May 1959

May 1

Friday.  Painting & ward work.  JoEllen’s folk went to Little Rock

May 2

Saturday.  General routine.

May 5

Tuesday.  Kenney’s funeral one year ago today.

May 6  [4^th]  Somehow she got off on dates again...

At JoEllen’s

May 7  [5^th]

Tues.  Rode bus to Tulsa.

May 8  [6^th]

Wed.  Went for drive

May 9   [7^th]

Thurs.  Clare went to luncheon, Banker’s Convention.  She & Graydon went to banquet at night.  I baby sat.

May 10  [8^th]

Friday.  Clare & I both got a facial and had lunch in Utica Square

Utica Square was THE place to shop in Tulsa at that time - probably relatively new!

May 11 [9^th]

Saturday.  Graydon brought me home and spent the night here.

May 12  (Back on track with days and dates...)

Tuesday.  Washing & cleaning.  Had swing put up.

May 13

Wednesday.  Getting ready for club meeting.

May 14

Thurs.  Had my club meet – covered dish meal

May 15

Firday.  Got permanent A.M.   P.M. Drove to V.B. Hgwy. 59

Highway 59 was the "back way" to get to Van Buren.  Much less traffic.  Likely the family was encouraging her to take that route.  Her driving was never very good.  She was going to stay with Grandma Comstock and give Aunt Maude a break.

May 16

Saturday.  With Grandma

May 17

Sunday.  Had to miss church & stay with Grandma.  Ira & M. ate supper with us.

May 18

Monday.  Grandma’s.

May 19

Tuesday.  Minnie and I froze berries – 12 qts.

I'm sure strawberries!

May 20

Wednesday.  We met Letty & Cy at farm.  Got crate of berries to freeze.  Had lunch with Nora.  Washed for family.

May 21

Thursday.  With Grandma.  Gave her bath in tub.  Ira & Minnie came – Evening.

May 22  [23^rd]

Saturday.  Nora went to doctor found out she had to have operation.  P.M.  I came home.  Stayed at K.M.’s that night.

Nora would be her sister-in-law, Nora Rainwater.

May 24

Sunday.  Went to S.S. & church.  JoEllen ill.  I cooked dinner there.  Nora Rainwater. entered hospital

May 25

Monday.  Worked at home.  JoEllen. On vacation.

May 26

Tuesday.  Yard work

May 27

Wed.  JoEllen and I cleaned her back room.  Went to choir practice.

May 28

Thursday.  I kept JoAnn and Laurie.  Gave four little girls lunch on picnic table.  Night broke window.

Wonder who the extra little girls were?  

May 29

Friday.  Worked in yard and cleaned.  Mr. Sikes put in window glass.  Letter from Jay – said look for them Mon. night or Tues.

May 30

Saturday

May 31

Sunday  Jay and Scotty came.

I'm sure she was thrilled.  I can just see her sweet smile!  Their visits were always filled with fun for the whole family.

April 1959

April 3

Friday.  Grandma’s Birthday.  Becky and Ike came 11:45 midnight.

Grandma Comstock, of course - she was 92 this year.  Becky & Ike often arrived late at night...

  

April 4

Saturday.  Ike worked all day on summer house.  K.M. helped some and had his family here for supper.  McKims spent evening here.

April 5

Sun.  Becky and I went to church.  Ike & K.M. screened summer house.

The "summer house" was a small outbuilding in her backyard - she used it mostly for her potting shed, but we also ate out there sometimes in the summer.

April 6

At JoEllen’s

She notes being at Mom's at lot during the day.  I have no clue why. Wonder if Mom was working some and she was staying with Laurie.

April 7

Tues.  Rained out yard work.

April 8

Wed.  Cold & rainy

April 9

Thurs.  Went to Mrs. Futral’s to club meeting.  Stella Philbeck hostess.

April 10

Friday.  JoEllen’s and yard work.  Finished cleaning house.

April 11

Saturday.  Got food and things lined up for party.

April 12

Sunday.  Had Grandma’s birthday party at Letty’s.  Missed Kenney so much.  Came home and went to church fellowship supper.

April 13

At JoEllen’s

April 14

Tues.

April 15

Wed.  At JoEllen’s.  Then Choir practice.  LaVonne & Mary Jane had lunch with me.

April 16

Thurs.  Had my hair done – getting ready for state convention.

I think this would have been the state convention for CWF, the church women.  Must have been held in Fayetteville.

April 17

Friday.  Went to Fayetteville with our preacher.  Met Ira & Minnie – at State Convention.  They spent the night with me.

April 18

Saturday.  Back to State Convention.  Ira & Minnie. went home.  Littrells brought [me home] after night session.  How it rained!!

