January 1958

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.