June 1956

June 1

Friday.  Went to clinic for check up.  Found I need repair work.  JoEllen’s folk moved in their home.

Mammaw had some sort of bladder surgery following this check up - we had just moved back to Springdale to the big red house at 404 Pleasant Street.

June 2

Saturday.  Helped LaVonne fix meals.  Then Sat and unpacked boxed for JoEllen.  Made appointment with Stanley for June 21^st.

She may have not been feeling her best, but that seemed not to slow her down.  Stanley was Dr. Applegate.

June 3

Sunday.  Went with K.M’s family to Sunday School.  LaVonne became ill and K.M. took her to hospital.  Home that night.  We took the kids and spent the day at JoEllen’s.

June 4

Monday.  We took care of LaVonne.  Minnie called that Edna had a stroke Sunday night and was very critical.

Sister Minnie - sister-in-law Edna (Comstock) Delzell.

June 5

Tuesday.  Waited all day for news from Edna.  Drove home late.  Reports from hospital in Tulsa not good.

June 6

Wednesday.  After waiting and worrying all day the bad news came.  Edna passed away at 6:15.  Called and broke the news to Jay.

June 7

Thursday.  Nothing to do but wait for funeral plans and try to console each other.  Grandma pitiful.  Looking for Pauline and Aura tonight.

Aunt Edna was Grandma Comstock's daughter - Pauline the youngest daughter.

June 8

Friday.  Grace, Doc and Bob Brown, our preacher, went with us to Miami to Edna’s funeral – a long but beautiful drive; but what a sad day.  My heart aches for Lester.  All alone now.  No doubt he will go right on with his business.

[Edna & Lester's home was Miami, Oklahoma.. Lester Delzell her husband.  Edna and Lester had lost their son, L. C. about 1948.]

June 9

Saturday.  Trimmed the hedge again.  We drove to Andy Scotts and Grace, Doc, and Kenney picked blackberries.  I waited at Andy’s.  Too much walk across field.

June 10

Sunday.  S.S. and church A.M.  Laws-Cable wedding four P.M.  Then Ira and Minnie drove us to Heavener to visit Pete and Beulah Little – and to return the 100 yr. old Bible.  Had such a good visit and arrived home about in time to see Break the Bank [TV show].

  

June 11

Monday.  Now to can blackberries and make jelly.  Also washing to do.  And make plans for CWF meeting tomorrow.  Call all Ex.Board members.

June 12

Tuesday.  Ex.Board meeting – 1 P.M.  Mrs. Blackwood funeral – 2:30 P.M.  Reg. CWF meeting 3:30.  Maude and Nora kept Laurie Lee for me – Jo & Joe gone to H.Spgs.  ABDA Con.

[Arkansas Butane Dealers Association Convention in Hot Springs.]

June 13

Wednesday.  K.M’s folk came for the day.  Jo & Joe came by for Laurie Lee and ate lunch.  Evening – Did a big ironing and watched T.V.

June 14

Thursday.  Bought 8 qts blackberries.  Canned some and froze some – Made two batches of jelly.  P.M. Henry Snow and his sister Minnie called.

My grandmother made the best blackberry jelly on the planet - no contest!

June 15

Friday.  A.M. cleaned house.  Got bushel of June apples.  Canned and jellied all day.

June 16

Saturday.  Apple sauce and jelly all over the place.  All finished – what a relief.  Think I'll go to town.

June 17

Sunday.  A.M.  S.S. & church – Father’s Day.  All of us took food and had dinner and supper with Grandma and Maude.  Made Grandma very happy.  Visited with them till nearly nine.

June 18

Monday.  Worked in Yard.  Washed, and finished cleaning.  We had lunch with Ira and Minnie.  Finished up correspondence.

June 19

Tuesday.  Finished up June apples.  CWF meeting at church.  Supper and installation of officers.  Finished packing for trip to hospital.

June 20

Wednesday.  Left for Springdale 8:30 A.M.  Went to hospital and had lunch at JoEllen’s.  Entered hospital at night.  Saw Clare and children first at JoE.’s.

 [Even thought my grandparents were still living in Van Buren, she had the surgery in Springdale so she could come to our house for the recovery period.  This was when I first learned to balance the cash and do the daily report at L-P Gas & Equipment Co so Mom could be with her mother.]

