Grace Pierce's diary, August 1928

Here's a photo of my Grandma Grace with her siblings, the children of Henry and Margaret Masters:
From left to right in back - Guy and Frank Masters

Middle row - Jennie, Addie, Grace

Front - Iva

August 1, Wed.

Cloudy nearly all day, and sprinkled at times. We patched sacks in afternoon. Frank Sullivan came over and put brake bands in the car. We had a very hard storm in the eve and rained hard all night, about the hardest rain we have had.

August 2, Thurs.

Cloudy and rainy by spells all day. Elmer went to B.O. with John Reinsvold and came back with Phil Seelye who took two cows to a Courtney (?) that was here yesterday and bought them for $75 and $80. Eda and Jim came down for nut meats that Elmer got for them. The social tonight is postponed until Saturday night. Rained quite hard in eve, we went to bed early and I was awake for two or three hours in the night.

August 3, Fri.

Rainy as usual. Glen called quite early and wanted to know if I would come down if he came to Burr Oak so Elmer took me over. We left at 8:45 and the roads were very bad from here to B.O. Lillie had been quite bad for three days and had spit blood a little and it had scared her so, she almost went into spasms. Dr. Svebakken came after dinner and told her there was no reason to be alarmed as it didn’t come from her lungs. It rained hard again in afternoon.

August 4, Sat.

It cleared up about 9 and sun shone bright all day. Glen went to work in afternoon and I came home with Luella and Raymond, and Elmer came to Raymonds after me and we got stuck on the flats coming home. Anita and Luella got a bushel of peaches for $2.25. We went to ice cream social at church lawn in evening.

August 5, Sun.

Very nice day and warm. I picked cucumbers in morning and Anita mopped and we went to church with Jim and Eda and came back with Elmers car and he went to Highlandville to a ball game. In afternoon we went over to Gene Headingtons and stopped in at Luella’s on the way back and she had been here while we were gone. Raymonds brought Elmer home about 6.

August 6, Mon.

Very nice but quite warm & windy. We washed and had to borrow Violet’s boiler for ours leaked. We canned peaches the rest of the day. At noon Anita and Elmer were over to Raymonds after something he sent to Harmony for. Arthur Manning helped cut thistles in afternoon. We had a rain in evening.

August 7, Tues.

Oh such a hot day. I thought we would melt. We ironed all forenoon, and had some to do in the afternoon. Arthur Manning was helping cut thistles and was here to dinner. In afternoon Elmer went down to Merles and brought back some ice-cream which cooled us a little. Elmer went to B.O. in eve. Ethel called me and wanted me to help when they thresh.

August 8, Wed.

The hottest day we have had this summer. In morning I picked two dishpans of cucumbers before Anita went to Canton to have her hair cut and Marilyn and I went up to Herbs. After we got back we found out we would have threshers in afternoon so she had to go again after dinner for meat and things. Luella went to LaCrosse with Joe and Iona and after she got home she came over and helped at suppertime. I thought I would never get the dishes washed and wiped. The men were about cooked when they came to supper. It rained hard and hailed quite hard in eve.

August 9, Thurs.

Very hot again, especially in forenoon. We were so tired we didn’t do very much. Elmer took a grist to B.O. and wasn’t home at dinner. About 8 Anita, Marilyn and I went to Ladies Aid at Krumms with Jim and Eda, we got home at 6-30.

August 10, Fri.

Very nice day and cool. Anita and I and Marilyn went to Decorah in forenoon. We saw Lillie a few minutes. She has been sick since Tues. night and the nurse is there. Luella and Iona and Verlie went down in afternoon and Lillie had a baby girl, 7 ½ lbs, born at 2-10 and she and baby were getting along fine. Luella came over and told us she got home. Roy Wanless house caught fire and Anita and I went over and so did Luella but it was out before we got there. They finished threshing here just after dinner and threshed to Louie’s. LuVerne was here in afternoon and went home about 5.

August 11, Sat.

Another nice cool day. We washed and washed windows and cleaned up the house and picked and dressed two chickens and mowed the lawn in eve and ironed. We drove over to Luella’s and got some Whitney apples for pickles. Elmer threshed at Louie’s and got home about 2-30. He went to Burr Oak in eve. We had our first corn today.

