Barbara Cooper on her first birthday with her mom Harriet and Grandma Ethel Rafert, San Antonio, Texas, June 18,1945.  Grandma turned 57 three days earlier.  Grandpa Rafert and Grandparents Ed and Nora Cooper were visiting also.

Ethel Spencer Rafert Diary, 1954-1955

Life at the Big House, Fortville, Indiana

Followed by her January 1 to June 9, 1909 Diary

I, Stewart J. Rafert, hope descendants of George and Ethel Rafert and others enjoy Ethel Rafert’s daily diary from the mid-1950s .  It is a pleasure to share it remembering our grandparents and so many family events happy and at times very sad centered at what we called “the big house.”  We are fortunate the diaries survive.  I  added notes to clarify family genealogy and to identify the extended extended family and many, many friends who are mentioned. As the oldest living grandchild of George Otis and Ethel Spencer Rafert I have taken the privilege to add personal memories from those years long ago.  I was age 13 to 15 at the time the diaries were written.  

Grandma mentions household jobs often.  I have eliminated some of these items.  There are 2 Jeannes in the diary,  Jeanne S., Grandma’s sister, Jeanne Stewart (1890-1981) daughter Jeanne Thomas (1911-1955).  There are two Stewarts, my dad Stewart George Rafert and me “SJ or Stewart J..  The three Georges are Grandpa or “GOR” for George Otis Rafert and grandsons George Rafert Thomas and George Edwin Rafert. 

Grandma had a large number of friends from high school and from living in Indianapolis to age 38 as well as many Fortville friends.  She was a member of a bridge club and mentions names of women some will be familiar with:  Martha McDonald, Mayme Wright, Hazel Pritchard, Faye Wisehart, Irene Baynham, Margaret McBane, Ruth Adams, Nell Hudson and Harriet Wisehart.

The Rafert family were city people since their arrival in Indianapolis from the village of Meinsen in northwest Germany in June, 1843.  At that time Indianapolis only had 8,000 people.  Hans Heinrich Roewer, who became Henry Rafert and his wife had seven sons and one daughter.  Their sixth son, Christopher, born in Germany in 1839, was Grandpa Rafert’s father.  Christopher married Christina Manche, a girl from Hancock County who came to Indianapolis to be a servant in an uncle’s house near the Rafert’s.  Her parents were John Manche (1808-1851) and Katherine Elizabeth Lange (1816-1865).  These grandparents of Grandpa Rafert  died long before he was born in 1883.  Christina Manche Rafert’s sister Elizabeth Manche married John George Lantz who came from Germany in 1850.  A younger sister, Mary Manche, married another young German named Earnest Faut who arrived in New Palestine in 1855 via New Orleans.  Finally, their brother John Manche married Mary Ashcraft the sister of my Great-Grandfather John Ashcraft. 

Grandpa Rafert’s mother Christina’s family had many children who lived between Greenfield and New Palestine.  In August, 1920 the Manche descendants, including Grandpa Rafert, started the Manche Reunion which continues to meet every two years.  The third Manche family reunion was held at the Rafert home at New Bethel a in Marion County where they lived from 1916 to 1923.  They then moved back to Indianapolis to a new house on Fall Creek Boulevard near the state fair grounds for a year.  Then they moved to an elegant house on “Millionaires’ Row” on Pennsylvania Street just north of Thirty-fourth Street opposite Shortridge High School. 

Soon they grew tired of city living.  They felt it would be healthier for their five children to be raised in the country.  Our Grandfather’s solution was to develop apartments on the east half of the 300 foot deep and 200 foot wide lot.  He hired an architect to draw up plans for the Charmwood Apartments while he handled the city permits for construction. He was the developer.  He sold the house and the apartment development plan in order to get money to buy farmland and another big house at the northwest edge of Fortville.  Grandpa learned from his cousin Henry Lantz such a house in Fortville.  It cost $23,500 which sounds very cheap, but in today’s 2021 dollars it would be about $600,000.  The family with five truckloads of furniture moved in on June 12, 1926.  The “big house” as we always called it was in the family until October, 2012, 86 years later.  It is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  You can google Browne/Rafert house for the official history.  Soon I will add an article to the Wikipedia entry.

Grandma Rafert’s father, Frank Stewart, was a prominent doctor in Indianapolis.  He went to medical school in Chicago where he met grandma’s mother, Elnora Elton, who was in nurses’ training.  Grandma was born June 15, 1888, in Peru, Miami County.  Great-grandpa Stewart had three brothers who also trained in Chicago as doctors.  Two of them, Willian and Willis Benton moved with him to Indianapolis in 1893.  All were obstetricians and family doctors.  Great-Grandpa Frank Stewart delivered Grandma’s first three children, Jeanne (1911), Elsa (1912) and Stewart (1917).  After his death death in 1920, Uncle Bent Stewart, delivered Frank (1919) and Harriet (1923).  Dr. John Stewart remained in Wabash, Indiana.

1954

Friday, January 1, 1954 

   John Thomas family all here for Christmas dinner.  Tom came back from Bedford on Monday.  George stayed and both were wonderful guests.  [Uncle John and cousins Tom and George Thomas.  Their mother, Aunt Elsa died in December 1949 of ovarian cancer.  They had lived in Bedford 3 years.]  Stewart and Tom worked with their stamp collections and played canasta.

Jan. 7, 1954.     Jim and Debby [both near age 6] have old fashioned measles.  I changed feathers into 3 new ticks.  Jeanne & Christy were here a while after school.   Dad joined AAA today.   [American Automobile Association]

Monday, Jan. 25        I drove to the city [Indianapolis] and took Milly & Martha McDonald to lunch at Block’s Tea Room.  I bought a casserole dish for a wedding present for Boardman & Sondra Barby.  [The Barby family of Knowles, Oklahoma were friends from Grandpa George Rafert’s years of buying Hereford cattle from their ranch from ca. 1933-1941.] 

Tues. Jan. 26       Had appointment with Dr. Gossman my podiatrist at 11:15.  Then I drove to the Department club where I had lunch with V.N.A. [Visiting Nurses Association] and sewed cancer dressings.

Thurs. Jan. 28

   Geo. drove me to Flanner and Buchanan mortuary to pay my respects to Janet Shaw’s remains in a.m.  Hazel Pritchard and I substituted at Mayme Wright’s bridge club at her house in p.m.  

Friday, Jan. 29

   Mrs. Saville [house cleaner for many years] here in morning, Harriet’s in afternoon.  Jeanne & Stewart and I attended Mary Morse Patterson’s funeral at our church in p.m.

Monday, Feb. 1, 1954         

   Steve home from I.U. (sophomore year) for mid-term.  Ate lunch with Stewart.  After lunch Stew couldn’t stand on his feet because of pain in lower back, nor could he sit down or walk.  He had to lie on the davenport.

Tuesday, Feb. 2       Stew still down. 

   Martha McDonald entertained bridge club.  Served ham salad sandwiches, fruit salad, and orange sherbert.  Margaret McBane and Faye and Harriet Wisehart were absent.

Wednesday, Feb. 3     Mars Ferrell told Stew to use heat lamp.

Thursday, Feb. 4   Stew still lying on davenport

Friday, Feb. 5     Mars made arrangements to have Stew meet Dr. Barber at Methodist hospital Monday a.m.

Sunday, Feb. 7

   Jeanne, Bob & Christy were here for dinner after church.       Jeanne, Harriet and I went to church to Girl Scout birthday program.  Leslie at age 10 is a scout and Barbara at 9 is a cub scout.

Mon. Feb. 8   sunny     I walk back the lane each morning with the news for Stewart

Tuesday, Feb. 9   sunny, 50 degrees

   I went to the hospital with Stew in Cory funeral home ambulance.   Dr. after his examination said it was a disc probably injured years ago.    After he got back home Stew called Cleveland and made arrangements to go to the clinic Sat. on the train.  Nora Cooper & I went shopping in Indpls in p.m.

Wed. Feb. 10, 1954    sunny, 60 degrees       Jeanne T. came down from Pendleton in afternoon, stopped at Stew’s, our house and Harriet’s.

Thur. Feb. 11  sunny, cooler

Fri. Feb. 12    about 18 this a.m.

   When I walked back to Stewart’s the sun was shining but not much breeze.

Drove to Jeanne’s [Pendleton] in p.m.  Stewart went along.  We drove out 13 to Dick Hardin’s house, then east on Reformatory road to Seibert’s orchard.[1]  Bob was home so we visited him in Pendleton for a half hour.   Stewart got a chiropractic treatment from Mr. Curtis after lunch and decided not to go to Clinic tomorrow.  Canceled his appointment.

Sat. Feb. 13

   Stew and Frank took bed couch from sun room to Lewis Barrett’s for visiting evangelists.  I washed some clothes, roasted a chicken for dinner.

Dad & I played canasta after dinner.  Then drove to city.  Olds 88 wasn’t charging the battery, so dad took it to Hickman Olds and I went shopping.  Ran into Jeanne S. [her sister Jeanne Stewart] coming out of Wasson’s on the Circle.  Dad picked us up and we dropped Jeanne off at her house.  [Aunt Jeanne Stewart boarded in Indianapolis with a friend, Rita Clark, after Great-grandma Elnora Elton died June 8, 1949]

Monday Feb. 15   Stewart has decided to go to Cleveland Clinic tomorrow, on train, by himself.

Tues. Feb. 16 

   6 bridge club members at my house.  Martha McDonald, Margaret McBane, Hazel Pritchard, Ruth Adams, Mayme Wright, Irene Baynham.  They seemed to enjoy my lunch and had a good time visiting & playing.  Frank and Dad drove Stewart to Anderson about 1:30 where he boarded train.  It was cloudy but didn’t rain much.     I stayed with Millie and children all night.

Wed. Feb. 17, 1954      

   Harriet is sick.  Pleurisy on left side.  Ed Cooper left on train for New York.  Nora at Harriet’s.  Heard a lot of meadow larks as I walked home on the lane from Stewart’s.  Saw over 100 ducks flying in eve as we came from hog house at Frank’s place where Jeanne, Christy, Frank, Debby, George, Spencer, dad, Stewart J. and I had been looking at their fine new pigs (beautiful tan).  They are Tamworth breed.

Thurs. February 18      Heard meadow larks and robins singing in a.m.

   I went to Harriet’s and did her grocery shopping in a.m.

Laid down in p.m.  Leslie had coughed so much we hadn’t slept well.  I went over and stayed with her while her mother went to grocery.  Hazel Pritchard called and said Margaret McBane had breast removed in a.m.  Mayme Wright & I drove over to Greenfield after supper to see her and Ben McBane at the hospital.

Fri. Feb. 19

   We are going to Della Winslow’s for a Manche family cousin dinner today.  Had roast turkey and a delicious dinner.  Lizzie and Carl Hardin, Fannie Schilling, Ben Faut, Julia Ruschhaupt, Clara Faut, Dell and we two are all fine.[2]  It was a beautiful, sunny day.  I sleep each night at Stewart’s.

Sat. Feb. 20          

   I baked a pie.  Made some fudge.  Then I spread a lot of manure on my flower beds.  I received a letter from La Della Turner.  All well with them. She thinks she and Walt may drive to Fla. about the 15^th of March.  Millie talked to Stewart.  He is in hospital in traction.  He will call her Monday.

Sun. Feb. 21     

   Went to church.  Revival going on.    I drove to city to see Lucile Stewart.  Jeanne was there for dinner with her.  Lucille and Allegra brought Jeanne and me lovely leather purses from London and George a beautiful silk tie from Italy and a small pitcher for Jeanne T.     [Lucille and Allegra Stewart were Grandma and Aunt Jeanne Stewart’s first cousins.  Their father, Uncle Bent Stewart, was Grandma Rafert’s father Frank Stewart’s brother.  They sailed on the Andrea Doria, a ship which sank in the summer of 1956 after a collision with a Swedish passenger ship off the New Jersey coast.]

Mon. Feb. 22.  George Washington’s birthday.  Beautiful day

Tues. Feb. 23       rainy      V.N.A. at Fredonia Batchelder’s at Buckingham apartments.  Her apartment is lovely.  15 there.  Enjoyed it so much. 

Wed. Feb. 24    cloudy

Thurs. Feb. 25        cloudy, getting a little colder.     Forecast of snow.

   We received a note from Stewart today.  He thinks he will be home Mon. or Tuesday.  I baked apple sauce cookies.  Mrs. Saville was here to clean.  Georgie age 2 & Bubba (Spencer) age 6 came in to see us about eight.  Of course they wanted some chewing gum.  Harriet & Barbara are going shopping in city.  They want me to go along.

Fri. Feb. 26    9:30 

   Jeanne, Barbara Rafert, and I went to the city with Harriet.  I took the girls to lunch and we all shopped.  We had a good time.  We came home about 3:00.  I drove then Jeanne S. home to Indpls.  Frank had gone after her in the a.m.  Stewart called in eve. Thurs.  He said they would put a brace on him today.

Sat. Feb. 27   misty

   Stewart called Millie from Cleveland station, said to meet him at Anderson at 4:40.  Dad, Stewart, Leslie and I drove up early enough so they could look around before the train came in.  Stewart J. was entranced by the big steam engine, number 6025.[3]  Stewart looked fine and walked well when he got off of the train.  Rained in the evening, pretty hard for a while, some thunder.

Sunday, Feb. 28, 1954     rainy and some tiny snow flakes

   Grandpa took Leslie and Stewart to church then came back for me.  We took the children home, then had our dinner at Twin Lantern restaurant.  I bought a banana pie and we took it to Stewart’s.  Jeanne, Chris and Bob came for a minute at our house in p.m. then went to see Stew.  Nice sunset.

Tues. March 2, 1954   cloudy and fairly cold      Bridge club at Mayme’s.  Margaret McBane, Faye and Harriet Wisehart and Nell Hudson not there.  We had a delicious chicken dinner.  Played one table.

Wed. March 3    cold, snow showers   I took material for Superman capes up to Jeanne Thomas after lunch.  Jeanne did all of stitching.  I made them for Charlie, Jim and Fred for their birthdays.  Dad came up and we stayed for supper.   I baked cookies in a.m. and took some to Margaret McBane, also some custard.

Thurs. March 4   Blustery all night, windy all day     Mrs. Saville cleaned in a.m.  I washed clothes and cleaned the bird cage.  Jeanne [Thomas] came from Pendleton in the p.m. for her canary.  I got out some of our clothes together.  We are going to start for Florida, Sat. morning

Fri. March 5, 1954        cold, a.m. sunshine       I packed the suitcases and hanger bags.  We are all ready to leave in the morning.  Millie’s cold is better.  She baked a wonderful cherry pie and brought it over to us.  Mark & Bruce Perkins may come to visit Martha McDonald Sunday.   [The Perkins were friends from Monticello, Indiana and Martha’s relatives]

Saturday, March 6, 1954      6:15 a.m.     sun coming up clear

   Stewart & Leslie came in after breakfast and stayed for a while.  It was sunny and quite cold.  Stewart J. came in and the children helped us pack the car.  We drove them home and started on our trip.  We stopped at the Post Office, found a package there.  When I opened it, it was Millie’s scout uniform.[4]  We took it to her and were glad for Steve was there so we said goodbye to him and got started at 8:38.

   The sun is warm but the air quite cool, sharp.  Our first stop was at Scottsburg on US 31, about 30 miles from Louisville at a Standard station.  Crossed a bridge across the Ohio River a few minutes ago in a string of cars. On the bridge was an old gentleman sitting in his nice shiny car right against the bridge edge with a big semi-trailer smashed into the back of his car.  I think the old fellow was hurt.

   We stopped at the Ritz Diner shortly after we drove into Fort Knox Reserve town.  Had good lunch, the same place we stopped on our way from Bowling Green last fall.  At Cave City we changed to route 351 to Glasgow.  Arrived Murfreesboro Motel “M” about 5:30.  No. 9 cabin.  We had No. 12 last fall.  Ate supper at Sullivan’s attached to cabins.  Bum meal.

Sunday, March 7

   Sunny, but cold.  I got up about 6 a.m.  We left cabins at 7 a.m., ate breakfast at Shelbyville, Tennessee.  On route 241 now, then 280 into Columbus.  Ate dinner 1:30 south of Alexander City at Jeanne’s Drive By.  Took our coats off at Oneonta.  Real spring weather.  Lots of bushes in bloom—forsythia, fire bush & bridal wreaths.  Lots of daffodils.   We stayed all night at Dawson, Ga.  Nice motel in town.    Cool and frosty next morning.  Ate supper up town.  Food pretty was highly seasoned.

Monday, March 8       Cool morning.  Frost all over the ground.  Arrived at St. Petersburg, Fla. about 4:30 p.m. at Edyth & Howard Gay’s, 6150 Third Ave. North, St.  Edyth had received my letter about an hour before.[5]  She broiled steak and had a good meal in a little bit.  Then they took us downtown in St. Pete so we could see the lights.  The city has grown so much we could hardly recognize it.

Tues. March 9

   After breakfast we drove down to a shopping center near their “Central Plaza” on Central Avenue, about 25^th or 30^th Street.  There were two nice big super markets, Ligget’s drug Store, Wolfe’s restaurant and delicatessen, a dress shop, a 5 & 10 cent store and a hardware.  In the afternoon we drove out to a fruit or orange grove where Edyth buys oranges and grapefruits, then along some of the islands.  Shopped some.  Got oranges at Schilling’s grove and fish at fish market on island.

Wed. March 10    Warmer than before.  We sat out in the Gays’ big screened patio in the a.m.  We took them to dinner. 

Thursday, March 11. 

   Miss Mary Hardy, Howard’s cousin, & Miss Mary Ronaldson, who live on Boca Ciega Island in winter were there for evening dinner with us.  One of them had to attend a meeting after we ate.  About 9:30 we took Mary Hardy to her home on the island.  They go to her house in Maine in the summer and spend the winter at Mary Ronaldson’s house down here.  Both are retired school teachers.  The house is small, but adequate.

Friday, March 12. 

   We all drove down to Webb’s, a huge store where you can buy anything.  We had a good time looking all around.  I bought 2 large cans of guava jelly and a pound of orange honey.  Ate lunch out.  Edyth had baked fish in sea shells for dinner.  Edyth is a good cook.   Of course we enjoyed the T.V. every evening and visited. 

Saturday, March 13. 

   Edyth and I shopped at Central Plaza in the morning.  Then we all drove out to Schell Island.  Lots of beautiful homes.  I wouldn’t want to live on the islands.  I like Howard’s location better.  On the way we stopped and had lunch at a Howard Johnson place.  Edyth had lamb roast for dinner.  [If Grandma said lunch at noon, she said dinner for the evening meal.  Otherwise, if she said dinner, she meant the noon meal.]

Sunday, March 14.  We all went to church service at Mirror Lake Christian Church.  We took another ride in the p.m. then packed our clothes.

Monday, March 15. 

We left St. Petersburg for Bradenton about 9 a.m.  Hated to say goodbye we had such a good visit.  Called on Fred and Josephine Neptune.  They drove us around some beautiful streets, then took us to Palmetto Point for a seafood dinner at a very lovely place.  Had hibiscus blooms on table (scattered around).      Drove around thru Tampa to Bradenton.  We had found a motel a mile south of Bradenton on 41 called Michiana.  Got settled, then drove out to Fred & Josephine Neptune’s trailer.

Tues. March 16    48 degrees       We Left about 8:30 for Fort Myers.  Stopped at Sarasota at Ringling’s home and museum.  Also drove out to Ringling Winter Quarters and saw the animals.  We stopped about 3 or 4 miles north of Ft. Myers at new motel.

Wed. March 17  

   We packed up and drove about a mile south of Fort Myers and settled in the Edisonian Motel.  It was very nice.  Took a drive on McGregor Blvd which is lined or planted on both sides with Royal Palms for miles.  Came back and stopped for a tour through Thomas Edison’s home which is now a memorial.  It is very interesting. 

   There are hundreds of trees on Edison’s grounds, most of them rare.  Lots of orchids are growing on the trees.  The house has frontage on the bay and is really 2 houses, both frame, with a wide porch clear around all four sides.  One has a living room and bed room on the first floor with 3 bedrooms upstairs.  The other house has about 60 or 70 feet to the side with another living room, dining room, large pantry and kitchen on the first floor and 3 or 4 guest rooms up.  Everything looks like pleasant comfortable living, but nothing pretentious.

   Also about on a line with the houses was a smaller building with a large den where Mr. Edison entertained his men friends and a small laboratory.  Directly across the boulevard is a building where gifts are sold and some relics are exhibited.  These grounds are planted with several varieties of palms, figs, a huge Banyan tree, which is really a form of fig tree from India which Mr. Firestone had given Mr. Edison.  Also on these grounds was his laboratory where he conducted a lot of his experiments.

   We drove into town, had supper across and down the main street about a square from the post office at very good cafeteria on a marina.  It was the best meal for the money that we have had on our trip.  We then drove a few blocks down by the recreation center to the docks, parked and walked around a while.  Watched people playing shuffle board.  Full moon.

Thurs. March 18, 1954

   Ate breakfast at a good restaurant across from Edisonian, then packed up.  We left the motel at about 9:30.  A warm day but cloudy most of the time.

Stopped in town & had car greased in afternoon.  Stopped at sea shell factory on way north.  Hundreds of varieties of shells and jewelry and gadgets made from them.  We ate lunch at a small restaurant south of Bradenton.  Circled around Tampa north on 41, then crossed over on 380 at Brooksville to 19.  Stopped at Johnson Manor south of Perry about ten miles about six o’clock. [Perry is a town of 7,000 on US 19 and 27 about 50 miles southeast of Tallahassee in Taylor County in the Big Bend region.  About 200 square miles of the 1,200 square mile county are swampland.]

Fri. March 19, 1954   begin trip home to Fortville

   Cool and raining.  I was all dressed when dad got awake at 7:40.  Traffic seemed unusually noisy last night.  Motel set back well too.  Kept dad awake he said.  Also heat was on in the cabins.  Of course he couldn’t sleep warm.  

It is now 8:15.  We are sitting in the restaurant in front of the motel waiting for our breakfast.

   Ate lunch in Dawson Georgia at Richardson’s Café about 1:00.  Food too highly seasoned.  Planned to go to Huntsville the way we came down but roads are renumbered.  Put gas in car at Lafayette on 431 and found our mistake.  This road goes to Huntsville too.  Arrived in Gadsden about 5:45.  Found a good motel and stopped.

Sat. March 20.  7:25 a.m.  Gadsden, Ala.  Hazy, but clear, cool.  We are going to cross on state road 74 to road  US 231 and thus not go through Guntersville.  It is rougher country north of there on 431.  Intend to drive home tonight.

[There is a five day gap in the diary here]

Fri. March 26       George brought Jeanne S. out.  I got home about 1½ hrs. ahead of them.

Sunday, March 28       Cool, cloudy    Attended church.  Ate our dinner.  Took Jeanne home about 2.  Got home abut 3:30.   Soon rained and hailed and stormed.   Frank’s family was here a few minutes before the storm.  They had been to Jeanne’s at Pendleton and found nobody home.

Tuesday, March 30         Went to city about 9:30 a.m. with Frank and Barbara.  We separated in Ayres and met there again at 2:00.  They let me out at Margaret McBane’s on Merrell St. on the way home.  I gave her a bottle of Blue Grass Cologne.  She seems to be getting along fine.  She has had 18 X ray treatments.   Talked to Jeanne after supper.  Christy wanted me to come up for lunch next day.  I accepted.

Wednesday, March 31, 1954

   We drove to Pendleton about 10 o’clock.  Oldsmobile 98 was being worked on.  Dad went to city later.  I had a good lunch and visit with all 3.  Jeanne & I walked around her flower beds to see the spring plants.  Then we went to the grocery.  She brought me home.  I picked up the car at garage.

Thursday, April 1, 1954  a sunshiny, cool day.  Just a beautiful one

   I looked at my watch wrong and made my bed at 5:30 before I realized it was so early.  Washed 5 pairs of dad’s sox.  Then ironed some slips, hankies (about 18) and shorts.  Was just through when dad came down 7:45.  Mrs. Saville came 8:30 to clean.  Dad left for city about 10.  Stewart ate lunch with us.  I took Mrs. Saville home about 3.  Stopped and visited with Harriet.  Millie came walking along with the children from school.  I picked Millie & Leslie up and took them home down the lane.

Saturday, April 3        Stewart, Leslie and Christy came about nine o’clock.  Chris suggested mixture [?] for lunch so that is what we had.  Tom and George arrived about 1 o’clock and ate their lunch.  From then on they were all busy.  Jeanne and Bob came down about 4:30 and took Chris home.  George Thomas & Leslie went to Millie’s where they stayed all night.  Stewart stayed here with Tom Thomas.  Cloudy and cool wind blowing.

Sunday, April 4    cloudy and quite cool in 30s

   I fried chicken and put it in Westinghouse oven.  Stewart ate dinner with us.  Leslie and George came in after dinner and climbed the big box elder tree.[6]  John came for the Tom and George about 5 o’clock.  They left in a little bit.  We went over to Ed and Nora’s about 8:30.  They arrived home from Florida via St. Lois Fri. night.  Hailed and rained hard in night. 

Monday, April 5, 1954

   I got up early and the rain was in form of light showers.  I started sweeping surface water down drains in the basement after lunch.  Geo. & I drove into city to see “Rosemarie” at Loew’s about 2 p.m.  The show was beautiful.  Stopped at 20^th St. to pick up rents and another shower started.  Drove home in rain.  [George R. built the 24 unit Garden Court buildings on Twentieth Street in 1924.  They were four sets of six two story row houses with basements, not apartments.]

Tues. April 6

   The town fire siren sounded about 4 a.m.  Don’t know where a fire was.  Got up before 6 and started my washing.  Finished it before breakfast.   Harriet came in about 11 and wanted me to drive to the city.  She had some stuff Abe wanted blue printed.  After leaving it, we drove to drive-in on 38^th, had sandwiches then back to Ohio St.  Got the blueprints.  Had a flat tire on Massachusetts Ave. near Shelby Furniture.  A Shell station man came & changed it.    Bridge club at Harriet Wisehart’s at 7:30.  Very nice but I was getting tired.  Got home about 12 o’clock.