June 21

Thursday.  Operated on Eight A.M.  Clare, LaVonne, and JoEllen with Kenney.  About first I knew it was three P.M.  Ira and Minnie came.  Kept full of hypos all night.  Mrs. Phillips, special nurse ten to six.  All cleaned up.

June 22

Friday.  Just a day of hypos, etc.  Kenney stayed with me all day.  Had flowers from Jerry Crawford.  Orchid glads.

June 23

Saturday.  Glads from CWF and from Letty and Cy.  Cards coming in from Van Buren.  Doing O.K. they say.

June 24

Sunday.  The bunch from V.B. came.  13 people in to see me.  Flowers from Jay, Murphys, Nora & Maude and Grandma.

June 25

Monday.  Rested up from Sunday company.  Stanley informed me that was 4^th day – not 5^th – not time to remove catheter.  Lots of cards coming in.

June 26

Tuesday.  Catherter removed & started sitz baths.  Wonderful feeling.  P.M. Bob and Wilma Brown visited and found me miserable.  Had to be catherized.  Back on jug tonight.

June 27

Wednesday.  Still dragging my jug.  Mrs. Blakemore moved in with me after having breast operation.  My!  How she suffered.  A very patient person.

Most of the hospital rooms were double occupancy.

June 28

Thursday.  Got rid of catheter again.  Those sitz baths really are wonderful.  My bladder dealt me misery again.  More water.  Another sitz bath & pill took care of that.

June 29

Friday.  Water works cleared up and feeling great.  Stanley said I could go to JoEllen's.  Took my last sitz bath and took off.  Moved into Kay’s pretty new room.  About ready to start using the new bath.

[The bathroom Mom & Dad had installed off my bedroom - to give us a second bathroom in the house.]

June 30

Saturday.  Slowly improving.  Wrote letter to Jay.  JoEllen & Joe stayed home from Store.  Catching up on loose ends.  K.M.’s folk came by.  Letter from Clare.

May 1956

May 1

Tuesday.  Entertained Circle #2.  Twenty present.  Preacher & family came.  Served cake – banana bread sandwiches, pecan halves & coffee.

May 2

Wednesday.  Susan and I went to Rena church and helped the ladies quilt.  Clara has been wanting that for a long time.  It was fun.

I used to go with my grandmother to her quilting circle at the Christian Church in Fayetteville, AR - this would have been about 1944-5.  I would sit on the floor under the frame and watch overhead and watch the needles flash in and out as the ladies quilted.

Clara was Clara (Hays) Kilgore, my grandmother's niece.

May 3

Thursday

May 4

Friday.  Attended fellowship coffee at Methodist church.  Mrs. Dollar helped me make pigs in blankets.  66 registered and offering was $40.00.  It was certainly worth a try.

If you don't know - "pigs in a blanket" were small link sausages rolled in biscuit dough, baked and eaten as finger food.  Still working on the debt for the kitchen redo at the church.

May 5

Saturday.  Made plans for Chamber of Commerce banquet.  Borrowed tables from Methodist church.

May 6

Sunday.  Went to Fayetteville to celebrate Cy’s birthday after church.

Cy Carney - married to my granddad's sister Lettie.  His given name was actually Silas - he lived to be age 96.

May 7

Monday

Chamber of Commerce banquet.  230 places.  Gov. guest.  Cleared $137.00 to apply on Kitchen debt.

I'm assuming that was the Governor of Arkansas - that would have been Orval Faubus who was governor of Arkansas from 1955-1967 - six terms, the longest of any Arkansas Governor.

May 8

Tuesday.  Entertained circle #2 in my home.  Jessie Campbell chairman.  17 present.

May 9

Wednesday

May 10

Thursday

May 11

Friday

May 12

Saturday.  Had Mr. Jordan remove dead shrubs from around church.  Mow lawn and general clean up.  JoEllen & family came.

I was probably included - we were getting ready to move from Little Rock back to Springdale about this time.  We had come to spend Mother's Day.

May 13

Sunday.  Mothers Day.  We went to church with JoEllen, Joe and girls.  Went to Grandma’s afternoon.