August 12, Sun.

A lovely day. We had company: Add, Claude and Jim and Eda. In afternoon Glen, Florence and Mrs. Erickson drove up a few minutes. We went up to Howards in eve but they were gone. Elmer bought 4 lambs off Walter Rheuwinkle and he brought them over today, gave $35 for them.

August 13, Mon.

Very nice day. Alva came after me about 10 and I went over and helped Ethel with threshers. We didn’t have them until at supper time and only had 13 then. We got through with our work about 8 o-clock and I wrote to Doris after 10.

August 14, Tues.

Another beautiful day, but a little warmer. We had 14 men at dinner and thought we wouldn’t have them for supper but did. Anita came over after me to go down to Frank Bartle’s after blackberries so Ethel got Marion Nash to help at supper and I came home. She paid 25cts for blackberries. Elmer was threshing at Snells.

August 15, Wed.

Very warm day. Elmer went threshing, Anita and I took Marilyn down to Violets and weighed her. She weighed 16 lbs. About 2-30 we had a great surprise. Doris, Emil and kids drove in. They came to Spring Grove the night before. Emil went right back to S.G. and we all went over to Luella’s after choke-cherries and apples. In eve Anita went over to Luella’s while Elmer went to B.O. Margarette was very restless all night and so was Marion. A man stopped here about midnight and asked the way to Canton and I didn’t go to sleep for three hours.

August 16, Thurs.

Another scorcher. Anita, Marilyn and I went to Decorah early and went down to see Lillie and baby. They were getting along quite well. The baby has had jaundice but is better. The nurse went today noon and Lillie’s sister is there. She charged $60 for nine days. Olga McCabe and children and her sister Gladys and children and another girl from Lake City came about 2, we were going to stay to supper and it looked so stormy they went about 2-30. Elmer came home from threshing as it rained hard. We all slept good all night.

August 17, Fri.

Very cool but nice. Elmer went to the Fair about 11 o’clock. He took a grist to B.O. first. We got corn today and did our washing and Doris did hers, and we made pickles and Anita picked cucumbers and mopped. Emil came some time in the night.

August 18, Sat.

Cool in morning but warm in middle of day. Emil, Doris, kids and myself went to Decorah and went down to see Lillie and Doris bought a blanket for the baby. We stopped at Elsie’s on way home and Doris got a head of cauliflower for pickles. We got home about noon, Elmer came home from Leistikows threshing and went down to Vernie’s and threshed until after 7. Anita had 7 cows milked. Elmer went to B.O. Emil went to Spring Grove about 3. Gerald got kicked in the face by LuVerne’s pony and Luella and Joe took him to Mabel to Dr. Nass and had it sewed.

August 19, Sun.

Very warm day. We got things ready to go for a picnic at Decorah and Emil came about 11-30 and Anita, Doris, kids and myself went with him and there was so many at the Park we couldn’t eat there and we went over to Pulpit Rock and all the tables there were in use so we went up to the College and ate under a shade tree and the mosquitoes nearly chewed us up. We drove around for a while and came home and had a blow out before we got to Burr Oak. We were nearly cooked when we got home. Emil stopped to the ball game and we came on. Luella and Fern and kids came over a few minutes. It looked very rainy but didn’t here but hailed terrible at Joe Morans.

August 20, Mon.

Rainy in morning  and by spells all day. Emil went to S.G. in morning. Ed Arnold was here and fixed the steps to the granary. I paid him $2.00. We had so much to do today and Marilyn wouldn’t sleep hardly at all. We had a very hard storm about 6-30, terrible lightning and the hardest rain I ever saw.

August 21, Tues.

Very nice day. We did our washing and Doris did hers and we hung clothes out all day, as soon as one line-full dried we put out another. Afternoon Elmer and Anita and Marilyn went to Mabel to see Dr. Nass about Anita’s ear. He dug the wax out and she could hear a little better. I was about tired out and took Margarette to bed early. Marilyn was very fussy all forenoon but was good after she took a ride.

