March 1956

March 1

Thursday.  Talked Leola into letting me off from garden club meeting.  We went to Bristow with Nora to close a deal on her home.  6:30 pm.

Aunt Nora (Comstock) Rainwater was moving to Van Buren from Bristow, Oklahoma.

March 2

Friday.  Joe’s birthday.  Took down curtains – sunned & aired bedding.  Packed dresser drawers, etc.  Bought groceries.

Joe McKim’s Birthday – March 2^nd.

March 3

Saturday.  Went with Nora to real estate office.  Deal was closed.  Spent the rest of the day packing.

March 4

Sunday.  Nora and I went to her church in Bristow.  Rev. Garrison, Minister.  Graydon’s folk had dinner with us.

March 5

Monday.  Finished Nora’s packing.  Drove to Muskogee for lunch at Cleo’s.  Then on home 4:30 pm.

Cleo was Nora Rainwater’s daughter.  Cleo married Roy Lovett and they had two sons.

March 6

Tuesday.  Susan, Etta, Blanch and I went to district CWF meeting at Ozark.  Lovely meeting and lovely luncheon.

March 7

Wednesday.  Cleaned bed rooms – washing clothes – and shopped for groceries with Nora and Maude.  The day Nora bought her home in V.B.  Rather she closed the deal.

March 8

Thursday.  Drove out to Edith Parr’s to make plans for CWF  (Christian Women's Fellowship) Tuesday.  Worked over some rummage.

March 9

Friday.  Took colored film to studio to be developed.  39 of them.  Still making plans for Tuesday and for rummage sale on Saturday.

March 10

Saturday.  Made ice box cookies to send to Jay.  Shopped with Edith for CWF party on Tues.

March 11

Sunday.  Went to S.S. and church A.M.  To Grandma’s afternoon.  Church in the evening.  Ollie went to hospital.  Chaplain Eisenlauer played the organ.

March 12

Monday.  A cold winday day – Have my plum tree wrapped in a blanket.  Made salad & sandwiches at church with Edith and Sally.

March 13

Tuesday.  CWF business meeting and St. Patrick party.  Hostesses – Edith Parr, Sally Moss, Etta Hayman and myself.

March 14

Wednesday

  

March 15

Thursday

 March 16

Friday.  Gathered rummage and put things up ready for rummage Sale.

March 17

Saturday.  Rummage Sale.  Took in $100.00.  The biggest sale we have had to date.  This will cut down Kitchen debt.

March 18

Sunday.  Sunday School & Church.  Had Ira and Minnie to dinner.  Went to Grandma’s in afternoon.

March 19

Monday.  Put out big washing.  Usual house work.

March 20

Tuesday.  Made six calls with Grace and went to Circle #1 meeting at Mrs. Browns.

March 21

Wednesday.  Made plans for Mens’ Fellowhsip.  Grace and I made up menu.

March 22

Thursday.  A.M.  Grace and I bought food for Mens’ Fellowship.  Had Methodist men.  Served 81 plates.  Loin roast.  Best meat we ever served.  Cleared $48.50.

March 23

Friday.   Went to church to gather up and send out laundry.  Brought leftover food to divide up.

March 24

Saturday.   Bought a dozen pansy plants from Wilbur Laws and put them around the pecan tree.

March 25

Sunday.  S.S. and Church.  Then Ira and Minnie took us, Nora & Eula, Paul and Neva to dinner at Mrs. Taylor’s.  P.M. we took Grace and Doc and drove to 43 district, then to McClure’s in river bottom.  Nice farm home.

Just to review – Ira, Nora, & Paul were all Comstock in-laws, siblings of my grandfather.  Minnie was my grandmother’s sister.  Eula was Nora’s daughter, Neva was Paul’s wife.  Grace & Doc Farmer were back door neighbors.

March 26

Monday.  Cleaned all day.  Washed the whole outside of house.  Kenney and I did some yard work.

March 27

Tuesday.  Worked some more at house cleaning.  Also went to CWF luncheon and Missionary study.

March 28

Thursday.  Cleaned living and dining rooms.  Bought groceries with Nora and Maude.  Also bought a pair of blond shoes at store.

March 29

Thursday.  Baked banana bread for food sale.  Put out washing.

March 30

Friday.  Baked more banana bread.  Made plans for food sale and for Grandma’s birthday party.

March 31

Saturday.  Cleaned house & ironed.  Made Grandma’s black slip.  Went to Food Sale.  Also had my hair done – Becky & Ike (son and wife) came at noon.

My grandma never stopped, did she?  And it's all about her work - she was 69 years old in 1956.  When the family first moved from Van Buren to Fayetteville (home of the University of Arkansas) about 1930, it had been for two reasons - the Comstock department store in Van Buren could not make enough money to support more than one family and my grandmother had plans that involved the University.  With all their Crawford County cousins attending school in Fayetteville, she could take in boarders and they would also be near for their own five children to attend.  They rented for several years -  a succession of the biggest houses they could afford - and she did indeed take in boarders, up to about five young people in addition to the Comstock five.  She charged them $1 a day for room and board (three meals).  Not only did she cook for up to twelve people, but she baked brown bread and the youngest child, Ike, sold the loaves out of his wagon.  By the time, 1956 rolled around with just two in the household, all of her days must have seemed like vacations.