May 14

Monday.  District CWF workshop at church.  Served 50₵ luncheon.  A big day and a profitable one.

Can you just imagine a lunch for 50 cents!

May 15

Tuesday.  Entertained Circle 1 in my home.  That job is finished.  Now to get to work on strawberries.  14 present.  Served nut bread sandwiches, cake & coffee.

Third time she's had a church circle meeting at her house this month....

May 16

Wednesday.  Wash Day.

May 17

Thursday.  Spent most of P.M. at Cy’s strawberry patch – Kenney, Grace & I.  Minnie bought a crate.  Nora, Maude and Grandma helped get them ready for freezer.

For many years, Mammmaw's dad had a huge strawberry patch outside of Van Buren - the whole family would gather to pick which was all done by hand then.  I tried picking strawberries one summer for pay - 7 cents a basket and a basket probably held 6 quarts or more.  Backbreaking!  I only lasted two days at that job.

May 18

Friday.  A.M. sealed the last of my strawberry preserves.  We drove to Little Rock in afternoon to spend the week end.  Last visit with McKims in L.R.

We never moved that my grandparents did not come to help.  When I was younger and living with my grandparents, Aunt Minnie & Uncle Ira always came to help.  Extra hands to pack and carry.  Of course in this case, Mom had two toddlers and we needed the help!

May 19

Saturday.  Helped JoEllen pack two barrels of dishes.  We met Joe at the airport P.M.

Back in the day, the moving companies had big sturdy round barrels about the size of oil drums for dishes - at some point they must have realized that squares/rectangles packed more efficiently.  Although round dishes packed better in those round barrels.

  

May 20

Sunday.  Kay and JoAnn the only ones to go to Sunday School.  I talked with Pauline and Aura – Both fine.

Pauline and Aura Clark - Pauline was my granddad's youngest sister and they lived in North Little Rock.  They never had any children.

May 21

Monday.  Got home from L.R. two P.M.  Had lunch in Clarksville.  Helped set up tables for Junior-Senior banquet at church.

May 22

Tuesday.  Resting and taking it easy.  Getting ready for big night tomorrow.

May 23

Wednesday.  H. S. Junior-Senior banquet.  Served 237 plates.  I was unable to help much.  Did bake rolls by the hundred.

May 24

Thursday.  Rested about all day.  Feeling quite a bit better.  Cool, cloudy, rainy day.

She never actually mentioned being sick, but obviously she had overdone helping us move and getting ready for the Banquet at church.

May 25

Friday.  Had grandma and Nora over for lunch, and work my dresses over.

May 26

Saturday.  Played pitch with Grace and Doc at night.  T.V. no good.

Grace and Doc Farmer - backyard neighbors

May 27

Sunday.  Had lunch with Grace and Doc after church.  Then took them with us to Uniontown for decoration.

They were still going to cemeteries and decorating the graves on Memorial Day - not done much anymore.

May 28

Monday.  Wash Day.  Worked on CWF records while I watched T.V.

Christian Women's Fellowship.

May 29

Tuesday.  Ironed then had my hair done.  Picked Grandma up for two day stay.  Took her with us to family night supper at church.  Guests from Rena – Clara & Donna Kay sang.  Had Bill McBride open up and oil our attic fan.

Mammaw was about the only person that ever gave Aunt Maude a break from taking care of Grandma and Grandma was her mother-in-law.  The children of Grandma, except for Maude never helped other than financial support, but of course that was necessary.  As I remember each of the living eight children contributed $10 per month to Maude and Grandma.

Clara (Hays) Kilgore & her daughter Donna Kay - all the Hays family sang.

May 30

Wednesday.  Helped Minnie wash two machines of clothes.  Got things ready to go to Springdale tomorrow to see Dr. Applegate.

Dr. Stanley Applegate was the family doctor in Springdale for all of us.  We had just moved into the house on Pleasant Street and he lived on the other corner.  He delivered my firstborn.  Obviously she was still not feeling well.

May 31

Thursday.  We went to K.M’s to spend the week end there and at Jo Ellen’s.  Made appointment with Dr. Applegate.

April 1956

April 1

Sunday.  Easter – went to church with Graydon’s family – Becky & Ike and Jo – Dinner at Grandma’s party.  57 were present.  K.M’s family and Jay couldn’t make it – LaVonne sick.

