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.