knoke's took us home to dinner in the afternoon.  Fred went to see the Dr.  I & Hazel rode along.  Mother stayed at Knoke's until services in the evening.  Then Fred & I stayed home.  I lay down & slept & went I work up Fred had milked the cow with one hand.  Does he love me?  We went to the Lutheran church in the evening to hear Rev. Orth, a Presbyterian minister speak on the war. U. G. Weaver brought us home.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal - February 13, 1918 - February 25, 1918

13 - Wed. We washed this forenoon.  Fred had dinner at half past ten and then went Boos's.  I finished the was & decorated the pulpit at church & then went to the funeral.  Old Mrs. Nettz had dinner with us.  Cecil Boos was one of my S.S. scholars last year.  When I got home I did the scrubbing & rolled up the clothes.  Then we went to a school program. Basket (?) social are here.  They made $14 for the school 7 $18 for Red Cross.

14 - Thur.  This morning I recanned over twenty quarts of tomatoes.  They froze & forced the lids loose.  So I cooked them up and recanned them so they would not spoil.  This afternoon I ironed.

15 - I finished ironing today.

16 - I did up my Sat. work & did some of the mending.

17 - We went to church to day.  I did some reading this afternoon & went to church this evening.

18 - Mon. I finished mending & then did a little sewing.  Fred went to Taylor and traded the Chevrolet for a Ford car because Albert wrote & said he must have his money.

19 - Tue. I did some more sewing.  We got home late last night & couldn't get the car started today because it was so cold. That's a Ford for you.

20 - I made pillow slips - 2 pair - for the Red Cross & then went up a while & I did not stay long because I was baking, but I brought a hospital shirt along to make or finish which I had started there.  This evening I work at it yet & would have finished it, but I thought the ready made the pattern I brought along with me had the sleeves put in wrong so I waited to ask the Pres. about it first.

21 - Thur. This afternoon I went to the Lady's Aid at the church.  We had dinner there.  I took the shirt pattern along & asked Mrs. Nettz about it & we found out that they were put in wrong.  This afternoon Ross Eppelsheimer came to the basement to inquire for Mr. Pfaltzgraff & I told him he was not at home.  He said someone outside wanted to see him, so I asked if I would do & he said so & so I stepped out.  He said he wanted Fred to perform a wedding ceremony for him that evening, so I was to get him home in time.  So he & Alma Meyers, a Lymanite, were married that evening.

22 - Fri. Fred got a letter from home today that Albert was going to leave for training camp & he was wanted at home Sunday for dinner so as to have all the children together once more.  So Fred made up his mind to go tomorrow.

23 - Sat. Today is dear Fred's birthday & a sad one as it turns out to be, but yet very lucky.  He left in the Ford about 9:30 for Atlantic, this being the 3rd time he'd run it.  I & Hazel watched him go as far as we could see him & then went in the house.  I went at cleaning off the shelves in the pantry.  And I was not through yet when a knock came at 10:15 at the door & a strange man came & said, " Don't be scared.  Mr. got hurt with his care & we are bringing him home!"  I don't know how I felt.  Then I saw them bringing him to the house.  His clothing was covered with mud & his head & face covered with mud & blood.  But he was conscious & could walk of which I was very glad.  They helped put him to bed & then waited & pretty soon Mr. H.C.Schuler came & stayed & then Dr. Montgomery came & wehn he saw how bad Fred was he sent for his nurse so he came & then they put him on the table & tried to fix him up.  His shoulder was dislocated & the ligaments were torn but he thought a bone was broken & he put 5 stitches in his head where he had a gash.  Then he worked a couple of hours on his arm trying to set it & then Fred was very weak & faint & put him to bed & gave him some broth.  They all had dinner here & then went home.  I read to Fred a while.  Poor fellow he had so much pain.  M.V. Rudig & Verl & Harold Schuler brought his car home & then came in to see him.  The car was badly smashed.  I stayed up with Fred that night.  Ina came over to help me this afternoon.

24 - Sun. Dr. Montgomery came again this forenoon.  H.C. Schuler came in to see Fred & so did John.  John stayed & helped the Dr.  Dr. worked over his arm for a couple of hours again.  A lot of people came down to see him but Dr. was just working over him so they couldn't see him.  Mr. & Mary Rothe came down & tried to get Alice for a week but couldn't get her.  Rudig's & George Rose's came up to see Fred this afternoon & when they were gone again, I had to call the Dr.  Fred had so much pain.  Dr. came & worked over him again a couple of hours.  After services Dr. was still working over him.  Ed Bourcks came down to see him & George Rose & Verl Rudig & Harold Schuler came down, too.  Verl & George Rose stayed up with him all night.

25 - Mon. Today Dr. came again this forenoon.  Mr. Rudig came up & was here a while & then he got faint & went home.  He faints so easy.  Dr. tried again for two hours to reset it & then went home & in the afternoon we had to call him again.  Fred had so much pain he couldn't stand it & so he & the nurse came both & Henry Schuler came too.  Mr. Weaver & Mrs. Schuler & Harold came to see him but Dr. was just working over him so they couldn't see him.  Mr. Schuler & Mr Rudig came & stayed up all night with him.

 

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal - January 30 - February 12, 1918

January 30, 1918 - I did not feel very good today.  I felt so dizzy.  Fred had the Grippe, so I did not iron until the afternoon & then the iron went out and I did not get done.

31 - Today I finished ironing and di most of the mending and Fred got the pump man to come up from grant to fix our pump.  We had been melting snow every day as our cistern is empty and the well pump broke.

February 1, 1918 - Today I did up most of the Sat. work and then we went to town (Atlantic) to have some dental work done but when we got there the stores were all closed & the dentist was gone so we went to the depot to meet Leonard  Raecker who is to lecture here Sunday & when we go to the depot the train was 6 hrs. late last night so Fred was determined to take me home and so he did and then I went to bed and he rested an hour & then got up and went back 7 met the train.  It got there at 2:30 AM and it is due at 9:10 PM.

2 - Well this is groundhog day and he sees his shadow.  Fred &Mr. Raecker went to call on Mr. Miller.  We had soup for dinner & he said it "hit the right spot" ha!  Fred and he had to go up again this morning to get the grip which did not come last night.

3 - Mr. Raecker preached on "The Narrow Vision" this morning and this evening on "Forces That Win."  They took up an offering this morning & evening for Red Cross work.

4 - We took Mr. Raecker to Atlantic & had some dental work done & when we got back I cut out my blue house dress & worked on it the rest of the day.

5 - I sewed all day today.  Fred was scouting around for wood to burn & George Kuester promised him some.

6 - I sewed all forenoon.  This afternoon we went to the Red Cross meeting in the church basement and this evening to a wedding at Rudig's.  Maude and Clarence Hovius were married.  They had a big chivary.  The chivarers broke a glass in the door & stole a cake.