Obviously this was Grandma Comstock’s birthday, my granddad’s mother – she would be 89 on April 3rd in 1956.  The entire family tried to gather annually for a Reunion and to celebrate Grandma's birthday, but it looks only my Mom and her brothers Graydon & Ike were there this year.  Jay lived in California – I don’t recall that he ever made the trip back for this.

April 2

April 3

April 4

Wednesday.  Went to Springdale to be with LaVonne while was in bed with glandular fever.

I believe this was what we now call "mono".

April 5

April 6

April 7

April 8

Went with K.M. and children to S.S. and church.  Visited K.M’s class.

April 9

April 10

April 11

April 12

Thursday.  Came home from Springdale.  Left LaVonne much better.

If my grandmother, then age 67, was taking care of my Aunt who was ill, as well as the three children Kenney age 8, Gary, 6, and Mary Jane, 4, I’m not surprised she didn’t have time to keep up the diary! 

April 13

Friday.  Helped Nora and Eula get moved.  Cleo there too – also Maude.  We really got things done.

April 14

April 15

Sunday.  A.M.  S.S. & Church – Nora’s in afternoon.  Church at night.  Bob & Mr. Gilmore showed interesting slides.

April 16

Monday.  Ironed Saturday’s wash.  Had shrubs trimmed & sprayed.

April 17

Tuesday.  Attended Circle #1 meeting at Ruby Harshburger’s.  Had Nora, Maude & Grace with me.

April 18

Wednesday.  Washed two machines of clothes for Maude.  Afternoon grocery shopped with Nora & Maude.

Mammaw had one of the first Maytag automatic washers made.  Dad sold them and made sure she was one of the earliest customers.  I’m sure Aunt Maude did not have one for herself and Grandma Comstock and my grandmother did their washing.

April 19

Thursday.  Dell Miller died early Thurs.  Hattie and I went to the home.  The preacher was called home from State convention.

April 20

Friday.  Closing day of state convention at Rogers.  Attended Miller funeral.  Did get to go to Rogers.  Drove to Springdale after funeral.  Gary ill – glandular fever.

Gary must have got the bug from his mother.

April 21

Saturday.  Came home from Springdale.  JoEllen’s folk came at night – stayed until Monday.  Kay was sick with bronchitis.

Yes, indeed I was.  Very sick.  Missed an entire week of school.

April 22

Sunday.  Went to church alone.  P.M. attended Tom Rogers funeral.  Went to station to see them leave with the body for Evanston, Pa.

April 23

Monday.  JoEllen & girls went home.  Joe to Springdale.  P.M. Took clock to Jeweler.  Checked over the church – My!  How dirty. 

And I suspect she went right to work cleaning it up.  I'll just bet the clock was the one that always sat on her mantel or the piano in the houses with no fireplace.  It had to be wound by hand every night and chimed on the quarter hour.  I can close my eyes and hear that clock!

April 24

Tuesday.  Went to Richland H.D. Club luncheon at Cuba Williams.  It was a lot of fun.  20 women there.  Baked turkey and all the fixings.

April 25

Wednesday.  Grocery day as usual.  (probably drove her sisters-in-law, too)

April 26

April 27

April 28

April 29

Sunday.  Sunday S. & Church A.M.  Visited Mary & Lee – then to Grandma’s.  The usual Sunday bunch.  Ate supper and then to church.

April 30

Monday.  Wash Day and Yard work.

This was one of the months she didn't spare a lot of time for her diary.  There may well have been days when she was just too tired to bother!

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.

February 1956

February 1

One of those lazy days again.  Rain and snow.  Even had to buy groceries on double green stamp day.

February 2

Oh! My!  Water in church basement.  What to do about the reception – Maybe have it in ladies parlor up stairs.  Bought gift for JoAnn.

JoAnn McKim would be 4 on Valentine’s Day, 1956.

February 3

More snow and rain – and more water in basement.  Now we have to get ladies parlor ready for reception.

February 4

Made sandwiches for reception.  Made pumpkin & chocolate pies and had Doc and Grace (Farmer) over for desert & cards.  Texas wrestling kept us up till midnight.  (TV show?)