Wednesday, April 7       A beautiful sunny day, about 80 degrees but strong wind.  I stayed in bed till 9 a.m.   Harriet borrowed my car for a while to go to the grocery.  Boys [Stew and Frank] came in and had some ice cream with me about 3 o’clock.  Geo went to city after lunch.  Colder in afternoon.  Wind changed to north in afternoon.

Thurs. April 8   clear and cool

   Geo to city again in p.m.   I stopped at Nora’s.  Margaret McBane was there.  We visited then I took Margaret home on Merrell St.  Stopped at Harriet’s for a little visit.   Nora & Ed came over for a while about 8:30.  We are talking about trading our 98 (’48) for their Holiday Olds, ‘53

Friday, April 9, 1954    clear and cold this a.m.  7 a.m.

   I am watching Walter Cronkite on early morning news from New York on T.V.  I made new shades for the kitchen windows.  Stewart had lunch with us.  Geo went to city afterwards.  Stewart, Frank, Debby and Spencer came in for ice cream & cake in the afternoon.

Saturday, April 10    warmer, sunshine and clouds.  Mostly cloudy

Cleaned back porch and part of my big closet.  Boys were in this a.m.  Freddy came back with Grandpa and left with his uncles.  Stewart J. played some canasta with me in the afternoon.[7]

Sunday, April 11    cloudy

   We went to church.  Barbara, Mary, Jim sat with us in church.  We left them at Grandpa Cooper’s.  Stewart called and invited us over for chicken dinner.  We certainly hurried over.  The dinner was delicious.  Leslie had made the butterscotch pudding.  Stewart & Millie took some of her paintings to the city for a show at the John Herron Art Institute.   The children are going to a party at the church.  Harriet’s children came over and they all left at 4:30 after having a good play.  Of course Stewart J. [age 13] and I played canasta.

Monday, April 12   clear cool beautiful day

   Baked an angel food birthday cake for Jim Cooper.  Got it over in time for party at 11:30 after kindergarten.  Nora came in and we ate our lunch with Harriet on the children’s pool table.  I came home to get ready for hair appointment.  Jeanne came just as I was ready.  We had a good visit for almost an hour.  After Leeta Flood finished my hair I did some shopping.  Forgot to say Stewart J. came in at 7 a.m. and watched Walter Cronkite news T.V. from New York.

Tuesday, April 13, 1954   clear

   Stewart G. came in to watch 7 a.m. news.  Sent Olds 88 to be washed and polished.  Geo picked up sticks in yard.  After lunch I started to cut down spirea bushes back of garage.  Geo came out after his nap in his chair and helped me.  We only have the ones along the west fence to do next time.

Immediately after lunch I beat Geo at canasta.  Ha! Ha!   Our ’88 Olds was brought back and looks like new.  It is our 1950 green 2 door model.  We are planning to trade our ’48 Olds 98 soon.  High 72 degrees.

Wednesday, April 14  54 degrees here, 52 degrees Los Angeles

   Clear and pleasant this morning.  Stewart J. watched the first half hour of New York news, Walter Cronkite.  Took Nora to grocery about 9:30.  Geo went to city after lunch.  I took a nap then drove to Jeanne’s.  Steve had arrived from I.U. for his spring vacation just ahead of me.  Had a visit with them.    Reset some sweet Williams and painted daisy plants.

9:15 p.m. light thunder shower.

   Thursday, April 15   cloudy, 64 degrees 8 a.m.   Good rain last night.    Sunny and cloudy.  Hope it clears.  Stewart James came for a few minutes before school.  I cleaned house with Mrs. Saville.  Took electric polisher to Harriet at 11.  Geo & I went to special church communion service at 7:30

Thunder showers all day

Friday, April 16    Rainy

   Stewart J. watched morning program for a while.  I drove to city about 9:30.  Called Jeanne and we had lunch together.  I shopped a little.  Stewart J. had supper with us.

Saturday, April 17, 1954   42 degrees, sunny but wind is sharp

Jeanne T. called to visit.  She said Steve would be down this afternoon to shoot for target practice at our household dump on the north side.  I baked sheet cake for tomorrow.

Sunday, April 18    cloudy, cool

   We went to church about 9:45.  Church started at 10:00.  Attendance was 564 at Sunday school.  Church crowded.  Had a wonderful dinner at Harriet’s.  Nora & Ed too.  Went on over to Nora’s.  Watched T.V.  Geo came home to shoot with Steve, Stew, Frank, and Stewart J. at Stew’s dump in his woods.  Nora, Mary & Barbara brought me home about 5:30.  Leslie, Steve and Stewart had ice cream and cake.  Steve is going to stay all night.

Monday, April 19   sunny & warm

   Steve got up and ate his breakfast and was gone before we came down.  I painted the basement stairway.  Steve ate lunch with Stewart J.  I had a short nap after lunch.  I washed lunch dishes and raked big bed by flower garden, Burned trash.  Dad cut the big section of lawn and the small one in front.  Steve, Stewart J. and Leslie played Dirty 8’s.  Jeanne came for Steve about 5:00.

Tuesday, April 20  warm, clear 75 degrees noon.  Cloudy once in a while.

   Bridge club at Irene Baynham’s.  Cleaned dead plant tops & leaves out of flower garden.  It looks lots better.  Took some painted daisy plants to Harriet.  I am going to drive and pick up Mayme, Martha, Hazel, Margaret and brought Harriet Wiseheart home too.   Boys ploughed in field across the road today.  First ploughing of year.

Wednesday, April 21    sunshine & clouds  81 degrees

   Leeta gave me a Lilt permanent at 9 a.m.  I gathered my clothes & toilet case and drove up to Pendleton.  Christy & Sue Shepple came about 4 o’clock.  Christy had called me to tell me she would go out home with Sue and they would be here for supper.  Grandpa was here too.  Sue & Christy cooked and served our supper very promptly and it was good.  Grandpa left about 9 and Sue’s folks came for her about 10:00 o’clock.

Thursday, April 22   a beautiful day

   Christy asked I could bake her a lemon pie.  I did in a.m.  Watched the McCarthy-Army investigation on T.V.[8]  Went after Christy at noon.  We had our lunch.  I took her back to school then called on Martha & Mary Frances Thomas.  They were finishing their lunch.  Their parakeet Keeto made up with me.  Sat on my shoulder and talked to my earrings.[9]  Rained about 9:30.

Friday, April 23   rainy looking.  Cloudy & cool      Took Christy to school.  Brought my clothes home.  Started my evening dinner.  Straightened house.  Went back to Pendleton, made Christy’s sandwiches.  Got her at school and took her back.  Watched Army-McCarthy investigation till 3:20, then picked up Christy.  We got her clothes, got home about 4.  Stewart J. had supper with us.  Also Jeanne came out from the city with dad.

Saturday, April 24. John Thomas’s birthday, 41    warm beautiful day

   Did a big washing—one load mine—4 loads.  Jeanne & dad went to city about 1 p.m.  I did some bed making, picking up.  Jeanne had dusted house.  Took my bath, cleaned up.  Started chicken frying.  We stopped at Harriet’s, then Jeanne’s  Visited with Jeanne, Bob, and Christy.  Watched TV and got to bed about 10.  Changed our time forward one hour.

Sunday, April 25, 1954.  gorgeous sunny warm day.  68 in a.m.   

   Went to church.  Former minister Estal Taylor attended church.  Board meeting after church.  Then we went to Twin Lanterns for dinner.  Went to Stewart’s for a while, then drove back on the lane of our farm, over the spring.[10]  Leslie came with us too.  Took a ride out to Geist lake then home.                        83 degrees early afternoon.  Real summer time.

Monday, April 26   lovely summer day

   Cleaned the screened porch and put furniture out on it.  Dad cleaned yard chairs and screens.  Took down back storm door and French door storm doors.  I took a lilac bouquet back to Millie.  Stopped at Harriet’s for my floor polisher.  Visited a few minutes with Blanche Graham at their house.  [Jim and Donna Cooper and I cleaned this same screened porch in May, 2012 and put the same furniture back for the last time before the Big House was sold in October that year.  We keenly felt the end of a long tradition.]

Tues. April 27   cloudy, a few showers, cooled off all day

   I drove up to farm before 7.  Visited with Stew as he fed pigs.  Went to Frank’s and visited with all the children & Barbara.  Frank turned on news on TV from N.Y. and we all watched a while.  [Aside from the Army-McCarthy hearing, the other big news was that the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh and General Giap defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954.  The French government collapsed, the French pulled their armed forces out and Viet Nam was divided at the seventeenth parallel, setting the stage for our Viet Nam war a few years later.]  Mrs. Saville cleaned here today.  After she left dad and I took a ride south through Mohawk and Mt. Comfort back home. Dad and Stewart J. cut big front yard early afternoon.   50 degrees at 9 p.m.  [I mowed most of yard the last time in fall 2012 at age 71,  58 years after the mowing mentioned here.  I used a riding mower that made the job easier and faster.  SJR]

Wednesday, April 28, 1954      cloudy

   Worked in flower garden.  Took some plants to Nora.  Mary [age 5 and a half] was there.  Stopped in to see Harriet a minute.  She was going to be a substitute at Nora’s club, met at Curley Navin’s home [Dr. Navin’s wife].

Thurs. April 29   nice day but cloudy

   Took some plants to Jeanne in Pendleton about 9 a.m.  Came back, dressed, stopped to pick up Martha McDonald to go Indianapolis.  Martha & I stopped at John Herron Art Institute to pick up 3 of Millie’s pictures [She was studying art there on Sixteenth Street directly across the street from the Penn Arts apartment building where Great-grandma Stewart and Aunt Jeanne lived for about seven years until “Gramzie” died in June, 1949.  This was a short distance from their former house at 1728 N. Pennsylvania St. where they had lived from 1894 until 1944.  Their old phone number there in the 1920s was 6637.]

Friday, April 30  cloudy, but no rain      Worked in yard all day.  Mr. Saville made a long flower bed on south side of drive opposite of the house.  I will sow seed & put in plants after rain.  Have onions to put in our garden across the highway.  Took a country ride after supper.

Saturday, May 1          raining  cleared before noon, beautiful

   Dad went to city to collect rents.  Stewart J. had breakfast with us.  Leslie brought her good doll and her own new red house coat Millie bought her this week.  She played around here.  I played Dirty 8’s with Stewart and Leslie.  Stewart went home to finish grass cutting.  Leslie & I went over and visited with Stew while he fed the cattle.  He had planted some tomatoes & mangos [green peppers] in their garden.  I planted some in my garden across the highway.  [During World War II the entire family kept a huge Victory Garden in this garden across highway 238 from the Big House.]

Sunday, May 2, 1954   rainy      

   Went to church then to Twin Lanterns for dinner.  Jeanne, Bob, and Christy came to see us in afternoon. Clouds cleared off for a little in afternoon.  Frank & family all came in just after dad went to church.  As usual, Dad & I played canasta after he came home.

Monday, May 3         cool, 40 degrees, cloudy                                           

   Hope it doesn’t freeze and spoil my tomatoes and mangos.  Stewart and Frank came in separately in a.m.  Stew brought the mail.  He & Millie are going to city.  6:30 p.m. 42 degrees.  Stewart J. came over & played canasta with me.  We ate our supper then covered our tomato plants.  Feels like frost.

Tuesday, May 4        real cool, 33 degrees a.m.       Partly cloudy, quite a cold breeze.     Mayme Wright picked us all up for bridge club.  We were all at Ruth Adams’ place.  It was the first time the 10 of us have been together for a year at least.  I won first prize.  Ruth served brownies, coconut macaroons and coffee.  We had cokes and candy too.     Harriet came in with Barbara, Mary & Fred to get money for Girl Scout camp in June.  Frank came down later for coal and visited quite a while.

Wednesday, May 5   cool

   Called Helen Ashley my Indianapolis friend to ask her to go downtown with me, but she couldn’t.  I went in but didn’t stay long, back by 2 o’clock.  Ate lunch Ayre’s basement.  Jeanne Stewart was there so we ate together.  On our way across Washington Street we saw Martha McDonald.  We arranged to meet in an hour and she came out with me.

Thursday, May 6      Cleaning day.  Cloudy & cool in a.m.  Cleared in p.m.

Television picture died in eve.

Friday, May 7, 1954  cool but clear    

   Harriet and I went to city about 9:30.  Harriet needed some things for their trip next week to Jackson Mississippi on business.  We got home about 1:30.  Jeanne S. came out with George.

Sunday, May 9   cool & cloudy

   Hailed before we went to church.  We looked for a family of young robins.  We had enjoyed watching their mother feed them in the blue spruce tree outside the sun room window.  They were gone—a cat or something had taken them.  We went to church, ate dinner, took Jeanne in to Indianapolis about 3 o’clock.  Leslie came in after CYE [Christian Youth Endeavor] to see us.  Barbara & Mary brought me a Mother’s day card in early afternoon.

Monday, May 10   bright and clear this a.m.  Went down to 30 degrees last night.   Dad bought a big 24 inch Motorola T.V.  It gives a wonderful picture.  Harriet & Abe left for Jackson, Mississippi business about 9:30.  Children at Nora’s.  Jeanne came down after 3 and we had a good visit.

Tues. May 11  bright clear cool day, 48 degrees about 9 o’clock

   Got Harriet’s key from Nora to have another one made.  They didn’t have a blank to match it so I will try Raymond Tuttle.  Cut out black rayon print dress.   Nora, Fred [age 3 as of April 7] & I put Angus, Harriet’s black cat, in her house & fed him.  Went back to Nora’s.  Dad was there too.  We watched T.V. a while.      Did some washing for Harriet in p.m.

Wednesday, May 12, 1954.  bright and clear & cool, 45 degrees at 7:30

   Drove up to Jeanne’s to see Steve’s Big Ten rifle team trophy and new medals.  Then brought him back with us to stay all night.

Thursday, May 13   another beautiful day         

   Dad and Steve ate supper at Millie’s.  I took Barbara Rafert, Debby, Millie, Leslie, Barbara and Mary Cooper to Mother and Daughter’s banquet at the Methodist church.  Verna Whitworth sang and Estal Taylor [longtime minister at the Christian Church] gave a wonderful talk on motherhood.

Friday, May 14   another nice day

   Got Mrs. Saville at Nora’s and took her to Harriet’s to iron.  Steve drove my car and I took him home after lunch.  Dad brought Aunt Jeanne out.  I set some onion sets on south side of drive against curb.

Sat. May 15     another beautiful day, a little warmer each day

   Leslie and 2 girl friends came in.  I did Jeanne’s and my washing.  Harriet and Abe got home from Mississippi about 4 p.m.  They had a good time.

Sun. May 16   cloudy

   I fried chicken for a picnic dinner in our yard.  Frank’s and Stewart’s families came over about 1 o’clock.  Looked like rain and pretty steady breeze.  We just finished carrying everything in when it started to rain. 

Monday, May 17, 1954   bright sunshine     Worked outside all day.  Bought rose pink geraniums, coleus, ageratum and vinea vine for urns on east porch and planted them.  Ordered some red caladium for the north urns.  Cooler this evening, breeze out of north.

Tues. May 18   partly cloudy      Bridge at Faye Wisehart’s.  We are going to eat at some restaurant, then play at Faye’s.  Leeta set my air at nine.  Went to grocery after that.  Picked up Martha and Nell Hudson at 12.  We met at Faye’s, then went out to the Pendleton Country Club for lunch.  We were back at Faye’s and ready to play at 2:30.  Came home about 5:45.  Leslie and Stewart here for supper and all night.

Wednesday, May 19.  cloudy, 50 degrees at 8 a.m.      Ruth Adams fell in her bathroom and broke her arm just before Sidney’s graduation exercises.

Children were at breakfast then went home before going to school.  Stew stopped in to see us.  I bought 2 pots red caladium plants for north porch urns.  Harriet, Fred & Mary visited a few minutes in yard.  Sent bluegrass cologne to Marilyn Canaday for graduation.  Jeanne came down from Pendleton in afternoon.  We had a good visit.  We baby sat at Frank’s so they could go to Marilyn’s graduation.  Babies all went to bed and to sleep like little angels.

Thursday, May 20   sunny and cool     Did big washing.  Mrs. Saville cleaned downstairs, then ironed.  Caught 4:23 bus for city that Jeanne & Christy were on.  I returned a slip at Block’s, then met them at Ayre’s basement lunch room.  We shopped then caught 8:30 bus for home.[11]

Fri. May 21  Jeanne Belle Rafert Thomas’s birthday, 43^rd  nice day, warmer

   Got a corsage for Jeanne then dad & I went up to Pendleton for lunch to deliver it.  Ha! Ha!  We got a good lunch!  We came on home for dad was going to city and Nora & I drove in to antique show at Murat Shrine Temple on Massachusetts Avenue.  Came home after a short shopping and dad, Nora & I went to Lions Club fish fry at the town parking lot on Main St. next to the railroad.  Good food.  Took our last ride in Olds ’98 bought in ’48.

Sat. May 22   Get our new De Soto in a.m.[12]   sunny day

   Got car after dinner.  Drove into city with some of Jeanne’s summer dresses.  Had a doughnut and coke with Reeta Clark, Jeanne and Miss Elizabeth.  Dad and I took Christy home as I got back.  Had supper then drove to dad’s cousin Della Manche Winslow’s.[13]

Sun., May 23, 1954    sunny day    Went to church.    Had dinner.     Frank brought down a bowl of whipped Wilson’s milk.  Barbara put some mixed fruit in it.

Monday, May 24   warm     Took Martha McDonald for a ride in our new car.  Car stopped at Road 38 & 67.  Finally got it started.  Left it at Wilkinson’s all night.  Loose wire and oil leak.[14]  Gentle rain in eve.

Tues. May 25, 1954   cool

Visiting Nurses Association at Agnus Moorehead’s.  Delicious luncheon, 14 present.  Went out to see Mayme Wright.  She told me she has Diabetes and is waiting to go to the hospital.  Drove to Pendleton after supper, had a little visit with all 3.

Wed. May 26   cool and cloudy     Planted the north urns this p.m.  Martha had me get some starts of her holly bush.  Planted them by west corner of front porch.   Received a good letter from cousin Grace Stewart.  She had contacted Elizabeth Griffith & has moved.  I have her address.[15]

Thurs. May 27   light showers several times today    Neither hot nor cool

   Mrs. Saville cleaned downstairs and washed all the inside doors.  She will polish floors next week.  Dad & I drove over to Ed & Nora’s after supper.  The grandpas took the 3 older children to a picture show at the Rialto & left them.  The grandmas went after them.[16]  I helped Nora clean leaves from some bulbs.  She gave me some.

Fri. May 28          Took the new De Soto down for 300 mile check up in a.m.  Jeanne S. came out after work.  Leslie, Barbara, Geo & I drove in about 4:30 to get her.  Rode up to Jeanne’s at Pendleton after supper.

Sat. May 29, 1954

   Did a big washing.  Jeanne fixed a cotton office dress—hem & so on.  I basted a little on a black rayon print I cut out months ago.  We took a little ride in eve.  I gathered flowers and put them in buckets of water in garage.  There were lots more than I expected this cool weather.

Sun. May 30  Went to church, then drove to Crown Hill.  Edyth Gay had sent money to me for flowers for the Woods lot.[17]  I bought a dozen and a half peonies from Treva Souders.  Took Jeanne home.  Then straight home.  We had a visit with Harold & Ruth Curtis while at the Stewart lot.  Their lot is across the drive.  [Impromptu visits at Crown Hill occurred fairly often, especially in spring.  Memorial Day was the major day to visit cemeteries.]

Monday, May 31      cloudy most of day, fairly warm    

   Just worked around home.  The weather was perfect for the races.  And there were no serious accidents on the 500 race track.  The race wasn’t on T.V. but we listened to the radio once in a while.

Tues. June 1, 1954   Rainy and cool

   Painter called, came with 2 helpers at 8:30.  He started in upper hall.  I let him just satin finish which looks like enamel.  Had bridge club at Nell Hudson’s.  Only 6 of us, so played 1 table.  Took bouquet over to Ruth Adams after supper.  She is in good spirits.  Arm is healing, break at wrist.

Wed. June 2, 1954    Rainy and cool    Worked like mad to get the big living room ready for the painters.  They got the walls all pointed up ready for tomorrow and the kitchen finished.

Thurs. June 3, 1954   cloudy and cool     Started to empty the west living room.  Took dishes out of top of cupboard and put them on back stairway. 

Fri. June 4, 1954      Bright sun at 6 a.m.     Mrs. Saville came, cleaned upstairs first, then stairways, sun room and about 2:00 we put curtains back in west living room as we cleaned.  Got Jeanne before supper.  After supper bought groceries.  Frank came in and helped us put everything in place in big living room.  Bless his heart.

Sat. June 5   nice day   

The girls [Grandma Rafert’s first cousins] got here about 12:30 and we were ready with dinner.  We had such a good visit.  Bessie Bloomer Gurtner showed us camera pictures of her grandchildren and we did the same.[18]  Then Lucille and Allegra [Stewart] showed us slides of their trip abroad.[19]  Frank and 3 older kids and Leslie came in a few minutes.  Jeanne went to city with the girls about 4:30.

Sunday, June 6

I put away dishes and sorted out the linen drawers.  Will launder a lot of it tomorrow.  Had dinner.  Then planted some corn & beans in garden across the way [across highway 238].  Stewart’s family were all working there too.  They came over & we had ice cream. 

Dad and I took a ride.

Tues. June 8, 1954    hot       Blanche Graham and I shopped in city.    Rained as we waited for the car in parking lot.  We were lucky.

Wed. June 9    hot      I straightened house and packed clothes for our trip to get annual physicals Bluffton Clinic in the a.m.  Drove to Jeanne’s in eve.

Thurs. June 10     hot

   We left home at 6:35 a.m.  Arrived Bluffton about 8:40.  Parked in front of Mrs. Ludwig’s and told her we would want to rooms all night.  Didn’t get to eat or drink till 3:30 p.m.  Bad electrical storm about midnight.  I didn’t sleep much all night for noise of storm and cars and pills we had taken to clean us out.

Friday, June 11    hot    Caylor-Nickel Clinic  [Check up cost, $215.50]

   George and I reported for X rays at clinic at 7 a.m.  It was a long, hard morning.  Geo got his lunch about 1, but I didn’t get mine till 2:00.  Came back to clinic and sat around till 4.  Reports pretty good.  I am put on 1,000 calorie diet and intend to stay on it.   Arrived home about 6:30.  Pretty tired.

Saturday, June 12        hot       Jeanne S. didn’t come out from Indianapolis today.  Jeanne Thomas and Chris came down in p.m.  I took wedding present of dishes out to Marilyn Canaday.  She is a lovely girl.  Geo and I took ride in eve. to cool off.

Sunday, June 13     hot     Went to church.  Brought Leslie and Stewart home with us.  Said goodbye to Stew and Millie as they left for Cleveland Clinic for check ups.  Took kids to dinner at Twin Lanterns, then got Chief, their German shepherd dog, and suit cases and took them to grandpa and grandma Jim and Flora Hawk’s who live just south of Spring Lake and U.S. 40.

Monday, June 14, 1954      80 degrees in eve.    Odds and ends today.  Received my diet instructions.  Severe thunderstorm in afternoon and eve.

Tues. June 15   beautiful warm day     my birthday, 66

   Received birthday cards from Aunt Della Stewart, Jeanne and Martha McDonald, also 1 doz. Beautiful red roses from Jeanne & Bob and from Abe and Harriet.  Then went to Jeanne’s at Pendleton for a delicious fried chicken dinner.  Stewart and Millie got home from Cleveland Clinic about 6:30.  Their reports were good.

Wed. June 16   cloudy, pleasant, hot by noon

   Caught 9:40 bus same as Jeanne was on.  We shopped till 1:00 and caught 1:15 bus home.[20]  It started to rain hard in city but wasn’t raining when I got off at Fortville.  Called Millie and she brought me out from the town bus stop at Kate Traylor’s Marathon gas station on 67.  Was cool after rain.  Rained here a little about 4. 

Thurs. June 17   clear and air nice & cool               Stewart J. came over to cut grass for grandpa while we were at breakfast.  He surely is a helper.  [My “Pocket Ledger” shows I was paid $1 for mowing that day.  I finished on Saturday and made another $1.50.  SJR]

Fri. June 18   another hot day

   Barbara Cooper’s birthday  [She turned 10].  We ate supper with all of them at Ed and Nora’s.  We called Jeanne S. and went in after her at 9 p.m.

Sat. June 19, 1954           Another hot day           Jeanne & I washed blankets and clothes.  We took her home about eight o’clock.

Sun. June 20     hot     Went to church.  Brought Stewart J. home with us after church.  Leslie and Barbara were taken to Girl Scout camp at Frankton.

We 3 went to Marilyn Canaday’s wedding at Cyntheanne Church in the afternoon.  It was beautiful.  Jeanne, Bob and Chris came by for a visit.  Jeanne hasn’t been well for 2 weeks. 

Monday, June 21    hot      Bob called us about 2 o’clock to say he had taken Jeanne to St. John’s Hospital in Anderson.  She has a nice private room.  Will take X rays tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 22

   Went to Pendleton for supper then to Anderson to see Jeanne.  Chris had a good supper.  Jeanne looked good.  She was sitting reading in a chair.

Wed. June 23    cool & pleasant     Bob and Chris came down after supper to tell us Jeanne is to be operated Friday for an obstruction in the lower bowel.

Fri. June 25    hot   Harriet’s 11^th anniversary        A.m. I drove to Pendleton to be with Chris.  We didn’t accomplish much.  Thought we would work on the skirt of dressing table.  Just visited and did dishes.  Harriet was with Bob and called about 9 to say Jeanne was back from the operating room and real cheerful.  Bob came about 2:30 to say there would have to be another operation in about a week.  I came home about 4.  Marcia Lee who now lives in Palo Alto came to visit Chris for a few days.  The surgery cost $249.25.  [G.O.R. cash book 6, p. 168.]

Sat. June 26, 1954      hot       Geo. and I drove to hospital in p.m.  I took a pearl necklace to Jeanne for her anniversary.  She seems to feel pretty good.  Dr. had redressed her side. We had a good visit and felt better after seeing her.        Cooled off in eve.