7 - We went to Atlantic again today to the dentist.  It was so nice we took the curtains off of our car.  When we got home Rudig's called up & said that they could not take any delegates for the convention because Verl had the mumps so we called up H. Schuller.  He thought we better call off the convention becaus there were so many cases of it around so we called up Council Bluffs and Audubon and had them call the rest of the places & let them know.

8 - Russel Schuler went to Atlantic yesterday and stayed so we did not need to go get Brother Faust.  Russel brought him.  It stormed & sleeted & snowed just awfully.  We planned to have quarterly conference anyway.  But it stormed so that we could not have any services at all this evening.  Brother Faust said he planned for us tomorrow.

9 - Brother Faust & Fred went to Lyman and called on Mrs. Knoke.  We had services tonight.

10 - We had services twice today.  We went to Dolches for dinner today.  Knokes were there, too.

11 We took Brother Faust away this morning.  J. Schuler rode up to Atlantic with us to see the income tax man.  We had a date with the dentist then it was about noon when we got home and Mrs. F. Schuler called us up & said that Cecil Bros was very low & a little afterward I heard her tell Mrs. Pilger that he had died.  We went over in the afternoon and left Hazel at William Eppelshiemers.  It was raining this afternoon. The we came home.  I came near to staying but I did not feel very well & on account of Hazel I did not hardly feel I ought.  I was going to start wash this evening.  Roy Rothe was here when we got home & said he would be up to see us very early in the morning.

12 - We got up.  I was sick with a chill all night and then we swept & dusted.  We did not feel like eating so we did not eat any breakfast.  Then Laura and Roy Rothe came to get married.  Ross E. and Mary R. were with them.   Laura wore a wedding dress of white crepe du chine trimmed with pearl trimmings.  Laura cried a little when Mary congratulated her. Mary did, too.  They went to Rothe's for dinner & Rothe's surprised them by having the rest of the children there.  I was very weak all morning so I went to Grant with Fred.  We got Hazel's 3 Liberty Stamps.  We bought them in January but they did not have them then.  This afternoon I scrubbed some of the clothes & then Della & Frank Knoke and Laura Funk & Harold Schuler came up here to practice for the funeral.  Emma Kuester came & played.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal - January 19 - 29

19 - I did up my Sat. work in the forenoon.  I finished mending stockings for once.

20 - We went to church.  I had 5 scholars in my class.  After S.S. we had a message bearer meeting.  The Visiting Committee reported one visit.  We went to church again in the evening.

21 - Today we canned 7 quarts of beef.  I did some mending & cleaned my Black dress & my blue shirt & Hazel's tan dress & her coat & cap.  In the evening the trustee board met here.  They decided to let the Red Cross have entertainments in the church & charged admission.  I don't feel right about that.  I don't think it is right at all to charge admission.  They decided also to let the Ladies Aid do their wash in the basement.

22 - I guess I was mistaken about that about charging admission into the church.  They are not going to do that.  I'm glad.  I pressed my shirts yesterday. today. This afternoon we went to Fred Sunderman's for supper.  They had fruit salad & cake & roast beef & mashed potatoes.

23 - I did some typewriting for the Message Bearers today.  This afternoon I went to a Red Cross meeting at the church basement.  I helped wind off two skeins of yarn and started a pair of pajamas.  I brought four pattern slips along home.

24 - I baked bread today and some cookies & canned some beets.  They are rotting in the cellar.  I sewed a little this afternoon.  We made some ice cream this evening.  I was freezing it in the kitchen & I was tired & it was late and Hazel came and said, "Mama you're tired, too.  Don't bather.  Let's go to bed."  It was so sweet of her. 

25 - We went to Taylor today.  We tried to sell our Chevrolet car or trade but don't know whether the fellow will want it yet or not.  Fred preached at Westphalia.

26 - I did up the Sat. work this forenoon & this afternoon.  I did a little sewing.

27 - There were not many out to church today.  There were just 3 in my S.S. class with Hazel & myself.  There were no services this evening.  I lay down in the afternoon & read as I was not feeling very well.

28 - We got up at 3:30 this morning and washed & were all done scrubbing & everything by 10:30.  Then Fred went & got some rabbits.  He gave two to the cat & two to the chickens and left nine & skinned & cleaned them for ourselves.  The boy came down from school after water today and broke our pump.  So new we have no water.  We put a boiler full of snow on to melt.  I cleaned the cellar this afternoon & picked over the fruit jars 7 sorted those but that had frozen & forced the lids off to be used first.  I still have the tomatoes to sort over & recan.  Then I go in the clothes & got supper.  Fred worked at the car this afternoon.

29 - Today I had sunch a toothache I could not do anything for quite a while.  Then Fred took the treatment out of my tooth.  Then I felt better.  Then we had breakfast.  And then I did about half of my ironing & got dinner & went to Atlantic to the dentist.  When we came home we stopped at Laura & Orville Funk's for supper.  It was 11 o'clock when we got home.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal - January 1 - 18, 2024

 1918

January 1 - This morning the first we heard of Hazel she was singing up the stairs and she sang all the way down an all the while she was being dressed.  I mad a New Year's resolution.  I wasn't going to let anyone get ahead of me wishing me a Happy New Year, so when Ina Weaver came down after a pail of waters I was going to wish her a Happy New Year & when I stuck my head out of the door, The screen on the back porch was so frosty I couldn't see through it, so I did not see her right away & she saw me first & wished me a Happy New Year.  There went my resolution all to nothing & when I got to church, they heard about it thru Fred & so they all got ahead of me, too.  "No More New Year's resolutions for me.  ha!  Henry Schuler was re-elected S.S. Supt. & Verle Rudig Secretary & Menerva Frank Treas.  Laura Eppelsheimer was appointed Cradle Roll Supt. & Mrs. Knoke Home Dept. Supt.  The S. S. was reorganized & graded.  I got the real Little tots The Beginners to teach, Ina Weaver the primaries and Mary Rothe the Juniors & Mrs. O. D. Furila the Intermediate.  Mrs. G. P. Schuler the Y.L.B.C. & Emery Eshelman the Y.M.B.C. & Frederick the new class of Young Married People & Mr. Newman the Old Women.  In the afternoon we went to C. Wasmers for supper & got the W.M.S. report read.

2 - Frederick hauled two loads of wood today from John Rose.  I ironed a little & mended a little.  I did not feel very well so I did not get much donw.

3 - This forenoon I baked bread & Fred went calling.  He had dinner at Knokes & in the afternoon we went to Henry Schuler's to the W.M.S. Meeting.

4 - Today we went to Taylor County to preach & from there we went to Visit Mother Moser & then came home.