February 5

Big day in our church.  Installation at AM service.  Reception 3 to 5.  Table and food really looked beautiful.  Lots of visitors.  We were proud of our Minister & family.  They have two boys – David and _____   They love the parsonage and seem so happy.  Graydon called.

Graydon was Nora and Kenney’s oldest son – his wife Clare Burleson.  Children were Don, Dave, and Mary Alice.  They lived in Tulsa during these years.

February 6

Monday.  Snow nearly all morning.  Knocked us out of going to Tulsa.  Bought the rest of my silver.  Graydon called again.  Roads all clear.

February 7

Left V.B. ten A.M. for Tulsa.  Went to Tulsa.  Had short visit with Mattie.  Tulsa 4 P.M.  Evening – Kenney went with Graydon to bowl.

Mattie King was my grandmother’s sister.  Her husband was David King but she had long been a widow.  She had a huge house and rented rooms to college students in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

February 8

Wednesday A.M. wrote to Jay and to Becky & Ike.  Clare drove the Dodge to pick up Don.  She loved power steering.  We played bridge in evening.  Clare & I beat them.

Ike, or Ikey, was Ira Allen Comstock, youngest son of Nora and Kenney – married to Becky Beckerdite.  They had no children.  Nora and Kenney had five children in this order:  Graydon, K.M., JoEllen, Jay, and Ike.  The “Dodge” was my grandparents car, 1954 model I think.

February 9

Thursday.  P.M.  Joe and Eva called.  Gave us pictures of their grandchildren.  We baby sat for Clare to get her hair done.  Had dinner with Nadean and Charles Yarrington.

Eva King Fulcher was Aunt Mattie’s oldest child – married to Dr. Joe Fulcher, a urologist, living in Tulsa. “Called” meant they came by…   Nadean had been one of JoEllen’s best friends in high school – she and Charles lived in Tulsa.

February 10

Friday.  Mattie’s birthday.  We left Tulsa 9 A.M.  Drove home in the snow.  On arrival learned Mr. Pope & Mr. Bruns had died.  Too late for Pope funeral at two P.M.

February 11

Saturday.  Helped Circle 1 serve luncheon at Bruns home.  Attended funeral two P.M.  Evening – play pitch and watched TV with Grace and Doc

February 12

Sunday.  A.M. Church.  Rev. Brown.  Subject “This is our Ministry”  Maude, grandma, Paul and Neva had dinner with us.  Spent P.M. and went to church with us at night.  Ira, Minnie, Letty and Cy left for Florida ten A.M.

Paul Comstock was married to Neva Hogan, his third wife – he had no children.

February 13

Monday.  Washed two machines of clothes.  Good reports from our doctor.  Went to store and bought two hats and material for pajamas.  Lined up material for C.W.F. meeting at church tomorrow.

February 14

Tuesday.  CWF business in church parlor.  Beautiful valentine table.  Ruth Huckleberry, Chu. Hostess Com.  Paid $150.00 on Kitchen debt.

February 15

Wednesday.  Doing house cleaning today and tomorrow.  Nora, Maude and I bought groceries.  Evening – picked pecans and watched TV

My grandmother seems to be the transportation for the shopping trips!

February 16

Thurs.  Cleaned house.  Went to Elsie’s for shampoo, set and eyebrow arch.  Came by church where circle #3 preparing to serve Men’s Fellowship.  Minnie called from St. Petersburg.

February 17

Friday.  Susan, Velma, Madge and I went to First C.Ch. in Ft. Smith for World Day of Prayer.  Rained all day long.  Letters from Jay & JoEllen.

February 18

Saturday.  Another cloudy day.  Wrote letters to Graydon & Clare, Nadean and Charles, and Pete Little.  Doc and Grace brought chili over in evening.  We ate, played pitch and watched Texas rassling on TV.

February 19

Sunday.  A.M. Sunday School and church.  Nora R. put in membership.  K. and I ate lunch alone.  Went to Grandma’s afternoon – Faustina’s family there.  Church again at night.

Faustina was Aunt Maude’s daughter, married to Clif Maxwell.

February 20

Monday.  Washday.  Look after bird and flowers at Minnie’s.  Evening.  Ironed while I watched T.V.  P.M. Planted Amarillo bulbs.