Sunday, June 27       cool         John & Louise Thomas came before church and saw dad.  They arranged with Bob to see Jeanne in p.m.  Dad and I walked to church in eve.  Stopped & visited with Floyd and Blanche Graham on their porch on way home.  [Floyd Graham was Grandpa’s handyman for many years, often helping with house repairs in Indianapolis.  Blanche was Grandma’s friend.]

Monday, June 28       down to 60 degrees this a.m.    Like northern lake weather.  A very nice day.  Didn’t accomplish much, weather made me sleepy.

Tues. June 29   Bob and Jeanne’s 21^st anniversary     warmer

   I shopped at Sears in city for clothes.  Bought some.  Also pair of tan pumps at Stout’s shoe store for fall.  Harriet & Barbara Jean went up to St. John’s to see Jeanne.  Geo and I drove to Pendleton and visited with Christy, Marcia Lee and Katherine Mathias.  Also Bob after he got home from hospital.  [The new Indianapolis Sears was built on a lot on Alabama Street that Christopher Rafert left in his estate.  Grandpa sold the lot it to Sears about 1948.  After this sale, Grandpa closed his father’s estate which was incorporated 38 years after his death in 1910.]

Wed. June 30    warmer

I am going to St. John’s this p.m.  Found Jeanne and nurse busy and kidding as usual.  Nice cool breeze in her room.

Thurs. July 1, 1954   hot      Mrs. Saville cleaned.  I did a big hand washing.  Martha McDonald picked me a gallon of her late pie cherries.  George & Steve went to see Jeanne in eve.  I got cherries & visited with Lena Heinsy and Martha.

Fri. July 2   air pleasant early       I got up at six, pitted cherries and made a large and a small pie.  Ate breakfast.  Stew came in and ate with me.  I washed my car.  Got all ready to drive to city and realized that I wouldn’t get back in time.  Harriet is coming after me to go to St. John’s this p.m.  We had a good visit with Jeanne.  Went to get Jeanne S. in city after supper.

Sat. July 3        hot-hot       Stewart and Frank came by and took us with them to Fred Pope’s [butcher shop and general store in Eden on Indiana 9] as they got their beef from a steer they had butchered.  We got some groceries.  Had lunch.  Took pie to Christy for Harriet.  Did a big hand washing of clothes after I came back.  Took nice ride to cool off in eve.

Sunday, July 4   very hot      Stewart came in.  Jeanne & I rode around back side of farm with him.  Got ready for church.  Dinner over, Jeanne S. & I drove to St. Johns Hospital hospital.  Had good visit with Jeanne.  Came home & shed our clothes.  So hot.  Sat around & watched T.V.  I slept down stairs.  Lots of fire works all day and our dog Honey was scared to pieces.  She followed us upstairs every time we went.

Monday, July 5     nice cool a.m.  72         Had Bob and Christy for lunch.  Took Aunt Jeanne home after supper.  Christy stayed all night at Harriet’s.

Tuesday, July 6

   I drove Harriet up to Bob’s at 6:15 a.m..  He was ready and they left for the hospital.  I stayed and did dishes and made beds.  Bob & Harriet came down about 1:30.  Jeanne was in surgery from 7:15 to 11:30.  Serious operation.  Pretty anxious about her.

Wed. July 7  rained in eve.  Cloudy all day

   George decided to drive us to city in the Olds.  We got back home about 2.  Geo. & I drove to Anderson in hard rain from other side of Ingalls.  We had a good visit with Jeanne.  She was sitting in chair by window.  Stewart, Leslie, Barbara Ann and Chris had supper with us.  Barbara & Christy stayed all night with us.

Thurs. July 8    Lovely and cool and sunny

Going to Harriet’s this p.m.  Christy & I are going to hospital and then get supper at Pendleton for all of us.  Jeanne sitting in her big chair seemed fine.  Grew sleepy from a shot given her some time earlier.  We came back and had supper.  Bob left for hospital, Chris and Steve went to their Grandmother Martha Thomas’ house to play scrabble.  Dad & I watched T.V. and I did dishes and put them away.  We came home in our 2 cars.  Then we drove down to see cousin Della Winslow.  [Her father John Manche and Grandpa’s mother Christina Rafert were brother and sister.]

Friday, July 9   another cool day but sunny      Millie came in for a minute.  Boys are making hay on our farm for Abe’s horses, then will thrash.  [Abe’s riding horse was an Arabian named Hussein.  As I recall he had two other Arabians.]  Went to get Jeanne S. in city after supper.

Saturday, July 10   pleasant     Went to St. John’s in afternoon.  Jeanne pretty tired.  We didn’t stay long.   The 3 of us took ride in eve.  Jeanne S. curled up and went to sleep on back seat before we got home.

Sunday, July 11, 1954   pleasant      Didn’t go Tom & George in Bedford.  They came up  on the bus.  G.O.R. took Aunt Jeanne home in afternoon.

Monday, July 12   warmer

Tues. July 13         I did a large washing.  Nora & I went to Anderson.  I got some pink percale for dust ruffles on Jeanne & Bob’s beds. 

Wed. July 14    104 degrees   incredibly hot, cooled off in eve.   Too chilly

   I finished dust ruffles for dressing table and took them to Pendleton where I pressed them.  Got one sewed on before lunch and other one after.  Came home & called Jeanne.

Thurs. July 15       Went to see Jeanne at St. John’s in afternoon with Harriet.  I took a bouquet and Barbara & Frank sent one.  Jeanne seemed lots better.  Brought Christy from Pendleton to stay all night at Harriet’s.

Fri. July 16    pleasant      Aunt Jeanne will come out next weekend.

Baked a white cake and iced it.  After lunch took Christy, Leslie, Barbara, Tom & Stewart and my cake to Pendleton.  Millie sent pie & frozen hamburgers.  I waited and took the children to the swimming pool in Fall Creek at Falls Park.  We stayed about 1¼ hour then brought them back to Jeanne’s.  We drove to Nora & Ed’s.  Dick & Hazel Pritchard were there so we stayed and visited till 9:30.[21]

Sat. July 17, 1954      Another pleasant day a little above 80      Did hand washing.  Packed clean blankets away.  Harriet went up to see if she could help Christy.  She had called Jeanne and found she is coming home tomorrow.  Jeanne wants to be left alone several days so the family will respect her wish.

Sunday, July 18    cloudy       Went to church.  Thunderstorm about 11 a.m.  Found our phone out of order after storm.  Stewart’s water pump was struck by lightning.  So we took Tom and George to Indianapolis to get the Bedford bus.  Leslie & Stewart rode along.  No bus till 4:15 so we had to wait an hour.  Sun was out again and extremely hot.

Monday, July 19    sunny     Geo. got up with a sore side.  Slept under a fan last night.   Called Pendleton on Harriet’s phone.  Jeanne is home and happy, though tired.  No phone connection all day.[22]    Did hand washing.

Tues. July 20, 1954   extremely warm         A letter came from Aunt Della.[23]  [This footnote continues bottom of next page]]

Wed. July 21    cool & rainy        Rained a gentle rain from midnight on.  Easy showers most of a.m.  Cloudy all day.  Baked some pumpkin pies in p.m.  Took one up to Jeanne’s after supper.  Didn’t stay long. 

Thurs. July 22   cool, clear    I washed.

Friday, July 23, 1954   Geo brought Jeanne out from Indianapolis after work.

Saturday, July 24     Did Jeanne’s washing and she ironed.  In the afternoon we stopped at Strough’s grocery and Jeanne bought T bone steaks for Jeanne’s family.  We got there about 4:30.  Jeanne is having trouble with her appetite, but Bob called us in eve. to say she ate all of her T bone.

Sunday, July 25   warm         

   Went to church.  Learned Tom and George’s grandfather John Girt had died Sat. eve.  He had a heart attack.  We changed our clothes, took Jeanne S. home after dinner, then on to Bedford.  Brought George and Tom home with us.  Got home about 8:30.     

Mon. July 26   Boys played around here.  Stewart J. was here for lunch.

Tues. July 27   hot       Up to see Jeanne.

Wed. July 28      Washed Tom’s clothes and ironed a few things.[24]  Tom and Stewart helped Stew and Frank put up about 200 bales of wheat straw.

Thurs. July 29, 1954        Rained in night.  Stew & family will leave for their vacation this a.m.  [See footnote 24 below]  Mr. Salinas & son here for yard work.  [Arcadio Salinas lived at 124 E. Bell St., Pharr, Texas. He and his family came to Fortville yearly as migrant workers.  He often worked for Grandma with one or two sons helping her flower gardening.]  Stew’s family here for lunch then they started their trailer trip.  They expect to go to Wisconsin & Minnesota.  Saw Jeanne this evening.  She looks and acts like she feels better.

Fri. July 30   73 at 7 a.m.  got up 5:35            

   A little foggy, but warm.  Pulled some weeds by the garage.  Hard rain & wind in late afternoon and eve.  Blew down a lot of trees in Pendleton.[25]

Saturday, July 31     pleasantly cool   

Sunday, August 1, 1954    partly cloudy           We drove and brought Christy to Harriet’s.  She will stay all night there.

Monday, August 2   pleasant     

   I drove up to Jeanne’s about 9 a.m.  Got their lunch.  Christy, Harriet, Barbara, Mary & Fred came in just as we were through lunch.  Christy had a hair appointment, 12:30.  I stayed till 1:30.  Visited with Martha McDonald for a while on the way home.

Tues. August 3

   Big washing washed & mended a nighty for Jeanne.  Gathered some beets, pickled 2 quarts, fixed some sliced to butter for Jeanne & some for me.  Drove to Pendleton about 8 p.m.  Visited with Jeanne, Steve, Christy.   

Wed. Aug. 4, 1954   rained in night   showers & sunshine

   Stewart called Frank in eve.  Said they had circled into Canada across Soo and were in northern Mich.  Would come down thru Detroit, home by Sat.

Thur. Aug. 5            rained in night            Drove up to Jeanne’s in a.m.  Had a short visit with her.    Jeanne helped get lunch & is pretty draggy.

Fri. August 6          clear, pleasant       Harriet & I went shopping at Arlington & 10^th. Bought some children’s clothes in afternoon.

Sat. August 7         Going to take dinner up to Jeanne’s tomorrow and eat with them.  Drove up in eve. Visited with Jeanne & Bob.     Christy came in from her grandmother Thomas’ about 9.  On way home saw Stewart’s  lights on.  They are home from their trip.

Sun. Aug. 8         sprinkled off & on all day           Went to church.  Took dinner up with us to Pendleton.  Had baked pies before church.  Dad came back with Steve & Tom.  They wanted to shoot their guns some.  Frank’s family came in and Stewart’s.  I came on home.    Steve, Tom & Stewart, Jr. played canasta with me until about 9:30.

Mon. August 9        partly cloudy cool.        64 at 7 a.m.

Tuesday, August 10, 1954        cool    Our 44^th wedding anniversary.   

   Busy all day.  Tom, Leslie, Stewart and I cleaned the garage.  Made a big dent on it but still lots to do.[26]

Wed. Aug. 11    cool         

   In morning Mr. Salinas & sons worked in yard weeding flower beds.     In afternoon Tom wiped ceiling beams & woodwork in big living room and Stewart and Leslie washed the windows inside and out.  George and I visited with Jeanne and Bob in eve.

Thurs. Aug. 12   cool

   I drove up to Jeanne’s in afternoon.  Harriet had been up and Christy went back to stay overnight.  Jeanne dressed and started her supper before I left.  She still can’t stay up too long, but looks lots better and enjoys food.

Mrs. Saville cleaned & washed hardwood floors. 

.

Fri. August 13, 1954    cool        Last broadcast of Walter Cronkite on morning show after 105 shows Mon. thru Fri.  Jack Parr will take over. 

   Leeta Griffey my hair dresser called about 8 a.m. telling about Mr. Otto Barby’s death.  She is on her way there to Knowles, Oklahoma.  [Grandpa had bought Hereford cattle from the Barby ranch since the early 1930s.  Grandpa and Grandma became close friends of the family.  Leeta Griffey Flood, born 1916, died Feb. 3, 2007.  How she happened to know the Barby family of western Oklahoma is a mystery.  Reading her obituary in the Fortville Tribune, I was surprised she was still living so many years later!]

Sun. Aug. 15.  John & George came to Fanny Girt to visit her. [“Mom” Girt was John Thomas’s mother who also worked at Georgia Anderson’s Ice Cream Parlor one building south of the southeast corner of Main and Staat Street in Fortville a number of years.  It was a high school kid hangout.] 

Mon. Aug. 16   pleasant     George & I drove Tom, Stewart and Leslie to church camp at Pearson’s Mill on the Mississinewa River near Wabash.  We left about 12:15.  A nice camp.  I made Leslie’s bed for her.  We were back home by 3:30.  [We enjoyed Christian Church camps with our Sunday School and school classmates almost every year]

Tue. Aug. 17     John’s family were here for lunch.  I drove up to Jeanne’s in afternoon.  I sat and knitted a while as I talked with her.

Wed. Aug. 18     Baked 2 cakes, decorated them.  Took one to Harriet’s in the afternoon for a little birthday party for George Thomas with her children. 

Fri. Aug. 20       I baked 4 pies, froze 3.  Jeanne S. came out with Geo in time for supper.  I baked a cake for the Manche family reunion tomorrow.[27]  Jeanne brought me a lovely hanky and one for Jeanne Thomas.

Sat. Aug. 21     Left for Greenfield about 11.  George drove to Pearson’s Mill for the children, got back about 8:30.   There were 48 at Manche reunion.  A nice time and good food as usual.     Drove up to see Jeanne after early supper.  Jeanne S. & I played canasta with Tom [Thomas, then 16].

Sunday, Aug. 22       hot       Jeanne and Geo & I went to church, Tom to Sunday school.  Tom was invited to his aunt and uncle Janie and David Thomas’s for dinner.  Geo took Jeanne home about 4 p.m.  I played canasta with Tom & Stewart.

Mon. Aug. 23   hot      Tom picked all of the peaches.[28]  I baked 3 peach pies.  I left off some peaches at Hazel [Pritchard’s].  Took a pie to Jeanne T. in eve.

Tues. August 24, 1954   hot      Washing on line before 8.  Lots of peaches to work with.  Made 16 glasses peach preserves.  Millie sent beans over to can 12 quarts.  Didn’t go to Jeanne’s today.  Thelma Cummins’ husband shot himself.  It was fatal.

Wed. August 25   hot & sunny       Will iron and bake or freeze some peaches.  Geo., Tom & Stewart are going by train to Chicago tomorrow.  Stewart stayed all night.  We packed their bags.  We all settled down early.[29]

Thursday, Aug. 26  cool in a.m., warmer in p.m. 

   Had wind storm at Fall Creek & 38^th in p.m.  Small sprinkle out here.  Ate our breakfast about 6:30, then drove in to 38^th at station.  Sun was shining.  Lots of people got on the train.  Boys and Dad had to sit separately.  Bought shirt for Bob’s birthday on way home.  Came on home about 11.  Millie was washing here.  Had so much.  I kept it going after she left.

Friday, August 27, 1954   warm    

   Went to Jeanne’s about 8.  Visited about an hour.  Stopped at Strough’s grocery on way home. Took Millie’s clean clothes home & picked up my floor polisher there.  Took it to Harriet.  Got 2 days mail at P.O.  Brought Harriet’s packages from there to her.  Canned 4 pints of peaches.  Had bite of lunch. 

   Frank brought Debby, Spencer & George in.  He & Barbara just got home from Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls, and Dearborn, Mich.  Gone a week.  Went to city about 3:30.  It took an hour to get downtown.  Did a little shopping.  Met Jeanne, had supper at Russet.  Got home about 7 p.m.  Steve & his friend Presley Peek came in—they are sleeping in Stewart’s trailer tonight, squirrel hunting tomorrow.  Got note from Dad & Tom each.  They are all staying at the Morrison Hotel.  Having a good time in Chicago.

Sat. Aug. 28         Mr. Salinas & his boys were here when I got downstairs this a.m.  They worked hard all day weeding in flower beds.  So did Jeanne & I.  I baked 3 peach pies, 1 for Jeanne T., 1 for Aunt Jeanne & 1 for us.  Steve & Presley were here for breakfast.  I did a big washing.  Also canned 5 pints Tomatoes.  Jeanne cleaned house.  Took her home then went to Monon Boulevard station to meet Geo. & boys.  Train came in at 10 p.m.  They had a wonderful time.  [Grandpa died less than a year later. The trip was a treasure.]

Sun. Aug. 29   hot     Put meat loaf & potatoes in oven before left for church.   Tom helped me set the table.  Geo. brought a visiting minister for dinner.  He was here all afternoon & for supper.  Dr. Cole Sorensen, Millie’s surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic & family arrived at Stewart’s from Cleveland at 3:30 a.m.  They came over in afternoon.[30]  Steve took Sorensen boy 16 & girl 15, Tom 16 & Christy 15 and  Stew J. 13 to movie show in Anderson.  Got back about 10.  George drove the minister back to city after evening church.

Mon. Aug. 30, 1954   cooler

   Drove to city after early lunch.  Bought Tom shoes at Dave’s Men’s shop at Sherman Drive and 38^th St.  Then to 20^th St. Garden Court Apartments, then to Jeanne’s (Pendleton).  Left Tom for supper there.  Bob & Christy brought him home about 10.  Tom cut big piece of lawn & piece west of drive before we went to city.

Tue. Aug. 31   cool    

   Martha McDonald & I started to catch 8:38 bus.  Stew & Frank came along in Callie Brown’s truck and drove us to town.  We shopped till 12:30 bus.  Big washing after I got home. All of Tom’s things clean & ironed.

Wed. Sept. 1, 1954   cool   

   Did some more ironing before George got up.  Stewart J. came over and boys worked with their stamp collections.  Stew J. hurried home to clean up and we all went to city to collect rents at apartments.  Then we ate at Shapiro’s on South Meridian on way to Bedford.  Found highway 37 closed below Glens Valley, so crossed back to 135.  Arrived in Bedford about 3:30.  Visited with Louise & George.  Home about 8:30.

Thur. Sept. 2   60 7 a.m.        Mrs. Saville here to clean

Friday, Sept. 3     pleasant, 61     

   Canned 7 pints tomatoes had gathered from the garden.  Drove to Jeanne’s after supper.  She is looking fine.  Christy in Union City.  Steve, Presley Peek & Jack Dyer drove her there this afternoon.  Jeanne hopes she can ride over with Bob Monday to get her.

Saturday, Sept. 4, 1954   hot        Mrs. Saville cleaned upstairs. Called Agnes, invited her and Genevra for Monday lunch.

Sunday, Sept. 5   hot     I started my roast & potatoes.[31]  We attended church.  Jeanne & Bob came for dinner and stayed till about 3:30. 

Monday, Sept. 6   Labor Day   hot     96 degrees

   Gathered tomatoes, sweet pimentos, beets.  It stormed about 4, rained hard, temperature dropped to 74 degrees.  No rain in city, hardly any in Noblesville & Pendleton.

Tues. Sept. 7       cooler & cloudy         

   Walt and La Della Turner arrived about five-thirty.  Both look fine. [La Della Turner was a cousin from Geneseo, Illinois, south of  Rock Island.  The Turners and boys had been frequent visitors since the time the Raferts lived at New Bethel (1916-1923)].

Wednesday, Sept. 8   cool, sunny   

   Decided to go to State Fair.  Had a good time.  There from about 11:30 to four.  Drove past Ilene Baynham’s on way home.  They have bought a home on 106^th St. near Meridian.  She sold me her rose rug for my living room, also draperies.

Thurs. Sept. 9   Pleasant    Harriet & Freddie came to see us after the other children had gone to school.  La Della & I decided we would shop in city.  Men drove us in then picked us up in about an hour.  We each bought a suit.  I a red one—La Della a brown tweed.

Friday, Sept. 10, 1954   Cloudy, cool   Put out a washing.  Drove to Pendleton after lunch.  Jeanne fine.  Men drove to city to get Jeanne S.  We had supper ready.

Saturday, Sept. 11   cool     

   Drove to city to return La Della’s suit & take Jeanne home.  La Della’s suit scratchy.  Then we drove to Garfield Park.  Enjoyed a walk around flower gardens.  Then drove east and stopped at Buckley’s for supper, then home.  Walt, La Della & I watched Miss America program till she was crowned about 11:30.

Sunday, Sept. 12      cool, sunny        The 4 of us went to Sunday school & church.  After dinner Frank’s family came in.  He started our gas furnace.  [There were two basement furnaces, one gas near the bottom of the basement steps, the other a coal one the next room over near the coal room.]

Harold and Ruth Curtis called in afternoon and stayed overnight.  Watched T.V. in eve.

Mon. Sept. 13    a little warmer

   Just had breakfast and visited some more with Harold and Ruth.  Steve came in with my binoculars.  He is going to squirrel hunt this a.m.  He drove to Bloomington with his clothes yesterday so he can go down on bus to junior year at I.U.  [Grandma used binoculars for bird watching.  She especially enjoyed bird watching in the 77 acre woods with the deep ravines on the north end of the farm.]

Tuesday, Sept. 14   cloudy, pleasant

We picked a lot of apples & raked under the trees.  Will can some apples tomorrow.  Stripped guest beds.  Did washing, used dryer.  Ironed after lunch.  Harriet entertains her bridge club this eve.   Spent evening at Stewart’s watching T.V.

Wed. Sept. 15   56 degrees 7 a.m. sunny

   I drove in to Ilene Baynham’s old house on 64^th St.  They hope to move to 106^th street next week.  She gave me a one drawer walnut table.  I bought her rose living room carpet and draperies.  Drove to Jeanne’s about 5 p.m.  Stayed for scrambled eggs & bacon.  Watched Arthur Godfrey with Bob & Jeanne.  Christy came in about 8:30 from her grandmother’s.

Thurs. Sept. 16, 1954  56 degrees 7 a.m.   sunny       

Mrs. Saville can’t come today.  Saw Harriet a few minutes at her house in a.m.  Geo. went to city a.m., back in time for lunch.  After supper we drove down to George’s cousin Dell Winslow’s south of Spring Lake and near Millie’s parents.  She is fine.

Friday, Sept. 17     Canned apples.    Mrs. & Mrs. Disborough stopped in.  He built the marble stairway here and the downstairs fireplace mantel.  We liked them very much.  They live in Indianapolis.[32]     Canned 14 quarts of applesauce & Pickled 5 pints beets.  Drove up to see Jeanne & took her some apple crisp I had baked for their dessert. 

Saturday, Sept. 18     pleasant, cloudy in p.m.        Baked Stewart apple crisp for lunch.  Leslie & Barbara were here for lunch.  George drove up to see Frank’s family in the evening.

Sunday, Sept. 19   Stewart G. birthday (37)   Leslie planned a party—asked all the little cousins for the afternoon, us also.  We had ice cream & cake.  Cloudy but pleasant.  Sprinkled later on.

Monday, Sept. 30     Sprinkled most of night.     I drove over to Stewart’s and visited with him while he fed his hogs.  Millie is going to art class today so asked Stewart to have lunch with us.  I canned 10 pints of applesauce with sucaryl sweetening for myself.  Took 5 pts. of pickled beets & 1 qt. of applesauce to Jeanne.  She drove car to get hair shampoo & set—first time at the wheel since June.

Tues. Sept. 21    cooler, windy & sunny    Bridge Club at Martha’s today.

Saturday, Sept. 25      Ruth Adams fell at the airport and dislocated her right shoulder. 

Monday, Sept. 27     awfully dry, no rain for quite a while.

Tues. Sept. 28       Visiting Nurse Association.   I entertained at Hawthorn, then we sewed cancer dressings at club house.  There were 13 of us. 

Wed. Sept. 29       Cousin Grace Stewart visited from Los Angeles.  Had lunch at Hawthorn with Grace, Gertrude, Agnes, and Grace’s cousin Fern & her niece.  I bought them two boxes of candy to take along.  They stopped by our house next morning on way to Detroit.  [Grace Stewart was a first cousin once removed.  Her grandfather Dr. Sam Stewart was Grandma’s grandfather Robert Stewart’s older brother.]  Grace and her cousin and niece  were traveling on to Canada, New York, Washington, D.C., then back to Los Angeles in six weeks.]

Thursday, Oct. 7      cool and partly cloudy

   We Drove to Walt and La Della Turners’.  Left home about 8:30, arrived 4:30, 321 miles distant at Geneseo, IL  [south of the Quad Cities of Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Moline and Bettendorf Iowa].  We ate sandwiches and applesauce we brought along by side of road for our lunch.  They tasted good.

Friday, Oct. 8     cloudy

   We drove to Galena north on Mississippi about 100 miles.  The scenery was beautiful.  Sprinkled a little.  Drove all around old town.  Went through their museum.  Back at Turners’ home by 5:30.  Bought a couple of watermelons on way home.  Played canasta after supper.

Saturday, Oct. 9, 1954   sprinkled in afternoon, warm    

   Went grocery shopping in a.m.  G.O.R. drove La Della & me out to an antique place.  Had some lovely things.  I bought an old china tile to set water pitchers on and a copper planter or vase.  Played canasta after supper.

Sunday, Oct. 10   cloudy

   Went to church.  Sprinkled some.  Stormed in late afternoon.  Had planned to go to Ralph’s [Turners’ son] and see their new house.  It poured and thundered off & on all eve.  Played canasta in eve.                             

Monday, Oct. 11, 1954   cloudy       Walt & George went to hear Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson at a high school in the afternoon.[33]  La Della and I stayed home.  

Tuesday, Oct. 12

Left Walt’s about 9.  Had a beautiful drive home.  Ate sandwiches in Bloomington, Illinois.  Arrived home about 5 p.m.  Had rains while we were gone—things greened up.  Our sweet dog Honey glad to see us.

Friday, Oct. 15     Geo. & I drove to city.  I shopped some.  Went to Jeanne’s office on Massachusetts Avenue.  Geo. picked us up there.  We picked her clothes up at her room at Rita Clark’s and she came out with us.

Sat. October 16   cloudy

   Art Baynham and colored man brought Ilene’s living room rug and pad out.  Stew and Frank here for lunch with us.  Then they put down rug in living room.  It is 12’ by 20’.  Took Jeanne home about 4 o’clock. 

Sunday, October 17, 1954     Went to church. 

   Jeanne & Bob came down in afternoon.    Helen and Winston Ashley came in late in afternoon.  She had been in Miami for 2 weeks.  She’s brown as a berry.