5 - This forenoon Fred had a funeral, a little Debus girl who died of spinal meningitis.  I did not get to go as I have not been feeling very well & was behind with my work.  I finished my ironing this afternoon.  Fred went to Boos's to get another swarm of bees while I got supper.

6 - Today we had services and Mr. Schuler came along for dinner in the afternoon.  Verle Rudig came up and they arranged the classes & appointed the teachers a stated in recort for 1st.  In the evening we all went to church again.

7 - Today I mended most of the day.  Fred when to Griswold this afternoon with Bruce Rudig.  Mr. Rudig brought us some Beef & Liver.  My it was good.  Ina came in for a while after school to Hazel's delight.

8 - (left blank by Grandma Pfaltzgraff)

9 - Fred went to a sale at Carl Wasmers and then came home & we went to Gridwold to get something for the Ladies' Aid meeting tomorrow.  In the evening we organized our red cross at the church.

10 - I had the Ladies Aid this afternoon  It was awfully windy & cold but there were 10 members here.  Ina came in after school and it was so cold we persuaded her to stay all night.

11 - I swept and dusted in the forenoon in the afternoon I read & mended a little.

12 - I did up the Sat. work and did some mending.

13 - We all went to church.  I taught my new class for the first time.  There was one scholar there.  We had services again in the evening.

14 - We washed clothes today and got thru about noon.  I washed my hair in the afternoon.

15 - I did all the ironing today & did some mending.

16 - Today I mended all forenoon.  In the afternoon there was a red cross meeting at the church.  They distributed some work.

17 -  Today I mended all day.

18 - I mended most of the time today.  This evening we went to H.C. Schuler's to the Y.P.A. Business meeting.  Russel Schuler was elected Pres. Ina Weaver Vice Pres.  Beulah Weaver Recording Sec. Harold Schuler Corresponding Sec. and Verl Rudig Treas.  Emma Knister (Kuester?) Pianist.  They served Ice cream & cookies all you could eat.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal 1917 May 25 - 29; July 1

 May 25 - She went home.  I cleaned the wash room & scrubbed the sidewalks & cellar steps & swept the cellar floor & cleaned the upstairs & the downstairs & did some baking & got dinner for Fred & Bro. Faust.  After dinner I cleaned the lamps & finished the upstairs & did some more baking & got supper & went to church.  Fred & Bro. Faust went calling.  It rained so that there wasn't anyone out.

26 - I did not feel very good today.  Fred took Bro. Faust to Atlantic today so he could get a train for Silver Creek.  In the afternoon we went to Grant to get some more sweet potato plants & we made some more gardens at all by my aster plants as a few colors that Mrs. WEaver sent me.  After supper Fred cleaned our clothing.

27 - We all went to church.  It was cloudy all day.  After dinner Fred went to Deremeyers & got Bro. Faust & we had communion services here in the evening.

28 - Fred took Bro. Faust to Atlantic & I cleaned out the front rooms & did some baking.  Bake 2 good cakes. Made some jello.  This evening the W.M.S. met here.  They elected me pres., Mrs. H. Nau vice pres., & Mrs. Croomer Sec. & Mrs. H.S. Schuler Treas.

29 - I cleaned up the house again & got dinner & sent the W.M.S. reports.  D.Kreitzberg was here for linens.  They are working at the church today in the basement.  After dinner I started out to Eshelmans to get a report & I got just down the hill when the car stopped & Hazel & I walked back & got Fred.  He went over then & then when he got back he went to Atlantic.  We got back in two hrs.  Ross Eppelsheimer was here for supper.

July 1 - I was getting ready to go home the 26 or June.  We left for Home the 26 of June.  We wanted to leave the 25th but we had to marry Ed Brusik & Blanch Wassner yet that evening.  So we had to way a day.  When we got home the folks took us out to Leslie's & then up to Minneapolis to Berbert, & in two weeks we got home.  We had a good time.  The trip was made by auto from Lansing to Minneapolis.  Then when we got home we were busy catching up with the work & getting ready for the Council Meeting which we enjoyed very much.  While there we visited at Dumont & sold our Saxon car.  And when we got home Fred fixed up the Chevrolet car that burnt up for Cass Wasmer.  Altogether it cost us $265 & we have practically a brand new car.  Altogether we were very busy.  I had a contest on in my S.S. class dividing the class into two parts with about 20 on each sided & the side that gained the largest attendance gained one point & the side that had the largest offering got one point and the side that had the most golden texts got one point.  The side receiving the most points won for one Sunday and then I had two poster board cars and a set goal with each car moved a foot at a time & the car gaining the goal first won in the contest.  The Sunday it reached the climax booth cars were tied just one stop before the goal so they worked very hard.  There were 32 present in all & the offering was around $13.50 and there were about 20 golden texts.  It was surely interesting they all worked so hard.  They are to have a picnic very soon.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal 1917 - May 2 - 24

 May 2 - We went to Atlantic so I could take another adjustment.  It started to rain on the way home.

3 - It snowed quite hard today.  I did not feel one bit good.  Started to read "A Shepherd of the Hills."

4 - Fred & I tried to go to Griswold but the roads were quite bad, & the car would not work at all & it was raining and snowing all the time.  We only got to miles from home when the car stopped & Fred had to work at it several hrs. to get it started again.

5 - Fred worked at the car some & then at the lights at church but could not make them work.  I felt very bad today.  Hazel is much better again.

6 - We all went to Sunday School.  There was a big crowd int he afternoon.  Russell Schuler came up & helped Fred fix up some gas lights for the evening services.  The band boys came out from Griswold & sang.  The church was crowded.

7 - We got up at 7 today.  That is very late for us on wash day but we did not have a very big wash as we got it out by noon any way.

8 - We went to Atlantic today to take an adjustment.  Fred was not feeling very good as he took one, too.

9 - We got ready for the plastere but he did not come.  We cooked in the pantry & ate int he library.  we went to prayer meeting J. Kritzberg led.

10 - The plasterer came this morning & plastered the kitchen & part of the library ceiling.  We did some ironing & then cleaned up the kitchen.

11 - Today we cleaned up the Library for a little & scrubbed the porches & put up the curtains in the kitchen & went to Eshelmans in the evening to a class meeting.  I took a cake which they thought was very good.

12 - We papered the pantry today & cleaned it.  Wilma cleaned the church & part of the base burner.

13 - I did notnot go to church because I had such a tooth ache that I couldn't do any thing but walk the floor.  Mrs. A. Rothe came down here with her two children about half past 11 & stayed until church was out.

14 - I started to clean things out of the bedroom as we could paper in there.  I finished the mending from last week.

15 & 16 - we did some more cleaning up in the front rooms preparatory to papering.

17 - We papered the ??? bedroom in the morning & in the afternoon we went to Atlantic to the chiropractor.