February 21

Tuesday.  Baked boysenberry pies.  Went to Circle 2 luncheon at Mabel’s; then Circle 1 at Velma’s.  Circle 3 covered dish supper at church.  3 in one day.

February 22

Wednesday.  A.M. shopped for groceries.  Went calling with the Rev. Brown.  P.M. Met with Committee at Leola’s to plan for garden club meeting next week.

February 23

Thursday.  Nora, Kenney and I took food and had lunch with Grandma & Maude.  Altered two dresses and a blouse.  Made Christmas stockings.  Went to O.G.&E. for demonstration sponsored by Eastern Star.

February 24

Friday.  Again worked on dresses and stockings.  Went to High School Senior play “A Man Called “eter”.  Very good.  Donna Kay Kilgore played the part of Catherine Marshall.

Donna Kay Kilgore’s mother Clara was Nora Comstock’s niece.  Donna Kay and I both attended church camp at Lake Ft. Smith in our teens.  She has a beautiful singing voice.

February 25

Saturday.  Sometimes when she had nothing to say, she just wrote the day....

February 26

Sunday.  Went to Sunday School & church.  Afternoon drove to Springdale – spent the night at K.M.’s – came thro Fayetteville on the way back.

February 27

Monday.  Had Jerry fix up our income tax report – on home by noon.  Went right to making plans for fellowship supper.

February 28

Tuesday.  Helped Mrs. Izard make sandwiches for garden club.

February 29

Wednesday.  JoEllen & two little girls  (JoAnn and Laurie)  came.  Went with us to fellowship supper and dedication of table & silver service.  Given by Adda Hays in memory of her mother.

If you find a connection to someone in the diary and can tell me more about them - I'd love to hear your story.  You can leave a comment - they are monitored so your comment will not appear immediately - or you can email me by going to my webpage noted in the "About Me" story on the right hand side.

January 1956

January 1956

Note on 1^st page:  Permanent on Sept. 23^rd

She regularly got perms in her hair – don’t know what year this was, but she didn’t want to forget that appointment!

1956

January 1

Kenney and I went to SS [Sunday School] and church – Ira and Minnie had lunch with us.  Grace Farmer sent Black-eyed peas.

Note:  Nora Lee Hays, my grandmother, was married to Kenney Comstock.  Ira was his brother; Minnie was Nora’s sister.  Comstock brothers had married Hays sisters - Ira and Minnie had no children and helped raise my mother and her five brothers, then served as extra grandparents to me and my cousins. Grace Farmer lived across the back alley from Ira and Minnie and was actually a 3^rd cousin to Ira via the Wood family – did they know that?  They all attended church at Wood Memorial Christian Church in Van Buren.  Although I have Wood relatives in Crawford County, the church was named for a very different family, not my kin at all.

January 2

Paul watched football with us.  Baked chocolate pie and divided with Doc and Grace.  Had impressions made for my new teeth.

Paul Comstock, Kenney’s youngest brother.  Doc was Grace Farmer’s husband and a dentist.

January 3

Short session with my dentist.  Went to Minnie’s circle meeting No 1.  Had Christmas letter from Zeults.  Circle met at Mrs. Newman in Alma.  I drove car took Maude, Nora & Grace – mailed birthday package to Kay.  Two boxes of stationery.

Maude Redmond was Kenney’s sister and a widow.  She lived with their mother “Grandma Comstock” and took care of her for many years - Grandma lived to me 97.  Nora Rainwater was my grandfather’s oldest sister, widowed and living in Van Buren – he had both a sister and a wife named Nora.  My grandmother did not learn to drive until she was in her mid sixties - my grandfather had a stroke, so she took over the driving.  She was never what you call an accomplished driver, but she got the job done!   Kay is me – my birthday is January 4^th – her oldest grandchild, daughter of her only daughter JoEllen.

January 4

Double stamp day at Goffs.  Took Nora & Maude to shop.  Visit Grandma.  Ira and Minnie came by from choir practice and to watch TV.

Green stamps – everyone saved them to use to purchase premiums.

January 5

Sewed and washed – went to garden club at C. F. Byrns home.  Watch TV and picked pecans in evening.

