Esther Lilly Hundley
Cast of characters
Esther Lilly Hundley & Charles Hundley (written as Charley/Chas), the author of the diaries and her husband.
Bill (written as Billie) and Elsie, Esther and Charles’ firstborn and his wife.
Ted and Thelma, Esther and Charles’ second-born and as of April 13, 1929, Ted’s wife.
Gladys and Roy Bills (written as Mr. B. or Mr. Bills), Esther and Charles’ third-born and her boyfriend.
This diary was written in a gray ledger book titled “Order Book.”
A new year
Wed Jan 1 – Cloudy & rainy this morning. I made some cream & peach pies & killed a chicken. Gladie went to her traps. Oliver came about 10:30, stayed till 4. Just Oliver, Charley, Dick, Gladie & I here for dinner. Gladie went riding in afternoon & to a show. Howard & Harry came for awhile. Billie & Elsie came after supper.
Thur Jan 2 – Cloudy & foggy all day. We just did our usual work. Charley & Dick finished ricking the wood up in forenoon. Fred & Florence came just at noon, stayed for dinner then went back to Portland. Charley went to store in p.m. then vealed a calf. Ted & Thelma came down after supper, stayed till 9.
Fri Jan 3 – Cloudy but a nice day, the sun came out. We ironed & did our usual work. Grandpa H. came over. The Mconnom man came. Gladie went to her traps. Sold veal calf to Banks Market. I started a rug after supper. Rainy & windy late evening.
Sat Jan 4 – Rainy this morning. We did our usual work. Afternoon, Gladie & I went to town to shop. Dick went down to North Plains, had been up since Christmas. Gladie & I went to show “Simba”. We got home about 4:15. It snowed some in afternoon.
Sun Jan 5 – Snow this morning about an inch of snow & snowed off & on all day by spells. Ted & Thelma came by going up to Pike. Oliver came about 4 o’clock, stayed for lunch. Gladie went to show at Hillsboro.
Mon Jan 6 – Some more snow but soon melted. I washed out a lot of sugar & flour sacks. Afternoon, Charley, Gladie & I went to town & on to Hillsboro to get car license. Gladie & I got us a print dress at Weil’s Store. Cordie Schofield took poison on Saturday & killed herself. I finished the rug after supper. Gladie started to embroider a table cloth she got at Mrs. Armstrong’s variety store. Clear & cold tonite, the start of the cold spell.
Tue Jan 7 – Clear & cold. Big freeze. We did our usual work. I dyed a lot of things for a quilt, blue. Troy & Vera came for awhile. Then Billie & Elsie came on their way to town. Afternoon, Gladie & I went to town to Cordie’s funeral. Billie & Elsie came back, stayed for supper.
Wed Jan 8 – Clear & cold. I put out a wash and then dyed a lot of things for rug, green & yellow. Afternoon, I made Gladie’s new print dress. It snowed about 2 inches. Billie & Elsie came after supper stayed over nite.
Thur Jan 9 – Clear & cold. We did our usual work. Billie went to his traps & in the afternoon they killed the last pig. Gladie went to a show at F.G.
Fri Jan 10 – Still clear & cold. We did our general work. I cut rug rags in afternoon. Billie & Elsie went home about 3:30.
Sat Jan 11 – Still cold. We did our usual Sat. work. Afternoon I sewed the rags for a rug. Started it after supper. The ladies gave a play at Gales City tonite but none of us went.
Sun Jan 12 – Cold & clear. Ted & Thelma came down about eleven, stayed. Gladie went to a show tonite.
Mon Jan 13 – Cold & clear. We rendered lard & made sausage. Charley & Ted went to town. Gladie & Thelma went to traps. Grandpa H. came over. After supper I made on my rug. We listened to Amos & Andy, got new radio battery today at Fendell’s Hardwear. Also got a weather thermo.
Tue Jan 14 – Still clear & cold. I finished up the lard this a.m. Billie and Elsie came about eleven. Billie went to his traps. Afternoon, Gladie Elsie & Thelma went to traps. The kids all went home. It began to snow in afternoon, kept it up.