18 - I finished the bedroom we slept upstairs on the sanitary cot last night.  We liked it just fine.  When we took Hazel's bed apart to take it upstairs, she cried as if her heart would break.  I guess she thought we were breaking it.  She liked it upstairs just fine, though.  we papered the parlor today.  In the evening we went to the Class Glory in Grant.  We also went to Atlantic to the chiropractor.  On the way we caught up to a car that was in trouble & it was three women folks that could not get their car started so Fred stopped & helped them & then along came O. D. Funke & Laura & O. D. F. tried to help them, too, but neither could start their car so they hitched it onto O.D. F.'s truck & Laura went to town with me & Frederick stayed & came with O.D. Funke.  Laura went to the dentist & to the chiropractor.

19 - Today we finished the parlor & started in the library.  We papered the library before dinner & then after dinner I washed the woodwork in their & then we went to Atlantic & when we got home Fred helped me finish.  Wilma went to Lyman with Rudig's.  Fred and I were up till 2 minutes to twelve that night. Ironed the parlor and Library curtains & put them up.

20 - We all went to church.

21 - We put out a great big wash.  WE washed one quilt & 2 horse blankets beside our regular wash.

22 - We ironed all the clothes today & did some of the mending.

23 - We papered te kitche & cleaned it today.

24 - I cleaned the cobshed & part of the back porch while Wilma got breakfast.  After breakfast I finished the back porch while Wilma washed dishes & dressed Hazel & then both went out the front porch & cleaned the long part & then we got ready & went to  Rothes to the Ladies Aid & were there for dinner.  about Half past three we went to Atlantic to the chiropractors' & Wilma finished the porch.  when we got home she had her mind made up to go home so Blanch & Beatrice Rudig came up & brought some of her sheet music back.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal 1917 - April 5 - May 1

5 - Wilma and I tatted nearly all day. Fred worked at his bee hives.

6 - Wilma & I cleaned the attic while Fred worked at the car & went to Grant.  We went to Lyman, too.

7 - I did not feel very well in the forenoon.  We did up the Saturdays work.  It snowed nearly all P.M.

8 - I went to church with Wilma & Hazel went with Frederick.  This is a beautiful Easter day.  But it is very muddy.  Fred preached on Acts 5:42.   It was a very good sermon.  In the afternoon Frederick & Hazel went to sleep.  Wilma wrote on the typewriter.  We all went to church in the evening.

9 - We washed clothes today & made ice cream while Fred & Hazel slept to surprise them. 

10 - We ironed clothes.  It is Hazel's birthday today.  WE had two candles & a cake for dinner & some ice cream.  It does not seem possible she is two years old already.  We got her an unbreakable doll & mother sent her a dress.

11 - We finish ironing & went to Grant & started to rake yard.  Did some mending.

12 - We put out some garden seeds & raked part of the lawn.  We deposited $10 for Hazel yesterday.

13 - We raked some more lawn.  Fred lost his fountain pen.

14 - Fred went to Griswold.  We finished raking the yard.  We sowed some rutabaga seeds back of the farm.  Hazel cut her finger & when it bled she pointed to the blood & said, "pretsy."

15 - We all went to church.  I got 2 new scholars today.  Wilma went to Rudig's today and we went to Mother Miller's  & Henry Martens & Mrs. Fred Miller to call.  We all went to church in the evening.  Hazel set her "baby" on her nursery chair today & then after a while she went to it & said, "see eru, " "see eru" ha!

16 - I put some seeds in paste board boxes today for early use & made an apron for myself & finished some underwear I had started for Hazel.  Today Hazel dropped a box of buttons 7 when they all spilled she frowned and said, "oh, too bad."

17 - I finished my apron & made a suit of underwear for Hazel's new doll & we put out a bed of onions & some gladiolas & sweet peas.  Fred went to Lyman & got some more seeds.  Hazel was outside this afternoon.  It had rained last night.  Just what we want.  I got some plants, a cyclamen & a fuchsia from Iowa Seed Co. & a Martha Washington Geranium & fern from Reeve Smith at Grant.

18 - Wilma & I cleaned the dressing room today.  Fred went to Griswold after a grocery order from Montgomery Ward & Co.  I got my new spring coat.  I did not like it at all at first.

19 - Today was to be a W.M.S. meeting but we couldn't have it on account of it being such a busy time so we went to Grant to see the doctor.  It rained hard before we got back.  We cleaned the spare room upstairs in the A.M.

21 - We cleaned Wilma's room today.   Fred pounded the rugs & mattresses & washed the car.  It was rainy all day, yesterday, so we couldn't.  I ran house.

22 - We went to church & in the afternoon Wilma & Fred & Hazel took a ride & Hazel caught a bad cold.  She was very restless all evening in church.

23 - We washed clothes today.  Hezel felt some better.  I mended some stockings.

24 - Today we went to Atlantic to the chiropractor for treatment.  I got a new hat and so did Hazel.  She got the sweetest bonnet.  We had lots of trouble with the car, ruined two inner tubes & broke the brake band & the gas iron.  Hazel seemed worse, but a little better toward evening.  I finished mending stockings. 

25 - We went to Atlantic to the chiropractor again today & in the afternoon we borrowed John Schulers flat irons & finished or almost finished ironing.  I did some mending.  Hazel was quite sick.  We got Hazel a coat today.

26 - We went to Atlantic again to the Chiropractor & took Hazel along.  She had an adjustment, too.  It started to rain on the way home.  In the afternoon it rained so & snowed as we could not have the W.M.S. meeting.  I tatted in the afternoon.

27 - It rained & snowed so much yesterday & last night.  Thought the ground was white so we could not go to Atlantic.  Hazel seemed a little better.  Today I finished the tatting & hook today & sent it to Herbert & Elsie's little baby boy today.  We cleaned in hall this afternoon and have the upstairs cleaned now.

28 - I did not feel very well.

29 - Fred & wilma went to church.  I stayed home with Hazel.  She was not very well 7 it is awfully muddy & damp out so I did not like to take her out.

30 - I did some tatting & took some plants out of the hot bed.  Hazel slept mos tof the day.

May

1 I did not feel very good.  Hazel is some better

 

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal - March 29 - April 4

 29 - We did our wok & then went to Lyman & sold 1-1/4 pounds of butter for which we bought 1/2 gal of vinegar & 25 cents of soap.  Then we went to W. Eppelsheimers.  Mrs. gave us some soap.  They had the pink eye so we didn't stay very long.  We came home by the way of N. Fishers & the car ran back down the hill fur us there.  But we finally got home alright.

30 - We stayed home today & tatted & we left Hazel outside a while & she was so happy to be outside.  She just rand back and forth & then she sat on the walk awhile to rest & she put one foot up on the other knee & folder her hands & then she would pick up a dry weed & call it a flower.  She called fence posts & trees & everything flowers.