Tues. Oct. 19   Hazel Pritchard had club.  Ruth Adams was there for an hour.

Wed. Oct. 20        Geo. & I drove to Bedford for Tom, arrived about 4 by way of 135 to Bean Blossom, 45 to Bloomington, and then 37.  Beautiful day.  Road 45 a beautiful way to go.  Didn’t see grandson George.  He had gone to a circus at high school.  Back home by 7:30.  Tom stayed all night at Stewart’s.

Thurs. Oct. 21   clear and warm

  Drove to Broad Ripple for curtain rods.  Bought a dress-jacket combination in Block’s store.  Drove out to Ilene’s new house on one hundred sixteenth street..  She was horseback riding, but came in a little while.  I came home about 3 o’clock.  No curtain rods or cranes in Broadripple.

Fri. Oct.22           Tom has been visiting his grandma Mom Girt.  Drove to Anderson & found curtain cranes at House of Stone. Tom stayed all night at Stewart’s.

Sat. October 23

   Tom & Stewart went to city to the stamp shop in the Ober building on Pennsylvania St. for stamps in late p.m. with Geo.[34]  G.O.R. cut grass in a.m & p.m.  All came here for supper.  Steve came down and played canasta with the 2 boys.  He took Stewart home about 10 and Tom to Mom Girt’s.

Sunday, October 24, 1954   cloudy

   Church.  Barbara, Mary, Christy, Stewart & Tom sat in pew with us.  Christy had stayed all night at Harriet’s.  Christy came over in p.m., played canasta with Tom & Stewart.  Stewart’s family took her home in late afternoon.  Steve came by in the Owens’ boy’s car on way to school to and took Tom with them.  They will take bus from there to Bloomington.[35]

Monday, Oct. 25   cloudy, showery      

   Leeta trimmed my hair and shampooed and set it.  Stewart G. ate lunch here.  Leslie came in after school and her daddy came after her before supper.

Tues. October 26         George’s birthday, 71         very foggy early, sprinkled most of day.

   Visiting Nurses’s Association at Louise Snyder’s.  She had chicken salad & cheese biscuits.  Gave me cottage cheese & roast lamb slices.  12 there.  Doctor’s appointment with Mars Ferrell at 1 tomorrow.  We had Dad’s birthday supper, age 71, with Stewart’s family.  Leslie said grace beautifully.

Wednesday, Oct. 27     Rainy dark day       Mrs. Saville here today.  We got a lot of cleaning done.

Thursday, Oct. 28   clear, cooler.  Cloudy in p.m.

   Mrs. Saville here again today.  Frank & Stewart fixed cords for drapes in living room.  Jeanne drove down from Pendleton in p.m.

Friday, Oct. 29   cool, sunny, rain, sleet, and snow showers

   Finished hanging draperies in living room.  I put up north wall rods myself.  Did a washing in afternoon.  Finished some washing for Jeanne S. after supper.  She and Geo. came out by 6:20.

Saturday, Oct. 30  

   Jeanne & washed & we ironed the curtains.  Geo. & I took Jeanne home about 3:30.  We visited with Reeta Clark.  [Jeanne Stewart boarded with at Rita Clark’s house until mid-1956 when she retired from work and moved to Fortville to live with Grandma in her new house on Ohio Street].

Sunday, Oct. 31   30 degrees this a.m.       Went to church.  Millie called to invite us to dinner.  We accepted.   Visited till about 3 o’clock

Monday, November 1, 1954  cold and snow showers 32, high 36

   Nora & I drove to city 9:45.  Took Millie with us.  Millie wanted to shop before her art class at I.U. extension.  We did some Christmas shopping for Harriet’s children.  Met Millie at 1.  She had bought a coat for Leslie & jacket for Stewart.  We put shopping in trunk of car, took Millie to I.U. extension, then Nora & I went to Murat Temple antique show.  Enjoyed looking around.  Got home about 3:30.  Dad met 5 o’clock bus and got Millie.

Tues. November 2   election day   I entertain bridge club

Harriet, Nell & Irene called to say they cannot come.  The rest all came and we had a good time as usual.  They all like my new rung & draperies.

Wednesday, Nov. 3  a beautiful sunny day  got up to 40

   Spent day with Jeanne in Pendleton.  We had such a good visit.  Came home about 4 o’clock.  George had been in city—beat me home.

Thursday, Nov. 4   a heavy wet snow      cold and dark all day

   I made fourth strip of rose drapes for front hall upstairs above marble stair case.  Cleaned cabinet of material pieces.  Put some in Good Will bag.

Friday, November 5, 1954  sunny clear day

   Aunt Della & Jeanne Stewart will be here this evening for a visit.  J.L.S. [Jeanne Lee Stewart] will go back tomorrow or Sunday.  Got sun porch cushions and pillows this a.m.  Had new covers made.  Supper was ready when they arrived.  Aunt Della looks good and is remarkably well at age 83  old.  [I, Stewart J., loved these visits with my Great-grand Aunt.]

Saturday, Nov. 6  another nice day

   Harriet & Fred stopped on way to Pendleton to see Jeanne.  Aunt Della & Jean S. went along.  I had a browned beef roast dinner ready when they got back.  We all rode along to take Jeanne S. home to 2831 Delaware and back home. [Reeta Clark’s address where Aunt Jeanne Stewart lived from 1949 to 1956.]     Watched T.V. all eve.  Aunt Della has missed it the last 6 weeks.

Sunday, Nov. 7  nice day       We all 3 went to church.  Stewart & Frank had dropped in before Aunt Della or Geo. were downstairs for breakfast.  Ate at Twin Lanterns after church.  Watched T.V. all p.m. & eve.

Monday, Nov. 8   beautiful day, up to 60    

   Aunt Della went in to city with George about 9:30.  He left her at Lucille and Allegra Stewart’s.  [other nieces, daughters of  Uncle Willis Benton Stewart, Aunt Della’s husband William Robert Stewart’s brother.  Uncle Will practiced medicine in Indianapolis until his death in 1930.]. 

Tues. Nov. 9           nice day        Went to Jeanne’s [Pendleton] in afternoon.  We had such a good visit.

Wed. Nov. 10  gorgeous sunny day, not very cool      

   We had early lunch and took a beautiful ride.  Went to airport.  We watched planes come and go about an hour.[36]   Drove to Ilene Baynam’s new house on 106^th Street.  Visited a few minutes.  Mildred Morgan was there too.

Thurs. November 11           beautiful day       Dad took some hash I fixed to Jeanne’s and ate lunch there.  Sent some angel food ice cream cake too and  a straight chair for her living room with a rubber cushion.  Dr. thinks straight chair will help her back.    I took Mrs. Saville home then stopped in to see Ruth Adams.

Friday, November 12     another beautiful day       

   Went shopping in city with Betty Ferrell and Harriet.  Took them to lunch at Ayre’s Tea Room.  Got home about 4:00.  Had driven to 10^th & Arlington to get braid for Betty’s drapes.  I drove up to Jeanne’s with a pretty cotton dress I had bought her.  Got home about 5:30

Sat. Nov. 13   beautiful day, 64 degrees at noon      We raked and burned a lot of leaves.  Steve, Leslie & Stewart were here for lunch. 

Sunday, November 14   Sunny day    Church & restaurant for dinner.  Came home, changed clothes, then went up to Frank’s.  Children are so sweet.

Monday, November 15    Sunny & warm     Took Millie to Block’s then I drove back to Lucille’s.  Took Aunt Della and Lucille to Marott Hotel for lunch.[37]  I  took them for a nice ride.  Lucille bought Aunt Della’s ticket for her at Monon station to return to Chicago where her daughter Marjorie will pick her up.  I stopped & visited with Helen Ashley on my way home.

Tuesday, November 16, 1954  sunny & warm, about 70 degrees

Jeanne S.’s birthday, age 64].  Called and talked to her about 7:30.

I drove Mayme & Martha to Faye Wisehart’s for bridge.  Faye’s new house is lovely.

Wed. November 17    warm & sunny  Harriet’s birthday (31)

   Worked in yard in a.m.  Boys picking corn in Runt Stewart’s 13 acres today.  George took leaves out of garage gutters.  Drove Harriet, Fred & Mary to Jeanne’s in Pendleton for about an hour visit then back home.  I raked & burned a lot of leaves after that.

Thurs. November 18  cloudy day, some sprinkles off and on

Mrs. Saville & I cleaned screened-in porch.  Carried bamboo curtains & rug to 3^rd floor.  Cleaned wren houses and put them in smoke house.[38]

   George & I drove to 20^th Street about 3:30.  I called Jeanne S.  She won’t be out this weekend, but will come out Wed. eve. for Thanksgiving.  Mary & Barbara had permanents after school.  Harriet got Mary there.  Barbara called when she was thru and we took her home.  Harriet & Abe went out to dinner with Mars and Betty Ferrell.

Friday, November 19, 1954     cloudy all over, sprinkled in night.

   Millie is at her mother Flora Hawk’s house just south of U.S. 40 and the little town of Philadelphia for lunch so Stewart will have lunch with us.  Just talked to Jeanne T.—asked them here for supper too.  Pendleton-Fortville game here tonight.  Christy is going to stay all night at Harriet’s.

George took Christy home Sat. a.m.      Stewart and Millie bought a record player at Sears and Frank bought a Cold Spot refrigerator & ordered their davenport rebuilt.

Saturday, November 20        cool, cloudy        Nora Cooper called to ask me to shop in city.  Jeanne S. called before we left so I arranged to meet her for lunch at Wasson’s, Nora too.   We stopped to see Eleanor Malone, Ed Cooper’s cousin, on the way.  We had a good time shopping.  Dropped Jeanne off at Rita Clark’s on way home.

Sunday, November 21, 1954      cloudy, cool, 40 degrees at 8 a.m.      George went to church.  I didn’t sleep well last night, so stayed home.  Barbara & Leslie rode home with Grandpa.  Stewart picked them up later.  Steve’s picture with the I.U. sharpshooter team is in Sunday Indianapolis Star.

Monday, November 22   cool, cloudy        Busy around home all day

   Tuesday, November 23   sprinkled in eve.   I drove to city and shopped a few minutes.  Then I drove to Katherine Hitch’s, 30 South Wallace St., for V.N.A. meeting.  We had a delicious luncheon.  Didn’t sew any for chairman didn’t bring work.  We won’t have another meeting till last of January.

Wednesday, November 24   cloudy & some snow showers

   Louise Thomas’s birthday.  [Louise was Uncle John Thomas’s second wife after Aunt Elsa died in December, 1949.]  Tom & George came up on bus to city.  Stew, Frank & Callie Brown [a friend whose wife Geneva taught in Fortville in the recently-opened Kindergarten] drove to Bedford in Callie’s truck and brought Tom’s piano back to Stewart’s house.  George met the bus, then picked Jeanne S. up and brought her, Tom and George out in time for supper.  After supper we all went to Pendleton to see the Thomases.

Thursday, November 25    Thanksgiving   cloudy and cool

   Our turkey was delicious.  Stewart’s family were here, Frank, Debby and George—Spencer was sick so Barbara and Bobby didn’t come.  Millie baked 2 big loaves of bread.  Barbara sent a pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.  The bread was perfect.  Boys went to Stewart’s for supper.  George & I drove Aunt Jeanne home about 3 o’clock.  Got back about 4.

Friday, November 26, 1954   cloudy, cool

   Christy came down with Steve about breakfast time.  Steve went back after hunting in the back woods.  Christy, Tom, George, S.J., Leslie were here for lunch.  They went to Millie’s in afternoon and asked to have supper here.  Stew & Frank had been at stockyards looking for cattle to buy most of day.

Saturday, November 17  wet snow over everything and still snowing hard

   S.J. was here before Tom & George got up.  All had breakfast together.  They played chess a while then Grandpa took them to Stew’s.  They are going to clean the basement, then have dinner there.  [The ping pong table was in our basement in a long room with east facing windows.  I played countless games with Steve there.]  Stewart J. was here for supper with them.  They played chess again.

Sunday, November 28       cloudy      Tom & George went to Sunday school and joined us in church.  Fanny Girt, their grandmother, sat with us too.  We had dinner at home then went into the city and put them on 3 o’clock bus to Bedford.  Steve was there and took same bus to I.U.  Got home before dark.

Monday, November 29, 1954       nice cool day, partly cloudy      George & I took Mayme Wright to the city to see “White Christmas” at Circle Theater.  We all enjoyed it.

Tuesday, November 30    cloudy, cool

   I called Jeanne about 8 a.m. and told her I would spend day with her.  So glad I did.  She was feeling miserable.  Her back hurt so.  She felt a little better when I left.  Hadn’t eaten any breakfast or lunch but drank some hot chicken broth about 2 o’clock. 

Wednesday, December 1, 1954   cloudy, cool    40 degrees

   Hurried with Jeanne’s washing, all ironing.  Hung in basement.  Shopped at grocery.  Got up in time to get lunch.  Found Jeanne feeling quite a bit better.  She drank some beef broth for lunch.  Bob came back to house about 3 o’clock & I came home.  Dampened ironing before supper.

Thursday, December 2, 1954   clear first, then cloudy near noon     29 degrees      Ironed & baked an apple pie in a.m.  Mrs. Saville cleaned while  Freddy Cooper played around.  Hattie, Charlie and Jim went up to see Jeanne.  Found her feeling better.  Will take her ironing up after Mrs. Saville goes.  Geo. and I went but she was asleep so we didn’t stay.

Friday, December 3       cool, but cleared and warmed up in p.m.

   I caught 8:50 a.m. bus.  Shopped & took Jeanne S. to lunch at Guarantee Cafeteria.  Came home on 2:45 bus.  Edna McCarty [funeral director George McCarty’s wife] on same bus.  She had her car parked in lot at Marathon station, so brought me home.  I gave her St. Petersburg papers Howard had sent about bridge opening.  [new Tampa-St. Petersburg highway bridge]

Saturday, December 4   cool     Nora called, said she & Ed were taking Barbara, Jim & Charlie to show “White Christmas” at the Circle Theater.  Did I want to ride in with them?  I made it by the time they got here.  Jeanne S. took Reeta Clark, me and Maude Davis from Los Angeles to a friend of Grace Stewart’s then to Block’s Tea Room.  I came home on 2:45 bus.   

Sunday, December 5           cold wind from east              After church took Stewart & Leslie home.  Then we ate our dinner at Twin Lanterns.  Drove to Pendleton and visited with Jeanne & Bob. 

Monday, Dec. 6    cold, 19 degrees, sunny       Leslie’s birth day, age 11. 

   I cleaned the living room with carpet sweeper.  Scrubbed oriental in front of fire place.  Carried case of peaches down to basement in baskets.  Swept the big laundry room.  Took a case of peaches to Jeanne.  She looked so sweet.  Had been to beauty shop.  She was pretty tired.  Visited with her and Chris and Bob as they came in.

Tuesday Dec 7   sunny 19 degrees      not such a cold wind as yesterday

   Took Nora up to Runt’s to ask him to go with Clay Wiley to Eleanor Malone’s to get some furniture she had bought of Edyth Gay.[39]  Stopped to see Harriet & took Leslie’s birthday blouse to Millie.  Bridge club was at Harriet Wisehart’s this eve.  Martha McDonald, Nell Hudson, and Irene Baynham weren’t there.  Irene is in bed with a heart attack.  I didn’t get home till after midnight.  Mayme Wright brought me home.

Wed. December 8     clear & cool.    Cloudy by noon, sprinkled by  2:30

   Freddy came to see me in a.m.  Harriet went to city to shop.  I took Fred home to Mrs. Saville when I started to Jeanne’s.  I bought a slip at Rose shop for her.  Their T.V. went bad this a.m.  Jeanne made me start for home about 2:30 for it was raining and getting colder.  Harriet brought me a dress & jacket for Jeanne I will give her tomorrow.

Thurs. December 9, 1954  cold 30 degrees, spitting snow on thin ice coating

   Harriet drove our Olds up to Jeanne’s.  Came back about 5.  Told us Bob was taking Jeanne to hospital.  We don’t know plans but of course they will have to build her up before they do anything.  She surely doesn’t weigh over 100 lbs.  She is so thin.  Bob called us about 10:45.  Said he didn’t know anything definite.  She has room 151 and seemed comfortable when he left.  [She had come home July 19 and was there four months, three weeks.]

Friday, Dec. 10      cold.      Thin snow over everything, about 30 degrees

   Dad & I visited with Jeanne in hospital in afternoon.  She had been fed intravenously so looked cheerful and bright.  [Jeanne Thomas returned home from her first surgeries on July 8.  She had five months at home.]

Sat. Dec. 11   cool     Harriet went up with Bob.  He brought Christy to spend the day at Harriet’s. They came back about 2:30.  Jeanne is in critical condition.

Sunday, Dec. 12     Christy and Bob were here for dinner.  Left about 1:30 or 2.  Dad & I drove to Anderson in the eve to see Jeanne at St. John’s.

Monday, Dec. 13       about 36       Drove up to Pendleton to make Christy’s lunch and straighten up a bit at the house.  Bob was in Indianapolis on business.  He came out on 2:15 bus.  Stew and Frank went to St. John’s in the afternoon.  I came home after Christy came home from school.

Tuesday, Dec. 14      Going to hospital in afternoon with Harriet.  Jeanne was sitting up in bed and visited with us.  She was sweating around her face & hair profusely.  Our minister Metcalf Miller came in and visited a few minutes.  We came home about 2:40.  Bob came down about 9:20 and said Jeanne looked bad.  We discussed plans earlier.  Frank dropped in with gifts for children that I had given him money for and Stew and Millie were in a few minutes.

Wednesday, Dec. 15, 1954   dark and cool, around 30, light drift of snow in the night.

   Dad and I went to hospital about 1:30 to visit with Jeanne.  Stewart & Frank stopped in to see her for a few minutes (in Anderson on business).  We came home after 3.  Stopped to ask Christy if she wanted me to do anything.  She was cleaning her mom’s antique cream pitcher collection & shelves.  Then she cleaned living room while we visited with her a few minutes then came on home.

Thursday, December 16, 1954   cool, cloudy      Millie & Barbara & Frank went to see Jeanne.

Friday, December 17        In afternoon Frank & Harriet took beautiful bouquet of white snaps and red roses & delphinium to Jeanne.         Dad went to city about 4.  Brought Jeanne S. out.

Saturday, December 18,     very dark, spitting fine snow

   Visited Jeanne at St. John’s, afternoon.  She about the same sitting in chair by window.   Steve home from I.U. for Christmas break.  Bob, Steve & Christy came in.  Steve went hunting with Abe in back woods.  Christy went to Harriet’s.  Harriet & Christy came to see Aunt Jeanne.  I went to grocery with them.  Stewart drove my car with me in it to Anderson.  Still snowing.  Got back before it got slick.  Abe took Steve & Christy home about 4:30.  Snow over everything by that time.

Sunday, Dec. 19   white with snow, 20, slick roads      George went to church.  Aunt Jeanne is sick with flu, in bed in dining room.  Bob, Steve & Christy came for dinner (fried chicken).  Steve went out to hunt after dinner.  Christy went to Aunt Harriet’s.  Bob had been to hospital to visit with Jeanne in morning.  Bob & kids left about 4 o’clock.  Dad went to church to hear Christmas cantata by choir.

Monday, Dec. 20, 1954  more snow, about 3 inches in all, 20 degrees.   More Christmas cards each morning.   Stewart brought in first mail.  Very slick roads.  Dad drove to Anderson in p.m. to see Jeanne.  Aunt Jeanne watched T.V.  Frank and Barbara have virus bowel trouble.

Tuesday, Dec. 21   clear, 10 degrees        Aunt Jeanne went home with Dad after lunch.  I went to hospital with Harriet.  Frank drove us.  She is feeling better.  Jeanne was asleep and slept for 15 minutes, then nurse wakened her.  We visited with her about 20 minutes.

Wednesday, Dec. 22   another clear day    Bob came about 10 .m. to ask about nurses’ gifts.  Dad & I visited hospital.  Jeanne was asleep but wakened right away.  We visited about 30 min.  She asked me to get 2 hankies each for nurses.  I brought Christmas gifts for family to dining table to wrap.  Finished more than half.                                                           

Thurs. Dec. 23   a beautiful sunny day   44 degrees the high                               

I shopped in the city and Dad met me in front of the Hume-Mansur building at 4 p.m.     Stewart and Millie went up to see Jeanne this afternoon.

Friday, December 24, 1954   clear beautiful day  

   Finished Christmas packages.  Had early lunch.  Dad & I went to Crown Hill with wreathes for our lot, Wood’s and my Dad & Mother’s opposite theirs.[40]  Hurried back and on to Pendleton with gifts and then to hospital.  I took a bouquet of white and yellow chrysanthemums.  Also hanky gifts for nurses.  Jeanne was sitting up dressed in her prettiest nighty.

Christmas, Saturday, Dec. 25, 1954  beautiful sunny a.m.

   Stewart came in about 7 a.m.    He wanted us to come for breakfast.  First, Dad and I drove in for Aunt Jeanne Stewart.  Then we all had breakfast at Stew’s.  Hurried home after 9 (Had put turkey in oven at 7).  Started the rest of dinner.         John, Louise, Tom, George, Mike [Louise’s son from previous marriage] came in about 10.  They brought me a beautiful bouquet of red roses.  Bob, Christy & Steve arrived about 12:30.  Everything ready.  Turkey done to a turn.  Bob left for hospital.  Frank took Steve & Chris home about 6.  Harriet’s family came in a little bit.  Frank & Barbara came in at different times. 

Sunday, Dec. 26  light clouds & sunshine  44 deg. High

   Dad went to church.  Had dinner ready when he got back.  Indianapolis friends Edith and Charlie Forrest came in about 1 o’clock.  Nice visit.  Of course, they came to express their sympathy and ask about Jeanne. 

   Stew & Millie left Stewart, Leslie, Tom & George and took Aunt Jeanne home.  Frank & Barbara stopped on their way home from the hospital.  Jeanne just about the same.  Stew and Millie got back about 4:30, took kids back with them.

Monday, Dec. 27, 1954   dark, 44 deg. in a.m.  sprinkling

   I did some washing in a.m.  Dad and I visited Jeanne this p.m.  She was sitting in chair by window and stayed there during our visit.  Bless her heart she looks a little more frail each day.  Never complains.  Stopped to see Christy on our way home.  She is house cleaning.  Her kitchen looks so nice. 

Tuesday, Dec. 28  dark and rainy  50 degrees 7:30 a.m.        Did some more washing, 5 shirts & 2 skirts, all colored, for Christy.  Some nylon things for self in a.m.

   Dad went in to 20^th St. Garden Court houses

 and was back before lunch.  We had turkey soup for lunch.  I ironed after we played a game of canasta.  Harriet & Christy went to hospital this afternoon.  Christy came back & stayed all night with Harriet.

Wednesday, Dec. 29  dark & rainy

Stewart & Frank stopped in on way to city to say hello.  Steve was down to hunt.  S.J. went out with him.  Ate dinner at Millie’s.   We went to hospital in the p.m.  Jeanne was napping when we arrived, but wakened & visited with us.  Walked to the bathroom and back, sat up on side of bed.  Abe came in.  We all 3 left in a few minutes.

Thursday, Dec. 30   cloudy & dark, about freezing

   Bob stopped in morning.  Says Jeanne’s death can’t be long off.   Left Christy at Stewart’s.  I went down to Harriet’s at 2:30 to help her wrap her meat for freezer.  It took us 2 hours.  Stewart and Millie visited Jeanne.  We took Christy home about 5.  Stewart came in for a few minutes while we were watching T.V.

Friday, December 31, 1954    sunny morning, 33 deg. and dry

   Dad & I went to hospital in afternoon.  Stopped at Pendleton nobody home.

1955

  When I first began typing the 1954 diary, I (Stewart J.) wasn’t very impressed with the frequent shopping trips to Indianapolis, weather of the day, bridge club gatherings and comings and goings of family visits to the Big House.  However, that the way our family lived.  There were also many mentions of visits of her Grandma’s cousin La Della Turner and husband Walt as well as her Aunt Della Stewart, whose husband Dr. Will Stewart was a brother of her father Dr. Frank Stewart.  Visits sometimes lasted for days.  It is hard to imagine families living this close to each other today.   

          We grandchildren all loved visiting our grandparents’ house.  There was always food, often the special sugar cookies Grandma baked from her Aunt Mary Stone’s recipe.  We dropped in often for meals, and if we wanted a pie baked, Grandma Rafert soon had one ready.  In turn, we grandchildren pitched in to help with house cleaning, lawn mowing and other tasks.  Our grandparents never complained about our rummaging around the house and garage.  We had freedom to be kids.

I began typing the 1955 diary in October, 2020 in the midst of the Covid virus, staying at home with lots of time.  I loved the memories the diary brought back.  I have added names and additional information to make it easier to understand.  I am now the oldest of the 21 Rafert cousins after Steve Thomas’ death on April 20, 2019.  Steve and I had a wonderful time reminiscing at his beautiful home in Port Orange, Florida, just a short distance from Daytona in late January and early February, 2019.  I brought a flash drive with hundreds of family photos going back as far as 1863 that we could talk about.  Perry, Steve’s son and his caretaker for many years listened as we talked.  After Steve went to bed, Perry and I continued our talks into the early morning of the next day.  It was a magic week for all of us.  As I was leaving, I sat with Steve to contemplate a next visit.  I promised that we would talk about squirrel hunting in the 103 acres of family woods at Fortville.  I got a big smile out of that.  He died before that visit, but am sure there is good squirrel hunting in Heaven.    

            The 1955 diary begins with Jeanne Thomas’s death, then a few weeks later Grandma and Grandpa’s last winter trip to Florida.  The central event of this diary a few weeks after the Florida vacation is Grandma’s account of  Grandpa’s brief illness and death on Friday, June 24, 1955.  After his death, the whole family began an adjustment to a new life.  Grandma made two trips one her own, one to northern Michigan to visit her cousin Bess Sailors and the second to western Oklahoma and Colorado to visit the Barby family, old friends from Grandpa’s cattle buying days.  The travel and visits were very satisfying.  That story fills the second half.  

January 1, 1955.   Saturday   Beautiful sunny mild day. 

   George went to Indianapolis for Jeanne S. in a.m.  Bob, Steve here for extra good dinner.  Frank & Harriet went to St. John’s hospital to see Jeanne. 

