On Saturday, June 30, Dale and family drove from Muscatine to Osceola. Dale wrote, “Got to Mother’s at 5 p.m. Went uptown at night. Kids went to a show at night.” Above: Dalene (with long hair) and Dale (with cigar) in 1951.
Osceola, Here We Come
In Muscatine on Friday, June 29, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30. Radke here all day. Settled the government office deal. Arth’s mother-in-law died. Got 3 more books for Stanley. Helen all packed for 3 weeks vacation.” They were ready to go to Osceola (where I was visiting my grandmother) for the Fourth of July.
Cohn’s
In Muscatine on Thursday, June 28, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 – 4:30. Cool & rainy. I picked Dalene & friends up at Cohn’s news agency after the show they went to. Went to store. Stayed home in evening & watched TV.” I was a part-time stock boy at Cohn’s News Agency while in high school. They had a lunch counter as well as selling books, magazines, newspapers, etc.
Stormy Night
In Muscatine on Wednesday, June 27, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 – 4:30. Rainy & sunny. Unloaded a tank truck. Letter from Mother & Stanley. Electrical storm at night. Dalene went to a show with Mrs. Hazen. She came home early; I went after her.” Mrs. Hazen lived next door to us; I was visiting my grandmother in Osceola.
Eureka!
Old Friends
Grand Dinner
A Quiet Day
More Rain
In Muscatine on Friday, June 22, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30. Hayes left today, been here since May 15th. Lela called Helen to see if Stanley could go to Osceola, Helen called Marie & it’s OK. Rainy today. Baumgardner made me a muffler patch. TV at night.” I was visiting Gene and Lela (Helen’s sister) Yates; Marie (Dale’s sister) kept an eye on the health of my grandmother Jettie, who I would visit.
Rainy Day
Joe Louis Wins
Cleaning Woodwork
Where Is Perry?
In Muscatine on Monday, June 18, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30. Got to fix my right rear wheel, it drags. Talked to Radke about redistillation. Kopp painted our hall today. Rain in evening. Got Stanley’s clothes ready to send to Perry, Iowa.” Lela (Helen’s sister) and Gene Yates lived in Perry at the time, and I was visiting there. Perry is 39 miles northwest of Des Moines.
Stan Visits Yates’s
On Sunday, June 17, 1951, Dale and his family drove from Muscatine to Gerald Shaffer’s home in Latimer, Iowa, stopping at the Amana Colonies for lunch, arriving at Gerald’s at 2:00. Dale wrote, “Genes there too. Stanley went home with Bobby. Helen, Dalene and I got home at 10 p.m.” Above: Muscatine to Latimer. Gerald was Helen’s brother. Lela (Helen’s sister) and Gene Yates, their daughter Nancy and son Bob lived in Perry, Iowa, at the time. Five days later, Gene and Lela drove me to Osceola, where I stayed with my grandmother Jettie until Dale, Helen, and Dalene arrived about a week later.