Mammaw used a lot of pecans in her baking – there was a tree in their yard in Van Buren so there were always pecans to shell, or to “pick” as she always said.  She never sat without some sort of work to do with her hands.  She never "watched TV" without a task.

January 6

Had lunch with Ira & Minnie.  Pete & Beulah Little came and brought Bible 100 yrs old.  Letters from JoEllen and Jay.

JoEllen McKim – her only daughter, and son Jay who lived in San Francisco.

January 7

Pecan picking day and general routine house work and getting ready for Sunday

January 8

SS and church – Chaplain Eisenlauer preaced on “Paul’s Unanswered Prayer”  Wonderful.  Took Grandma to see Uncle Bob – Committee in evening - plan for installation for new minister Rev. Robert Brown.  Evening church service.

Uncle Bob Wood was Grandma’s brother.

January 9

Washing and ironing day.  Also shortened shirt sleeves for my short husband.

My grandfather – we called him ‘Kenney’ his given name because he didn’t think he was old enough to be a grandfather when I was born!  He was about 5’6” tall and sturdy.  Some of his business associates did indeed call him "Shorty" but he was very tall in my eyes.

January 10

All meeting of CWF at Church.  Food food and good program.  Susan Swinborn program on Indian Americans.

CWF - Christian Women's Fellowship.  Susan Stevenson Swinborn and her sister Doris West compiled the book “History in Headstones” listing all the cemeteries in Crawford County.  They were local historians and genealogists.

January 11

Got shampoo and set.  Saw shoe salesman and ordered two pr shoes.  Birthday party at Maude’s for Nora R. and myself.  Got clothes ready for trip to Little Rock.  Two day State Meeting United Council of Church Women.  Went with Mrs. Alfred Knox – spent weekend with McKims.

Mammaw had bunions and often special-ordered her shoes.  

January 12

State Meeting First Methodist church, Little Rock.  Spent night in home of Mrs. Joe Scott, N. Little Rock

January 13

Communion Service 8 a.m.  church women luncheon.  JoEllen & Kenny met me at church and we spent the weekend there.  Children sick with colds.

Children would have been my sisters – JoAnn would soon be 4 and Laurie a year old. - I was 16.  We lived in Little Rock then, although we moved back to Springdale in June of 1956.

January 14

Spent the day visiting.

January 15

Kay only one went to church.  She is 16 now and drives the car.  Had such a good visit with Joe, JoEllen and the girls.

First Christian Church in downtown Little Rock.

January 16

Kenney and I drove home from Little Rock just in time for supper

January 17

Attended circle meeting with Grace [Grace Farmer] – then to Edith Ensley for Circle 2 meeting – made plans for chili supper

January 18

Just a lazy day.  Big snow fell.  Ira and Minnie spent evening with us watching TV and picking pecans.

January 19

Had my last four teeth extracted and new set put in.  Slept on bufferin thro night.

January 20

Back to dentist for filing.  Got news of death of Darrell Ward.

January 21

Visited Florence Byars in Alma.  Darrell was her brother.  Later made plans for Woman’s Day.

Woman’s Day was an event at Wood Memorial Christian Church.

January 22

My!  Such snow and rain!  SS and church.  Aunt Em Comstock at Uniontown – Funeral 2 PM.  Paul sang “Beautiful Isle” & was Paulbearer.  Women’s Day service in evening.  George Hobbs little girl baptized – Beautiful candle service.  John Rownak sang “He”.

Emily Comstock, widow of Hardy “Tack” Comstock, my grandfather’s uncle, was the deceased.

January 23

Attended Darrell Ward funeral.  Letter from JoEllen saying JoAnn goes to Hospital to have tonsils and adenoids removed.

January 24

Lunch at First Methodist Church with Etta Hayman.  Money for polio drive.  Called JoEllen at night and got report JoAnn was home and doing fine.

January 25

Reg. household duties.  Washed and picked more pecans.  Doc took stitches out of my gums.

January 26

My 69^th birthday.  Went to Fayetteville.  Got permanent.  Visited Mabel D.  Last visit before she goes to Lebannon.  Went on to K.M’s – made pictures at night.

