Month: January 2013

The First Social Security Check

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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

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In Osceola on Tuesday, January 30, 1934, Helen and Dale rode horseback to Dale’s cousin Orville Gardner’s at night.  The horses got loose and Dale rode all over the farm to find one.

Dale Renovates The Kitchen

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In Minneapolis on Sunday, January 29, 1956, Dale wrote, “I put Congowall on the kitchen wall.  Looks very good.  Took me most all day.  5° above zero at 8 a.m., 6° above at 10 p.m.”  Above: a vintage ad for Congowall.

Winter Carnival Parade

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In Minneapolis on Saturday, January 28, 1956, Dale wrote, “Dalene and I watched the St. Paul Winter Carnival Parade on the capital grounds in St. Paul.  Pretty chilly.”

TV Sales Boom

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In Muscatine on Friday, January 26, 1951, Dale wrote, “Ed and Gwen Weir came over at night to watch TV.”  Many of Helen and Dale’s friends and co-workers bought their first television sets this year.  Above: 1951 advertisement for a Motorola TV.

Doc Makes A House Call

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In Muscatine on Wednesday, January 23, 1952, Dale wrote, “Stan home from school with a cold.  Dr. Swayze gave both a shot.”  He doesn’t say who the other person was, but the point is that doctors made house calls then.

Learning To Play Canasta

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On Sunday, January 22, 1950, responding to an invitation from Orris and Olive Olsgaard (old friends from Washington, DC), Dale and Helen and children drove from Muscatine to Clarence, Iowa, for dinner with the Olsgaards.  Dale wrote, “Learned to play Canasta, played all afternoon.”

Really Cold

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In Minneapolis on Saturday, January 21, 1956, Dale wrote, “16° below zero.  Dalene and I went to the grocery store.  Too cold for anything else.”

George And Wilma Buy Hens

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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’

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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

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In Osceola on Wednesday night, January 17, 1935, Dale went to a movie, The Age of Innocence.  He wrote in his diary, “Best I ever hope to see.”

Grandma Lewis’s Funeral

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On Tuesday, January 16, 1934, Dale and Helen rode to Osceola with Ressia and Gerald Schaffer (Helen’s brother) to Grandma Lewis’ funeral.  Gene and Lela Yates (Helen’s sister) took them back to their farm north of Ottawa, above.

Destination Moon

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In Muscatine on Monday, January 15, 1951, Dale’s diary recorded that Dalene and I went to the movie, Destination Moon.

Dale Visits Gilham Gardner

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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

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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

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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.
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