Sun. Jan. 2  Another beautiful day. 

   Dad went to church. We took Jeanne S. home about 2.  Stew and Millie went to hospital in p.m.  I drove Leslie to CYF [Christian Youth Fellowship].

Mon. January 3       rainy. 

   Harriet and I went to St. John’s.  Jeanne was very sleepy.  She visited a little then dosed off.  We were there over an hour.  I took Mrs. Saville to Main St. then shopped a little and brought Jim & Charlie home from the barber shop. [Otto Price and his son John were the barbers.  It was cozy with a picture of dogs playing poker and lots of talk.  Haircuts were 75 cents.]  Dad brought the vacuum cleaner home from shop, all reconditioned.  Stewart’s cleaner was fixed also.

Tues.  Jan 4   Rainy    about 44 degrees           

   I cleaned the living room rug, white dog hairs all over it.  Honey is shedding so.  Martha McDonald came over and visited about a half hour.  It is her birthday.  She ordered some flowers for Mark & Bruce Perkins for Jeanne.  We will take them up to the hospital when we go.  They were yellow mums.

   Jeanne was sitting up in her bed and visited a little but said she was so sleepy.  She dozed some.  Helen Huffman, her nurse, said her heart was better and other symptoms too, but of course------

   Leslie & Stewart J. are here all night.

Wed. Jan. 5.    57 degrees at 7:30 a.m.

   Leslie & Stewart ate good breakfasts then Grandpa took them home to get ready for school.  Bob called about 11 a.m. saying Jeanne was worse.  I told him I would go up to the hospital with Harriet.  When we tapped on her door Helen told us she was resting, but that if we went in it might rouse her up. 

   We sat at the end of the hall until 3 o’clock.  Helen came out several times to talk to us.  Bob came in.  Harriet decided to go home and I stayed with Bob.  Harriet stopped at Pendleton and brought Christy home with her.  Bob brought me home.  Dad had just eaten his supper.  I got supper for Bob & me.  He stayed a while then went back to the hospital

Thursday Jan 6        Dad & I went up to the hospital.  Jeanne is worse.  We waited till Helen finished Jeanne’s bath.  We sat in her room several minutes.  She seemed to know us when we went in but she was too uncomfortable and disturbed.  We sat in end of hall.  Bob came and we left about 4 o’clock.  Stewart drove up and stayed with Bob.  Jeanne visited some with them.

Friday Jan 7       We went to the hospital about 2 o’clock.  We sat in end of hall.  Bob came.  We left about 4.  Steve came home about 7:00 from Indiana University  He’s age 20, a junior.  Bob, Frank and Steve went to the hospital in evening. 

Saturday Jan 8           

   Bob called at 6:00 a.m. to tell us Jeanne had just passed away.  I dressed and drove up after breakfast.  Harriet and Mary Frances, Bob Thomas’ sister came up in a short time.  We all got busy straightening up Bob and Jeanne’s house and getting ready for the food Jeanne’s bridge club brought in. 

   Harriet went home before supper.  Martha, Bob’s mother, was over for supper.  I went home with Dad and got my clothes to stay all night.  Christy rode along.  Bob & I went over to the funeral home to see Jeanne.  She looked so much better than we thought she would.  There was a bouquet from Laurence Alexander and family there.  [Grandpa Rafert’s niece, his brother Lawrence Rafert’s daughter born in 1890 after his death at age 25 in 1889.  Laurence, who lived with her daughter Juanita Young in Huntington was buried at Crown Hill in 1985 at age 95.  I visited her and daughter Juanita Young in 1984.  At that time, she was healthy and clear-mind.  Juanita taught high school English in Huntington many years.  Years later Chris Thomas visited her often and they became good friends.  She died in 2011 at age 100 and is buried at Crown Hill with her husband Walter.]

Sunday Jan 9         

   Harriet and Barbara Rafert came up to Pendleton in a.m.  We received a baked ham and a casserole of potatoes, also a casserole of turkey & wild rice, an angel food cake & molded salad.  Martha Thomas and Dad came for dinner.  We went to the Connie Bright funeral home a little before 2.  There was a continuous stream of friends all afternoon and evening.  I stayed all night.

Monday  10     cloudy and cool.      We four had our breakfast and the family began coming in.  Ate our dinner, about 15 of us.  Most of us spent the morning at the mortuary.  Connie Bright came to the house for us & put our cars in order for the funeral procession to Crown Hill.  John, Louise and Tom came from Bedford Sunday afternoon.  Metcalf Miller our Fortville minister gave a comforting message.  Verna Whitworth played the organ.  The service at Crown Hill was beautiful with all the gorgeous flowers. 

   Dad & I and Stewart’s family waited and we put a bouquet on the Wood family lot.  Then we drove to the Stewart lot [her parents’ Frank and Elnora Elton Stewart] with some baskets of flowers.  We drove home.  Mildred and children went on to Pendleton.  Stewart arrived with me in time for supper there.  I stayed all night at Pendleton again.

Tues. Jan 11  Nice day.        

   Christy got off to school.  Steve packed for his return to I.U. and Dad and I had a nice visit with him.  He walked to the Pendleton gas office with his suitcase to say goodbye to his dad and left on the 11:15 bus for Bloomington.  [Bob Thomas and his mother owned the Pendleton Gas Company.]  I had lunch ready when Christy and Bob came home.  I was packed and got home about 2:30.

Wed Jan 12      busy at home.  Mrs. Saville here today.

Fri  14^th        snow & sleet  a misty day.

Sat Jan 15         ground covered with snow.  

   Harriet & Betty Ferrell went to the basketball tournament at Pendleton.  They took a lot of food with them and had lunch at Christy’s.  She had 3 Union City boys and Sue Shepple there.

Mon Jan 17      I drove to Bob’s with clean clothes.  Visited Martha Thomas.  Friends Floyd & Blanche Graham came and we watched T.V. in evening.  We enjoyed them so much.  [Floyd was Geo’s handyman for years]

Tues Jan 18     Bridge at Nelle Hudson’s.  Hazel Pritchard came after me.  There were 7 of us there including  Ruth Adams, Hazel Pritchard, Mayme Wright, & Fay Wisehart.  Faye scored first, Martha second, Hazel third.

Wed Jan 19      28 degrees high for day. 

   Stewart and Millie left for Cleveland Clinic for checkups about 1 p.m. [Millie was a patient there since 1937 surgery by Dr. George Crile.  She had more surgery until 1952 and had to wear a brace to support her right shoulder.  She was friends with her surgeons George “Barney” Crile and Cole Sorenson for many more years.  Barney Crile was also Rachel Carson’s surgeon for breast cancer.  Scuba diving was his passion and he sent Mom all the books he wrote about diving all over the world.  He died in 1984.  His second wife Helga Sandburg, Carl Sandburg’s daughter.  She died in Cleveland, Ohio around 2007.]

Thur. Jan. 20.  A beautiful sunny winter day.  Roads dry, some snow on grass yet. 

   Mrs. Saville was here today.  Kathleen and Runt Stewart were at Harriet’s cleaning house.  I still have some Xmas trimmings I got out and didn’t use this year.  I don’t seem to get much extra done.  [Runt Stewart lived in a tiny unfinished house northwest about a half mile west of the Big House across highway 238 from the Harry Jarrett farm.  He was a frequent drinker at Downey’s on Main Street and always walked to and from town.  He cursed routinely, even in front of Grandma.  She didn’t react.  A family story is that his brother taught Grandma to drive about the time she graduated from high school, 1906.  Like many women, she enjoyed the freedom of driving.]

   Christy and Bob are going to be at Harriet’s for supper.  Bob came and visited with us before he went home.

Friday Jan 21     Cloudy      Harriet and Christy and Barbara Jean were driven to city by Frank.  I was busy all day.  Leslie had dancing class at 5:30.  We ate in relays.  Nora and Ed Cooper came over in eve.  Leslie and I went to her house so she could do some piano practicing in the afternoon.

Sat. Jan 22  Cloudy and sunny by spells. 

   Stewart called Frank last night and said that they would probably come back from Cleveland Monday.  George drove me to Bob’s.  He, Christy and I cleaned his big closet in his bedroom.  We filled 3 Goodwill bags.  Christy cleaned the rest of the downstairs.  She washed and waxed kitchen floor.  After lunch I laundered 11 sweaters for her. 

   Bob and Christy came home with me and had supper with us.  Leslie had spent day at Frank’s.  The girls did the dishes, then trimmed Leslie’s hair around her face then shampooed it and set it.  They were on their high horse & full of fun.

Sunday Jan 23        Cloudy and snowy        

   I didn’t sleep much last night.  I feel bum.  Barbara Ann went to church with Grandpa and came home to dinner.  She & Leslie dried the dishes.  They were busy playing all afternoon.  We invited Barbara to stay all night.  We had potato soup for supper and they all liked it.  Jeanne S. had planned to come out on the bus for the day but decided not to.

Monday  24.        cloudy with wind and snow showers                                    

   I went to Nora’s and visited with her and Freddie who is almost 4 years old, then went to grocery.  Finished ironing in afternoon.  We thought Stew and Millie might get back in evening, but they didn’t.  We watched TV and went to bed.  Cold and blustery.  The weatherman said there was some icy pavement.

Tuesday, Jan. 25       Clear sunny and thin clouds      Stewart J. who is now 14, rode his bike to his house.  When he went to the basement to fix the furnace fire and feed Chief, Millie’s German shepherd, he saw the car in the garage.  He came on back without waking the folks.  As they were finishing their breakfast their daddy called. 

   Grandpa took S.J. and Leslie to school.  Frank & Stewart came in in about an hour.  Stewart said they couldn’t find anything the matter with him at Cleveland.  They say tension is causing his stomach to hurt.  He must rest more.  Metcalf Miller, our minister at the Christian Church, came to see George in his office in the morning.  Nora went to city with Abe.  She asked me to go along but I was afraid I might take cold.

Wed. January 26.  Temperature got up to 34 degrees today. 

   About 3 inches of snow on the ground.    Millie’s birthday is today.  She’s 35.  Some snow showers.  There’s quite a little wind from W. and N.W. Stew and Frank took 31 hogs to the Indianapolis stockyards about 6:30 this a.m.  They weighed an average of 231 lbs. and sold for $17.50 per hundred pounds.    George went to city this afternoon only to 20^th Street to Garden Court.  Bob called us about noon.  I asked him if he and Christy could come for supper but he said his gas company partner Fred is sick so he can’t leave town during this cold weather.  

Thursday, January 27    Sunny, 5 degrees below zero 

   Mrs.Saville is here today.  Dad’s office furnace went out this a.m.  Frank & Bud Cauldwell lighted it.  Our gas pressure is low.  I didn’t leave the house.  Snow showers every once in a while.  We played canasta between favorite TV programs in eve.  I have written several letters each day, thanks to every one for flowers & help.

Sunday, January 30         5 above zero           Beautiful sunny day. 

   Snow is drifting with the wind.  Nora & Ed left about 9 a.m. for Florida after having coffee with Harriet.  I did a good size washing in the a.m. of  Christy’s mom’s nylon & rayon things, some of which Christy can use.  I baked a small cherry and small apple pie to take to Pendleton.  We were met at the door by Steve who took the pies.  Bob oohed and aahed over them.  Christy had her dinner almost ready.  We sat down in about 10 minutes.  Her dinner was delicious, her chicken fried to perfection.  [Christy was 15 and would turn 16 on March 5.]  We came home about 2:30.

Monday, January 31        26 degrees       cold wind from the south east.  

    Before I got my work started Hazel Pritchard called to ask me to ride into the city with her.  We left home about 10:30.  She exchanged some shoes and I bought George a hat.  We ate lunch at Weiss’s on Pennsylvania St.  Had to stop at Cadillac on our way home to have something fixed on her car.  It took about ½ hour.  We stopped at the Stop and Shop for home groceries. 

After supper Floyd & Blanche [Graham] came in.  George had to go to a Board Meeting at the church.  He got back before they left.  [Grandpa was the chairman of the board at the Fortville Christian Church for many years.]

Tuesday, February 1     Cloudy   

   Steve stayed all night last night.  Bob, Christy and he had supper at Stewart and Millie’s.  Bridge Club was at Margaret McBane’s.  There were 8 of us.  We all had a good time.  After supper I went to Stew’s and stayed with the kids while Stew, Millie, Calvin & Geneva Brown went to the city.  The girls attended a contest meeting.  The Boys went to a show [movie].   [Millie was a “contester” along with Geneva Brown and another friend.  They wrote “jingles” for various products and won small prizes such as clocks, toasters, etc. and occasionally a major appliance.  The Prizewinner of Defiance Ohio (made into a movie) is a charming account of this hobby that swept the country in the early 1950s.  Many small town wives gained some pride and independence this way.]      It started to rain and ice over before they left home.  Rained and sleeted all evening.  They got back safe and sound about 11:30.  Several of the bridge club went to Linder’s restaurant for supper. 

Wednesday, February 2     20 degrees.       Ice over everything.  Roses not too bad. 

   I stayed with Stewart’s children & Millie went grocery shopping in my car.  She was gone about an hour.  I was busy after I got home.  Bruce and Mark Perkins got to Martha McDonald’s about 6;30.  [These friends lived in Monticello, Indiana, near Lake Shaffer where Grandma sometimes rented a cottage in the summer to get away from the busy life at the Big House.  In April, 1950 they traveled with the Raferts to California for three weeks.]  We watched the Arthur Godfrey show and then went & had a good visit.  Mark and Bruce are going to Florida soon.  He thinks they will stay 4 to 6 weeks on the west coast near St. Petersburg.  Geo. & I will visit them when we travel there in about two weeks.

Thursday, February 3.   Beautiful sunny day.  22 degrees at 10:30 a.m. 

   I got a letter from Aunt Della.  [Della Stewart was Grandma’s Uncle Will Stewart’s wife.  He died in 1930 and Aunt Della lived with her daughter Marjorie, Grandma’s first cousin, just north of Chicago at Glencoe located by Lake Michigan.  Aunt Della was raised at White’s Institute for poor children in Wabash County near La Fontaine near the Robert Stewart farm where she met her future husband, our great-uncle Will Stewart.]

   As we were sitting down to lunch Erwin Rafert from Gresham, Nebraska called from Noblesville to say he and his wife Helen would stop by on their way to visit relatives in Pennsylvania.  They arrived about 2 o’clock.  We like them and persuaded them to stay overnight.  Millie and Stewart had us over for supper.  We stayed over there talking till after 11:00.  The next morning we showed them our two farms.  Then George & I took Erwin and Helen to Indianapolis to show them around the city and the Indianapolis 500 Speedway race course and walked up in the grandstand.  We came back home and they started on to Penna. About 3 o’clock.  [We Indiana Raferts learned of the Nebraska Raferts from an article in a farm magazine.  Grandpa wrote them and invited them to stop anytime they came east.  Erwin, age 49 was the grandson of Ernest Rafert, who moved from Indianapolis to Nebraska in 1884. Ernest Rafert was the Grandson of Wilhelm Rafert (1797-1888) brother of Grandpa’s Grandfather Henry Rafert (1799-1891).  Grandpa learned for the first time that the Rafert family migrated from a village called Meinsen in a former German state called Schaumburg-Lippe near northwest Germany near Buckeburg.  Erwin age 49 and Helen age 46, had five children.  In 1956, when Dad, Mom, Leslie, me, Tom Thomas and Barbara Cooper went west to California, we stopped at their farm for two days to visit.  Our families stayed in touch for the next 40 or 50 years.

Monday, February 7   sunny, snow going fast  

   I took Millie to city with me.  We left GOR’s hats to be cleaned and blocked at S & S hat cleaners on first square of Massachusetts Ave.   I can get them a week from tomorrow.  I shopped some then stopped at Agnes’ and had a good visit.  George got home about an hour after I did.  I called cousin Bess Sailors & told her we will probably be ready by fifteenth or sixteenth to travel to Florida for a visit.

Tuesday Feb. 8   cloudy about 30 degrees.  Snow almost gone.  Made up beds clean.

Wednesday Feb. 9      60 degrees middle of day. 

   Went to Pendleton after lunch.  Bob put 3 big bags of Jeanne’s clothes in my car.   We left the things at Goodwill then I got out at Block’s.  Shopped some, George picked me up in front of Wasson’s at 4:30.  Got home in good time via Delaware St. & 30^th St.

Thursday Feb. 10    36 degrees a.m.   Cloudy.  Started to rain about 9:30. 

   Frank & Stewart were here this morning and after lunch went to the office to talk business with their Dad.  Christy called us and visited after she got home from school.  By that time it was snowing hard.  I told her I would have been up to see her if the weather was nice.

Friday Feb. 11.   Bright sunshine.  In the afternoon Frank came in and lit the floor furnace in dining room (it went out sometime in the a.m.)   We had pancakes for supper.  Christy called from Harriet’s about 5.  She’s staying there all night.  We may take her home in the morning.  Four below zero at 7:30 p.m.  Freezing weather clear down to Miami.

Saturday Feb 12  Sunny.  Baked bread in afternoon.  Geo. & I took Christy home  about 9:00 o’clock.  Hated to leave her by herself.  Sue Shepple couldn’t come in to visit her.  Gave my loaf of bread to Stewart.

Sunday Feb. 13.    Sunny, 15 degrees.   Very pleasant dry snow over everything from the cold.  Went to church, came home, went to Twin Lanterns for dinner.  [This restaurant a favorite for dinner after church.]

Monday Feb 14      Very dark this a.m.  Weatherman says sleet today.  Harriet called, wants me to come over for a visit this a.m.  I went over about 9:30.  Charlie [almost 8] home with earache.

   Debbie came in after supper with a Valentine she had made for me.  She prints so well.  [Debbie would turn 7 on Mar. 9.]  John Thomas came by this afternoon on his way home to Bedford.  [He was a plant manager at the General Motors Allison factory in Bedford.  Grandpa Rafert had called Charles Wilson in Anderson to recommend him for the Bedford job.  In 1955 Wilson was appointed Secretary of Defense by Eisenhower.]

Thursday Feb 17.     Geo. took Mrs. Saville to Harriet’s to stay with children while Harriet went to the beauty shop.  I went to city, had dinner with Jeanne at Y.W.C.A.  At Ayres Department store I saw Reba Colvard and Lydia Hiday.  They told me that Ruth Adams had fallen at the Muncie basketball game the night before & had broken her hip.  It took the starch out of me because I am so afraid of falling myself.  [Her mother, Elnora Stewart, had fallen in the bathtub at her apartment in Indianapolis and broken her hip.  She died June 8, 1949.] 

   After I got home I persuaded George to pack & leave for Florida tomorrow.  I started packing right away.  We joined Harriet’s family at Nora’s for supper.  Bob and Christy were there too.  Then we came home and almost finished packing.  Got to sleep about midnight.

Friday Feb 18, 1955.     light overcast   

   Stew & Frank came in to say goodbye while Geo. was at the post office.  We finally got off for Florida about 10:00 o’clock.  Roads were good.  I had packed a lunch so we ate it by a filling station in Scottsburg.  We took Post Road to New Bethel, Southport Rd. to 31, then 31 W. to Glasgow, Kentucky.  Got held up there an hour.  A woman backed into us, hooked her bumper in our under our fender and wouldn’t move till the police came.  Damaged our back left fender but didn’t hurt her car at all.  We finally got separated.  When we got to Scottsville Kentucky we found there was a detour almost to Nashville.  We found a nice motel in Scottsville and stayed there.  Took our coats off before we left Indiana, but kept heat on.

Saturday Feb 19      Mileage 9529  

   I got awake a little after 3 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep.  Looked at the time at 5:20 but George didn’t want to get up so I wrote 2 days in this diary.  We left at 7:20 a.m.  Had to detour almost back to Nashville, Kentucky, then back to Murfreesboro.  We got caught up with a string of trucks.  Law allows them to go 40 m.p.h.  Took us a long time to pass them.  Had our car greased & ate lunch in Huntsville, Ala.  Stayed at Opelika over night near the eastern state line of Alabama.  Drove about 400 miles this day.

Sunday Feb 20.  Sunny. 

   Had cabins that were back of others so were nice and quiet.  Still have a little heat on in the car this a.m.  Air is cool.  Ate our lunch at Monticello, Florida. a few miles inside the state, then took U.S. 90 to Lake City.  Had a beautiful day, sunny most of the time.  From Lake City we took US 441 south.  Have a nice cabin at Shangri La on dual lane highway at Ocala.  Lost our hour when we entered the eastern time zone somewhere in lower Georgia.  Arrived here about 6 E.S.T.  I drove from Camilla, Ga. to Lake City, Fl.  Drove 388 miles this day.

Monday Feb 21   light clouds     cool   

   Stopped at Gulf station north of Haines City and bought juice & Temple oranges.  Ate lunch there.  Arrived about 4 p.m..  Faye and Rex Wisehart were at home.  We took them to Watson’s for dinner.  Dick & Jane Deakyne & Ed & Nora Cooper had gone to Key West for the day.  They got back after 10.

Tues. Feb 22  thin clouds   pleasant but cool wind  

   Went grocery shopping.  Ed, Nora, Faye & I drove to awning place & ordered a valance for the front porch.  George bought the material for the porch.

Wed. Feb 23   Beautiful, sunny & warm

   Ed Cooper and Rex Wisehart mended some rotted frame on the front porch and replaced some screens.  Fay, Nora, George & I went to Parrot Jungle.  It is beautifully landscaped and there are lots of flamingos, macaws, parrots, parakeets, black swans, cockatoos and other birds.  They have quite a show with some trained birds.  We got back about 5 o’clock.  Ed & Rex had just got cleaned up.  Had some fish steaks from a big kingfish Ed had caught a week ago.

Thurs. Feb 24    light clouds, about 72 degrees

   We went to Ft. Lauderdale.  Gerald & Helen Norris weren’t home.  We went to Crayton’s for lunch at a very nice location on the Inland Waterway.  We saw the drawbridge go up several times and nice yachts going by.  Later we came back to our apartment which we moved into the afternoon after Jane and Deak Deakyne left to return to Fortville.  [Deakyne was one of two Fortville dentists, the other was Dr. Paul Saltine, my favorite because of his cabinet of Indian masks and pictures of Aztec pyramids.  Dr. Saltine came from Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil and trained at Indiana University.  He never returned to Brazil.  His wife was a Mexican who taught Spanish at Butler University.  He did dental work for the Mexican-American migrant workers from the south tip of Texas, often for free.]

Fri. Feb 25       Ed Cooper came over to say Nora was working on the rest of the kumquat and pineapple conserve we had started yesterday.  We made 12 pints yesterday.  I bought 10 lbs. of sugar and a dozen pint jars.  I went over to Faye’s and we made 17 pints of preserves, 7 for Faye and 10 for me.  It is delicious.  Nora had a pot of soup on so we stayed and ate with them.  After dishes were done we left just as Gerald & Helen Norris and Jim Deakyne came.  [Jim Deakyne was presumably Deak’s brother.]

Sat. Feb 26   sunny      Went over to get our mail about 2.  Faye took Geo. & me to Vizcaya, the old Deering home which belongs to the state now and is open to the public for a fee.  It is beautiful.  Then we drove out on Key Biscayne.  There is a shopping center there, some nice motels and hotels and a big park.

Sun. Feb 27      Went to church then back to our apartment.  Afterward we went to Faye’s.  We missed Nora & Ed.  They had gone to visit their friends Mr. & Mrs. Watts from Anderson.   We saw them after supper a minute.  We planned to go with Faye and Rex at 8:30 tomorrow to Key West.

Mon. Feb 28    beautiful day   sunny, cool enough to wear a sweater

   A beautiful trip down to Key West.  The water was a heavenly blue and green.  We ate at a lobster house over water.  Shrimp boats were tied to the wharf.  We then rode around old Key West and out to the beach.  We got back about 7 o’clock.  Faye parked and we went nearby to the airport and saw loads of people coming and going.

Tues. March 1    another sunny day

   We packed our car after breakfast.  We left town about 10:30 by 125^th street to US 441 to US 84, then US 27, then state highway 80 to Ft. Myers.  We have a very comfortable cabin north of Bradenton called Azalea Courts, run by Mr. & Mrs. Odom.

Wed. March 2        warm & foggy    sunny after we got to St. Petersburg. 

   We left the cabin about 3:30 on our drive north to visit Bruce & Mark Perkins.  The fog was worse over the water.  We could see things about a quarter of a mile away or a little more.  We could see the high part of the bridge sticking above the fog.  The bridge and the approaches are 12 miles long.  Bruce had written their address as 10^th Street but we finally found them at 10^th Ave. N.E.  We found a big room and bath a few doors away.  Some Michigan friends of theirs drove up at the same time so Mark took us all to lunch at a hotel cafeteria.    The friends left & we went to our rooms, then got together with Bruce and Mark and stopped at Howard Johnson’s to eat, then went to the greyhound races.  We got back to our room at about 10 o’clock.

Thurs. March 3       sunny & warm         Mark & Geo. took us downtown.  We went around to the stores then met the boys at Morrison’s cafeteria.  We rested at our rooms, then met at Bruce’s apartment at 6 p.m. and had a sandwich supper, then played canasta.  We quit about 9:30.  Back at our rooms we took a walk & went to bed.

Fri. March 4    sunny & warm  

   We ate breakfast each morning with Bruce & Mark.  Then we two drove out to see Edyth and Howard Gay.  We stayed for lunch and dinner.  We had such a good visit.  Edyth baked red snapper for dinner with wax snap beans and potatoes cooked together with fresh strawberries for desert.  [Edyth Wood Gay was a best friend from Grandma’s high school years at Shortridge in Indianapolis.]

Sat. March 5    Elsa & John’s wedding anniversary.  Christy’s 16^th birthday.      warm & sunny  [Aunt Elsa died Dec. 19, 1948.  Married March 5, 1937, it would have been their eighteenth anniversary.]

   We had breakfast with Mark & Bruce.  Left our room about 10 a.m.  Stopped and got some oranges and grapefruit at a stand below Clearwater.  We drove out on the pier at Clearwater but didn’t stay because they were getting ready for a parade.