April 19

Sun.  Had a visiting minister speak at our church.  Rev. Pendleton from North Little Rock.  Went back for closing session of Convention.  Evening Joe checked in at hospital.

I was married and living in Fayetteville - don't recall what was going on with Dad at this time.  Ulcer flareup?  I believe this was too early to have been problems with his heart.

April 20

Monday.  At JoEllens.   P.M. Went to see Joe – being X-rayed today.

April 21

Tues.  Went to CWF luncheon.  Too cold and cloudy for yard work.  Spent night at McKims.

April 22

Wednesday.  With Laurie.  Joe came home from hospital.  I cooked lunch there.  Not feeling too good today.  Choir practice tonight.

April 23

Thurs.  Went to Van Buren with K.M.  Lunch with Grandma and Maude.

April 24

Friday.  At JoEllen’s.  Night – went to Kiwanis Minstrel.

The Kiwanians in Springdale put on an annual Minstrel show - even with black face.  Seems unthinkable now.

April 25

Worked in yard with Jimmy all morning.  Had McKims, Donny and Kay to supper and TV.

Jimmy Hight helped her with her yardwork at lot.   Mammaw always misspelled Donnie's name - I think because my cousin Don spelled it "Donny".  My uncle Jay would always spell Haden, "Hayden".

April 26

Sunday.  After S.S. and church I went picnicking with McKims, Hadens, and Backus family – near U of A.

Obviously Dad was fine.

April 27

Monday.  At JoEllen’s.  Bought paint for summer house, chairs, tables & swing.

April 28

Tuesday.  Had Mr. Sikes working all day on walk between summer house and patio.

April 29

Wed.  at JoEllen’s

April 30

Thurs.  Painted table, chairs, machine, swing, etc.

I think the "machine" she painted was an old treadle sewing machine base she used as a table.

March 1959

This is the last year of the diary.  Her bits seemed to shrink - maybe tired of keeping of the diary or maybe her world is shrinking a bit.  Maybe she was just missing my grandad.

March 1

Sunday.  S.S. and church.  Dinner at K.M.’s.  Graydon’s folk came in afternoon.  P.M. went with K.M. & LaVonne to get mimosa trees.  Night – Jay called.  About to buy a home.

Jay's house would be the house on Valmar Terrace which overlooked the city of San Francisco.  Smallish two bedroom house - garage and storage on the ground floor with the living quarters all upstairs for the view.  He lived there until he died in 2006, about 47 years.  The house sold as the bulk of his estate - about a quarter of a million dollars.  Not a great house - but a priceless view.  The picture was made in July 2013, when Stuart's family was in San Francisco.

March 2

Mon.  At JoEllen’s.

March 3

Tuesday – at home.

March 4

Wed.  Spent day at JoEllen’s.  Hard rain P.M.  Choir practice – Then spent night at JoEllen’s.

March 5

Thursday.  Gary’s birthday.

Gary Comstock was 9 that year.

March 6

Friday

March 7

Sat.

March 8

Sun.  After church Kay, Donny and I had dinner at McKims.  Attended first night of Missions Institute.

If Kay and Donnie had not been able to eat with the McKims and the Hadens over the weekends, we might well have starved!

March 9

Mon.  A.M.  Had yard man all morning.  Don’t know who did most work – he or I.

That's easy ...I know she did the most work!  But it was Spring and she had a new yard to whip into shape. She always had the most beautiful flowers and flowering shrubs.

March 10

Tues. at JoEllen’s.  Last night of Missions Institute.  Helped serve fellowship supper.

March 11

Wed.  Laurie’s birthday.  Had shampoo and set.  Choir practice tonight.

Laurie was FOUR!   As I post this, on March 12, 2015 - she is 60.

March 12

Thurs.  Kept Mrs. Sullivan and Mrs. Belcher over night.  Gave me beautiful pink gloves.

Wonder if she ever wore the gloves?

March 13

Friday.  I went to V.B.  Had lunch with Ira and Minnie.  Spent night with Grandma and Maude.

Drove by cemetery for a little visit with Kenney.

March 14  [16^th – got off on dates/pages again]

Monday.  Had lunch with Nora R.  Then spent afternoon and night at Maude’s.

March 15  [17]

Tuesday.  Came home with car load of plants & shrubs.

March 16  [18]

Wednesday.  I kept Laurie while Mr. Barker and I worked putting out shrubs.  Took out old ones.  Night – choir practice.  Mary Alice’s birthday.  Had sent package from V.B.

Mary Alice was five.

March 17  [19 – in 1959, March 17 was on a Tuesday…]

Thursday.  St. Patricks Day.  More yard work.