Wed Jan 15 – Snowed all nite and still snowing, there is about 15 inches of snow. Charley & Walt Willis cleared road to Gales City. Evelyn & Gladie went over to school house. I sewed a quilt together. Blue & yellow. I washed early this a.m. Gladie fed the wild birdies out under the fir tree. It snowed all day.
Thur Jan 16 – A deep snow, there is 19 inches of snow today and still cold, a hard wind from the east began at noon. I started sewing on crazy quilt blocks. Made 10 today. Afternoon, Billie & Elsie & Ted & Thelma came down with Ted’s new toboggan sleigh. They all got out on the hill & coasted. They went home about 4:30.
Fri Jan 17 – Still a hard east wind, it blew all nite and so cold. We ironed & churned. Then I sewed on quilt blocks. Finished them up after noon, 20 of them. Gladie made some candy, she embroidered on table spread afternoon.
Sat Jan 18 – Still cold. We just did our Sat. work. I put my new quilt together, afternoon, with strips of pink. Gladie embroidered on her table spread.
Sun Jan 19 – Cold and snow, about 4 inches more snow. It cleared away about noon today. I made a big pork cake. Ted & Troy came by to get the toboggan. They had stayed down town at Midred’s. Billie & Elsie came about 2:30. They & Gladie and I went to Gales City. We made some ice cream for supper. Oliver came stayed till 9 o’clock. Billie & Elsie stayed all nite.
Mon Jan 20 – Clear and cold, our coldest nite, it froze some of my house plants. Billie & Elsie went home about 9:30. Charley & Walt Willis scraped the road. We did nothing much all day. I wrote a letter to Grandma today.
Tue Jan 21 – Clear & cold, we did our general work. I picked up scraps to make a quilt. Oliver came in p.m., stayed till about 9 o’clock. I made Gladie a blouse out of a red piece of goods.
Wed Jan 22 – Cloudy and some sleet. I put out a washing. We listened to Charles Kellogg over the radio. He was supposed to blow a match out over the loud speaker, but did not on ours. I made me a blouse today out of an old green dress I had. Then made some rug rags.
Thur Jan 23 – Not quite so cold, cloudy all day. I was busy all day with some quilt blocks & some rug rags I sewed on machine. Oliver came again after supper, stayed till 9. I got a letter from Grandma also one from Sis at Tillamook.
Fri Jan 24 – Cloudy and some warmer. We cleaned up house today & ironed. Oliver came by afternoon. Gladie made her first statue out of plaster, an Indian Man.
Sat Jan 25 – Clear & cold. We did our usual Sat. work. Billie & Elsie came about eleven to stay a few days.
Sun Jan 26 – Cloudy and snowed a little. We stayed in all day. Gladie went to a show. Elsie made some candy. Oliver came stayed till 9 o’clock.
Mon Jan 27 – Cloudy & sunshine. We did nothing to speak of, only usual work. I fixed up some rug rags. Gladie made a plaster statue like Letta.
Tue Jan 28 – Snowed about an inch. I finished up my wool rug today. Billie & C.D. sawed some back logs. Oliver and his girl came for awhile in afternoon. It began to rain this p.m.
Wed Jan 29 – Rained and made a silver thaw. I washed this morning and did general work. Billie shoveled snow off of the old house. I wrote some letter & mailed them. Gladie started a large statue. Billie & Elsie went home about 3 o’clock. Oliver came stayed till 9. I sewed ru rags about all afternoon & after supper.
Thur Jan 30 – Foggy all day. I finished sewing the rags for rugs this a.m. & started one rug, afternoon, an oval shape one, hit & miss. Gladie worked on her statue. Dick came in the afternoon about 4 o’clock. Gladie went to a show.
Fri Jan 31 – Foggy all day. We ironed and was busy all morning. Chas went to Gales City in p.m. First time in the Ford after snow. Gladie slept some. I made on my rug, R.N. read.
