Diary

Lake Of The Ozarks

by Editorial Team
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On Wednesday, February 19, 1969, on a short vacation from Osceola to Lake of the Ozarks, Dale wrote, “Helen and I drove 200 miles from Springfield, Missouri, to Waverly, Missouri, over Bagnell Dam and Lake of the Ozarks.  Beautiful, bright day, high 45° and nice drive.  Took some pictures.  Stopped at the Riviera Motel in Waverly.”  They drove home to Osceola the next day.
Diary

Doctor’s House Call

by Editorial Team
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In Muscatine on Monday, February 18, 1952, Dale took the day off and wrote, “Sick with flu.  Took Stan to Dr. Emerson for ear and nose.  I’m in bed most all day.  Dr. Swayze stopped by at 7 p.m. and gave me a shot.”
Diary

Aunt Lena Visitation

by Editorial Team
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On Saturday, February 17, 1968, Dale wrote, “Helen and I drove from Minneapolis to Osceola.  Stopped at Gerald and Ressia’s in Latimer, Iowa, a little while.  Took Mother to supper at the highway café.  All night at Mother’s.  Very windy and sunny.  Saw Aunt Lena at Webster’s funeral home in the evening.”  Gerald was a brother of Helen’s.  Lena, above, widow of Pearl Yates, was a sister of Dale’s father Williams.  She had died February 15.  Dale and Helen drove home the next day.
Diary

Working On Shop Class

by Editorial Team
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In Muscatine on Wednesday, February 16, 1955, Dale wrote, “Took Dalene to the lumber yard after work for boards for her shop class.  I joined the Gauger’s Union.”  The following Saturday, Dale took Dalene to work to saw her boards in the carpenter’s shop.
Diary

First NY Times Crossword

by Editorial Team
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On Sunday, February 15, 1942, the first New York Times crossword puzzle appeared – perhaps to provide an alternative to thinking about World War II.
Diary

Charlie Gardner’s 50th Anniversary

by Editorial Team
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In Minneapolis on Thursday, February 14, 1957, Dale wrote, “Sent Mother a letter with $2 for Aunt Meda and Uncle Charlie Gardner’s 50th wedding anniversary.  Also sent them a card.  I went to a show.  Low 7° above, high 28° above.  Letter from Stan.”  Williams’ brother, Charles Gardner, above, was married to Ida Almeda Robins.
Diary

College Boy

by Editorial Team
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In Minneapolis on Monday, February 13, 1956, Dale wrote, “Stanley came home from Muscatine after midnight.  Mother and Clarence went home through New Ulm to see Lela.”  Jettie was married to neighbor farmer Clarence Liggitt.  Lela Yates was Helen’s sister.  After fall semester at Muscatine Junior College, I was in the middle of my freshman year, now a student at the University of Minnesota.
Diary

Osceola Beats Indianola

by Editorial Team
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On Tuesday, February 12, 1952, Dale left work in Muscatine an hour early to drive to Indianola to see an Osceola basketball game.  He wrote, “Osceola won 48 to 47 in a thriller, on to Osceola to Mother’s to stay all night.”
Diary

Stan Does Lincoln

by Editorial Team
LINCOLN DAY PROGRAM
BEFORE THE JOINT CONVENTION
OF THE
FIFTY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
February 11, 1955

Music – – – – – – Muscatine High School Chorus, Max A. Collins, Director
Judy Smith, Accompanist

Brother James’ Air – – Arranged by Jacobs
No Man Is An Island – – Arranged by Ringwald
My Heart’s Desire – – Sateren
Soon-Ah Will Be Done – – Dawson
Battle Hymn of the Republic – – Arranged by Wilhousky
America – – Arranged by Collins
“The singing of ‘Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory of the Coming of the Lord,’ by a 110-voice chorus from Muscatine High School was later in the morning.  The high school youngsters appeared on the Lincoln Day program.”

“One particularly touching part of the music was the singing of ‘America’ while a 17-year-old Muscatine lad, Stanley Gardner, recited the ‘Gettysburg Address.’  He was dressed like Lincoln.”

– – Muscatine Journal

In Muscatine on Friday, February 11, 1955, Dale wrote, “Stan went with the high school chorus to Des Moines to sing at the state capitol, and he gave the Gettysburg Address before state legislators.”  Above: part of the program and an excerpt from our newspaper.
Diary

Making Jeeps

by Editorial Team
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On Tuesday, February 10, 1942, the last Ford car to be built until 1945 rolled off the assembly line as auto plants geared up for production of tanks, aircraft, and Jeeps for World War II.  The name?  The most widely-held theory is that the military designation GP (for Government Purposes or General Purpose) was slurred into the word Jeep.
Diary

Selling Shoes

by Editorial Team
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On Wednesday, February 9, 1955, I worked after school in Muscatine at the Tradehome shoe store, owned by the father of my classmate Kay Woodward.  He and I would compete to see who could make the most sales.
Diary

Van Cliburn Plays

by Editorial Team

In Minneapolis on Sunday, February 8, 1959, Dale wrote, “Up at 8 and read the Sunday paper.  Dalene went to see Van Cliburn at Northrop Auditorium with her chorus school friends.  Some snow today.”  Above: a sample of Van Cliburn playing the piano.
Diary

Fun Bus Trips

by Editorial Team
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In Muscatine on Thursday, February 7, 1952, Dale wrote, “Stanley went with Muscatine High School chorus to Washington, Iowa, to sing.”   That was the Tri-Festival Chorus, with schools from Muscatine, Iowa; Galesburg, Illinois; and Washington, Iowa.  The bus trips were fun – cheerleaders above on one of our buses in 1952.
Diary

Sightseeing In St. Paul

by Editorial Team
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In St. Paul on Thursday, February 6, 1941, Dale wrote that Williams, Jettie, and Marie arrived from Osceola to visit.  Over the next three days, Helen and Dale showed them around town, taking in some ski jumping, Como Park, the zoo, and ice skating races.  They left on Monday, February 10.
Diary

Too Cold For Comfort

by Editorial Team
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In Minneapolis on Thursday, February 5, 1959, Dale wrote, “Cold and windy, 3° below at 6:30 a.m.  8° below at bedtime.  Wrote Mother a letter.  Too cold for comfort.”
Diary

Queen Of Hearts Dance

by Editorial Team
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In Muscatine on Friday, February 4, 1955, Dale wrote, “Dalene and I went to a basketball game at night, Stan too.  Stan then went on a date to Queen of Hearts dance at YWCA.”
Diary

Pains In Legs

by Editorial Team
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In St. Paul on Tuesday, February 3, 1953, for his new Post of Duty, Dale woke up at 2:00 in the morning with pains in his legs.  He left St. Paul an hour later for Muscatine, got home at lunch time, and went to bed after calling family physician Dr. Miller.
Diary

Cook And Waitress

by Editorial Team
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On Sunday, February 2, 1936, Dale and Helen started their new jobs in Osceola (Dale was the cook and Helen the waitress) at the Puritan Café from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., seven days per week, for $7.00 per week, about $117.00 per week today.  They got a raise about six weeks later, to $9.00 per week, $150.00 in today’s dollars.
Diary

Helen Gets A Job

by Editorial Team
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On Monday, February 1, 1954, Helen got a job as PBX operator at the new Muscatine County hospital.  A ‘PBX’ is a Private Branch eXchange, or switchboard.
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