Changes Coming to the Blog

UPDATE:  The blog will cease updating. A cousin of mine will be writing a book series about this branch of the Boone family including volumes derived from Mamie's diaries which I will be relinquishing. What has already been posted will be left up and I'm glad somebody else has the time to do them proper justice!


Original Post:

The lack of updates has been a source of guilt for awhile, but it was also clear that the format I'd chosen for posting simply wasn't working out. A few weeks ago, inspiration hit and a clear plan for changing how Mamie's diary was presented became obvious. So a new style will be employed in order to get as much of her life up as quickly as I can for posterity's sake.

I don't know when the revised format will first go up since I'm dealing with computer monitor problems, however all previous entries will be rewritten to the new style. Older posts will be left up for an indefinite time after their content has gone up in the new format.

June 1941, Week Three

June 15
Sun - Joe & I went out to the park this a.m. & Joe helped Ab move the boat landing. Took a nap after dinner. It was awfully cold. We went to church & missed the services & baptism at the park.  Went out to Helen & Abs tonite, afterwards

June 16
Mon - Went down to Moms this a.m. & made a gown for my baby-to-be. Its sweet. Helen, Snooks, Mom & I went to see "Play Girl" tonite. It was fair. Joe came in shortly after I got home.

June 17
Tues - Joe stayed home all day. I ironed this a.m., & after dinner picked gooseberries while Joe cut weeds.  Went to Mildreds as Joe went to Stockwell this eve, & then came home at 7:15 & finished my ironing & stemmed gooseberries. Joe home about 9:00

June 18
Wed - Did some mending & canned gooseberries. Warmer.  Walked out to the park & saw Snooky & some people baptised. Stayed there for supper. Came back to Moms & listened to the Louis-Conn fight. It was thrilling, altho Conn lost.

June 19  18 Weeks
Thurs - Baked a gooseberry pie & got dinner for Joe. Mom & Snooky went to Mildreds & left their cat here. After dinner Joe & I went to Ladoga. Saw Ethel. Spent the afternoon & evening with Mary & had fried chicken for supper. Got home about 11:00.

June 20
Fri - [First letter from Jessie for months] Cleaned up the house & baked 2 pies. Felt 'tough." Joe went to Inplis. By myself all day. Mildred got Mom & Snooks home; Charley brought Ethel down. We all went to the show. Joe home at 12:15

June 21
Sat - Ethel & I walked out to Helens, to the park & back to town. We just "lazed" around. Ethel set mine & Moms & Snookys hair. Charlie came back tonite, & brought beer. We had a Beer lunch. Charlie & Ethel left at 12:15 & I just fell into bed.

"Play Girl" had to be the 1941 comedy starring Kay Francis as a gold digger getting too old for the game and training an apprentice.  From the user reviews at IMDB it appears Mamie's evaluation of the film was a universal one.

Back in the days of radio dominance as the entertainment medium in most homes, boxing was huge. It wasn't until the end of the 1970's that it began to fade away in American culture. Billy Conn was the world light heavyweight champion in 1941 who gave up his title to challenge the current heavyweight champion Joe Louis. Amazingly, the smaller Conn was beating the legendary boxer on points when he got over confident looking for a knockout in the 12th round. Instead, he ended up on the canvas in the 13th as another victim of the Brown Bomber's devastating fists.

June 1941, Week Two

June 8
Sun - Joe & I went to Ladoga again, & we ate dinner at his dads. Home about 4:00
Put some finishing touches to the costumes. to the church at 7:00 to help dress kids Worked at it all evening. Worn out, & nervous. Thank heavens its over

June 9
Mon - Rained last nite, & today & cool. Joe home for dinner. Went over to Moms after dinner & sewed. Stayed for supper. Mom came over & spent the evening. Joe came home & went to Guard drill. Snooky to the show.

June 10
Tues - Joe home again all morning. I baked cookies. Down to Moms after dinner, to sew. Mildred & Gwennie came to Moms & I was there for supper. Came back home at 8:30. Joe got home about 10:15.

June 11
Wed - It rained most of the day. Joe home until afternoon. Walked to Moms. They were here for supper - It poured rain tonite. We all crawled into bed until Joe came home at 9:45.

June 12 17 weeks
Thurs - Cleaned up the two bedrooms this a.m. Joe here for dinner. Walked over to Ednas today & back to Moms. Mom, Snooks & Joe here for supper. We all went to the show.
"A Girl, a guy, a gob." It was funny.

June 13
Fri - Rained again. It has rained every day this week. Joe stayed for dinner. I ironed. After dinner I took a nap. Then Walked out to Helens. Came home & baked a pie. Walked down to Moms but they hadn't got home from Helens. Joe came in at 7:30.

June 14 18
Swept & dusted the living room. Went over to Mildreds as Joe went to Stockwell. Home at noon. Got dinner & took a nap. Cleaned up the bathroom - Joe & I walked out to the park thise eve. We took hot baths tonite & went to bed early.

It looks like Mamie retroactively wrote down some of the weeks pregnant found at the top of various pages in the diary, so I don't feel as bad as I did for missing their meaning transcribing earlier entries!

