Diary

Foot Comfort

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Thursday, August 17, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Hot today.  Got some larger pads for my shoes.  Helen, Dalene, & I went to a show at night.  Cool at night.”  The movie theaters were air-conditioned, but our house wasn’t.
Diary

One More Car Payment!

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Wednesday, August 16, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Pay day.  Paid Louie $50.  Only $50 more & the car is ours.  Ate lunch at home.  Paid grocery bill $27.89.  Paid $4.40 hospital bill.  Mowed the yard.”  The car was a 1939 Mercury he painted red like the one above.
Diary

Watching Martin & Lewis

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Tuesday, August 15, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Took Helen to library at night.  Used buffer on car.  Went to Benson’s at night to watch television.  Home at 10:30 & to bed.”  One of our favorites was the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
Diary

Don’t Inhale

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Monday, August 14, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  I got sick from smoking a cigar after lunch.  Wrote a card to Stanley.  Polished the car after work.  I went to a show at night.  Helen gave Ring a bath.”  Ring was our dog.
Diary

Travelin’ Day

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Sunday, August 13, 1950, Dale wrote, “Left Stanley at folks.  Stopped at Marie’s a little while.  Saw George Casey.  Drove home to Muscatine by 2 P.M.  Had chicken dinner.  Alva & Teresa here in the afternoon.  I washed the car.”  Marie was his sister; George Casey was married to Helen’s sister Wilma.
Diary

Final Farm Visit

by Editorial Team
On Saturday, August 12, 1950, Dale wrote, “Stan, Dalene and I left Muscatine at 3 p.m. for Osceola, got there at 6:45.  Rain part of way.  Called Helen.  Visited with folks at night.”  Dad and Dalene drove back to Muscatine the next day, but I stayed at my grandparents’ farm for the next three weeks for the last time – my grandfather Williams McBain Gardner died on December 16.  Above: Grandpa and I give fresh milk to some barn cats that summer.
Diary

More Movies

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Friday, August 11, 1950, Dale wrote, “Non-work day.  Slept till 11 A.M. after breakfast.  Helped Helen wash clothes.  Took Stan to the doctor.  Helen got some hay fever medicine too.  Took kids to a show at night.”  We’re seeing lots of movies, aren’t we?  Well, we didn’t have a television set.
Diary

Movie Time

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Thursday, August 10, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Rain today & cooler in afternoon.  Wrote card to folks.  Dalene & I went to a show at night.  Letter from folks.”
Diary

TV Yearning

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Wednesday, August 9, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Bought Helen 1 pair shoes & Dalene 2 pair.  Looked at television sets at Blake’s.  Dalene & I went to a show at night.”
Diary

Co-Worker Neighbor

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Tuesday, August 8, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Lofgren moved to 1617 Orange Street today.  Warm today.  Card from Wilma.  Took Helen to library at night.”  That address was about ten blocks from our house on East Seventh Street (above).  Wilma was a sister of Helen’s.
Diary

Family Visitors

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Monday, August 7, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Filled 200 drums & shipped 3 tank cars.  Norman & Kenneth Schaffer stopped at the plant.  Stayed home at night.  To bed at 10:30.”  Those were sons of Helen’s brother Lloyd Schaffer, so they were her nephews.
Diary

1950 Kaiser

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Sunday, August 6, 1950, Dale wrote, “Breakfast at 10 A.M.  Dalene & I to a show in the afternoon.  Olsgaards brought us home & they stayed awhile.  Had fried chicken dinner.  Stayed home at night.  Bailey bought a new Kaiser.”  Above: a 1950 Kaiser.
Diary

Paying Bills

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Saturday, August 5, 1950, Dale wrote, “Got a radio from Emrick & put it in the car.  Don’t work.  Bushery called in the morning.  Paid milk, Montgomery Ward, lights, gas & sanitation bills.  Bought some new socks in the afternoon.  Helped Helen wash clothes.  To bed at 10 P.M.”
Diary

Radio Shows

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Friday, August 4, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Filled & shipped 200 drums of spirits & 2 tank cars.  No Sunday work in sight.  Bushery called to tell me he is being transferred here.  Cool evening.  Stayed home & listened to the radio.”
Diary

No More Barrels?

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Thursday, August 3, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  1st day filling steel drums.  Plant still trying to work Sundays during August.  Dalene & I went to a show at night.  Wrote a card to folks.”
Diary

Pay Day

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Wednesday, August 2, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Carl Cain dropped in for a visit, on leave from Baltimore.  Pay day.  Helen went to the show at night.  Sent Louie another $50.”  He was paying off a loan from Helen’s brother.
Diary

Oversleeping

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Tuesday, August 1, 1950, Dale wrote, “Worked 8 to 5:30.  Waited on Lofgren, he was 2½ hours late, said he overslept.  Wrote a letter to folks.  I went to a show at night.  Cool.”
Diary

Smiths Anniversary

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Monday, July 31, 1950, Dale wrote that neighbors Jim and Martha Smith (who lived three doors up East Seventh Street) dropped in at night with their fifteen-year anniversary cake to have a quiet celebration.  Dale and Helen made coffee.
Diary

Rainy Day

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Sunday, July 30, 1950, Dale wrote, “Whole family rested till 11 A.M.  I got up at 8:30 to read the paper & then back to bed.  Helen & Dalene went to a show in the afternoon.  Hard rain about 3:30 P.M.  Cooled off in the evening & more rain.”
Diary

Radio Fix-It

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Saturday, July 29, 1950, Dale wrote, “Up at 7 A.M. & had breakfast alone.  I read the paper.  Dalene & I took Ringer for a ride in forenoon.  Took the car radio to O. Emrick in the evening.  HOT TODAY.  To bed at 11 P.M.”  Ringer was our dog; Emrick repaired electrical appliances.
Back To Top