Got $3.21 from Yeomen

August 22, Wed.

Nice in forenoon but cloudy in afternoon. We did our ironing and I picked cucumbers. Elmer was threshing at Leistikows. About 3, Anita, Doris, kids and myself went over to Luella’s after apples. Margarette and I rode in the back of truck. Emil came about 7. It started to rain about 6-30 and kept it up all night and rained very hard and had terrible lightning and thunder. Rain came in every room and about ruined Anita’s sewing machine that was on the porch.

August 23, Thurs.

Cloudy nearly all day and much cooler. Doris, Emil and kids went to Spring Grove about 10. I peeled Whitney apples enough for two quarts and then washed a few clothes and ironed them about 4. Elmer went to B.O. in afternoon. Anita sold her chickens, about 45 of them, to Phil Seelye at 25cts per lb. They brought nearly $45. The water in Decorah is very high. The river is highest ever known and Dry Run is out of its banks too.

August 24, Fri.

A lovely day. I got a pail of corn and dried for Doris and picked cucumbers and we peeled and canned 6 qts of Whitney apples. After noon we went to Decorah. Elmer went to a ball game, we went down to Lillie’s and I took a hood and jacket for baby. I gave Anita $3 for her birthday and she got a camera by putting a little more with it. The game wasn’t out until nearly six, so it was late when we got home. LuVerne came over while they went to the dance and stayed all night. The water was quite high in Decorah today.

August 25, Sat.

A grand day but quite cool, Elmer was threshing at Leistikows after 9 o’clock. He and LuVerne took a grist to B.O. early in morning. I got two pails of corn today, one for Doris and one for Anita. I sewed on my apron all afternoon and could have finished it if I could have found one bunch of white braid. Elmer went to Burr Oak in eve after grist. There was a shower at Bakers for Lena tonight but Elmer and Anita didn’t go.

August 26, Sun.

Cloudy most of day. Elmer had to thresh at Leistikows until noon and it was too wet on other piece so they moved to Lews place. Emil, Doris and kids came about 10-15 and we all went over to Raymonds to dinner. Emil went home right after dinner and Elmer and Raymond went to Decorah to ball game. Luella brought us home and Merle, Elsie and Deane and Geo and Myra stopped here. Frank and Cora had been here while we were gone, and I was sorry we were gone. Elmer didn’t get here until 6:45. It rained again in night.

August 27, Mon.

A lovely day but quite windy. Doris did her washing but we only washed a few of ours. Doris ironed all of hers and so did we. Emil came down in eve but we were all in bed. He brought some ice-cream so we got up.

August 28, Tues.

Another nice day. Emil went home about 8. Elmer went threshing at Lyle’s on Lews place and got home at three. We made jell and apple butter and I made cookies and picked a dishpan of cucumbers. Elmer went to Burr Oak in eve. Anita took the three kids pictures and mine with them. I know it will be a scream.

August 29, Wed.

Rainy again for a change? I peeled and canned some duchess apples. The mail man slid in a ditch down by the school-house and Leistikows took a team down to pull him out. Elmer went to B.O. and was on the way to Howards and Arthur Morrison had a heavy truck and it slewed around and bent the axle in Elmer’s car so Rex Ward brought him home. Lyle and Sena Baker were married today and they chiveried them tonight. Emil came down and they are going home tomorrow.

August 30, Thurs.

A lovely day once more. I got up quite early and called Doris and Emil and they got things packed on the car and started from here about 7, but it took them quite a while to get up the hill east of the school house as they went by Raymonds to get apples. There was only one thing they left and I sent it in the mail today. We washed and ironed some and I canned 7 qt of apples. Elmer was to B.O. all day and brought the car home. It is very quiet around here today without Margarette and Marion. I got a letter from Hazel and Leslie has a job at Sidell, Ill. I hope he likes it and can keep it.

August 31, Fri.

A very nice day, but pretty cool in morning. Elmer went to Louie’s to thresh but they didn’t finish. Anita and Luella went to Lanesboro to a Club meeting at Bertha Nelson’s. LuVerne stayed here, they got home about 4-30.