Month: July 2012

Smiths Have An Anniversary

In Muscatine on Monday, July 31, 1950, neighbors Jim and Martha Smith (who lived three doors up East Seventh Street) dropped in at night with their fifteen-year anniversary cake to have a quiet celebration.  Dale and Helen made coffee.
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Exploring Weed Park

On Wednesday, July 30, 1952, Dale took the afternoon off to drive his sister Marie and her daughter Susan, vacationing in Muscatine from Osceola, to Weed Park.  Below: the pond at Weed Park.

Jettie Visits Muscatine

On Tuesday, July 29, 1952, Dale’s mother Jettie, his sister Marie, and her daughter Susan arrived in Muscatine from Osceola about 5:30 p.m.  He wrote, “Bought some ice cream at Wintermute’s.”
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Mowing The Old Way

In Muscatine on Saturday, July 28, 1951, Stanley mowed neighbors’ yards with a reel mower for 25¢ per yard for spending money.
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Great Breakfast!

In Muscatine on Sunday, July 27, 1952, Dale wrote, “I got breakfast of bacon and eggs.  Dalene and I went to a show in the afternoon.  Stan went swimming.  Had roast beef dinner.  Hot and humid today.”
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Dale Rents Another Apartment

In Washington, DC, on Monday, July 26, 1937, Dale took the day off and he, Helen, and Stanley went apartment hunting.  They rented one at 1220 N St. N.W.  He wrote, “On the go all day.  Helen, Stanley, and I, we work good together.”  Dale would be able to walk to work from there in about 20 minutes.  We moved there to apartment 206 on July 31.  Below: location of the apartment.
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Democratic Convention

After work in Muscatine on Friday, July 25, 1952, Dale picked me up at the Weed Park swimming pool.  Dalene and I went to a movie at night, while Dale and Helen watched the Democratic convention on television.  Here is Adlai Stevenson:

Aquatennial Days

In Minneapolis on Wednesday, July 24, 1957, Dale wrote, “Dalene went to work with me in the afternoon.  We went to NW Bank building and bought three tickets to the Aqua Queen coronation on Friday night.  Stan went on a date at night.  Dalene went with Sharon to watch the Aquatennial Parade.”  Below: Aquatennial Parade postcard.
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The Oklahoman

In Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 23, 1957, Dale wrote, “Beautiful day.  Dry and not too hot.  Dalene and I mowed the lawn before supper.  I took Stan to the show ‘The Oklahoman’ at night.”
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Gene And Lela Come To Town

In Washington, DC, on Tuesday, July 21, 1936, Dale wrote, “Gene and Lela and Nancy and two girls arrived at 8:30 p.m.”  Gene Yates was married to Lela Schaffer, Helen’s sister, and Nancy was their daughter.  During the next week, Helen and Dale showed Gene and Lela around the area, including National Airport, Hains Point, the Capitol, the Washington Monument, Alexandria, Mount Vernon, and Annapolis.
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Before Betty Furness

In Washington, DC, on Tuesday, July 20, 1937, Dale and Helen took delivery of their new Leonard refrigerator.  He wrote, “Sure is nice.”
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We Lose A Stick Shift

In Muscatine on Sunday, July 19, 1953, Dale wrote, “Took the family for a ride in our ‘new’ car.  Stanley took the car to learn how to drive it.”  The old Mercury we had been driving had a stick shift, and I had never used an automatic transmission – which the ‘new’ 1941 Oldsmobile, below, had.
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Riding The Rock Island Rocket

In St. Paul on Friday, July 18, 1941, Dale left work at noon to take his visiting sister Marie to the train station.  She had a 12:50 p.m. ticket on the Rock Island Rocket to Osceola.
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Dalene Visits Jettie And Clarence

On Saturday, July 16, 1955, Dale drove from Muscatine to Osceola to bring Dalene home from her visit there.  He wrote, “Sat in park for an hour.  Went out to Lloyd’s to watch them run the combine.  Stayed all night at Mother’s.”  Lloyd was Dale’s brother.  Below: Dalene at Clarence Liggitt’s house (I helped roof that house when he built it).  After Williams died, Jettie married Clarence – his farm was across the road from the Gardner farm.
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Dale Paints Another Car

In Minneapolis on Sunday, July 15, 1956, Dale wrote, “Painted the Dodge with medium gray Nu-Enamel.  Took me 8 hours.  Had fried chicken for dinner.  Sue Timm went home on the 5 o’clock train.”  Sue, a girlfriend from Muscatine, had visited us for two weeks.  Below: an ad for the 1948 Dodge with that distinctive grille.
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Dinner At George And Wilma’s

After vacationing in Osceola on Monday, July 14, 1941, Dale wrote, “Out to Wilma’s for dinner.  Folks came out too.  Left at 1:30 and arrived St. Paul about 10 p.m.  Marie Gardner and Keith Schaffer came home with us.”  Wilma Schaffer, a sister of Helen’s, was married to George Casey; they were farmers.  The ‘folks’ were Jettie and Williams Gardner, Dale’s farmer parents.  Marie was Dale’s sister, and Keith was a nephew of Helen’s.
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Family Dinner In Osceola

On vacation from St. Paul in Osceola on Sunday, July 13, 1941, Dale wrote, “Had a family dinner at the folks for Don and Ethel.  Fine cool day.  Perfect.  We drove out to Gerald’s after a chicken.  Stayed all night at Louie’s.”

The ‘folks’ were Jettie and Williams Gardner, Dale’s parents, who lived on a farm near Osceola.  Don Matheny was a son of Fred Matheny and Elsie Gardner, an aunt of Dale’s, and Ethel was his wife.  Gerald Schaffer and Louie Schaffer were two of Helen’s brothers; both also lived on farms
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Dale’s Office Party

In St. Paul on Saturday, July 12, 1941, Dale worked a half day, and the office staff had a party for his 32nd birthday.  He wrote, “Left St. Paul at 12:30, arrived in Osceola at 8:30.  Went to folks house to stay all night.  Uncle Pearls and Don and Ethel there too.  Surprised the folks.”

The ‘folks’ were Jettie and Williams Gardner, Dale’s parents, who lived on a farm near Osceola.  Pearl Yates was married to Lena Gardner, Dale’s aunt.  Don Matheny was a son of Fred Matheny and Elsie Gardner, another aunt of Dale’s, and Ethel was his wife.  Look on the family tree under Isaac Newton Gardner: http://isaacgardner.tribalpages.com.
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