In Muscatine on Thursday, July 31, 1952, Dale wrote, “Stan went to Osceola with Mother and Marie. Dalene and I went to a show at night.” Jettie, her daughter Marie and Marie’s daughter Susan had been in Muscatine since July 29. Above in 1952 are Susan (right) with her cousins, Lloyd Gardner’s daughters Nancy (left), Marie (center), Mary (front).
New Lawn Mower
‘Panther’ Beats ‘Hurricane’
In Minneapolis on Monday, July 29, 1957, Dale wrote, “Our street is being repaired and I can’t get my car out. Rode to work with Stan. Patterson beat Jackson in defense of his heavyweight title.” I must have parked my car at the Shell station across the street overnight. Above: Floyd ‘Panther’ Patterson slugs Tommy ‘Hurricane’ Jackson.
Taking Nancy Home
On Saturday, July 28, 1956, Dale wrote, “Dalene, Nancy Gardner, and I drove to Osceola with 1½ hours out for stops. 309 miles, 20 miles to the gallon, no oil. Battery charged too much. Rain on and off all the way. Cool in Osceola. Stayed at Mother and Clarence’s house.” Dalene’s cousin Nancy, one of Lloyd Gardner’s daughters, had been visiting us in Minneapolis. ‘Mother’ Jettie had married widower Clarence Liggitt several years after her husband Williams died.
Cleaning A Carburetor
In Minneapolis on Sunday, July 27, 1958, Dale wrote, “Over ½ inch of rain. Sunny in the afternoon. I took the carburetor off the Dodge and cleaned it. Put a tail pipe extension on the Chevy. Dinny and I went to Lake Calhoun. Margie called in the evening, Louie to be operated on in the morning for gallstones and ulcer. High 82°, 69° at bedtime.” Margie was the daughter of Helen’s brother Louie, who had gall stone surgery the next day, at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Above: a ‘50s Dodge carburetor (before fuel injection became common for blending air and fuel in internal combustion engines).
Riding The Rocket
Frontier Days
To Latimer & Minneapolis
On Monday, July 24, 1961, Dale was off work and wrote, “Helen, Dalene, and I left Osceola at 8 a.m., drove to Latimer to Ressia and Gerald’s for dinner. Home to Minneapolis about 7 p.m. High 83° and nice. Dalene is home now.” Dalene had been visiting family in Osceola. Latimer is 136 miles north of Osceola, and then 160 more miles north to Minneapolis. Ressia was married to Helen’s brother Gerald.
Riding To Woodburn
Visiting in Osceola from Minneapolis on Sunday, July 23, 1961, Dale wrote, “Took a ride southwest and to Woodburn and north. Mother’s for dinner. To George and Wilma’s in the afternoon and for supper. Went to Bert Chandler’s a little while too.” Woodburn, 11 miles east of Osceola, had a population of 202 in the 1960 census. George Casey was married to Helen’s sister Wilma. Bert Chandler was married to Minnie Schaffer, Helen’s aunt.
Back To Work
The Eddie Duchin Story
Happy Birthday, Helen
Hot And Humid
In Minneapolis on Friday, July 19, 1957, Dale wrote, “On vacation. Hot and humid, high 97°. Painted in forenoon. Rested in the afternoon. Stan drove his new Chevy to Muscatine after work. Wind changed at 8:15 p.m. and cooled things off with thundershowers the rest of the evening. Dalene went to a show with Sharon.” Sharon was a friend.
Going For A Ride
In Minneapolis on Thursday, July 18, 1957, Dale wrote, “On vacation. Painted all day on the eaves on the north side of the house. High of 97° and humid. Finished the eaves all around the house now. Took Dalene for a long ride after supper in Stan’s new Chevy.” I know this picture has appeared before, but I loved my ’57 Chevy!
Bringing Osceola Visitors
An Osceola Visitor
Painting The Eaves
I Scream, You Scream
Detasseling Corn
In Muscatine on Tuesday, July 13, 1954, I borrowed Dad’s car to drive my partners – and high school friends – Mike Collier, Don Mullen, and Bill Mullen to our part-time summer job detasseling corn. (Producing hybrid seed corn required removing the pollen-producing top part of the plant, the tassel, so the corn can’t pollinate itself. Instead, pollen from another variety of corn pollinated the detasseled corn, resulting in corn that had the genetic characteristics of both varieties.) We usually followed that by going swimming at the Weed Park pool.