Reading about her anxiety over the costumes for the kid's church play makes me wonder if kids really appreciate the effort put into such things by adults. Of course, costumes are usually very cool to kids so there is that at least.

"A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob" was a 1941 love triangle comedy starring Edmond O'Brian, Lucille Ball, and George Murphy respectively. It was produced by silent film superstar Harold Lloyd for RKO Pictures. "Gob" was slang for a sailor in the United States Navy.

June 1941, Week 1

June 1
Sun -  To Sunday School with Joe. Helen McM. brought us home in their new car. Fried chicken for dinner - Lucile Parnell here all afternoon. Joe & I drove out to the covered bridge this evening & walked along the cement road.

June 2
Mon - Rained all nite. Joe home for dinner. Felt life today. Joe & I were so thrilled. He could feel it with his hand.
Went to the church todaynite with Lucile to help get costumes ready for childrens day

June 3
Tues -  Still rainy. I cleaned the pantry & cellar room this a.m. Joe her for dinner. I walked out to Helens this p.m. Supper at Moms. She spent the evening here while Snooky went to the show. Rainy today.

June 4
Wed - Washed up the last of the 'packed' dishes
Mom scrubbed the porch & summer kitchen
Went to church with Lucile tonite, & then home to work on the costumes. Judy & Jane Cox here. Spilled prune juice all over my light coat.

June 5 16wks
Thus - Sewed on costumes. Mrs Williams came to call. Went over to Moms & washed my hair Lucile & I worked on costumes until 10:30. Helen was here & we went to the Restaurant for sandwiches. Home at 11:00. Joe came in at 12:00.

June 6
Fri -  Mrs Martz called.
Joe & I went to Ladoga. Ate dinner with his dad & Mary. Paid my monthly visit to the Dr. We came home via New Market & C'Ville. Stopped at aunt Matties. Was over to Moms tonite, while Joe went to town.

June 7
Sat - So much piled up Did the biggest part of my ironing & Snooky & I did the cleaning. Walked over to Moms after dinner, then came home & ironed some more. Mom & Snooks here for supper. Joe & I drove to Thorntown tonite.

It was a busy week with no movie going for the first time in awhile for Mamie. Once again I'm struck by the constant visiting back and forth.

The covered bridge is still a local landmark near the wasting away town of Darlington. Graffitti adorns the out of service bridge and couples apparently still go there.

Odd to read about the first signs of life out of my father over seven decades ago. I only just tumbled to the occasional number at the top of a diary page being my grandmother's way of keeping track of how far along the pregnancy was.

Ladoga is a small town south of Crawfordsville, Indiana and Darlington where they live is north of the city. There is a lot of Boone history in Ladoga according to family genealogy making me want to visit there at some point. 

May 1941, Week 4

May 22
Thur - Got up at 5:30 & got Joe off to Evansville on at Real E. Deal. A long day. Rain at noon
Putchy worse. Helen & I saw "Mr & Mrs Smith" tonite. Joe came in about 10:00. Bed at 11:00. What a long day.

May 23
Fri - Went to the Vets -  to see about Putchy. Joe had to go Indplis & might be gone all nite.
I asked Edna to stay with me. Mildred brought M & S. home. Ab came home & brought us fish.
Were to Moms for supper. Joe came in about 9:30. Edna stayed anyway.

May 24
Sat - Letter from Mary Boone
Straightened up some more. Joe came in about 2:30. He' completed his Real Est. deal. Helen & Joe, Mildred & Windy here tonite for "Aristocratic Craps"  We took Putchy to the Vet. Seems he cant get better.

May 25
Sun - Up & to Sunday School. Home, & had sick headache. Dinner & then a nap. Down to Moms awhile. We all went to church tonite. Helen & Ab, Mom & Snooky, Joe & I.

May 26
Mon -  Went over to Moms & covered a chair. Hot today. Joe went to Indplis with Mr. Wolf & didn't get home until 10:15.

May 27
Tues - Joe & I went to C'Ville & I bought new shoes. Home & then Joe went to Indplis
Mom & S. here for supper. Went over & finished the other chair. Joe came home about 7:30. We all listened to Pres. Roosevelt tonite.

May 28
Wed - Joe joined the State Guards.
Awfully hot. Putchy worse. Finished Helens dress. Edythe Cain here -- Joe here for dinner - (Mildred took Mom & S home with her) - Up to Lucile Parnells tonite until 10:00 Joe home at 11:45.

May 29
Thur - Joe home this a.m. - Ironed -- Went with Helen to fix urn at cemetery. Joe & Ab went to the Speedway with the Guards. Helen & I went over to Mildreds tonite. Mom & Snooky came home with us.

May 30
Fri - Memorial Day.
Stayed with Helen last nite. We went to the cemeteries here, this a.m. & to Liberty this afternoon. Joe got home at seven tonite - fagged out. I was too, so we went to bed at 8:00

May 31
Sat - Had some rain today. Joe came home early. Mom & Snooky were here for supper - Joe went to the show. Afterward Edna & Walter came home with him & we played euchre until almost twelve.

