Diary

Dale’s Springtime Cold

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Saturday, April 19, 1958, Dale wrote, “High about 70°.  Took Dinny and Diana downtown.  I didn’t do anything today.  I have a head cold.  Helen washed.  Stan went on a picnic in the evening.  Dalene and Sharon went to a show at night.”  Diana and Sharon were friends of Dalene’s.
Diary

Bye-Bye Water Heater

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Saturday, April 18, 1959, Dale wrote, “Helen, Dalene and I went downtown looking for a dress for Dinny.  Hi-Y boys took our old hot water heater away.  I got up on the house roof to nail some shingles down.  Cloudy and cool.”
Diary

The Yates-Gardner Connection

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Tuesday, April 17, 1956, Dale wrote, “Wrote Uncle Pearl a letter, he is in the hospital in Des Moines.”  Pearl Yates was married to Dale’s aunt Lena Gardner; their children Louise, Wayne, and Gene were Dale’s cousins.
Diary

Watching TV At Night

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Sunday, April 15, 1956, Dale wrote, “Raked yard.  Took family to Frank Arth’s to buy some clothes & to help Frank dig out his cesspool.  Windy & cool.  Snow flurries at night.  Staeblers came down & watched TV with us.  To bed at 10:15.”  Arth was a co-worker.  Shirley Staebler and her daughter Kay rented the upstairs apartment.
Diary

‘The Grapes Of Wrath’

by Editorial Team
On Friday, April 14, 1939, John Steinbeck’s novel ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ was first published by Viking Press.  The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction.  It’s set during the Great Depression, about tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought in the Dust Bowl.  The 1940 movie, directed by John Ford, starred Henry Fonda, above.
Diary

‘Marty’

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Wednesday, April 13, 1966, Dale wrote, “High 55° and nice.  Helen and I went to see a new mobile home.  Watched a late movie on TV, ‘Marty.’  Very good.”
Diary

Death Of FDR

by Editorial Team
Vacationing in Warm Springs, Georgia, oThursday afternoon, April 12, 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “I have a terrific pain in the back of my head.” He then slumped forward in his chair, unconscious, and was carried into his bedroom. The president’s attending cardiologist, Dr. Howard Bruenn, diagnosed a massive cerebral hemorrhage (stroke).  At 3:35 p.m. that day, Roosevelt died; he was succeeded by Vice President Harry S. Truman.  Above: FDR’s horse-drawn funeral procession.
Diary

Girls Night Out

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Friday, April 11, 1958, Dale took the day off work and wrote, “Nice day, high 60°.  Painted the bathroom.  Went to the grocery store before supper.  Dalene went to a slumber party.  Stan went on a date.  Paint smell is sort of strong from blue enamel used on bathroom.”
Diary

Riding Around A Lot

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Friday, April 10, 1953, Dale wrote “8 hours sick leave.  Got car greased.  Cool.  Stan, Dalene & I took ride in morning.  Dalene & I took ride in afternoon in country.  Stan bought new pair shoes & went to Wellman.”  Wellman is about 45 miles west of Muscatine on highway 22 (above).
Diary

A Short Drive

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Sunday, April 9, 1950, Dale wrote “Slept late.  I got breakfast.  Helen & Dalene went to church.  Rain & cool.  Kids & I to show in afternoon.  I took Arms to West Liberty at 10:30.  Home at 20 till 12.”  Arms was a co-worker.  That trip was about 20 miles each way.
Diary

Battle Hymn

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Monday, April 8, 1957, Dale wrote, “Letter from Stan.  He will be up from Muscatine on the 22nd.  I went to a show, ‘Battle Hymn.’”  I was a sophomore at Muscatine Junior College.
Diary

South Pacific

by Editorial Team
On Thursday, April 7, 1949, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific” opened at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway.  The Playbill cover above shows Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza as the lead characters Ensign Nellie Forbush and Emile de Becque.  The show was awarded Best Musical at next year’s Tony Awards.
Diary

Walking In Fields

by Editorial Team
In Osceola on Monday, April 6, 1953, Dale wrote, “Sick leave.  Out to Louie’s and Jack’s until after noon.  I walked all over Jack’s timber pasture.  To Lloyd’s for supper and walked out in the field.  To Mother’s for the night.”  We had driven Jettie home from her visit to Muscatine. Louie was Helen’s brother and Jack was Louie’s son-in-law; they had farms near each other.  Lloyd was Dale’s brother.
Diary

More Paint

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Saturday, April 5, 1958, Dale wrote, “Rain all day and snow in the evening.  We bought $20 worth of paint at 303 Cedar in the afternoon.  Dalene’s room is real nice.  Stan went to Julie’s after supper to study.  Watched a late movie until 1 A.M. tomorrow.”  That would be $160 worth of paint today.
Diary

Washing The Car

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Wednesday, April 4, 1951, Dale wrote “Worked 8 to 4:30.  Filled 100 barrels today.  Fine day, 50°.  Washed the car in evening.  Helen washed 1 wall in Stan’s room.  TV at night.”  Those 100 barrels were filled with alcohol.
Diary

Fixin’ To Paint

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Thursday, April 3, 1958, Dale wrote, “Went downtown on East Hennepin after supper and bought some paint and bed frames.  Dalene and Sharon went to a show.  Stan went to school at the U at night.  Letter from Mother.”  Sharon was a friend of Dalene’s.
Diary

All The King’s Men

by Editorial Team
In Muscatine on Sunday, April 2, 1950, Dale wrote “Fine spring day.  Family to church.  I re-seeded part of the back yard & raked it.  Helen & I to Owens’ in afternoon.  Kings were there too.  I went to ‘King’s Men’ at night.  My back hurts.”  Owens and King were co-workers.
Diary

Company For Dinner

by Editorial Team
In Minneapolis on Sunday, April 1, 1956, Dale wrote, “Gene and Lela were here for dinner.”  A man of few words.  Gene was Dale’s cousin, married to Lela, Helen’s sister.
Diary

Oklahoma!

by Editorial Team
On Wednesday, March 31, 1943, “Oklahoma!,” the first musical play by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, opened on Broadway (above).  Just 12 years later, it was the spring musical production by the Muscatine High School chorus.
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