31 - We did not hear from Fred today so we hurried our work.  Done by 4:15 & went to Griswold to get the mail & got a letter from him telling us when to meet him.  I was almost frozen when we got home.

April 

1 - We went to church this morning.  I slept neatly all afternoon.  There wasn't any service at church in the evening so we took a little ride & then stayed home & went to bed early.

2 - I got up at five o'clock & finished tatting a hood.  I was at & then I went to get Frederick from Atlantic.  The car worked good all the way.

3 -Wilma & I cleaned the cellar today & Frederickwent to Griswold after some freight.  Mrs. Dolch called.  She asked Fred to preach the funeral service for the Walter's baby.

4 - Today O.D. Funke & Laura Knoke & G.F. Kuester & Elda Weaver came here to the parsonage to get married.  After that was over, Della & Frank Knoke & Harold Schuler came to practice for the funeral.  I sang with them.  We practiced a while then left for the funeral.  I went with Knokes & Fred went with Harold Schuler because it was raining so we couldn't go in the car.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal - March 1 to 28

 March 1917

1 - Fred went calling all day.  Mrs. G.P. Schuler and Bernice came to see me & stayed all evening.

2 - Fred went calling & Mrs. Wm. Epplsheimer came to see me & Mrs. Ed. Fisher & Leora. (Laura?)

3 - Fred cleaned the church & tried to fix the lights but could not & then he tried to thaw out the pump but he could not.

4 - Fred & Laura went to church.  Della Knoke came in & stayed until evening.  Mrs. Dolch & Emma came over in the afternoon.  They all went to church in the evening so I was alone.  Martha S. came down to see me before church but when I got to the door she was going up the road again.  There was a man there today that wants to teach music & singing for us for 2 weeks.

5 - Fred went to Grant and made some calls.  He calle Ed. Fishers & Wm. Birgs & J. Wasmers & Geo. Rose's. In the evening the young folks came to the school house to practice singing.  Beulah & Viola Weaver & Mary & Roy Rothe & Fank Knoke came in a few minutes before.  There were not very many there so they dropped it.  Fred stayed here with me.  He can never know how much I appreciated that.  Laura went.

6 - Fred sowed the hot bed & set the incubator & a hen.  Fred & I played in the evening.  

7 to 18 - Laura Eppelsheimer stayed with me until the 18th of March.  We did some sewing.  Fred was very busy collecting the benevolences for Conference.  Hazel is feeling just fine.  I did some crocheting & tatting.  Then on Sunday the 18th Laura went home.  We had quarterly meeting, too.  

19 - Fred helped me do some of the work.

20 - Fred helped me again & then went to Atlantic to get Wilma.  I stayed here.  It was almost eleven o'clock at night when they got here.

21 to 24 - Fred finished up his work.  Mrs. Go. Rose visited me one evening when there was a congregational meeting.  Fred got the car all fixed up so we could run it when he was gone to conference.

25 - I went to church for the first time again.  It seemed good to here Frederick preach again.  Hazel was pretty good.  I went again in the evening.

26 - I took Fred to Atlantic today.  He got a new spring coat.  We washed before we left.  We were almost there then Wilma finished.  When I got home we sprinkled the clothes & did the chores.

27- We did the chores & the ironing & the chickens started to hatch.  I brought some of them up into the house & Hazel was tickled over them.  She just laughed & laughed & threw kisses at them & petted them & everything.

28- We finished the mending & went to Grant to give me Mr. L.C. Schuler the auto license money to send in for us.  We washed the car when we got home.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal January 31 - February 28

 January 31 - Fred when to Henry Schuler's this morning after the mill and stayed there & talked until 3 o'clock then he came homd & went over to Knoke's. This is about the longest day I ever passed I guess.  It was 9:30 when Fred came home.

February 1 (1917) - fred stayed home & worked at the car & found that it needed repairing.  In the even he read "When A Man's A Man", to me.  I finished my pin cushion top.

2 - I started to work at an apron for Wilma's birthday.  It is a little white one worked in pink with a pink crocheted edge.

3 -  Laura did up the Sat. work.  I worked at that little apron.

4 - Today was very stormy so we could have no church.

5 - Laura planned to go home today but the other girl did not some so she will stay with us this week.  Fred called at Rudig's today.  H.C. Schuler's baby is very sick.  Fred went to telephone meeting this evening.

6 - Laura washed clothes today.

7 - I am still in bed.  Laura called up her mother today & asked them to come 7 get her because she had a sore throat.  Such a baby, she cried all morning.

8 - Fred got Laura E. last night & Mrs. Rose visited me in the afternoon.  Today Laura E. ironed.

9 - Hazel burned her little hand.  I picked her up & rocked her so she would stop crying so I could bandage her hand & she started to sing "Bye, Baby! Bye Baby!" (This might possibly be Hazel's version of "Rock-a-bye, Baby.") when she was half crying yet.  Fred has the quincy ? he got it & was in bed yesterday and today so I stayed up these days.

10 - Laura did all he work & she left the pump in the kitchen freeze in so Fred got up and thawed it out which made he worse.  I was up today, too.

11 - Fred got up & sat in a chair by the stove.  I read "The Girl Of The Limberlost" to him.  He liked it fine.

12 - Fred was up today again but not able to go to church.  Laura went.  I played the piano quite a little.  Walter Eppelsheimer's family came to see us today.

13 - Laura E. washed.  Fred was worse & me too.

14 - Laura ironed a& then her mother called up and wanted her to come home because they butchered & Della got sick so Blanche Rudig came.

15 - Blanche did the work & got worse so Fred got up & I went to bed.  Mr. J Schuler came up & did the chores.

16 - Mrs. Rudig came up today & put Fred to bed & got me out.  I got very sick.  She put hot packs on Fred made of oats & he couldn't bear the smell.

17 - I got up today & laid on the foot of the bed.  The doctor came several times to see Fred.

18 - Today Fred got up.  I was up, too.  Blanche went to church & then home.  Mr.s E. Eshelman & Vivian & Mary &  Roy Rothe & Alice came in from church to see us.  I got an awful weak spell this afternoon.  Mrs. G.P. Schuler & Mrs. Walter Epplsheimer came in to see us but I couldn't see them.

19 -  I was some better today.  Mr. & Mrs. V. G. Weaver came to see me this afternoon & then Mrs. Rudig came in & wanted to take Blanche away to work for her sister in Grant.  I got very weak & nervous again.  Mr. R. Came up in the evening & brought a chicken.  Fred went out a little today.

20 - Fred went to Grant today to get the repairs put on the car.

21 - Fred went calling today.  Blanche did the work.

22 - Fred went to the sale today at F. C. Saemisches.

23 - Fred went calling.

