In Ludlow, Vermont, on Wednesday, January 31, 1940, Ida May Fuller (above) became the first American citizen to receive a Social Security check. Between the years 1937 and 1939, she contributed $24.75. Her check was for $22.54. By the time she died in 1975, she had collected $22,888.92 in Social Security monthly benefits.
Dale Chases A Horse
Dale Renovates The Kitchen
Winter Carnival Parade
Muscatine Beats Ottumwa
TV Sales Boom
Iowa Beats Minnesota
Muscatine Beats Mt. Pleasant
Doc Makes A House Call
Learning To Play Canasta
Really Cold
George And Wilma Buy Hens
In Osceola on Monday, January 20, 1936, Dale’s diary says that George and Wilma Casey (Helen’s sister) bought 46 Leghorns and 14 Heavies. White Leghorns lay large white eggs practically every day. Heavy breeds have thicker bodies and denser feathers, better suited to cold climates and more likely to continue laying eggs through the winter. The White is above left, and the Heavy is above right.
Pinsetter Stan
In Muscatine on Tuesday, January 19, 1954, Dale’s diary says I got a job setting pins at the bowling alley. This was prior to automatic pinsetters; I sat at the back of the “pit,” manually put balls in return chutes and hand-racked the pins. It could be dangerous, since a pin would occasionally fly past your head. Above is a video that shows a manual pinsetter (there’s an opening ad that’s pretty interesting, but you can skip it).
Dale Sees ‘Bus Stop’
In Minneapolis on Friday, January 18, 1957, Dale wrote, “Had new plugs and points put on Stan’s 1949 Ford, also repaired master brake cylinder, at Shell station. Cost $16. Went to ‘Bus Stop’ at night.” Conveniently, the Shell station was directly across the street from the house. I drove back to Muscatine Junior College the next day.
Dale’s Best Movie Ever
Grandma Lewis’s Funeral
Destination Moon
Dale Visits Gilham Gardner
In Osceola briefly on Sunday, January 14, 1951, Dale wrote, “Mother and I went to see Uncle Gilham in the morning. Went to the cemetery, too, to see Dad’s grave. Marie was at Mother’s for dinner. Rode home with Bob Shoup in the afternoon.” That was the same co-worker who drove Dale from Muscatine to Osceola the previous day. Above: Dale’s uncle Gilham, older brother of Williams. Helen’s uncle James Schaffer died this day in Osceola, but Dale and Helen didn’t find out until January 16.
Dale Visits Jettie
On Saturday, January 13, 1951, Dale rode from Muscatine to Osceola with a co-worker, who dropped him off at Jettie’s farmhouse. Dale wrote, “Mother and I went to town in the afternoon and stayed till 11 p.m. Watched TV at Marie’s.” Marie was Dale’s sister. Dale’s mother, Jettie, liked to play her piano, above.
Visiting Susan Stiverson
On Friday, January 12, 1934, Dale’s diary said it snowed all day, and was almost a blizzard by night. Ressia and Gerald Schaffer (Helen’s brother) took Dale and Helen from their farm to Osceola to see Grandma Lewis (Susan Stiverson), Helen’s maternal grandmother. Grandma Lewis, above, died two days later.