   We stopped at New Port Richey to see Grover and Pearl Jackson and found they have moved to St. Petersburg.  Too bad we didn’t know it sooner.  Drove on thru to Azalea Courts in Camilla, Georgia.  It is like a June evening.  Didn’t wear any coat or jacket today.  Called Stewart, found everybody at home fine and weather good up there.

Sunday, March 6       cloudy, a little cooler    put on our suits 8 a.m.

   Left Azalea Court, Camilla, Georgia.  Both feeling fine.  Started to rain about 9:30, wind was blowing very hard.  We had several real hard showers.  It stopped raining in the afternoon.  We only stopped for gas and once to have a tire changed that had a piece of casing flapping.  Bad tire I guess.

We didn’t stop until we got to Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  Got settled.  Same manager was here both times we stopped before.  We then went to the dining room of the Jackson Motel where we ate as usual.  We don’t like the food at this one.

Mon. March 7    sunny, frost on cars this a.m.

   After breakfast in our cabin George took car to be greased.  They ruined a tire on the grease rack so we had to buy a new one.  We got away from the motel about 9:30.  It was slow driving—had to pass a long army convoy, then we had another slowdown in Nashville.  Cool enough for our coats today.  We passed a house blown down last Fri. night.  The tornado cleared a strip 50 to 100 yds. wide 3 miles west and 3 miles east of highway 41W.  Close neighbors didn’t know anything had happened till morning.  It flattened a small town, but nobody was even hurt badly.  I drove about 100 miles all through Ft. Knox and Louisville and New Albany.  We ate supper at the north edge of New Albany then followed US 31 into Indianapolis and out 67 to Fortville.  We stopped at Atlas for groceries.  [Atlas Market is still in Broadripple.]  Home about 8 o’clock.

Tues. March 8      clear and pleasant

   Stew brought mail.  Frank has an infected athlete’s foot and is not able to do any work.  Frank stopped in on our way to doctor after lunch.  Harriet and Freddie brought our Olds 88 back.  I cleaned up the kitchen and started to unpack.  Bob and Christy came down in the evening for a short visit.

Wed. March 9    Debbie’s 7^th birthday

   Washed & waxed kitchen floor.  Drove to 38^th St. and Sherman Drive to Tot and Teen shop and bought a navy blue dress for Debby, then stopped to deliver it and I was served a sandwich, jello with fruit cake and chocolate milkshake.  I had a bite of supper when I got home, then we went to church.  It was the week of the revival meeting.  We brought Stewart, Leslie Ann & Stewart J. home with us.  Their car was at home with a flat tire.  Nora  left by train with Carl Helms [her brother] for Miami.  They will be gone 2 weeks.

Thursday, March 10.     warm & cloudy       Mrs. Saville here today.  We had potato soup for lunch.  Mrs. Saville had 3 teeth pulled yesterday.  I put a meat loaf in oven after I took Mrs. Saville home.  Christy and Bob are coming for supper.  After supper we went to the revival.  [Once-a-year church revivals were always fun as a community get-together.]

Friday March 11.        Started my washing at 7 and almost finished it before I ate my breakfast.  Ironed in afternoon.  I took Frank to Dr. Gorman.   He has a serious infection on his feet.  Has always had some of it ever since the war but not so bad as it is now.  [He got “trench foot” in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge and also cut a foot badly with an axe.]  We came straight home after we got the prescription at Haag’s at 38^th & 67.  Dad went to revival at church in evening but I was too tired.  Aunt Jeanne came out with Dad in time for supper.  She is sick with a flu like cold.

Saturday March 12.

   Ironed 3 shirts.  Harriet came over on Barbara’s bicycle in a.m.  Bruce and Mark Perkins had arrived at Martha McDonald’s at about 7 last evening on their way home to Monticello from Florida.  They wouldn’t stay for lunch with us but came over about 10 a.m. and visited for an hour.  Aunt Jeanne and I had a good visit but she was miserable with her cold.  She felt better by bed time.

Sunday March 13    cloudy most of day    cooler sun came out in afternoon

   Dad & I went to church.  Got dinner as soon as I changed my clothes.  Jeanne & I were sitting watching TV when Mr. & Mrs. Ed Haines came calling.  We had such a good visit.  We took Jeanne home after they left.  Sun was out by this time.

Monday 14      Shopped some for crackers, coke and things.  Barbara Ann was grocery shopping too so I took her home.  Stopped and visited with Harriet.

Tuesday 15     

   Bob Adams measured our kitchen windows for cornices.  Got ready for bridge club.  Harriet Wisehart was first to arrive.  Irene Burkle was last to come.  [Mrs. Burkle worked in the ticket booth at the Rialto Theater.]  There were 8 including me.  Ruth Adams isn’t home from the hospital yet.  She has learned to walk with her walker, but she has had a gall bladder attack.  She thinks she can come home in a few days.  She has been in the hospital 3 weeks.  Faye Wisehart still isn’t back from Miami.

Wednesday 16  

   Busy washing windows in kitchen and vases on edge of cupboard.  Bob Adams brought the kitchen window cornices and had man install them.  They add a lot to the looks of the kitchen.  Dad & I went up to see Frank.  He and 3 boys, Spencer, Bob, George, were all asleep. Visited with Barbara Jean a few minutes.  Went to church in evening. Took Harriet with us.

Thurs. March 17   pale sunshine    cool near freezing

   Mrs. Saville here today.  Washed some woodwork and some extra things in a.m.  Lunch at 11:30.  George went to city.  Harriet came after me at 2.  We picked Christy up after school.

Christy bought a pair of avocado flat shoes to wear to a dance with Jack Shaw at Hagerstown tomorrow night.  Christy is a darling.  Hope she has a good time.   She will stay all night at Sarah Crouch Murray’s.  Will come home Saturday a.m.  It is spitting snow, not sticking on the road or sidewalk.

Friday March 18.    Cool but not cold     sun out most of day

   Ironed some of Christy’s and Bob’s things.  Cleaned some too.  Drove to Pendleton about 4 p.m.  So glad I did.  I fixed Harriet’s dress to fit Chris around the neck.  She looked beautiful in it.  She insisted we stay for supper so we did.  Jack Shaw came for her shortly after 6.  We went home right away too.

Saturday March 19      cool & clear

   Drove over picked up Leslie and we drove to school.  3 Girl Scouts were waiting.  Mrs. Jim French and 9 more girls came in a little while later.  She was taking the girls to Ayers to a talk on clothes.  They have had 2 or 3 other lectures.  I went shopping and met them at 11:15.  We had lunch in the Tea room.  Mrs. French let the girls do a little shopping before we started home.  I changed my clothes and did some more ironing.  Dick Pritchard came in before I left this a.m.   He visited with George till about 9:30 a.m.  [Dick lived nearby on Merrell Street and was Grandpa’s partner at the Pendleton grain elevator known as “Pritchard and Rafert.”  He also worked at the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.  They had been friends since the 1920s.]

Sunday March 20.        cloudy         I ironed after breakfast till I got ready to go to church.       Had dinner at home today.

Monday March 21     fine showers, cloudy

   Finished Christy’s ironing.  Margaret McBane called up in the morning and visited a long time.  George went to city after lunch.  I took ironed clothes up to Pendleton after school.  Had a visit with Christy.  She had a good time at Hagerstown.  I stopped and visited with Martha McDonald on the way home.  She took a coffee cake out of her new stove and we sat down and ate some of it.  It was so good I came home and baked one for us.  There was high wind and hard rain as we were going to bed.  Wind blew all night.

Tues. March 22   spitting snow and high wind.  26 degrees in a.m.

   Visiting Nurses Association meeting at Hollyhock Hill.  Pearl Kiefer was hostess.  I was worried.  Couldn’t decide whether to drive in.  Finally got ready and drove in about 10:45.  Several real hard snow showers.  Only 8 of us were there.  We sewed 68 wound dressings.  Had a delicious lunch.  I started home about 3 o’clock.  I drove to 38^th St. and stopped for a visit with Helen Ashley.  Stopped at Jimmy’s for some groceries.  Bob Thomas had come down this afternoon to talk business with Dad.

Wednesday March 23    bright sunshine, sharp cool breeze

   Made a ruffle for the rod on the kitchen door [to the small south side room where freezer was] to hang over shade.  Asked Barbara if they could come down for supper but they are expecting Hoy Ferrell this evening to talk about when he will start to work on the bedroom they are going to make upstairs for the boys.  I will have them down for supper next week.  [The boys, Spencer, George, Bob, Tim and Mike, born from 1949 to 1964, occupied this dorm-like room for many years.  Visiting up there one afternoon I saw the huge American flag that hung from the porch of the Rafert house in Indianapolis serving as a bedspread. This particular flag which hung at the Rafert house when President Benjamin Harrison was in office was created in 1891.  Benjamin Harrison was also a neighbor of the Christopher Rafert family living a block away and often walked by the Rafert house, so he personally saw this flag many times.  He died in 1901 when Grandpa R. was a senior in high school.  It had 45 stars (3 rows of 8 stars and 3 rows of 7) and was replaced with the 46 star flag when Oklahoma became a state in 1907.]

   I will shampoo my hair this afternoon and go up to Frank’s for Barbara to set it.  Saw Bob at Harriet’s about 3:30 when I went to stay with Mary and Fred while Harriet came out to see her dad.  Asked Bob and Christy down for supper tomorrow night.  Went up to Frank’s and Barbara shampooed & set my hair.  The children were darling and went to bed before my hair was dry.

Thursday March 24     cool breeze but bright sunshine

   Mrs.Saville here.  Will let her go to Harriet’s after lunch for Harriet has such a big ironing.  Put meatloaf in oven and later the potatoes.  For dessert had raspberry jello with sliced peaches in it.  We all enjoyed our supper.  Bob watched Climax and Groucho Marx with us.  Then Christy came after him.

Friday March 25, 1955    cool & cloudy       I drove to Fort Benjamin Harrison Finance center to eat lunch there with the Women’s Department garden club.  It started to snow on my way in.  It snowed hard all of the time were there.   I started home about 3:15.  It was snowing so hard I had to put car lights on.  Saw no mishaps but lots of traffic, trucks & cars.

Saturday 26^th    Wind was blowing so hard that the snow was picking up from the ground and making a cloud that piled up in drifts along the road.  Cold too.  Nobody went out who didn’t have to.  Highway icy.  Stewart got stuck in his lane about 1/3 of the way back in the eve.  [The lane to the house was about a quarter mile long, bordered by catalpa trees.  Winds from the west across our tomato field often caused snow to drift.  The answer was often to drive a tractor back and forth a couple of times to open it up.]

Sunday 27     sun out most of day

   Stewart and children walked out in old clothes and brought church clothes along to change into here.  Frank took them to Sunday school.  We went to church and brought them home.  They changed their clothes here again.  Frank & Stew dragged the car out with a tractor.  The car was frozen up so they took it to Hughes’ filling station to thaw out.  [Harlan Hughes was the original owner.  He died in the late 1940s.]  They got it after the night church service.  Stew & Leslie drove back the lane and got stuck about 2/3 of the way back.

Monday 28    another sunny day

   Snow thawed from thin spots and highway 238 that  by our house 238  was cleared.  The Boys dragged Stew’s car out of the lane in the afternoon.  I washed all of my Royal Meissen plates and bric & brac on the plate rails in the dining room and what not stands and shelves [The Big House had double plate rails on all four walls in the dining room.  Many of the ceramics and other items remained on the rails until the house was sold and the items auctioned in late September, 2012.  One of the fine items on the plate rails was a set of blue china that patients from the Shoals, Indiana area in Martin, County bartered to Grandma’s father, Dr. Frank Stewart, for medical service during an epidemic there in 1898.  He was also given 40 acres of land near Shoals that had a very large rock shelter.   This tract of land was on a ridge from which the French Lick Hotel was visible 18 miles in the distance.  My Dad took this land as part of his share of Aunt Jeanne Stewart’s estate when she died in 1981.  Dad sold it and it was brokered to Larry Byrd the Boston Celtics basketball star who came from Shoals and returned there after he retired from his basketball career.  I wish my dad had kept it in the family.  At the same time I am glad it went Larry Byrd to have this reminder of his Indiana boyhood.  Many of you will remember Aunt Hattie’s popcorn bowl.  It is a serving dish from than set.]

Tuesday 29     sunny and warmer

   Busy putting all of the clean things back on the plate rails and shelves in a.m.  I drove to the city in the afternoon and shopped for Harriet’s boys Charlie, Jim and Freddy’s sox and jeans.  I got some handmade hankies for gifts.  Geo. picked me up at Block’s north door. 

Wednesday, March 30       sunny & warmer

   We made a cousin visit south of Philadelphia where Geo.’s mother was born (Sugar Creek Township) in 1841.  We drove down to Della Winslow’s and Ben Faut’s.  Both were gone from home.  We stopped at Ralph and Bertha Manche’s.  Then we stopped at Hazel Ashcraft’s.  [George Ashcraft’s mother, Mollie Lantz Ashcraft, was Grandpa Rafert’s first cousin.  Mollie is fourth from left in the picture that follows. Aunt Jennie Rafert who is second from the left, was also a first cousin.  At the left is Della Winslow [always called Dell] who was a favorite cousin, often mentioned in Grandma this diary.  Her father John Manche was Grandpa Rafert’s mother Christina’s brother.  Her sister Elizabeth Manche Hardin sits to the right of Aunt Jennie.]

   George Rafert’s six lady first cousins from his mother Christina Manche Rafert plus George Rafert’s sister Jennie second from left.  His sister Jane Bell Rafert, our Aunt Jennie is second from left.  These seven women descend from the four branches of the Manche family.  All lived near each other about 15 miles south of Fortville.  Aunt Jenny lived in Indianapolis.  She often visited Julia Faut Ruschhaupt, seated at far right.

   From left, Della Winslow, Jenny Rafert, Elizabeth Harden (Della Winslow’s sister), Mollie Lantz Ashcraft and her sister Nettie Larrabee, then Fanny Faut Schilling and her sister Julia Faut Ruschaupt.

   Della Winslow her sister Elizabeth Hardin were daughters of Uncle John Manche (1845-1927).  Aunt Jennie’s mother was Christina Manche (1841-1915).  Mollie Lantz Ashcraft’s mother Aunt Elizabeth Manche Lantz was Christina Rafert’s older sister (1839-1919).  Next right is Mollie’s sister Nettie Larrabee.  Finally, two more sisters, Fannie Schilling  and Julia Ruschaupt whose mother was Christina Rafert’s younger sister, Aunt Mary Manche Faut (1863-1904).     Grandpa Rafert’s male cousins descended from Elizabeth Lantz were “Old” Bill Lantz and Henry Lantz, and from Mary Manche Faut, Ben Faut.  Male cousins from Uncle John Manche were Charles Manche and Maurice (pronounced “Morris”) Manche.  All of these Manche descendants are buried in the New Palestine cemetery except Raferts.

   There were many inter-marriages among this small, rural community.  None were first cousins, but there were second cousin marriages as among my dad Stewart Rafert and mom Millie Hawk Rafert.  Uncle John Manche married Mary Ashcraft, the sister of my grandmother Flora Hawk’s father John Ashcraft.  We Rafert and Hawk descendants should be proud that our Great-uncle John Manche supervised the building of the Hancock County courthouse in Greenfield while he was County Commissioner in the 1890s.  Our Great-Uncle John Manche was also a veteran of the Civil War in the battles of Franklin, Shiloh and others. He died in 1927.

    The younger Manche brother,Paulm moved away from the Sugar Creek Township area long ago.  He and his descendants live in the Terre Haute area and from the very beginning of the Manche Reunion did not attend.        

Thursday, March 31      nice sunny day

   Mrs. Saville on time.  I went to grocery with Geo.  We did a lot of cleaning.  I got a good lunch.  Took Mrs. Saville home about 3:00.  Asked her to come back Saturday a.m. to iron.  Bought 8 boxes of Girl Scout cookies from Leslie and Barbara.  I froze 4 boxes of them.

Friday April 1     cloudy       Left here about 9:15.  I stopped at De Quincy St. for rent.  [Located at New York and De Quincy streets on the east side of Indianapolis near Pleasant Run, these houses built in 1914 are just a block or two north of U.S. 40.  They were totally renovated about 2012.  At that time, I (SJR) stopped by and was invited by the young man painting to enter and see a house from top to bottom.  By today’s standards it was tiny.  There are 3 buildings of 4 houses.  They are similar to groups of 4 row houses, with a main floor, basement, second floor and tiny attic.  The neighborhood is poor, but decent.  My favorite rental to visit was Garden Court on Twentieth St. on the near northside in Indianapolis.  The rent collector there was Ruth Osbon. Mrs. Osbon saved unusual coins for me and was always glad to see an 8 to 13 year old boy drop by.  Her husband Frank Osbon died about 1950.  She made bouquets of tiny artificial flowers to sell for extra income.  Grandpa loved to take me along on his rent collecting trips.  During these trips he often told stories of old Indianapolis that he saw in his boyhood.]

Pleasant temperature.  Wore out suits without coats.

Saturday April 2    nice sunny day     

Sunday April 3^rd   sunshine & light clouds.  Went to church

Mon.   windy & cool.  Busy getting beds ready for Mary, Gretchen & Peter Holtz.  They arrived at 2.  So glad to see them.  Gretchen & Peter are big kids and good looking.  They are staying all night here, then I will take them to Miami University at Oxford, Ohio for a college visit.  After dinner we all went to Stew’s.  [Mary Turner Holtz was the daughter of Walt and La Della Turner.The Turners, from Geneseo, Illinois, were lifelong friends of George and Ethel Rafert and are often mentioned in this diary.]

Tuesday 5      nice sunny day     Mary, Gretchen, Peter and I left the house about 9:30.  Arrived in Oxford, Ohio about 12:30 E.S.T. [Indiana remained on central time year round.  She means that Ohio had moved to daylight time while time did not change in Indiana.]

   We stopped at a fraternity house to take a cake to one of their friends from Elmhurst, Illinois his mother had baked for him.  We went to the Huddle in the business district then we picked up the boy.  He acted as a guide and told us about the different buildings on the campus.  He introduced Gretchen to a freshman in the girl’s dormitory and she was shown several rooms.  We started back to Fortville about 2:30.  We saw the Maxwell school south of Greenfield on highway 9 still burning.  We went up to see Barbara & children after we got back.

Wednesday 6     air a little cooler    sunny day   Mary Holtz & I had a good visit at the breakfast table.  They got started about 10 o’clock. I certainly enjoyed them all. 

Thursday April 7    another nice day

   Mrs. Saville here as usual.  Did big washing and did her ironing in afternoon.  I took I took Mrs. Saville home them picked up Nora and her mother Fanny Helms and took them to Anderson to shop for Grandma Helms.  We got home about 4;30 p.m.  [Grandma Helms was born in 1867, the wife of Abraham Lincoln Helms.  She was 87 at the time of this trip.]  She died in 1972 at age 105.]      Steve came down, ate lunch at Stew’s.  Barbara Cooper combed my hair.  We went to church for the Easter service.  Took Stewart J. & Leslie home after church.  Big Stew had to stay for choir practice.

Friday 8 April      nice day, sunny     Drove up to Christy’s.  Stayed for lunch with Bob & Steve too.  Came home about 1.  I picked up Millie, Leslie, Stewart & George Thomas [age 10].  Dad drove them in earlier in the morning to meet George, coming up from Bedford, at the bus station at Indianapolis.  Stewart, Bob, Steve, Dad and I were at Stewart’s for supper too.  [We had a large round in the dining area of the  kitchen. A picture window looked east across the big dip in the pasture to the barn and the 1850s house of the Jester family who had once owned the farm.  Mom painted a water color of the house and two oil paintings in the early 1950s.  We grandchildren loved playing in both the barn and the house for years.  In the 1944 20 Mexican Americans and their cook stayed one summer in the house.  They planted, hoed and picked our tomato harvest from the ten acre field west of our catalpa lined lane for sale to the Stokely-Van Camp cannery on the southeast side of Indianapolis on Kentucky Avenue.  The tomato farming continued for us from 1937 to 1963.  The tomato “station” along the railroad in Fortville was closed in 1966 ending an era of seeing the same group of Mexican-Americans from the Pharr and Harlingen area of south Texas every year.  We got to know them well.]

Saturday 9    nice day, sunny   Drove in to city and brought Jeanne S. out.  I washed her clothes after lunch.  Stopped at Harriet’s and Barbara’s.  Dad took Jeanne S. home about 3:30.  Bob came down for supper.  Steve took Christy to Union City to visit with Anne Mathias over Easter.

Sunday April 10   a little cooler         Dad & I got ready for the 8:30 church service.  We thought there wouldn’t be many there, but the church was filled.  Tom came up from Bedford about 7 p.m. and went over to Stewart’s for the evening.  He came back here about 9:30 and stayed here all night.

Monday April 11      66 degrees high   cloudy this morning

   I got up and washed Tom’s T shirt that Chief, Millie’s dog had dirtied with his paws.  Also washed 2 R.O.T.C. slacks and a T shirt of Steve’s.  Did Tom’s shirt by hand as it was a new one and light aqua.  Stewart J. came in a little after 7, awakened Tom and stayed for breakfast.  The boys played canasta all morning. Stewart went home for lunch].  Stewart, Millie, Stewart J. Leslie and George called for Tom.  Millie took Leslie to her art class and Stewart took the 3 boys to a movie show.

Tuesday April 12      cloudy    pleasant

   Boys [Stew and Frank] dropped by in the morning.  I ate a bite of lunch before I picked up Martha, Nell Hudson, Irene, & Mayme for bridge club.  Freddy is sick so Harriet couldn’t go.  We had a good time at Faye Wisehart’s in Pendleton.  Her house is so attractive.  We all went to the U.K. Pottery place on the way home and I bought a gift of an odd shaped bowl of pink and black pottery.  We had a hard thunderstorm after we left Pendleton.  We returned on the back road to Center School [elementary school 3 miles north of Fortville on highway 13 torn down in spring 2021] then left on 13 to let Mayme off at her house.  Lots of lightening.

Wednesday 13    cloudy   58 degrees    Nora & I drove to Anderson to Mr.  Romine the furniture repair man.  I took 4 of George’s mother’s chairs to be recaned and refinished.  Will take the others up soon.

Thursday April 14   clear at 5:30 a.m.     rained hard at 7 a.m.

   I got up a little after 5 and made my bed.  Laid my clothes out.  Took my blue dress with jacket down to press out wrinkles from our Florida trip. 

Helen Ashley & I drove to Columbus, Ind. in my car.  She is with the Art League at Fort Harrison.  We met at the First Christian Church designed by Eliel Saarinen, architect.  Miss Elsie Sweeney gave a talk and showed slides.  We drove out of town about 7 miles to the country club where we had a nice luncheon.  There were 64 of us.  Then we came back to Miss Sweeney’s home, (Irwin home).  The house is a museum full of beautiful things.  I learned that Miss Sweeney was born in 1888, the same year as I was.  The family owns Cummins Diesel Engine company.  [A few years after this gathering Miss Sweeney built a $16 million dollar home on Lake Harrison near Columbus.  Her nephew J. Irwin Miller paid noted architects to design many buildings in this small Indiana city which has become a mecca for modern architecture.  The church was Eliel Saarinen’s second commission after a church he designed in Lithuania.  His son Eero Saarinen is much better known.]       We got back to Helen’s about 5 o’clock.  I came on home quite tired.

Friday 15       cloudy     no rain     Barbara gave me a permanent at her house.  I baked a chocolate cake and to it up to them.  I drove on over to see Nora and Ed a while.  Charlie & Jim were there.

Saturday 16    pleasant      I called Jeanne S., drove in and picked her up and we shopped and then had lunch.  Carl and Helen Brannigan cleaned up some more trees and burned up some brush piles in the orchard behind the garage.  [The Brannigans lived nearby on Merrell Street next to the town florist.  Their son Tom was in my class of 1958 at Fortville.  SJR]  I went over to Stewart’s and watch Stewart & Frank move a lot of big rocks in the barn lot with the front loader on the  tractor. 

Sunday 17    Beautiful day      Stew came in at breakfast for a minute.  We went to church.  Over 300 in attendance.  Had dinner at the Twin Lantern on 67.  Bob and Christy came in for a few minutes.  Frank’s sweet family came in later.  They are a busy crowd of kids.  Bobby who is almost 2 years old thinks he is as big as any of them.

Monday April 18    warm    cloudy     I took 2 old dining room chairs, a smaller pair of walnut chairs and one old chair from home, all to be refinished and caned.  I have 4 more chairs for renovation which will make 13 or 14   [These chairs are still in existence, floating around with various family members 65 years later.  We had two of these maple chairs recaned here in Columbus, Ohio,, five years ago.  The lesson is that furniture lasts forever if it is maintained.]  Mr. Romine on S. Main St., Anderson is doing the work.  He has finished a lot of furniture for Nora.

Tues. 19     sun came out in p.m. and it was hot

   Went to city after lunch to buy 3 pillows for Ruth Adams who is still recovering.  Geo. picked me up at Block’s north door.  We stopped by Cora Rafert’s apartment.  She wasn’t there.  Got home about 5.  I made 3 pillow cases for and took pillows over for Ruth about 7.    [Cora Rafert was one of Grandpa’s first cousins who never married.  She was a matron at Block’s Department store training and managing all the sales “girls” and lived to age 100.  We never saw her at Fortville.  Grandpa had other first cousins in Indianapolis, children of four of his father Christopher Rafert’s brothers who never became wealthy.  The fifth brother, Andrew Rafert, two years older than Grandpa’s father Christopher was wealthy, but went bankrupt in 1873 and moved to Omaha then to Denver where he recovered his wealth.  Grandpa and Aunt Jenny made visits to this family into the early 1950s.]

Wednesday 20     cloudy and showers

   Stew came over at 6 a.m. & picked me up.  We drove to Pendleton to Bob’s and got Stewart J.s Latin book out of Bob’s car.  Didn’t bother Christy or Bob.  It was too early.  [I began Latin in ninth grade.   I still have the tenth grade book, Latin for Americans. Gertrude Crouch was the Latin teacher at Fortville High School for many years.  As I look at the book now, I see many pencil notes such as, “Began reading section II Thurs. Sept. 8, 1955.”  A test, written in pencil on March 29, 1956 earned a B-.  Miss Crouch noted that “More points could have been given” in part II for the Crimes of Medea.  An assignment for May 4, 1956 is a translation of a reading, “Caesar gets to Vesontion.” from page 282.  We had covered nearly all of the 300 page textbook that year.  I still remember many Latin phrases and sayings.    SJR,   Jan. 23, 2021]

Thurs. 21    cloudy sun in afternoon        70 something           Mrs. Saville here,  Cleaned the whole house.   Got Mary & Fred at 2 and took them to the Methodist church where she helped cook the Father and Son supper.  Fred & Mary played here till Harriet came after them about 4.  She had found a nice mess of sponge [morel] mushrooms.  [Aunt Hattie was a legendary mushroom hunter, always fiercely keeping the best sites secret.  Her main mushroom hunting ground was the 77 acres of woods on the “back side” of Grandpa’s farm.]