24 - Fred cleaned the church & in the afternoon he went to Miller's & Sothman's.  Blanche went to Grant in the evening.  Mrs. W.L. Eppelsheimer from Griswold called on me this afternoon.

25 - Fred & Blanche went to church.  Laura E. came in a minute before church.  Mr. Rudig came up & stayed up with me in the evening.  Fred took Hazel out for a walk after dinner.  Laura K.came in to see me a minute.

26 - Fred helped Blanche wash today & then dug out the hot bed & filled it in again.

27 - Fred got Laura E. today again & took Blanche home again.  Blanche ironed today.  I went Wilma that apron for her Birthday.

28 - Fred went called.  I started to crochet & showed Laura E. how.  Mrs. Knoke came to see me.  Laura E. went to a farewell party on Saemisches.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal 1917 - January 21 to 30

 1917 January    

21 - It was very cold today.  Martha staid home with me in the forenoon & in the evening.  There wasn't any services.

22 - Martha washed clothes today & I cut out some quilt blocks for her.

23 - I started to crochet some lace for a dresser scarf for Fred's Mother.  Fred called at Emil Pilzer's & Gus Kuester's.  Hazel was a very good girl all day.  She sang so nice for me (in her own way).

24 - Today Frederick did not go calling.  He pressed his clothing in the morning and after dinner Mrs. Dolch came over to visit me.  She brought a lot of spare ribs.  Then Fred went to a wedding of George Berg to Maud Hully.  Her cousin was married today, too & they said he wanted Fred to marry him too, but they did not know both weddings were to be on the same day until it was too late.  It was after ten when he got back.  The wedding was in the evening.  they sent a beautiful rose & some sweet peas & some ice cream & cake with him for me.

25 - Fred called at F. C, Saemische's & Kritzberg's & H.Epplehem's.  Then came home.  I finished crocheting some inserts for a dresser scarf.  Knoll came from Audubon to give his lecture on the "Common People" this evening.  Rev. Bogen from Ross brought him in his car.  They stayed at H.C. Schuler's. Mrs. Fisher & Grace & Laura & Arthur came in a while to see me before the lecture & Ella Sothman did too & she brought some beautiful flowers.  2 red rose buds & one pink one & one white one & a red carnation & a white carnation and some ferns. My sweet pea just looked lovely with those ferns & flowers.

26 - Today Fred called on Mrs. Henry Eppelsheimer & then went to F.Schuler's to see if we could get Laura to work for us.  Martha did up the Sat. work.  I started to crochet a top of a pin cushion.  Laura S. is coming to work for us for a week or so.  When Fred went to Lyman today he met a strange girl who is looking for work.  She is staying at H.L. Nettys.  We are thinking about getter her.  Marth has to go home & sew.

28 - Fred & Martha went to church. Mrs. Henry Eppelsheimer died last night.  Orville Funke stopped here for dinner today & after dinner he took Fred & Henry Schuler over to Eppelsheimers.  I did not feel a bit good this evening.  I got very nervous while they were gone to church.

29 - Fred took Martha home & Laura Schuler came to work for us for a week.  This afternoon Fred called again at H. Eppelsheimers.

30 - This afternoon was Mrs. Eppelsheimers funeral and Laura went.  She had to sing & frid preached on "Ther is but one Step between me and death."  There was a large funeral yesterday.  They opened the outside door in here and then they penned Hazel out because it was too cold in here for her & she clasped her little hands & cried so hard because she couldn't come in to me.  this morning when they prayed at the table she folded her hands & shut her eyes.  She is just start to talk now.  she says "boot" for book when we pick her up she says "up a day" & she brings her dolls to us & says "see e bitso baby: for little bits of baby.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's journal 1917 - January 1 - 20.

 1 MONDAY 

Mother and Father 7 Little Girlie & I went to a church to New Year's service to hear Frederick preach & then had election of S. S. Officers.  The same ones were re-elected.  Then we went to H.C. Schuler's for dinner.  Hazel and Geneva had a big time about 4 o'clock.  We returned. I drove he car with Mother & Hazel.  Then Fred took Mother to Mother Miller's & I stayed with Father and Hazel at home & got supper.  We had sweet potatoes & other potatoes - chicken fry & gravy & dressing - celery & Nei Yahrs' breaids & cake & papa said it was good.

2 - Father & Mother were busy packing their suitcases & got dinner & packed them a lunch 7 then we got ready to go to Atlantic (Iowa) to see them off.  We were very lonesome to see them go.

3 - We went calling.  We called at Aug. Millers & Chr. Bros. & Ella Sothman's school & Henry Martens, Simon Sunderman & H. L. Nettzs & then came home to prayer meeting.  There were about 21 out.  H.C. Schuler led & we had a blessed time.  after whch we had a S.S. teacher meeting.  I got my old class again.  "Somebody" wants some of my scholars.

4 - We went to Taylor County.  They were very glad to see us. The roads were very bad south of Vilised & was almost sick on the way home.  I got so hungry & Dear Frederick got some cheese & crackers for me.  My it was good.  I can taste it yet.

5 - Today we went calling again and we were at J. Wasmers for dinner & then we went to call on L.C. Shulers.  Mrs. was sick in bed with the rheumatism & then we called at Mrs. F. C. Samisches who was at the hospital in Grant & had one operation & then at Chr. Fishers & Wm. Bergs & Geo Roses & Ed Fishers.

6 - Fred helped me with the housework in the forenoon & In the afternoon cleaned the church.

7 - We went to church & for dinner we went to Knokes & and in the afternoon we came back & went to church again in the evening.

8 - Fred & I washed clothes.  

9 - I ironed clothes and in the evening we went to Mrs. Knokes to baptize her little boy.

10 - We went to Wm. Epplesheimers for dinner today.  They were frying down sausage & I helped make sausage rolls & they gave us a big piece of beef when we left.  Also called at Franks.

11 - Last night we had prayer meeting but I had to stay home with Hazel becaus of her earache.  Today I finished ironing.

12 - I was very weak all day today.  I did not eat no breakfast or dinner & so Fred thought I ought not to eat any supper either & stary my milk diet so I did.  Today Fred called at Mrs. F. Miller & at Sothmans - Martha S came along to work for us.

13 - I was quite sick today so Martha had to do all the Saturday's work.

14 - I went to church & taught my class & went again in the eveing.

15 - Today Fred went calling & Martha & I canned some beef - 9 quarts of it.  Fred brought home some meat & flour & cream of wheat & sauerkraut & sausage & jell from the people he called on today.  He called at Mr. Bickings & Mother Nau. & George Bicking.

16 - I stayed in bed with the diet.  Fred called at Kreitzbergs where we was for dinner & at F.M. Schulers where he was for supper.