March 18  [20]

Friday.  At JoEllen’s

March 19  [21]

Saturday.  Yard work.

March 20

Saturday   Friday

Back on track with the correct day and date.

March 21

Sat.  P.M.  Practiced on Easter Cantata.

With my mama directing the choir.

March 22

Sunday.  Gave Easter Cantata at morning church hour.  Then again at a rest home.

March 23

Monday.  Kept Laurie here while Mr. Sikes worked on the summer house.

March 24

Tuesday – work on lawn and summer house.  LaVonne took me gadding and had lunch with me.

March 25

Wed.  Cooked dinner at JoEllen’s.  After choir practice we went to a show and I spent the night with them.  Real rainy.

March 26

Thursday.  Got out of bed at JoEllen’s.  Slipped out before 6:30.  Just had my breakfast.

Evening – Candle light service at church.

March 27

Friday.  Got shampoo and set A.M.  P.M. yard work.  Jimmy Hight and I drove to the country after fertilizer.

March 28

Easter Sunday.  Attended two services and S.S.  Preacher fed us at Ginger Blue.

Ginger Blue was a restaurant in Missouri.  Mom & Dad thought it a really big deal to drive all the way up there to eat and then all the way back home.  I was never quite with that - but we did it many times.  Since this was Easter, I wonder if Donnie and I went along that day, or spent the day with the Hadens.

March 29

Mon.  Yard work and JoEllen’s

March 30

Tues.  Income Tax report.

This may explain why she was staying at Mom's so much - to get her taxes done.

March 31   [April 1]

Wed.  JoEllen’s.  Yard work and choir practice.

February 1959

My wedding month - a busy time for all of us.

February 1

Sun.  Becky and I went to church.  Ike painted.  Dinner for 14 again – with JoEllen and LaVonne’s help.  Paul and Neva came.

February 2

Mon.  At JoEllen’s

February 3

Tues.  Went to group meeting at parsonage.  Took Mrs. Elmore with me.

February 5

Thurs.  My what a snow!  Staying in.  Getting slick.

February 6

Friday

February 7

Saturday.  Mr. Kennedy came.  I ate supper and watched TV at JoEllen’s at night.

February 8

Sunday.  S.S. & church and ate with MKims at AQ Chicken House.  P.M. Went to K.M.’s – He and little Kenney on sick list.

February 9

Monday

February 11

Tuesday  [it was actually Feb 10 – she skipped a day].  Went shopping down town and grocery store.  Called on Mrs. Kimball – new neighbor.

February 12  [11]

Wednesday.  At JoEllen’s.  Helped finish Flower girl’s dresses.

Would have been JoAnn & Laurie's dresses for my wedding.

February 13  [12]

Thus.  Club day.  Raining me out.  I went tho – had fun.

February 14  [13]

Friday.  Worked on Kay’s wedding dress.  The three little girls spent night with me.

She helped sew the seed pearls and the hemming on my dress.  The three little girls would have been Mary Jane, JoAnn, and Laurie.

February 15  [14]

Saturday.  Finished hemming Kay’s wedding dress.  Had dinner at JoEllen’s & helped celebrate JoAnn’s birthday.

February 16  [15]

Sun.  Went to S.S. & Church.  Lunch at home.  Slept nearly all the afternoon.  Feel much better.

Of course, she never mentioned feeling ill in the first place...

February 17  [16]

Went to Joe Ellen’s.  Put trimming on the little pink dresses.

Tues.  Assistant hostess at CWF luncheon and program.

February 18

Wed.  Stayed home till choir practice time.  K.M. & LaVonne took me.

February 19

Thur.

February 20

Friday.  Stayed with Laurie.  Cooked dinner.  JoEllen and I went grocery shopping.  Finished covering my lamp shade at night.

February 21

Saturday.  Washed and cleaned all morning.  K.M.’s family had preachers family over for six o’clock dinner.

February 22

Sunday.  S. S. & Church.  Dinner at Talbot’s in country.  Back to JoEllen’s and helped JoEllen and Lorraine put Kay’s wedding presents on display.

The reception would be at our house.

February 23

Monday at JoEllen’s.

February 24

Tuesday.  Picking up loose ends at home.

February 25

Wed.  Helped JoEllen clean and get house ready for Wedding reception.

February 26

Thurs.  Kay’s Wedding Day.  Got permanent and Mattie came.  Ira & Minnie came for supper and Wedding Reception at McKim’s after wedding.

So she was with her two sisters for my wedding.

February 27

Friday.  Spent day at home visiting with Mattie.

February 28

Sat.  Mattie went home.