Fri Apr 22      cloudy most of day     high 75

   Pulled some weeds early in the a.m. and put some fertilizer on flower beds.  Nora called and wanted to take back some single bed spreads and get double size.  We drove to the city about 9 a.m.  I took my Navy blue purse to Wasson’s for zipper repair.  The clerk said it would be a month before I would get it back.  Wassons will deliver it to me.  I got back in time to get lunch for Dad..  Barbara & Bobby called on me in the afternoon [Robert would be two years old on May 8].  He is a darling.

Saturday Apr 23    cool breeze, very cloudy and damp

   I upholstered the seat of a ladder back chair.  Cleaned a closet.  Dad was told that his blood pressure is 200 and he has 4/10 degrees of fever.  I know he hasn’t been well for some time.  He is to take it easy.    Frank feels like he is taking the flu. Stewart has an upset stomach.  Carl and Helen Brannigan cut and burned a downed apple tree in the orchard  on the west side of the garage.  [This orchard of apple, pear, and cherry trees was planted in fall 1936.   I have the receipt from a nursery in Greenfield.]  They had to stop about 2 p.m. when it began to rain.

Sunday April 24     cloudy     about 60

   Didn’t go to church.  Got awake before 4 and finally went off to sleep and slept till 7:30.  Set clocks forward 1 hour last night.  Harriet came over with a beautiful bouquet of red tulips from her yard.  Stewart and Leslie stopped by in the afternoon after they had taken a tractor back to Frank’s.  I drove them home.  Mary Moore was there.  I sent a hello to her.  [Mary Moore was my Mom Millie’s only cousin on her mother’s side, the daughter of Grandma Hawk’s sister Clara Ashcraft.]         Dad has 99.4 fever and has slept every time he is quiet in his chair.  He coughs a lot.

Mon.  April 25.   [No entry]

Tues. April 26.  Women’s Nursing Association meeting at the German House on Massachusetts Ave.  I drove in and parked behind the Murat Temple.  I sat by Fredonia Bachelder. [The German community center on Massachusett’s Avenue.  The name is again officially “Das Deutsches Haus.”  The Christopher Rafert family often visited the Ratskeller.  During World War I the name was changed to “The Atheneum” and all German-related culture was shut down by the federal government, including teaching the German language in schools.  President Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, was rabidly anti-German and a total southern racist who violently enforced racial segregation in Washington, D.C. and within the armed forces during World War I.] 

   On the way home I stopped to see Harriet.  She was in bed with a sore throat.  Christy was there.  I visited with Ruth Adams on my way home.  She is getting along better.  We had bridge at Harriet Wisehart’s in the evening.  Mayme Wright came for me.  Thelma Steers [our Carnegie Librarian] and  Pauline played with us.  Hazel and Irene weren’t there.  I got home at 11:00 o’clock.

Wed 27     sunny in a.m.       Nora and Ed left about 9:30 a.m.  They will be in Wichita, Kans. Sat.  They are going from there to Waco, Texas and will be gone over 2 weeks.  Harriet is still in bed.  Kathleen is helping them.  I did a big washing & got Mary & Freddy after lunch.  I took them with me to Pendleton to get my floor polisher.  Christy and Jane Shirley drove down here in Jane’s bright red convertible. 

Thurs. April 28      nice day       I ironed most of the day.   I took my car down to fix a hole in the side and dents in the chrome that George put there.  Bob Carter came in from Mildred’s with a six month old Electrolux.  I bought it for $43.25

Friday 29    sunny all day just like June    tulips, narcissus and iris in bloom

   I pressed organdy curtains.  Harriet feels better.  George took Mrs. Saville home.  I did some weed digging in the morning in the garden.  I want to reset some galardia and painted daisies and chives.  Want to reset some larkspur plants that are thicker than weeds from plants I set out from Jeanne’s last year.  I would like to change some Sweet William plants.

   Bob, Steve and Christy were at Harriet’s for supper.  Christy stayed all night.  Steve is going to stay all night here.  He changed his clothes and went to the woods to hunt.  Bob came over and visited.

Saturday April 30      wonderful warm sunny day

   Jeanne S. called and I told her I would go to the city to get so she could spend the day with us.  I gathered some iris, narcissus and tulips.  I went to the city and took Jeanne to Crown Hill cemetery and we decorated graves.  I ordered roses at the office to be put on Jeanne T.s, Aunt Jenny’s and Dad’s mother Christina’s graves.  Her grave had rusted out.  I took Jeanne back about 5 o’clock.

Sunday May 1 1955   warm pleasant day   Dad didn’t feel well enough to go to church.  Cecil Blaydes came over in the afternoon and we had a good visit.  [He was on the church board and his wife Iona played the Hammond organ at the Christian Church on Sundays.  We kids called her “prune lips” because of her often severe expression.]  Frank came in in the evening.  Millie & Stew stopped and took Leslie with them to see some friends.

Wednesday May 4  clear, warm 80        Geo. & I drove to the tomato station to ask if the Salinas family are coming up from Texas this year.  They didn’t think so.  [Mr. Salinas and his sons often helped with gardening at the Big House.] 

Thurs May 5     another nice day    I got  up about 6:30    Stewart called for a city phone number which I looked up for him in the directory.  I pulled some weeds before breakfast.   Mrs. Saville & I got the screened porch cleaned and the wicker furniture in place for summer today.  I bought a bouquet for Leroy Durack’s father’s funeral.  I took Mrs. Saville home then drove up to Pendleton to visit Christy.

   Dr. Harold Manifold came to see Geo. about a building lot in the south east corner of the field next to the east driveway on Merrell Street.

Friday May 6    summer day    clear     

   I took Ruth Adams a grapefruit knife.  She is a little better.   I took a kit to her when she said she didn’t have anything to put her make up in when she moves from her bedroom to the living room.   Stopped at Treva Souder’s to show her a little pink dress I am going to send to her daughter Mary’s baby girl.  She was born in March.

   Stewart J. is cutting the grass.  His Grandpa pays him forty cents an hour.  [It took me eight and a half hours to mow the entire lawn with a 24 inch rotary mower more appropriate for a small suburban lawn.  I earned a total of $3.60 for the equivalent of a day’s work.  Grandpa estimated that the mowing involved 12 miles of walking.  My favorite section as the south yard bordering from the wrought iron gate entrance at 238 on the east side west past the Grandpa’s one room Prairie-style office to the west fence.  This narrow strip was about 40 feet wide and over 500 feet long.  I loved the south border of Lombardy poplars along the fence, straight and slender, about 40 feet tall at that time.  They died out over the next 40 years.]

   Millie brought a delicious lemon merengue pie for our supper.  Leslie, Barbara and Brenda Fuqua rode over on their bikes and played on the big branch of the box elder tree.  [this tree was at the east end of the big lawn along highway 238.  The over 30 foot long branch was about 4 feet above the lawn and it took skill to walk on the round branch that distance.]

Saturday May 7    cloudy   thundershowers after lunch

   I took some gallardia plants to Harriet this a.m.  Did some shopping, bought  shirts & shorts for Spencer and George and hair ribbons for Debby.  [Spencer’s first name came from Grandma’s middle name which came from her grand uncle Will Spencer and wife who raised Grandma’s mother Elnora Stewart after her mother Harriet Waldron Elton died in 1880.  Aunt Hattie’s name came from this grandma of our grandma.  Uncle Will’s wife was Harriet Elton’s sister.  Uncle Will Stewart was the captain of a Great Lakes ship “Mary Ball” and later an officer of the Great Lakes Shipping Company with offices in Brooklyn, N.Y.  Later Grandma Nora Stewart’s Uncle Will and Aunt Mary moved back to Belding Michigan where she grew up with and then went to nursing school in Chicago where she met Grandma’s father Frank Corwin Stewart, a student at Hahneman Medical College.  They married March 3, 1887 in Chicago and moved to Peru, Indiana, for a few years, then moved to Indianapolis to 1728 N. Pennsylvania Street in 1893.  Great-grandpa Frank Stewart died of shaking palsy (Parkinson’s Disease) Jan. 1, 1920.  Gramzy lived on many more years with Aunt Jeanne.  Gramzy died in June 8, 1949.  Aunt Jeanne then rented a room near her old home from Rita Clark and lived there until 1956 when she moved in with Grandma Rafert when she  moved to her new house on Ohio Street across a farm field south of the Big House.]

   Christy and Grandmother Martha Thomas came in about 2 o’clock.  Christy left and brought us each a half dozen lovely red roses with greenery from our flower shop nearby.  They are so fragrant you can smell them all over the house. 

Sunday May 8   Mothers Day    cooler but nice day

   Geo. & I went to church.  I wore my pink carnage corsage & light blue suit.  [Grandma chose to be buried in this suit when she died December 2, 1964.]  Leslie came home with us then her Daddy came after his church board meeting & picked her up.  They all went down to Grandpa & Grandma Hawk’s.  Stewart J. & Leslie came in in the afternoon and watched T.V. with us.  Leslie stayed till about 8 p.m.  Harriet came over about 2 o’clock and I rode out with her to the yacht club.  Helen Call was there and we sat in the glass room and visited about half an hour.  They were getting ready for a race but we couldn’t wait so we came on home.

Monday 9     cool but pleasant   light clouds    I pulled some weeds in the morning.  Drove to city and took Millie with me.  She was going to shop then go to art class at John Herron Art Institute on Sixteenth St.  I went to the Garden Court houses on 20^th St. to collect rent from Ruth Osbon.

Tues. May 10    nice day

Wed. May 11   mixed clouds & sunshine     Ilene Baynum invited me to come to Washington Blvd. in the city to a private sale of furnishings.  I took Ilene there from her home.  I bought Haviland plates in an antique pattern.  I dropped Ilene off at their new house on 106^th St. then came on home.

Fri. May 13  [no entry for May 12]   rained last night & today cool   I got up before Geo.  He got up at 9:30.  Stew visited with us till noon.  Frank came in on his way home from the doctor who checked on his athlete’s foot.  After lunch I hung organdy curtains in the west bedroom.  Geo. went to the city to get Jeanne.  I did washing & had supper ready for them.

Sat. 14   Harriet came over.  Boys stopped by.   Got to bed a little after 11.

Sun. May 15     nice day, cool breeze   Geo.  Jeanne & I went to church.  Jeanne & I went to see Barbara & Frank.  They had a picnic in their yard for all of the Canadays.  Geo. & I took Jeanne home about 3 o’clock.  We drove right back home.

Monday May 16   clear

   [An Indianapolis Star clipping was included with this entry:  “Straight shooter:  [Portrait photo of Steve sighting a rifle]  BLOOMINGTON, Ind.  Robert S. Thomas of Pendleton, Indiana University rifle team member, has been selected for the second squad of the All-American rifle team.  He is the highest scorer in the Big 10.”

   I  cleaned up my room & made bed up fresh [Grandpa & Grandma always slept in separate bedrooms, a habit of the old urban class system].  I rode up to Frank’s with Dad when he went to sharpen some tools and visited with Barbara a minute.  I cut a big section of the front yard after lunch.   [This must have been a rare event, as I never saw Grandma mow any of the yard.  SJR]  Harriet rode in on Charlie’s bike for a short visit.  Stew had lunch with us.  Stewart J. finished the big section of front yard after school.   Geo. & I took a nice ride after supper.  We went north to 13 and 37 at Lapel and back home.

Tues. May 17    cool but clear.   Bridge

   I walked to Stew’s back the lane before breakfast.  Waited for the children and walked back as they rode their bikes to school.   I drove up to Christy’s to get a pattern and material for a work skirt she wanted me to make.  I cut it out and visited a while.  I then drove up to Anderson with Geo. to see about my chairs at Mr. Romines.  None were ready.  Will get 3 or 4 Monday.  I brought Nora over to see my flower garden after supper, then I looked at all of her flowers.

Wed. 18 May   another beautiful day    air a little cool and sun hot

   I worked on Christy’s skirt.  Drove up with it after school & tried it on and measured the hem.  Christy washed their car & I looked around the yard & made a bouquet for their table.  I came home about 5.  Christy got a girlfriend and went swimming at Falls Park before I left.

Thurs. 19 May    gorgeous day

   Stew came to my bedroom door and told me to hurry and get dressed.  He had to go to Hilligoss’s seed farm for more corn.  It didn’t take me long to get ready.  We had a good visit.  Geo. doesn’t feel frisky yet.  He complains of feeling “all in” most of the time.

Friday 20 May  

   Geo. & I drove to Christy’s for lunch.  About 1:00 we all drove over to Union City.  She is going to a senior dance there.  Christy drove us.  We left her at Anne Mathias’ and came home by highway 32, then over on 36 & 227.  We both enjoyed  our ride so much.  It had been so long since we had been on either road.  [Everyone enjoyed taking late afternoon country rides to “look things over” in those leasurely days.]

Saturday May 21    Jeanne T. would have been 44 today

   I got up about 6 a.m. and gathered some peonies, painted daisies. Sweet Williams and coral bells, a bucket full for a visit to graves at Crown Hill.   Geo. went in for Aunt Jeanne.  I put our lunch in the top oven and then ironed.  After lunch we went right to Crown Hill and made beautiful bouquets on each grave.  We took one over to the Wood family’s lot too—Edith Gay’s family.  We dropped Jeanne off and came home.

Sunday May 22    good gentle rain last night    showers and cloudy, 66 at 6:30 a.m.   Got ready for church.  Gave Lilly Lackey a check for the Independent Missionary Society.  We went to Twin Lanterns for dinner.  [This restaurant on 67 was “the place” in Fortville for Sunday dinner where we saw church and other friends.]

Monday, May 23, 1955   Stewart, Millie and I drove to George Jo Mess’s home and art studio in Brown County.  [Mess and his wife Evelyn were important artists of the “Nashville school.”  Mom collected many of his prints over the years.  He even did the illustrations for our high school driver training manual.]  We took back roads to highway 46 then via US 31 and 67 home.  We bought some delicious strawberries at a stand on 46.

Tuesday May 24 1955   sunshine & clouds   some showers   

   Visiting Nurses’ Association.  17 there.  We had a delicious lunch, jellied veal in large chunks, a very good casserole of asparagus tips & mushrooms.

Wed. May 25 1955   cloudy   George & I went to Anderson at 5 p.m.  My four Rafert family dining room chairs at Mr. Romine’s were ready.

Saturday May 28    showers & some wind   worked around house & yard

Sunday May 29, 1955   quite cool showers   I didn’t go to church.  I had dinner ready when Geo. got home.  Baked a cake.  We went to Frank’s for picnic supper.  Harriet’s & Stew’s families & Bob were there.  I have some snapshots we took of the crowd. 

Mon. May 30      cool, cloudy    no rain      Bob, Steve, Christy, and Stewart J. were here for chicken dinner.   Bob & Steve left shortly for Steve to catch a bus in Indianapolis for Bloomington.  Steve will be back home for about 15 days then go to summer R.O.T.C. Army camp.

Tuesday, May 31 1955   nice clear day    air cool    I drove to Meadowbrook shopping center on Thirty-eighth St. and visited with Helen Ashley about an hour then came home. [Meadowbrook on the northeast side of Indianapolis was the second post-World War II shopping center built in Indianapolis.  Eastgate on U.S. 40 east of Irvington was the first.]  Geo. had had his lunch.  I gathered a pretty bouquet for Ruth Adams and had a nice visit with her.  She is having lots of hip pain after her surgery.  Duane is taking care of her.  A good lady helps every day.  [Duane Adams’ lumber company built our house back the long lane at the Jester Farm in 1952 and Grandma’s new home in 1956.]

Wednesday June 1    Lovely clear day    I drove to Helen Ashley’s and Winston drove us to the Indianapolis Country Club for a luncheon and talk by a man from Washington, D.C. for our group of about 50 women from the Ft. Harrison Art Department group.  Stewart had gone to town with Geo. to collect rents and then to see Otto Buenting (our attorney).  [Otto Buenting’s grave is near the Rafert plot at Crown Hill.  In fact, along with the Woods family grave, there is a whole community of the dead consisting of many Indianapolis family, friends and business associates from the over 100 years that the Rafert family lived and owned property in the city.  Steve Thomas was the most recent burial at Crown Hill in summer, 2019.  The Rafert plot  with a 130 years of continuing use likely has moe years of usage than any other at Crown Hill.]

Thurs.  June 2.   Pleasant day again

  Runt Stewart and Mrs. Saville washed the windows all over the house.  I took down curtains and washed and ironed some drapes.  I also helped Millie and children plant some beans, corn and tomatoes in my garden.  I am pooped out tonight.  [Runt was our neighbor on the curve a half mile west on the Hamilton County line.  He had a gravel voice and his words were punctuated with military-style curse words, but Grandma accepted him as he was.  He passed her house daily walking to and from Downey’s Tavern on Main St.  Family rumor has it that his brother taught Grandma to drive about the time she graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis in 1906.  In those days before cars had starters, she broke her wrist or arm twice giving the engine a crank start.]

Friday  June 3   beautiful June day   Washed nylons, hung outside, also cleaning rags from window washing yesterday, a whole line of them.  Made my beds and then dressed up to go to Josephine McKinstry’s for lunch.  She had a delicious lunch for the 2 of us.  Home came home about 1:30.  We had a good visit.  [Josephine likely an old high school friend in Indianapolis.  She is only mentioned once or twice.] 

Saturday June 4 1955      hot     worked in yard    Stewart J. cut grass.

   [I, Stewart J., was with Grandpa that morning as he drove his Oldsmobile 88 to the post office for mail.  On our way back, the warning bell rang and the gates dropped for the 11:00 a.m. passenger train from Cleveland to St. Louis.  I was thrilled to see one of the “Hudson” steam locomotives at the head.   I remember the locomotive number still, 5340.]

    George and I drove to Anderson to see about my chairs.  Mr. Romine didn’t have them ready.  We will get them the last of next week.  There are 5, 3 of a kind and a pair finished all natural. We stopped at the hot house on 67 and bought a flat of petunias and one a half doz. tomato plants.  Stewart, Leslie and Millie helped me set out the tomato plants after supper.   In the morning Stewart J. helped get a bed in the flower garden ready for plants Josephine gave me, then I planted them after lunch.

Sunday June 5     cloudy   cooler

   Geo. didn’t feel well so we didn’t go to church.  I got up at 6 a.m., spaded a long section in the garden & set out marigold plants.  I then set the east urns full of petunias.  [Two sets of limestone urns one  at the top of steps leading to east screened porch, the other on the north leading to the formal entrance to the house at the top of steps to the terrace that runs the north length of the house.  After Grandma moved out in 1956, Aunt Hattie kept the four urns full of flowers until 2008, her last summer.  She also kept an old wheelbarrow as a flower holder in the small north yard near the big maple tree.  Everyone who knew the Big House during its 82 years with the Rafert family will remember all of the flowers in the urn.]

   Carl and Helen Brannigan came to see us in the afternoon.  We had a nice visit.  [[Their son Tom graduated from high school with me, Stewart J. in 1958.]

Mon. June 6.    Cloudy

I spaded some more in the flower garden and set out Peruvian lilies that Ruth Adams gave me last year.  After lunch I drove Geo. to Garden Court to collect rents.  After supper we drove to Greenfield to the Weil theater to see “The Man Called Peter,” a beautiful story of a young Scotch preacher who came to this country and was a wonderful minister.

Tues. June 7     Rainy    Mayme called me to say she will pick me up to go to Nell Hudson’s to bridge.  Stewart stopped to see us.  He is such a fine man.  We are so proud of him.  [Nell Brandom Hudson was the wife of Kyle Hudson who owned the local Jewelry and watch repair shop.  They lived on the northwest corner of Merrell and Staat Street.  Nell played music for our Rialto Theater before sound movies arrived and was also pianist at the Christian Church a block north on Church St.  She was appreciated for her torrid versions of such hymns as “Bringing in the Sheaves.”]

Wednesday 8     cloudy       Mayme and her daughter Betty Lou Wright came for me at 6 p.m.  We went to McLaughlin’s Irvington restaurant.  There were 38 of us there.  We had a delicious dinner and a good time with the Ft. Harrison Art Department.

Thurs. 9   George feels slow and is short of breath of a night.

Friday 10      I went with George to Dr. Manifold’s after lunch.  Harold wants Geo. to go to the Cleveland Clinic for a checkup.  We will try to make an appointment for the first of next week.

Sat. June 11    cloudy          took my bath about 6:00 a.m.

   We had our breakfast then I went to the city for Jeanne S.  Saw Rita Clark and Ruth Hardy as we picked up Jeanne [Aunt Jeanne had rented a room at Rita Clark’s house since Grandma Stewart died in 1949 and moved from their apartment in the Penn Arts building at sixteenth street and Pennsylvania.]  We stopped at Jim’s [I.G.A. grocery store on Main Street.  Jim Perkins was the proprietor] and got groceries then came home and I started lunch.  After lunch Harriet, Frank, Bob & Stew met here.  They took Aunt Jeanne home as they went in to look over the Garden Court houses at Twentieth St.  They got back about 4:30.  [They had been given the Garden Court property in 1949 to decrease the size of Grandpa’s estate.] 

   Stewart J. was here.  He had cut the big section of grass along 238 between showers.  It rained hard by spells.  Ed & Nora came in in the eve.

Sunday June 12    Still cool and showery     55 degrees

   We didn’t go to church.  I did a big washing.  We will call the Cleveland Clinic in the morning to see about an appointment.  Christy, Shirley Lawson & Barbara Cooper came in after early church.  Stewart, Stewart J. & Leslie came in after Sunday School.  They were back in the afternoon for a little while.  Harriet came in while I was getting dinner.

Monday June 13 1955     cool & rainy

   Busy in a.m. packing and making beds up clean.  Millie had us over there for lunch—delicious.  Stew J. Leslie & Barbara were there too.  Stewart had gone to the city on business.  Mrs. Morris [seamstress] called to say Jeanne S.’s 2 dresses were ready so I got them and hung here in her closet. 

   Frank, Stew J., Leslie and Barbara drove us up to the Anderson train station.  We had about an hour to wait—train was a half hour late. 

   Train was cool so George kept my coat over his knees.  We arrived in Cleveland about 10 o’clock.  There was no Red Cap so we had to carry our suitcases.  This was hard on George.  It was a long walk and he couldn’t get his breath. 

   Got a taxi which brought us right out to the hotel.  We ate a bite in the coffee shop then right to bed.

Tues. June 14   quite cool and cloudy in a.m.  Sun came out about noon.

   George’s appointment was 10:15.  We walked over to the clinic.  I sat all morning.  We ate a sandwich in a drug store, then George went back to the clinic and I walked  back down to a Sears store.  I got back to the hotel a little before G.  We napped then sat in the lobby & ate at the coffee shop.

   Stewart and Frank called to see how we were and to wish me a happy birthday [She was 67]. 

   Each time we walked over to the clinic we had to stop several times for George to get his breath.  It is 3 long squares to the clinic from the hospital.  He would look at me and smile and pant for his breath.  He didn’t complain and wouldn’t have stopped but I told him to each time.

Wednesday June 15    sun shining, pleasant

   Ate breakfast in coffee shop, then walked slowly over to Clinic.  I waited till George was called then I walked to Sears to see if they had a red cap [ ? ] for our suit cases.  They didn’t so I walked back to the Clinic.  I waited on third floor at desk 3, allergy department.  George came out in about half hour.  We went over to Dorsel’s Pullman car restaurant at 93^rd & Euclid for lunch.  Then we waited at desk 81 for Dr. Prodfit.

   He told us they wanted to do some more examining.  He called Dr. Groves in.  Dr. Groves told Geo. to be at hospital at 7:30 a.m.  Harriet called and wished me a happy birthday.  I told her we would be home Thursday and for somebody to meet us at Anderson.

Thursday June 16   nice temperature    Sunny day

   We didn’t eat any breakfast.  Walked slowly to Clinic Hospital.   As soon as Geo. was called I went over to Dorsel’s for breakfast, then back to the hospital lobby.  They had a TV turned on. 

   My name was called about 11:20 and I went to 7^th floor.  Geo. was on a cart & dozed for about 1 & ½ hours.  Then he dressed and a colored girl pushed him in wheel chair.  We went to 8^th floor Clinic desk and were shown to a room.  Dr. Prodfit was busy as I went to the lobby and ate a sandwich. 

   When I got back to George they told me the Dr. wanted to talk to me.  I was taken to another little room where I sat till the doctor came, after about 15 min.  He told me Geo. had a tumor in his lungs.  It is malignant and nothing can be done for it.

   I pushed Geo. to the elevator then to the desk on the first floor where I paid our hospital bill.  They called a taxi for me.  We didn’t have long to wait.  Got back to hotel.  Then I had to tell Dad the report the doctor had given me for they had only told him he had a tumor.  Of course I was the one who broke down.

   I called home and told Harriet we had missed the train and would catch the Friday train.  Stewart called in a short time to ask if we didn’t want him to drive up for us.  We did.

   I arranged for a room for him that night as we walked out to get us a sandwich.  After that we walked over to the hospital lobby and watched TV a while.  Stew and S.J. awakened us a little after midnight.  Their room was across the hall.  [I asked Dad if I could ride with him to Cleveland.  We left in the middle of the afternoon.  Dad hardly said anything the whole trip.  SJR]

Friday, June 17   another nice day

   Left hotel at 7:30 E.D.T.  Ate breakfast about 9:00 o’clock.  A nice drive but we were all tired.  [I, Stewart J., wrote in my diary in May, 1965, ten years later, remembering that drive back to Fortville, “Grandma and I sat in the back seat and hardly said anything.  It was such a sad trip.  I felt like crying the whole way. It seemed to take forever to get back home.”]  We got home about 3.  So glad to be back.  Millie brought an angel food cake & our supper over.  Harriet and Barbara Jean had gone over the house the day  before and hung Dad’s bedroom curtains.