17 - Fred called at F. Sundermans & Old Mrs. Sunderman.  I read & wrote letters.  This evening was prayer meeting.  I was here all alone.  I was very nervous.  Thay had election of officers too so it was eleven o'clock when they got back.

18 - The missionary society met at Mrs. Chas. Sundermans.  There were not very many there.  Frederick was there & from there he went to Mr. Pelzers & called there.  In the evening we made out an order for garden seed.  I started to dress one of Hazel's dolls.

19 - I finished dressing Hazel's doll.  Fred went calling today.  He called at Bourchs but they were not at home so he went to G.P. Schulers for dinner & then to W. L. Eppelsheimer & E Millers.  F. C. Sarmisch sold their farm to H.C. Schulers & L. Rudigs.

20 - I started to dress another one of Hazel's dolls & did some crocheting.  Fred cleaned the church in the forenoon & in the afternoon went toGrant.  Beulah 7 Neva Eppelsheimer & Bernice Schuler came to see me this afternoon.  We looked at pictures & everything.  Time passed so quickly.  George Berg asked Fred to preach his "wedding sermon" next Wednesday.  There's where I miss some more good things.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's journal June 10 -

 Continued from previous blog post -

& they came on the noon train to Atlantic all together & Harold Schuler went to meet them in their big car.  Then that evening were services & also the next day Bro. Kimmel preached in the forenoon & in the afternoon he dedicated the church & then we gave him a lunch & he left for Atlantic so as to be back to his work again on Monday & in the evening Bro. Faust preached & we had communion services & the next morning he left.  Mother & Father stayed with us yet.  Then we had very much work still with the Xmas programme.  One of the committee refusing to help put the load on me.  But God always helps his children when they are in need & so finally it was over with & pronounced a success & then came Xmas at home.  Fred hurried home after the services and lit our little tree & then after a while we came &then such a time Hazel was so tickled over her tree she would look at it & clap her little hands & then she would carry nuts & candy & apples to Grandpa & the rest until she had our arms & hands filled.  I must write down some of the things I go for Xmas from Fred - a clothes rack, a sweater & cap, a cameo pin, a post card album & buttlerfly slippers from Mother & Father, a dress (blue serge skirt & tube silk waist), a dust pan & milk strainer & from Fred's folks a yoke for a nightie & a handkerchief from Florence & from Wilma & from Leslie & Salome 5 or 6 kitchen holders & clothes pin apron & from Herb & Elsie a lawn apron & Laura G. a handkerchief & from Mrs. Bourck an apron also dress for Hazel & Laura Knoke a box of stationary & Della K butter plate & Mrs. Rudig a little H and bag & from the W.M.S, a beautiful corset cover yoke from Mrs. Sumisch & utility case from Mrs. H. Nau. & apron from Ms. N Wasmer & handbag - Mrs. Dinsmer & Glove box - Mrs. W.L. Epplesheimer & Blue silk dress for Hazel from Mrs. G.P. Schuler.  Then other presents I got were a kitchen apron from Aunt Eva & also picture and dresser set from Martha Sothman & pennant from Ella Sothman.

    The next day we had Xmas dinner at Dolches.  There were others there also.  Father and Mother stayed with us until the 2 of Jan.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal May 28 - June 10th and beyond

 May

28th -We all went to church there was a big crowd there.  We went to Rothe's for dinner & after dinner they went to A. Rothe's & Mother Naus.  In the evening we went to church & a storm came up in the middle of the services.  So they had to dismiss the people.

29th - Fred took Bro. Faust as far as Knoke's & then Frank took him with a team to Griswold & Fred solicited for the church.  I stayed home and crocheted.

30th - Fred & I went calling.

31st - We went calling.

June

1st - I stayed home & started to get ready for the picnic.

2nd - Fred 7 I did up our Sat. work in the forenoon 7 in the afternoon went to the programme at the church.

3rd - Fred went to Griswold to get mother & Florence & Carol.  They came on the early train.

4th - We all went to church morning & evening.

5th- We washed clothes & were all thru by noon.

6th - I ironed some & did a little mending.  Fred went calling.

7th - I did some more ironing & Fred went calling.

8th - I finished the ironing & did some mending & went to W.M.S. at Novel Wasmer's in the afternoon.

9th - I did up the Friday work & in the afternoon did some mending.  The little tots practiced at the church & some of them came down to play with the baby.  We practiced singing for Children's Day in the evening.  The painters finished giving our house the first coat of paint.

 10th - This is our second wedding anniversary & we celebrated it by working hard all day.  Fred went to Lyman and Griswold & washed the car & some of his clothing.  I did up the Sat. work & in the afternoon I rested & I canned 8 qts. of priplant & one of strawberries.  Last evening Fred brought us some fresh meat from Kreitzberg's & some strawberries from H. Nare's a lot of priplant from H. Eppelsheimer's & Today Esther Schuler brought us some strawberries & some nice fresh butter.

From here on I cannot tell all the things as they happened but perhaps I can get down a few of the most important ones.  After Fred's mother went home we were very busy.  Fred solicits for the church nearly every day until the money finally was subscribed then the building commenced.  They boarded here & after the basement was dug, the carpenters began & for 5 weeks we had from 3 & 4 to 6 carpenters.  Emma Knester worked for me.  The the plasterer & painter took their meals here & then when the finishing work began & then I had 4 men steady for about a month. Doing my own work & housecleaning besides.  It was a rush because of such a late start from the beginning to the end & then the dedication was the 17th of December & the painter had dinner with us yet the 16th on the 16th Bro. Faust & Prof.  G.B. Kimmel of Naperville came to dedicate the church.  Mother & Father came also to be with us.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's journal starting May 13 - May 27

 May 

13th - It rained so we did up our Sat. days wash & got the church ready for Mother's Day

14th - It rained so hard all the day that we could not have our Mother's Day program

15th - The roads were to muddy so we could not go calling

16. - We went to J. Schulers for supper.  We walked

17th - We went calling to Headys & Beattys & were at Gene Eshelmans for dinner & then we called at F.S. Saemischs & C Wasmers & Mother Holdarf & L. Kreitzberg & were at F. M. Schuler's for supper.

18 - We called at Ed Fishers & L.C. Schulers for dinner & Margaret took Hzel & their baby out for a ride & when she got back they were both asleep  Then we called at Jacob Wasmers & G.A. Gibson & F Wolenhaus

19 - We were at Hy Eppleshiemers for dinner & after dinner we stopped at U.G. Weavers & then we went to Lyman.

20 - We did up our Sat. work & got the church ready for Sunday.

21 - We had our Mother's Day Program.  It was very good.

22 - We washed clothes & then went dow to Big Rock for ferns & stopped at Knokes for supper.

23 - I ironed clothes & then we wentto Mrs. Rothes for supper  In the eve - the trustees met here & talked about remodaling the church  I ironed until 11 oclock & then lay down & went to sleep.