Putchy is one seriously ill cat at this point and there is a note of resignation in Mamie's entry on the 24th. One of the things we take for granted today is the ease in getting antibiotics for sick pets, but in 1941 there was no such thing. Penicillin may have been discovered in 1928, however it didn't see mass production and usage until 1944-1945 for humans. Animals came much later.

Mary Boone was Joe's stepmother. My father has fond memories of her being a very nice lady.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a 1941 comedy directed by the great Alfred Hitchcock which starred Carol Lombard and Robert Montgomery as a feuding married couple who suddenly find out their marriage license is invalid. Though Hitchcock didn't like his own film, it was a smash hit and the last film of Lombard's released before her tragic death in 1942.

Aristocratic craps? There is nothing on the Web about it, so it must have been a local rules version of the infamous dice game.

I hadn't realized Joe was a member of the National State Guard so that was a surprise to read. He never mentioned it around me, but then again there weren't any heart to hearts with my grandfather when I was growing up. 

May 1941, Week 3

May 15
Thus - Went down to Moms for dinner. Putchy is better. Raked in the yard after dinner
Joe came home awhile. Baked pigs in blankets for supper. We all saw "Tobacco Road" tonite.

May 16
Fri - Went out to Moms & as Snooky didn't feel well went with her to do Helens week-end cleaning
They came home with me tonite, & Mom & I did my ironing. Lucile Parnell came in and spent the evening. Joe came at 9:00.

May 17
Sat - Mr McCafferty papered the kitchen & bath
We went out to Helens tonite for a roast duck dinner. It was awfully good.

May 18
Sun - Joe took a prospect to C'Ville about a shop - after dinner we went after mustard greens. He took the paint off the cabinet - Were almost ready for church when, Mildred, Glen, Gwennie, Mom & Snooks came in. We didn't go

May 19
Mon - Ab & Major Rumbar went to Canada - to fish.
Straightened up some things & went over to Moms for dinner. After dinner we came back here & hung the rest of the curtains etc. Helen, Mom, Snooky & I saw "Tall, Dark & Handsome" It was swell.

May 20
Tues - Feel bad again. Went over to Moms & gave her chair arms, a fresh coat of stain.
Threw up dinner & took a nap. Stayed at Moms until bed-time. Joe went to the show here, after we had all raved so over it.

May 21
Wed - It was terribly hot today. Snooky washed my windows outside. Joe came home early. Helen, Mom, Snooky, Joe & I went over to Mildreds tonite. Mom & Snooky stayed to visit.

The way Mamie wrote out the sentence about Ab & Major going to Canada amuses me. It may be just interpretation, but it looks like she thought the reason was pretty silly.

It is hard to imagine almost every small town having its own movie theater in our entertainment saturated environment and even harder to understand going multiple times a month. TV really did change things and I no longer think it was for the better.

"Tobacco Road" was of course John Ford's adaptation of the famous Broadway stage play about hillbillies trying to save their farm.

"Tall, Dark and Handsome" starred Caesar Romero as a gangster thought to be ruthless but was secretly a softie unable to kill his enemies. The comedy reportedly had some off the wall scenes which must have intrigued Joe enough to get him to go see it.

May 1941, Week 2

May 8
Thurs - It turned awfully cold after the rain. I ironed today - Mom Snooky & I went to the show "Kay Kyser in" you'll find out. Was good. Joe was there, too, & we took Mom & Snooky home.

May 9
Fri - Mildreds birthday. We moved some things in the car today. Putchy is still down to Moms. We went to the church meeting tonite, & Rev. Strawmyer was chosen for another yeas. Thank Goodness!

May 10
Sat - Mildred came down today & spent the day. Joe came in about 3:30 & said he'd decided to move yet this evening. He got the biggest part moved. It sure has been cold today.

May 11
Sun - Went to s.s. & church, & helped with the Mothers Day program. Dinner  at Moms. Mushroom hunting & found giant ones! Moved some more stuff & dead tired. Took a good, hot bath & went to bed early. Still cold.

May 12
Mon - Finished moving today. After dinner, Mom & Snooks came over. Together with the work already done, we straightened up 3 rooms & it looks swell. Helen came in awhile this evening.

May 13
Tues - Joe went to see the 'Vet' about Putchy and he has an acid condition. Got up my kitchen curtains today
Started giving Putchy soda. Ill be glad when I can bring him home

May 14
We - Got my lamps connected & some pictures up. Was down to Moms for dinner
Putchy is lots better. Mom & Snooky here for supper; made corn bread. Went out to Helens & spent the evening.

"You'll Find Out" was a Kay Kyser movie featuring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Peter Lorre in addition to Kyser's band in a haunted house comedy mystery. The entire movie can be found on YouTube at the moment featuring Kyser's fast patter, bad jokes, and music along with the legendary horror movie stars.

Baking soda mixed in water as a cure for acid reflux has been around a very long time. First time I've seen it used for a cat!

Mamie seemed to be in a better mood during this period no doubt due to the excitement of getting the new home put together.