My Mama and my Uncle are transcribing my Great Grandma Burbank’s journals.
Today they sent 1941 and I am intrigued.
Grandma Burbank is my Granny’s Mama- my Granny who just passed this summer.
We grew up with stories about how very, very poor the Burbank side of the family was; squirrel was a good meal, snapping turtle made a good soup, you always did your business outside and electricity was quite bourgeois.
Today I opened the latest pages. I love the first lines from my eloquent Great Grandma B….
Drop a word of cheer and kindness- just a flash and it’s gone but there’s half a hundred ripples circling on and on.
Here are 14 days with Great Grandma B as she tried to feed and clothe seven children. Days were busy and full and no rabbit was safe. Here are some little notes- My Gran is Emma Mae. Bob is my Great Aunt Mary Bob and the rest…..well we’re figuring it out as we go.
January 1, 1941, Wed
Drop a word of cheer and kindness-just a flash, and it is gone-but there’s half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on. Harry, Ruby, Gene, Roy and I butchered for Mrs. Burbank. Rained most of day. She gave us quite bit of meat and some lard. Stopped at Mary’s on way home. Ruby and Harry ate supper at Uncle Henry’s. Owen Montgomery called hunting Jane for a date. Ha! Ha! He got her at Uncle Henry’s. Joe Fritchie called wanting Bob to work and Walter came after her. Jim and Bob spent night with us.
January 2, 1941, Thurs
Mended some. Gene cooked head meat. Harry’s left about 9:30 a.m. for California. Jane didn’t go. We sure hated to see them go so far. Gene and Roy went with Don to Newton. Nola and Lilly called to tell Harrys goodbye. Rained in morn but sun shone beautifully in afternoon. Thelma and Irene Crouch brought my lard cans home. Ollie went to L’ville with Ralph.
January 3, 1941, Fri
Washed. Jane, Roy, Ollie and Mavis went to Buck’s 18th birthday party. Bob came home with them from Fritchie’s after party. Turned so cold at night, spit snow and wind blew part of clothes off line.
January 4, 1941, Sat
Boys and Buck went out at night and Buck spent night. Was cold. Violet called and Jane went home with her. Gene and boys cut wood in morn. Gene and Ollie cut awhile in afternoon. Roy caught an opossum. Girls found living room flue platform on fire when they went to bed. Gene and them put it out. Mended most of day and ironed. Gene and boys rung the old sow as they couldn’t keep her in. Boys killed 2 rabbits.
January 5, 1941, Sun
Violet, Esther, and Buck were here for dinner. Went to Sunday School and Christian Endeavor at East Pinkstaff Church. Walter, Jean and Margarite Fritchie called in evening and went to Christian Endeavor. Gene spent evening at John’s. Ralph T. went to Hammond. Children walked home with Violet. Dovey Ann had fever at night. Bob went back to Fritchie’s after Christian Endeavor. Was 10 degrees above zero in morn.
January 6, 1941, Mon
Gene went to L’ville in afternoon with Tiny. Ordered Bob’s and Mavis’ shoes from C.M.O. Ollie expected to go along, but Mrs. Diver didn’t come. Mended. Harry and Emma May started back to school after holidays. Roy spent morn at John’s. He and John fixed flue where it had been a fire. Mavis, Harry and Emma May spent evening at Nina’s.
January 7, 1941, Tues
We washed. Roy cut wood at clearing. Gene helped Millard Miller cut wood. Ollie went to L’ville with Tiny. Uncle Vinis’ spent evening here. Roy killed 2 rabbits and 1 squirrel. Gene got pictures taken while surveying from Harold Cramer. Jake Elders’ baby died at 3 a.m. with pneumonia. Nina and girls called.
January 8, 1941, Wed
Mavis and I ironed. Aunt Pearl ate dinner here. Rev. Roller and Lilly called. Roy and Ollie cut wood and Gene helped out and buzz wood at a wood cutting for Carter Crouch at Uncle Henry’s woods. Bob and Mavis got their shoes, but Mavis’ were too small. Lige Wesley called. Dovey Ann had fever at night. Roy had a bad sore throat. Sent Katherine and Pearl Bowen a letter. Heard that Minnie Tiffany had pneumonia.
January 9, 1941, Thurs
Leonard Ferriell came after Mavis for Mrs. Tiffany. Gene, Roy and Ollie cut wood in morn and Gene and Roy in afternoon, Ollie helped Uncle Vinis haul in fodder in afternoon. Uncle Vinis called. Ma got a card from Ruby at Amarillo, TX. Was cloudy + spit snow. Jake Elder’s baby was buried. Fritchie’s bro’t Bob home at night. Gene and Roy killed 1 rabbit. John began plowing on Harry with tractor.
January 10, 1941, Fri
Sewed on aprons. Mrs. Tiffany bro’t Mavis home after dinner. Harry and Emma May were home excused from exams. Bob and Emma May spent afternoon at Joe Fritchie’s. Ralph called in morn saying they were going to move to Octaves’ house next week. Jo Pinkstaff called in evening wanting to rent Ma’s house. Ollie waited until 2 p.m. for Mrs. Diver but she didn’t come. Gene and boys hauled 8 loads of wood with Uncle Henry’s team.
January 11, 1941, Sat
Mended all day. Bob washed her clothes and she and Mavis ironed. Gene and boys worked in clearing in morn and they and Uncle Vinis got a big mess of fish at Charlie’s in afternoon. Violet and Jr. called also Adrian Claycomb wanting to rent Ma’s house. Ma spent afternoon at Aunt Pearl’s. Bob was sick with flu. Roy and Ollie went to Flat Rock with Uncle Vinis’ at night. Car killed guinea and Bob cleaned it before she found out it was Lilly’s. Took it to her.
January 12, 1941, Sun
Was a lovely warm day. Roy ate dinner with Buck. Norma and Arlene called in evening. Hanford Wesley called in afternoon + he, Gene, Ollie, Herbert and Harry went to clearing. Geo. Millers’ called. Went to Sunday School and Christian Endeavor and preaching at East Pinkstaff. Bro. Albert gave some very good thoughts on a Christian putting stones in another’s way. Sharon Borden came for Bob, but she was unable to go to work for them. Nola brought up popcorn which they popped. Lee Mitchell called.
Samsmom 