24 - I finished ironing & in the after noon we went to emery Eshelmans & then to U.G. Weavers for supper

25 - Fred went to Atlantic fo get Bro. Faust & in the afternoon they went to U.G. Weavers & E. Eshelmans.

26 - In the evening we went to church.

27 Fred and Faust went to Knokes & then to Taylor

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal starting May 6

 May 6 - Today we were going after ferns but the car broke so we had to stay home. We did up the Sat work in the forenoon then in the afternoon I washed my hair & took a bath.

7 - We went to church in the morning Fred preached on "The Home" & Beulah Weaver & Laura Eppelsheiner & Frank Knoke & Fred sang a mixed quartette.

8 - We got up at half past 4 & washed clothes.

9 - I ironed clothes & Fred took the car to Grant to have it fixed.  He stayed all day.  In the evening the choir practiced for Mothers day.

10 - Fred went back to Grant to finish the car.  Ludia Dolch brought us a pail of milk & some lilacks.  We took a hen out with 22 chicks this morning that makes 32 we have in all as we have a hen with 8. We do not know where she comes from.

11 - Fred had to go to Grant again to finish the car.  He got home about 7 oclock.  I mended stockings & worked in the law.  In the evening was Bible Study

12 - We did up our work early & then Fred went to Griswold to get Babies high chair & some more freight & then he had dinner & we went calling.  We called at F. Sundermans & Mrs. Ackerman & H Nau's, & then it looked like rain so we had to go home.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's Journal starting April 25, 1916

25 - I ironed all forenoon, & some in the afternoon.  we went over to C. Wasmer (Carl or Cass, who were brothers and lived in the same county as Grandma Hazel Pfaltzgraff) to practice for the W. M. S. meeting.  Just as we were ready to go, Ed Bourch, who was working on the road here, came with a piece of the grader they broke & Fred had to take it to a Lyman to get it fixed for them.  So we were late at Wasmers

26 - I finished ironing this morning & Fred had to go to Lyman with that piece of the Grader again & ran over to the Cumberland route to mail some invitations & then we did not have enough cards so he had to go to Griswold to get some more & mail the rest of them.

27 - We were very busy getting ready for the  W. M. S. & in the evening they all met here.  There were about 50 we served ten cent lunches & made about *.50.  They also gave a program.  I played a piano solo.  Fred sang a solo.  & Mrs. G.T. Schuler Mr.  F.C. Saimisch & Mrs. E. Eshelman & I sang a quartette.  Fred gave a talk & Mrs. C. Wasmer a reading.  We served fruit salad and cake.

28 - We cleaned the hous all up & then FRed worked at the car & hoed the onions & radishes.  In the afternoon we went to Grant & when we came home I ran the car for the first time.  It went Good but I got nervous.  When we got home we reset some plants in the yard. We do not know what they are & set out a dahlia & some Gladiolia.  Fred mowed the back yard.

29 - Fred worked at clipping in the forenoon.  In the afternoon we put out some parsnips & carrots & salsify & then went to Grant.

30 - It rained so we could not go to church all day.

MAY

1 - We called at Mother Miller and Sothmans.  M. Miller gave us a sack of oats.

2 - We saw Mother M & Sothmans today & Adam & Gus Kuesters yesterday.

3 I had a headache today so we did not go calling.  W.M. Eppelsheimers came up to the cemetery & Mrs. brought me a fern. 

4 - We went to the Ladies Aid at Rothes.

5 - We went calling.  We called at Hy Bickings & from there we went to Henry Martens & Geo Rose's & we called at Mother Naus & we were going to be at August Miller's for dinner but they were not at home so we went to Christ Booses & to Chas Franks.

Grandma Pfaltzgraff's journal starting April 8, 1916

8 - We cleaned the kitchen.  in the evening I crocheted & Elda studied her S.S. lesson.

9 - We both went to church in the afternoon.  We went up there to practice for the Missionary programm.   I played "In the Sweet Bye & Bye."

10 - Fred came home early he got here at about nine oclock & we all three went to work & cleaned the bedroom & library & parlor.  There was election at the school house so Fred got one of the men to come down & help me move the base burner.

11 - Fred & I washed clothes Elda went home last night & I forgot to say Hazel was a year old & we burned one candle at the supper table.  We had a very big wash & were done at noon.

12 - I ironed quite a little Fred worked at the typewriter all forenoon.

13 - I finished ironing this forenoon & this afternoon we made a little early garden some onion sets & some peas & radishes & lettuce (&) spinach.  In the evening we went to Bible Study and The choir practiced after it.

14 & 15 - During one of these days we put out sweet peas and cosmos  Both days were spent at home  One day we went to Grant

16 - We went to church.  in the forenoon & in the afternoon We studied In the evening  I gave a talk to the Y.P.A. on "Good Prayermeetings & How to have them always."

17 - We went to Atlantic today.  I got my spring hat & some new glasses.  We called at F. Schulers in Atlantic but they were not at home.  (According to the 1910 census Fred and Mary Schuler lived in Atlantic, Cass, Iowa, US but by the 1920 census Fred was a widower.  Mary presumably died after April 16, 1916 and the 1920 census.)

18 - The members met at the church & gave it a good cleaning.

19 - Today we called at E & Wm Pilzer (A William Pelzer is listed in the 1910 census but no one else in the family has a name that begins with "E."  It could be that his wife, Nora, went by her middle name but the census does not give her middle name or initial.) & Chas & Grandma Sundermans (There are two Sundermans listed on the same page of the 1910 census.   One is clearly Charles Sunderman and the other may be Grandpa and Grandma Sunderman.)  It rained very had while we were at Wm Pilzers so we came home after the rain.

20 - I rained mostly all day today.  We could not have any Bible Study this evening.

21 - We went to Wm Eppelsheimers (listed in 1910 census as living in "Noble, Cass, Iowa") this morning & go stuck in the mud & Henry Martens (There are several Henry Martens living in Iowa in 1910 census however there is only one who lives in Cass County, Iowa) & Geo. Rose (There are several George Roses in the 1910 Census so it is difficult to determine which one is the right one.) came along & helped us out  when we got to E's Laura & Mrs & I made some Easter Lillies for Easter Sunday.  Laura came along (Laura is listed as one of the Eppleshemers children according to the 1910 Census)

22 - Laura & I finished the Lillies & decorated the church with them & some green & white crepe Paper.

23 - We all went to church.  The choir gave a special song.  In the afternoon Fred & I & Baby all took a nap & slept until nearly church time  Laura E. went home this morning.

24 - We washing clothes 7 got done by noon 7 then went to Doches for dinner & in the afternoon we went over to Laemisches to arrange for the W. M. S. meeting & then we went to A. Kuesters to get some potatoes for planting.