Mabel Delzell was married to Fred Delzell.  Kenney Comstock’s sister Edna was married to Lester Delzell – Fred’s brother.  The Delzells were backyard neighbors when we lived on College Avenue in Fayetteville.  Mabel and Fred had two daughters – Bobbie Jean, and Betty Ann who suffered from asthma.  Betty Ann was two years older than I was, but we spent a lot of time together growing up because I could play “quietly”.  Fred was the best dad, Mabel a very lenient mom who allowed us to jump on the beds, ride the back of the couch, etc., and I loved being with their family.

January 27

I stayed with LaVonne and children while Kenney went to Huntsville with K.M.  Made jelly for LaVonne.  Spent another night with them.  It was fun.

K. M. was named for Kenney, his dad & my grandfather, but always called by his initials in the family.  He wasn’t truly a “junior” as their middle names were different.  LaVonne Denny was his wife.  They were living in Springdale with children Kenney, Gary, and Mary Jane.

January 28

Went to McGuire town- had a visit with Rowley and Morgans.  Back to K.M.’s for lunch.  Spent two hrs with Letty and Cy on way back home.

McGuire town was near Elkins, outside of Fayetteville.  They had lived on a farm there before they moved back to Van Buren.  Letty was Kenney’s sister, married to Cy Carney of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

January 29

Sunday School & church.  P.M. - Doc and Grace came to watch “Wide, Wide World”  Supper at grandma’s & church at night.

January 30

Three of us went to Goddard Memorial church, Ft. Smith for luncheon and missionary study.

January 31

Chili supper at church – made soup and lemon pies.  Raised $80 on our Kitchen fund.

She mentions the Kitchen fund quite a bit in future entries – apparently they were raising money to pay off a debt incurred in modernizing the church kitchen.

Introduction - My Grandmother's Five Year Diary

My grandmother was Nora Lee Hays, born 26 Jan 1887, daughter of John Jefferson Hays and Philena Josephine “Josie” Allen.  She married Kenney Marcus Comstock, 12 Jan 1908, in Crawford County, Arkansas.  As the first grandchild, I called her “Mammaw” and the other grandchildren all used that name for her.  She died 16 Jul 1973, age 86, in Springdale, Washington County, Arkansas.  My grandparents are buried GraceLawn Cemetery in Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas, along with many members of their families.

In 1956, she was 69 years old.  I suspect someone gave her the Five Year Diary for Christmas of 1955.  As far as I know, this was the only journaling she ever did.  It is an amazing glimpse into five years of her life.  My grandparents were living in Van Buren two doors from her sister and his brother – my Aunt Minnie and Uncle Ira Comstock – when she began the diary They moved to Springdale to be near two of their children during the five years.  My granddad died soon after the move so part of the diary contains heartbreak.

My mother and I lived with my grandparents during the years of World War II.  After the war, my mother remarried and the new couple started a business in a nearby town.  My stepdad went to work for a company in Little Rock when I was fifteen, and we moved there for just about a year and a half.  We moved back from Little Rock in early June of 1956, the year Mammaw began the Diary – I had just finished my sophomore year in high school.  My sisters were tots - JoAnn was four, Laurie turned one in March.  The other grandchildren – my first cousins – were also young children.

The diary is difficult to read page by page so I have made a transcription in date order.  Notes of explanation in italics will be mine, as I am likely the only living person who knows the rest of the story in many instances.  Many of the people named were friends, or church members in Van Buren, that I did not know.

The easiest way to make this available to my cousins and family, as well as to others who are mentioned, was to post it in a Blog.  Month by month seemed to be the most reasonable order.  I plan to upload a chapter each week ..but that could change when life intervenes.

 Here is a picture of the cover:

And here is a sample of the inside and my grandmother's handwriting:  I believe I would recognize her hand anywhere!

On the inside front cover:

Kay’s silver – Reed & Barton – Pattern Tara

China Lenox – pattern Wyndcrest

Crystal Fostoria – Pat. Spray

I married in February of 1959 – these were the patterns I had picked out and I have the china, crystal, and silver now.

On the Flyleaf:

This is my Personal

Diary

Nora H. Comstock

721 Drennen

Van Buren, Ark.

If you find a connection to someone in the diary and can tell me more about them - I'd love to hear your story.  You can leave a comment - they are monitored so your comment will not appear immediately - or you can email me by going to my webpage noted in the "About Me" story on the right hand side.