Month: September 2013

Visiting Aunt Meda

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On Monday, September 30, 1957, taking a day off work, Dale was in Osceola and wrote, “Bought five dozen eggs from Lloyd.  Got my hair cut for $1 at John Devore’s barber shop in Osceola.  Mother and I went to see Aunt Meda, she has cancer.  Drove from Osceola to Minneapolis in 6 hours, 300 miles.  Home at 6:40.  Beautiful day.”  Aunt Meda was Ida Almeda Robins, the wife of Dale’s uncle Charlie Gardner.  She died a week later.  Above: their wedding picture from 1907.

Osceola Visitors

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On Sunday, September 29, 1957, Dale wrote, “Left Minneapolis at 8:45 for Osceola, got there at 3:15 p.m.  Drove Lloyd’s new tractor.  Had supper at Lloyd’s.  Marie took me for a ride in her new Mercury.  I drove out to Dad’s grave in the cemetery.  Peaceful out there.  Stayed all night at Mother’s.”  Lloyd was Dale’s brother and Marie was Dale’s sister.  Above: Dale, Helen, me (with a flat-top haircut!), Jettie and her second husband Clarence Liggitt, with Marie’s daughter Susan in front, at Jettie’s house in town.  Dalene or Marie must have taken the photo.

Bike Riding

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In Muscatine on Sunday, September 28, 1952, Dale went for a bicycle ride with Dalene and her new bicycle down to the Mississippi river.

Dale Breaks Some Eggs

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In Muscatine on Thursday, September 27, 1951, as he was carrying groceries into the house, Dale dropped three dozen eggs in the back yard and broke one dozen.

Night Passage

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In Minneapolis on Thursday, September 26, 1957, Dale wrote, “Stan and I went to a show at night, Night Passage.”

An Osceola Reunion

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On Sunday, September 25, 1966, Dale wrote, “At Mother’s in Osceola.  Gardner, Williams, and Machlan reunion in the afternoon at the library basement.  52 people there.  Flew back to Minneapolis on Braniff from 8:45 to 9:33 PM.  Smooth ride.”  Above: Gene Yates’ sister Louise Yates Wilson, Elsie Gardner’s daughter Dorotha Matheny Kerr, Gilham Gardner’s daughter Leona Gardner Van Sant, Helen’s sister Lela Schaffer Yates, and Dale’s mother Jettie at the reunion.

The G.A.R. Parade

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In Washington, DC, on Wednesday, September 23, 1936, Dale wrote that government employees got the morning off for the Grand Army of the Republic parade.  He worked that afternoon.  Above: a plaque commemorating the G.A.R., a fraternal organization of Union veterans of the Civil War.

Retiring To Osceola

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On Sunday, September 22, 1968, Dale wrote, “Helen and I stayed in a motel in Belmond, Iowa, last night.  Today we drove to Des Moines for lunch.  On to Osceola to Wilma’s house and then to Mother’s and then to Mac and Wilma’s farm in the country.  Supper at the Christian Church, Mother too.  To bed at Mother’s after news and weather.”  Above: Dale and Helen two weeks earlier when he was newly retired.  They would move from Minneapolis to Wilma’s house in Osceola the following month.  Helen’s sister Wilma had married ‘Mac’ McFarland in July.

Dalene Breaks A Window

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In Muscatine on Friday, September 21, 1951, Dalene broke a bedroom window (the diary doesn’t say how).  The next day, Dale wrote, “Put new pane in upstairs window.”

Visiting Southern California

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Vacationing from Minneapolis at Dalene’s apartment in Brentwood (Los Angeles area) on Monday, September 20, 1965, Dale, Helen, and Dalene, drove to Dale’s cousin Leona (Gardner) and Bill Van Sant’s for the afternoon and for supper.  Dale’s cousin Orville and Vera Gardner were there, as were Bill and Leona’s son and daughters, Richard, Judith, and Lana.  Above: Dalene and her roommate Vicki (left of man in red) at their apartment pool.

Old Settlers And Threshers

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On Saturday, September 19, 1953, Dale drove from Muscatine to Mt. Pleasant to the Old Settlers and Threshers Reunion, much like the scene above.  He wrote, “40 old steam engines plus old cars etc.”

Gas Heat

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In Muscatine on Monday, September 17, 1951, having moved from 507 East Seventh Street (a house with a coal-burning furnace) next door to 505 East Seventh Street, Dale wrote, “Cooler and rain at night.  Gas furnace wonderful.”  Coal furnaces like the one above (left) were dirty, sooty, smelly, compared to a gas furnace (right).  No shoveling required.

Caseys Visit Washington

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In Washington, DC, on Thursday, September 16, 1937, Dale wrote that Helen’s sister Wilma, husband George Casey, and their son Larry arrived from Iowa for a three-day visit.  Above is a candid photo of Wilma and George taken several years earlier.

My Blue Heaven

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In Minneapolis on Friday, September 15, Dale wrote, “High about 70° and clear.  Not a cloud in a BLUE sky.  Helen and I went to the downtown library after supper.  Dalene went to a party.”  Dale and Helen’s favorite song was My Blue Heaven.

Minneapolis Shootout

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In In Minneapolis on Saturday, September 14, 1957, Dale wrote, “Stan and I painted on the back porch until we ran out of paint.  Dalene went downtown with Diane.  Police killed two and wounded one, killers of Officer Fossum.”  Diane was a friend of Dalene.  Officer Fossum had died August 17 from a running gun battle.  Read the story at:
http://mnlema.org/fallen_insert.php?officer_id=130

Movie Time

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In Minneapolis on Friday, September 12, 1958, Dale wrote, “Another nice day, high 83°.  Stan and Dalene went to a football game at night.  Helen and I went to a show ‘No Time For Sergeants.’  Watched a late movie ‘Task Force.’  Letter from Mother.”

Defrost That Fridge

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In Minneapolis on Wednesday, September 11, 1957, Dale wrote, “Another nice day.  Had to have the defroster fixed on the Coldspot refrigerator.  Card from Mother in South Dakota.  Wrote a birthday card to Lloyd and an accident card to Marie.  Stan went to church at night to practice for choir.”  Dale’s brother Lloyd turned 50 in two days; Marie was their sister.
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