A new year begins - 1858 will bring many changes in my grandmother's life. I graduated from high school in May of 1858 and remember many of the events with great clarity.
January 1
Wednesday. New
Years. A.M. grocery shopped. Had supper with Grandma and Maude.
January 2
Thursday
January 3
Friday. Went to
beauty shop and shopped a little.
January 4
Saturday. Nora’s
birthday. Ten A.M. Letty and Cy came by and we took off for
Longview, Texas. Dinner with Ada and
Charley Riddle. 14 of us.
Nora Comstock Rainwater's birthday was the same day as mine - she was born 1889, so was 69 this year.
January 5
Sunday. Ada and Charley’s
golden wedding Anniversary. The coffee
at Ruth’s was one of the nicest things we have attended.
Ada and Charles Riddle lived in Longview, Texas. Ada was Grandma Comstock's niece, therefore a first cousin to my granddad and his siblings. They were married in Crawford Co, January 5, 1908. Ada always came home for Grandma's birthday party in April - and many other special family occasions.
January 6
Monday. All of us had
a great breakfast with Ruth & Mack.
Left for home ten A.M. Arrived
home 5 P.M. A wonderful week end. Learned as we arrived home that Stella
Prichard had died. Minnie and I went to
her home.
I'm sure Ruth was the daughter of Ada and Charles Riddle. She married Mack Jackson and they also lived in Longview. Stella Prichard was Stella Hays, Stella was my grandmother's first cousin, daughter of her dad's older brother William Richard Hays & his wife Ollie Wheeler. Stella was age 73 at her death.
January 7
Tuesday. A.M. Baked two pumpkin pies and took to
Prichards. 2 P.M. attended Funeral at
Mrs. Ockers. Went from cemetery to
Prichard home for two hours. Lots of Hays
family there. Went calling with church
group at night.
Stella was buried Fairview Cemetery in Van Buren - Stella's parents are also in that cemetery, as were John & Josie Hays, my grandmother's parents.
January 8
Wednesday. Grocery
shopped with Nora and Maude.
January 9
Thursday
January 10
Friday. Roasted
pecans for golden anniversary. Night –
Ada came.
Now this would be my grandparents' 50th anniversary. They were married January 12th, 1908. I never thought to ask where - possibly at her home where most weddings were held then.
January 11
Saturday. Baked 13 lb
Ham, Cake and other things for Sunday.
Served hamburgers and pie to Minnie & Ira – Paul & Neva. They worked so hard.
This is HER anniversary and she's working just as hard as anyone else - probably harder!
January 12
Sunday. A.M.
Church. 21 came forward.
The big day for us.
Fed about 25 people at noon – 11 night.
Open house at Minnie & Ira’s 2 to 5.
More than 100 signed guest book.
I have the book in its white box. My grandmother wrote on the cover "Our Golden Wedding Anniversary Jan 12th 1958" Inside the box with book is a napkin, some of the newspaper articles, a ribbon with "50th Anniversary" that probably came from a flower arrangement, the church bulletin inviting members of the congregation of the First Christian Church in Fayetteville where they belonged when I was small. I counted and 125 had signed the book to include Kay McKim and Don Haden. My little sisters were there - Mom had signed for them. All of my uncle K.M.'s family was present - my cousins Kenney, Gary & Mary Jane, also young. Graydon & Clare were there from Tulsa - they didn't list their children. Ike and Becky had come from Kansas City. Jay - in California - did not make the trip home. The book also lists those who gave gifts - I wish she had written down the gifts, too!
January 13
Monday. Had lunch
with Nora, Ada, Grandma, Maude and Paul.
Helped get church ready for CWF Tues.
Back to the usual routine!
January 14
Tuesday. Washed. CWF at church 2 P.M. Margaret Garner speaker. Hostesses:
Leola, Wilma, Etta, Minnie, and myself.
January 15
Wednesday. Washed and
ironed.
January 16
Thursday. Baked a 16
lb roast and helped serve Christian Men’s Fellowship, 7 P.M.
January 17
Friday. Went to
clinic. Got good reports. Wrote thank you notes.
January 18
Saturday. Made plans
for Nora’s & my birthday dinner.
Of course Nora Rainwater's birthday was past - my grandmother's was January 26th. Those were the only January birthdays until I came along. As far as I know, I'm the only January birthday now.
January 19
Sunday. We were
called away from church. Grandma had a
fall. Proved to be not serious. 15 went into Church A.M. – at Night Ten
baptized.
January 20
Monday. Wrote thank you
notes. Took food and had supper ready
when Maude came from work. Nora &
Ada were there too.
January 21
Tuesday. Had Group
meeting. 15 present. Showed our display of anniversary gifts.
January 22
Wednesday. Caught up
with my thank you notes. Ada had chili
supper at Grandma’s.
January 23
Thursday. Fixed baked
potatoes in the half shell for Eastern Star banquet and helped serve.
January 24
Friday. We went to
Springdale. Spent night and till noon
Sat. with K.M., LaVonne & Children.
Saw Films.
January 25
Saturday. P.M. at
JoEllen’s. Baked cake & made
grandmother pudding. Joe showed films.
I'm guessing they were watching the Christmas "movies" - movie cameras were a really big deal about this time. Grandmother pudding is a dark, dense, bread pudding that Mom found in a recipe book - was one of my Dad's favorite desserts (mine too).
January 26
Sunday. My
birthday. S.S. & church. K.M.’s folk at dinner with us at
JoEllen’s. P.M. all of us went to our
house and made plans for remodeling.
They had bought the Pleasant Street house in anticipation of moving to Springdale, but planned to add on and the house needed extensive remodeling.
January 27
Monday. Came home
from Springdale – found birthday scarf from Jay and Scotty. Cream pitcher & sugar bowl from Mary and
Lee Byrum. K.M. working store. Went to Grandma’s for evening.
I believe K.M. was selling to Aunt Minnie & Uncle Ira's "Comstock, Inc.". Similar job to that of his Dad years earlier.
January 28
Tuesday.
January 29
Wednesday. Sat with
Grandma. Mr. Barney had stroke.
January 30
Thursday. Sat with
Grandma.
January 31
Friday. Eastern Star
chili supper at school cafeteria. Then
went to play pitch with Farmers.
Aunt Minnie was always very involved in Eastern Star - Uncle Ira in the Masons. My great great grandfather, Tom Comstock, was one of the charter members of the first Masonic lodge in Crawford County. Both Minnie & Ira held state offices. My grandparents never seemed interested - or maybe just never had the time or money.
They spent so much time with their friends Doc and Grace Farmer - I suspect they hated to move away from Van Buren and friends and family, but I think they realized my granddad's health was not the best and they needed to be closer to their children.
