Author: Editorial Team

Diary

Cleaning Woodwork

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Tuesday, June 19, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 – 4:30.  Arth is back to work.  Hayes still here.  Hot & sultry.  Sent Stanley’s clothes to him at Perry.  Helen cleaned the woodwork in the hall.  Cooled off in evening.”
Diary

Where Is Perry?

by Editorial Team
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.
Diary

Stan Visits Yates’s

by Editorial Team
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.
Diary

Early Father’s Day

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Saturday, June 16, 1951, Dale wrote, “Non-work day.  Slept late & then took family downtown.  Bright sunny day.  Got some Father’s Day gifts.  Washed living room walls.  Watched TV in afternoon & night.”
Diary

Weekly Report

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Friday, June 15, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Wrote a 4 page weekly report.  Showers.  Hayes still at plant.  Cool in evening.  Watched TV at night.”
Diary

Slim Down

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Thursday, June 14, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Put in application for 1st 3 weeks in July – annual leave.  Busherys here a few minutes in the evening.  Beautiful day.  Watched TV at night.  Started diet supper.”
Diary

What Is IRBW?

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Wednesday, June 13, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Used new IRBW scale for the 1st time.  Helen has a stitch in her shoulders.  Nice bright day.  Hayes still here.  TV at night.  Boxing, etc.”  ‘IRBW’ stood for Internal Revenue Bonded Warehouse.
Diary

Wards Catalog

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Tuesday, June 12, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Hayes still making annual inspection.  Stopped at Wards for a catalog.  Wrote Mom a letter.  Cool in evening.  To bed late.”  Above: a 1951 Montgomery Ward catalog.
Diary

Phone Calls

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Monday, June 11, 1951, Dale wrote, “Non-work day.  Hayes called from plant.  I called Cavanaugh – he forgot to wake up.  Had a kindling fire in the furnace.  TV at night.”  Remember when telephones looked like this?
Diary

Poor Boy

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Sunday, June 10, 1951, Dale wrote, “Arms, Arth, Bushery & I cap sealed all day.  Put 65 seals on stills.  Nice day.  Stanley has strep throat & temp of 102°.  Doctor has to give him a shot.  To bed at 11:30.”
Diary

Big Smokestack

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Saturday, June 9, 1951, Dale wrote, “Up late & watched TV until noon.  Took family to library & downtown shopping.  Drove to the plant.  ‘How many bricks in that big smokestack, Daddy?’  Washed car.  Stan mowed the yard.”  Dalene asked about the alcohol plant’s smokestack, above.  I don’t know what his answer was.
Diary

Routine Day

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Friday, June 8, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Routine day.  Still is still down.  Filled one truck today.  Watched TV at night.”
Diary

Paying Bills

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Thursday, June 7, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Plant is still down for aldehyde column repairs.  Paid $10 for coal, $20 for suit, $1.52 new straw hat, $5 to Grimm drug store, $5.33 on telephone bill.  Rain at night.  Fire in furnace.”
Diary

Leaving Eighth Grade

by Editorial Team
On Wednesday, June 6, 1951, Dale wrote that Stanley graduated from 8th grade (Junior High School) at a ceremony held in the Muscatine High School auditorium (above).
Diary

Watching TV

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Tuesday, June 5, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Hayes & Palmer came for inspection.  Plant still down for repairs.  Took Dalene to doctor for breaking out; allergy.  TV at night.  Fire in furnace.”
Diary

Wrestling

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Monday, June 4, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Plant shut down for repairs to aldehyde column.  No night shift.  Fred King put new shock absorbers in his car.  We lit a fire in our furnace.  Stan & I went to wrestling matches at night.  Fair.”
Diary

Coal Furnace

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Sunday June 3, 1951, Dale wrote, “Day of rest.  Stayed in house all day.  Kids played in the back yard.  Built fire in furnace.  56° at bedtime.  Washed on kitchen wall a little.  Wrote card to Mother.  TV good.”  Our furnace burned coal, so this required shoveling lumps of coal into the furnace and starting the fire with newspaper.
Diary

Sneakers

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Saturday, June 2, 1951, Dale wrote, “Non-work day.  Helen & I washed the bathroom walls & ceiling.  Kids went to a show in the afternoon.  Bought Stanley new pair of shoes & Dalene a new belt.  TV at night, at home.”
Diary

Dalene Washes Dishes

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Friday, June 1, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Hot & humid today.  Helen catching cold too.  Jack & I worked on monthly reports.  Fried chicken for supper.  Dalene washed the dishes & kids went to bed at 9:45.”
Diary

Jettie Wrote A Letter

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Thursday, May 31, 1951, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Rain & humid.  Helen washed curtains.  Letter from Mother.  I still have a cold.  Watched TV at night.”
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