   Kids [Frank and Harriet] came in to see us and I told them their dad’s condition on the q.t. [privately]

Sat. June 18   another nice day, quite warm

   We ate breakfast as usual.  I called Jeanne S. and went in for her at 8 o’clock.  Came back to see Barbara Jean.  Harriet took the children to swim at Noblesville and they had a picnic lunch for Barbara Ann’s birthday [She was11 years old].  The Ferrell kids, Linda, Bob and Jerry came and Christy and the Coopers.

   Dad took a short ride after supper.  Stewart stayed all night with me.  Dad seemed so weak.

Sunday, June 19     another nice day

   Dad wanted to go to church but wasn’t able.  Mr. and Mrs. Gwynne [Ed and Nell] came in the afternoon and stayed over an hour.  Nora and Ed came in for a few minutes about 5 o’clock.

   We sat out in chairs under the Box Elder trees between the house & office  several times yesterday & today.  About 8 o’clock we took a short ride on Mohawk road.  Stewart was here when we came back.  He visited with us and watched “What’s My Line?”  Then he helped Dad upstairs.  Dad walked out to his office and sat a while before he went upstairs.  Stewart undressed Dad & put him to bed.  [Earlier that afternoon Grandpa sat out under the Box Elders with me, Uncle Frank and Dad.  He got up and went to the office and put a newspaper clipping of Steve Thomas winning the All American Markmanship award in his diary.  He pasted in a photo of Steve from the Indianapolis Star announcing that Steve was the highest scorer in marksmanship in the Big 10.  That evening he pasted two photos of Steve in the diary, one of Steve posing with a rifle and a photo of Steve receiving his marksmanship award at Indiana University.  This was the last visit to his little backyard office building and his goodbye to his beloved diary.  He began his diary January 1, 1912.  He consistently wrote in it for forty-four and a half years.  He had written a few pages in volume 13 at the time of this last entry.  The Website “Rafert.org” has the first volume, 1912-16 and more will be added.]

Monday June 20   cloudy but pleasant

   Dad slept till 9 and didn’t want anything.  The doctor was at the hospital when Frank called his office at 10. We watched George all day.  Cousin Ben Faut came with his son-in-law John to visit.  [Ben Faut owned with other family the New Palestine Bank.  Ben’s mother was Mary Manche, Grandpa’s mother Christina Manche Rafert’s younger sister.  Ben’s daughter Mable Faut married Ben Faut’s cousin’s son John Faut.  This was typical of fifteen or twenty marriages among the Manche family descendants.  This was not a first cousin marriage, nor were any of the marriages among the children of the four second generation Manche siblings.  Most were first cousins once removed.  Grandpa Rafert and my great-grandmother Mollie Lantz Ashcraft were first cousins.  Their mothers Elizabeth Manche Lantz and Christina Manche Rafert were sisters.  Our Dad Stewart Rafert was a first cousin once removed from Mollie Lantz Ashcraft and our mom Millie Hawk Rafert was a first cousin twice removed from Christina Rafert.  Christopher and Christina Rafert were Leslie and my great-grandparents and through our mother our great-great aunt and uncle.]  Elizabeth Manche Lantz and John George Lantz were our grandfather George Rafert’s aunt and uncle and Leslie and my Great-Aunt and Uncle.  They were our great-great grandparents on our mom Millie’s side of the family.  [I think I can call myself my own uncle on one side of the family and my nephew from the other side.  Leslie, are you your own aunt and niece?  Is this possible? SJR]

   After office hours Dr. Manifold came.  Stewart had just roused Dad.  He told us to push lots of liquid into Dad for he was dehydrated.  Dad seemed bright and alert but he couldn’t realize he had lost a day.

   Millie sent in our supper.  Martha McDonald baked a lovely angel food cake.  Dad ate some supper.  Stewart stayed all night but didn’t tell Dad.  Harriet was here all day.  Christy & Steve were in. 

   Dad came down to T.V. this eve.  Dick Pritchard and Floyd Graham came to see him.  [Cousin Chris Thomas told me that Grandpa, Dick Pritchard and Floyd Graham were standing by the fireplace in the big living room when Dick offered Grandpa a cigarette.  According to Chris, Grandpa thanked Dick and said, “The things have killed me.  I may as well enjoy one.” 

Tuesday, June 21   nice day

   Dad feeling better.  Mame Wright came about 12:30 with a gorgeous bouquet of sweet peas.  Harriet came in the morning and stayed all day. 

Dad drank lots of water & juice.  Bob T. came down in the eve.  No change in Dad.  Dr. Manifold came about 5 and said he wouldn’t need to come again unless we called him.     Stew stayed all night again.

Wednesday  June 22    partly cloudy

   Dad stayed upstairs until after his lunch. 

   [I wrote this note of a visit Leslie and I made on this morning:  “Leslie and I went down our lane to Grandpa’s house to visit.  We went up to his bedroom where he lay on a single bed in the bay with windows on three sides.  He was in one of those times when dying people seem their usual self when the disease lifts.  The weather was lovely, sunny and pleasant.  Leslie and I chatted with Grandpa for about an hour.   Our sadness lifted because he was so present.]

   Harriet was here all day, getting the meals and helping.  She is such a dear.

   After lunch George went down stairs.  He didn’t sit very long any place.  I would put his hat on and he would sit on the front porch a while then move into his chair in the west living room, then in the big living room in his rocker, very restless.

   We ate our supper and watched T.V.  Stewart over in the evening.  We had gone to Tom Noel’s [the chiropractor] for a massage for G.O.R. then a little ride.  Stewart helped his Dad upstairs & put him to bed, then stayed all night.

Thurs. June 23    some cloudy

   George was too tired to get up this morning.  He didn’t want any breakfast.  Slept all morning.  He got up and ate his brunch at a card table then went back to bed.  He ate a pretty good supper in bed.  John Thomas came after supper.  Dad was glad to see him, said he wanted to talk to him in the morning.  Bob T. came into see us too.  John stayed all night.  Harriet was here all day.

Friday June 24 1955   clear cool air but sun

   G.O.R. didn’t rouse unless spoken to.  His breathing short and he had uneven heart beats.   I sat by him all morning.  Harriet got our lunch.  John was here all morning.  I ate my lunch first, hurried so Frank could eat with Stew and John.

   I realized Dad was going when I got back to his room.  I had all four children come up [Frank, Hattie, Stew, John].  eHHHHHHe breathed his last in a few minutesHe breathed his last in a    few minutes.  Charlie Sewell of McCarty mortuary came for Dad in about ½ hour.

    [My notes on that morning, S.J.R.:  “Mom took me and Leslie up to Pendleton where we picked up cousin Chris and went to Falls Park to swim.  It was really too cool to swim so we sat and talked for a while.  Uncle Bob Thomas and our Mom showed up at the fence.  Uncle Bob called Christy over.  It was a little after 11:00 o’clock.  Then Mom called me and Leslie over to tell us Grandpa had died.  The “Great Wheel of Life” had turned.  We were sad but didn’t know what to think.  We returned to Fortville.”]

   John went home to Bedford.  He will come back for funeral service Monday a.m.  Talked to La Della Turner.  She and Walt will come Sunday.

Jeanne S. came out on the bus.  We went to McCarty’s mortuary and selected the casket.

Saturday June 25    nice day   Harriet’s twelfth anniversary

   Frank, Stewart and I went in to Crown Hill to decide the place for the George’s grave.  Later, Harriet, Jeanne & I were busy getting things ready at home.  Jeanne put in long distance calls.  Food began arriving.  Everybody is so kind & helpful.

   [S.J.R. notes:  “My cousin Tom Thomas and I mowed the yard at Grandpa and Grandma’s all day.  When we finished in the afternoon, the whole yard was beautiful and I felt we had done an extra good job for Grandpa.”]

   We went to see George at the mortuary in the late afternoon.  He looked like he did about 15 years ago, just like he could talk.

Sunday, June 26

   Hazel Pritchard came over about 7:30 to put a roast in the oven.  Mayme Wright came about 9.  They are wonderful friends.  Martha McDonald had planned the dinner and quite a few people sent things in.  Lawrence & Ben Alexander came.  [Laurence was Grandpa’s niece, the daughter of his brother John Lawrence Rafert who died in July, 1889 before Laurence was born in 1890.  “Lonnie” Rafert was the first burial in the Rafert plot.  Laurence, his daughter who is mentioned in this diary note died in 1985, age 95 and with her husband Ben is buried at Crown Hill also as is her daughter Juanita Young and husband Walter.  Born in 1910, Juanita died in 2011 at age 100.]

   Art & Ilene Baynham came too.  We had a delicious dinner.  Callers began to come during the afternoon.  Walt & La Della Turner arrived about 4 p.m. and had supper with the rest of us.  Bruce & Mark Perkins also arrived in the p.m. and stayed overnight with Martha McDonald.

Monday, June 27.  Hazel Pritchard, Mayme Wright & Martha McDonald came first thing in the morning.  The family didn’t go to the mortuary until about 10:00 a.m.  Several came in to speak to me.  Our minister Metcalf Miller’s service was a beautiful tribute full of comforting thoughts.

   We then drove to Crown Hill to the grave.  Several of my Visiting Nurse Association friends were at the grave.  A delicious ham dinner was ready for us when we got back home.  All of the family ate here as well as the Perkins, the Turners & of course my faithful 3, Hazel, Martha & Mayme.  Also Kathleen Vaughn had been here helping all morning and didn’t leave until all the dishes were done.  [This was before dishwashers]

   [The George McCarty funeral home was on Staat Street opposite Fortville High School.  On the other side was the railroad.  I was in the midst of my passion for steam locomotives.  During the viewing and service, three trains came through pulled by steam engines.  The steam locomotives were dying too and by the spring of 1956, there were no more.]

Tues. June 28, 1955      Jeanne went back to her office on the early bus.  Walt & La Della don’t have to leave until tomorrow.  Bless them.  We kept busy till supper time.  Chris came down for supper.  Then we took a ride to Pendleton after she left to see if she got home o.k.  Her aunt Mary Frances was with her so we visited a while & Bob came back from a meeting. 

We listened to the news after we got home then turned in.

Wednesday June 29    Walt beat me downstairs in the a.m.  We all visited over breakfast then he and La Della left about 10:30.  Our dog Honey misses Dad too.  Jeanne S. came out on the bus.  I met her at Traylor’s bus stop at about 6:00 p.m.

Thurs. June 30    I did a big washing yesterday & today then ironed flat work.  Took Jeanne to 7:11 a.m. bus.  Told her not to come out till Friday.  I would be alright.

Friday, July 1    Another busy day.  Met Jeanne S. at 6:00 p.m. bus.  She will have a long weekend here.  Stewart got off to Indianapolis to collect rents. 

   [As administrator of the estate, Dad had responsibility for all the legal work and inheritance taxes in addition to selling the properties.  Norah Cooper encouraged Aunt Hattie to take the Big House as part of her inheritance.  Aunt Hattie wasn’t sure she wanted it.  However, she kept the house going as a family community center for the next 52 years, famous for her pies waiting on the kitchen counter, Christmas parties, and for visiting.  It was sold in October 2012 after more than 86 years in the family.  My Dad, “Uncle Stew” to many of you, finished the estate work in one year.  He was 38 years old.  I, Stewart J. spent that year working with Uncle Frank on the farms.  During that time I gained a deep love for him as a person who could explain the work and value me as a helper.  That year working with Uncle Frank was my inheritance from my grandpa’s estate.  It was precious beyond money as a growing experience from age 14 to 15.]

Sat. July 1    Jeanne & I washed and ironed.

Sun. July 2   Christy came in on way to church.  She looked so crisp and cool in a Navy Swiss dress with white dots.

Monday July 4     hot     More washing.  Jeanne mended & ironed some of hers.  Stewart came in the evening.  Bob & Christy were here about 5 p.m.  I went up to Frank’s for supper.

Tues. July 5     hot   Drove Jeanne home.  Got her there about 7:45 a.m.

   Stewart’s family came here in the evening and Stewart J. asked if I would like to have him stay all night.  I was delighted to have him.  We watched T.V. a little then went to bed early.  [I stayed many nights until May, 1956, the end of tenth grade.  Leslie and others stayed over too to give Grandma company.]

Wed. July 6     Harriet has dropped in some time each day.  Barbara Jean gave me a permanent after lunch which was very good.  Hazel called & asked if I would like to shop tomorrow in the city.  I’m so glad to go.  Stewart J. stayed all night.  He is such a dear boy.  Rained in eve. & night.

Thurs. July 7    cloudy but didn’t rain

   I was ready when Hazel picked me up at 8 o’clock.  We had such a nice day.  I took her to the tea room at Ayers for lunch.  We got home about 2:30.

I got busy and cleaned the third floor stairway and washed it.  I ironed a dress, took a bath & cleaned up.  Stewart J. came over before dark.

Friday July 8   hot    Helen Ashley came out from the city to spend the day with me.  She is leaving the 22^nd of this month for Miami to live.  She looked so fresh & cool.  Helen went home about 4.  [She was a Shortridge High School friend.]   Chris came in for a minute.  Aunt Millie is making her a sateen skirt.

Sat. July 9   Martha McDonald & I went to the city about 7:45, I ate lunch as

Martha’s guest at Ayers basement.  Home before 1 o’clock.

Sunday July 10.  Christy invited me for dinner at her house.  Jeanne came in the afternoon with Rita Clark and another friend.  Stew and Millie came in the eve.  Jeanne & I got to bed early.

[From Monday July 11 to Saturday July 17 Grandma, Aunt Jeanne Stewart and my mom Millie went to the Cleveland Clinic for thorough colonoscopies and other tests.  When Dad brought them back to Fortville from the Anderson train station Grandma commented, “Home isn’t home anymore.”  It must have been awful returning to Cleveland Clinic a month after Grandpa was told there that he was dying.]

Sunday July 18

   Stewart came in with Stewart J., Leslie & George Thomas who is visiting his grandmother Fannie Girt.  He asked me to take kids to the Pendleton swimming pool.  I sat in the car and watched hundreds of people coming & going in the parking lot.  Stewart G. came up with Bob & found me.  We walked over and watched children swimming.  We drove home at 4:30.  [The pool was at Falls Park in Fall Creek below the waterfall on Fall Creek.  The creek pool was closed to swimming many years ago]

Fri. July 22  hot & humid        Picked green beans, some beets and some apples, enough for Mrs. Osbon and me.  Stewart took them to her at Garden Court after lunch as he stopped by there.   [Ruth Osbon had collected rents at the 24 Garden Court row houses for years.]  I cooked my vegetables and made a nice big bowl of applesauce from the last of the early apples.  I ate my supper on the screened porch.

Sat. July 23  Busy each morning looking through some of George’s clothes.  I talked with Jeanne.  She worked at the office in the morning [Emil Rassman property management on Massachusetts Ave.  She retired a few months later and moved to Fortville in mid-1956 to live with Grandma at her new house on Ohio Street.]  She came out on the 4:30 bus.

Sunday June 24     hot    Jean and I were busy all morning.  I drove Jeanne home at about 2:30. 

   Stewart, Millie & Stewart J. came over and asked me to go to the city to see their friends the Maxwells.  They met the family at the Red Coconut Trailer Park in Fort Myers Beach in 1950 on their first winter trip to Florida with their little house trailer.  [Elsworth “Echo” and Marjorie Maxwell had a very old family home and large lot on 46^th St. and Fall Creek Blvd., right on the creek.  Their neighbors were the Roberts family of Roberts Dairy.  Grandpa R. sold milk from his diary herd  to them in the 1930s.]  Stewart J. went swimming with David & Allen in Fall Creek at the edge of their back yard. We got home around 7:30.  [Around 1965 Dad sold 30 acres at the east end of the 77 acre woods at the back of the farm on Deer Lick Creek to the Maxwells.  A few years later Echo and Marjorie moved there where they lived until the end of their lives in the 1994.  They paid $9,000, $300 an acre for 30 acres.  The Maxwell children sold it in 2007 for $11,000 an acre.  It was home for them for 42 years.]

Monday, July 25, 1955     hot     Christy and her friend Ann Mathias came down for lunch.  Of course Stewart J. stays each night with me.  Drove out to see Mayme Wright and gave her a handmade lace hanky.

Tues. July 26     Went to city with Stew.  I shopped a little, met him on the Circle.  Stopped at 20^th St. at the Garden Court houses.   Stewart J. came here about 7:30 to stay overnight.

Wed. July 27   hot, 97 degrees    Stewart J. cut some grass and I picked some beans & cooked beans and froze them and pickled some beets.  Stewart and Frank came in after lunch for a short visit.  Had my supper then took Hazel Pritchard a lace hanky, visited a while, then took Martha McDonald one too.

Thurs. July 28    Took various chairs to Mr. Romine in Anderson for repair.  Two of the straight chairs are from my grandfather Robert Stewart’s who bought them in 1846 in Coshocton County, Ohio.  He and Grandmother Elizabeth moved to a farm four miles out from La Fontaine in 1853 shortly before my father was born there in December that year.  [Robert Stewart’s parents moved out a year earlier in 1852.  His father James Stewart died in 1854 at age 60, but his mother, Mary (Wellman) Stewart lived on to age 84, dying in 1880.  Two of Elizabeth’s brothers moved to Indiana as well, so it was a chain migration.] 

Friday, July 29    hot                  Called Jeanne & planned to pick her up at her house.  Stopped at the Tee Pee for our supper.  [The Tee Pee was a popular restaurant on the corner of thirty-eighth street and Fall Creek Parkway at the southeast corner of the State Fair Grounds.  It was shaped like a huge Indian teepee and was built in 1939.  Grandma always drove in and out of Indianapolis on 38^th Street from Pendleton Pike (also highway 67), the road to Fortville.  Grandpa preferred to stay on Pendleton Pike to Massachusetts Avenue, a more direct way to downtown Indianapolis.]

Saturday July 30.   Hot again       Had breakfast about 7.  I gathered our washing, got it all out by 11:30.  Jeanne ran the cleaner down stairs.  We had a good lunch and rested a while after lunch.  Stewart & Frank came in and ate ice cream

   After supper Elma Rose Sailors Neale called to say her mother, my cousin Bess Sailors, wanted me to visit her next week at her cottage on Chrystal Lake in Michigan.  I talked it over with Stew and decided to accept.  Jeanne was asked too but couldn’t take the week off.  [Grandma and Grandpa had seen Bess Sailors in Florida on their trip a few months earlier.]

Sunday July 31 1955   hot & clear  [Trip to Michigan]

   We rushed around.  I ironed a few things and packed.  Left the house about 11:15.  Stopped at the Tee Pee for dinner.  A man at table told me he always stopped at the Warana Motel east of 31on US 30 near Plymouth, Indiana.  So after I let Jeanne out at her house I started out on Meridian St. [also U.S. 31.]  I ran into a light shower before I got to Peru then the sky cleared.  It was very hot.  The Warana was full up but I got a room at the Elm’s motel next door east, a very pleasant place.  I ate supper at the Warana restaurant.  I went to bed and slept pretty good.  The big window fan was very comfortable.  I drove about 140 miles today.

Monday, August 1     Pleasant, a little misty at 6:25 a.m.

   I got up and left the cabin at 6:25.  Not too much traffic till after I left South Bend.  Had no trouble.  Got to Crystal Lake about 3:30.  [about 270 miles this day to near Traverse City.  The trip from Fortville was a little over 400 miles.]   Bess Sailors was at a lunch but she left a note on her screen door to come in and make myself at home.  She came in a little while & 2 ladies from Traverse City stopped to visit with her.

   After supper we drove around the lake & out to Lake Michigan to see the sunset at the point near a village called Frankfort adjacent to Lake Michigan.  It was a beautiful sight.  Then we drove into Frankfort & called Stewart to tell them I was here O.K.  [Bess Sailors was a first cousin once removed on the Stewart side of the family who lived in Kokomo.  Bess’ grandmother Hannah Stewart Thorne was Grandma’s grandfather Robert Stewart’s younger sister.  They are buried near each other in the La Fontaine, Indiana I.O.O.F. cemetery.]

Tues. Aug 2   warm summer & then clouds

   Bess and I worked around the cabin, ate lunch and drove to Frankfort to shop.  We came back, put our groceries away, then drove to Beulah and got some more groceries.  There were lots of people around but it was quiet at the cottage.  The drive to the street from the cottage is about 75 feet, but there is not too much traffic.  The lake is about 50 feet on the other side of the cabin.  There is a beautiful view from the windows.

Wed. Aug 3   Drove to Frankfort after we finished work.  It is a beautiful day.  I took a long nap in the p.m.  I’m getting good rest as it is nice and quiet.     

Thurs. Aug 4      warm but a nice breeze.      I bought a large bouquet of gladiolas for the cottage.

Fri. Aug 5, 1955   cloudy, light showers and sunshine   nice breeze

   Bess baked cupcakes for picnic.  We ate at the mouth of the Platte River.  Three carloads of us drove over:  Dorothy, Julie, Anne age 5, Dorothy age 4  and Lewis 2.  Also Sally, Dr. Arthur Hamp’s wife and 4 children, Cordelia Forrest and her daughter Cecily and granddaughter & grandson, 14 of us in all. 

   We rowed boats over to the Lake Michigan beach, ate, then gathered drift wood and started a fire to toast marshmallows.  Bess & I & Sally and her children rowed back to the river bank and took picnic baskets.  The others waded across later, the water almost up to their waists.

Sat. Aug. 6    warm day    We bought 2 cases of dark sweet Bing cherries at a canning factory.  Ate lunch at a nice place in Frankfort.   About 8:30 or 9 p.m. a hard wind and rain came.  Cooled off a lot.

Sunday Aug. 7   Frank’s birthday [turned 36]    quite cool but sunny

   We went to church at the Christian Assembly with an Australian preacher and a beautiful solo by his daughter.  I took Cordelia and Bess to Triangle diner near Beulah.  Good dinner.  I packed some in the afternoon to get ready to start for home tomorrow morning.

   About 6:15 the three of us went to the Interlochen Arts Center nearby to a concert with Bob and Dorothy Hamp.  The music was beautiful, played by well-trained young musicians.  [The Interlochen Center for the Arts was founded in 1928 and has a 1200-acre campus and dozens of programs of music and dance year-round near Traverse City.]

Monday, Aug. 8        cool & sunny        Lake beautiful.  I hated to leave I had such a wonderful rest.  I got started about 8:30.  Made good time.  Ate lunch at “Chicken Charlie’s” at Kalamazoo about one o’clock.  Arrived home about 6:00 p.m.  Weather was fine the whole way.

Tues. Aug. 9, 1955     Talked with Hazel Pritchard.  She asked me to shop in the city.  We left at 9 a.m., got home around 3.  We ate lunch at the Columbia Club on the Circle.

Wed. Aug. 10     Saw Nora Cooper.  They leave tomorrow with Rex and Faye Wisehart to visit Hugh & June Ireland in Carolina.  Visited with Harriet in her kitchen. 

Thurs. Aug 11    clear & cool     I called on Hazel and Dick Pritchard after supper.  I gave Hazel a package of notepaper I bought in Frankfort, Mich.  I drove back and got Leslie who wanted to stay all night with me.  We went to bed after we watched a couple of T.V. shows.

Friday Aug  12    Hot     Washed clothes, then shampooed my hair.  Stewart J. stayed all night.  Ilene Baynham called in a.m. and visited a while.

Sat. Aug. 13        Hot           Aunt Jeanne called about 7 to say she wasn’t going to work.  I drove into the city after her about 8:30.  We were busy all day, got all of our ironing done.  John Thomas spent the evening with us and took me on a ride in the country.  Jeanne shampooed her hair.

Sunday Aug 14   We went to church, then had lunch at Twin Lanterns.  Took Jeanne home.  Stewart J. came about 8:30.  Abe & Harriet drove Barbara Ann to Kathy Aldag’s at Elwood for a few days visit.

Monday Aug. 15   [She takes girls to church camp in Wabash County]

   Got up at 6 a.m. dressed and drove over to Stew’s.  We sat on his porch and visited till 6:30.  He went to feed the cattle and I came home to wake Stewart J.  He cut some grass after breakfast.  Stew went with Frank & Callie Brown to the county fair at Greenfield.

   I took Leslie, Diane Strough, Madelaine Thomas, Georgie Thomas and Brenda Fuqua to Pierson’s Mill church camp on the Mississinewa River about 9:30 a.m.  After I got them all settled I drove to Wabash & had lunch at the Honeywell Center, then came on home.  I stopped to see Mayme Wright on the way.  [In the 1960s the village of Pierson’s Mill was moved to make way for the Mississinewa Dam and reservoir which flooded the church camp site.  I also spent a week at this church camp once.  We Sunday school kids went to Christian Church camps from southern Indiana to central Michigan.  We always enjoyed getting away for a week with friends.]

Tue. Aug 16    hot & dry     

   Nora & Ed Cooper got home about midnight last night.  Stew J. & I got the mail.  I didn’t do much around the house & took a nap in the afternoon.  Millie called at suppertime to ask me to go with them to Toastie Sharret’s for a watermelon feast.  [Forrest “Toastie” Sharrett was our Standard Oil delivery man.]  We had such a good time.  There must have been about 60 from the church there.  Stewart drove out on 13 to Fall Creek to see the semi truck which had collapsed the bridge there.  [The steel truss bridge with its overhead frame that mimicked wooden covered bridges collapsed from an overweight semi which ended up sitting in the creek.]

Wed. Aug. 17    Visited with Harriet at her house as she was getting packed to leave for Michigan with Abe, Mars and Betty Farrell this afternoon.

Thurs Aug 18     hot & dry

   I got mail at the P.O.  Washed my car.  Mr. Romine called me to say my furniture is ready:  the tilt-top walnut table from the home my folks bought when they were first married in 1887, and two straight chairs, (caned seats) bought by my grandfather Robert Stewart in Ohio in 1846.  Also a small walnut rocker with a cane seat & back and another straight chair with cane seat.  I stopped to see Chris & Steve in Pendleton on the way up to Anderson.  I got table and chairs about 4 p.m.

Friday Aug 19   hot & dry    

   I took Nora and Harriet’s 4 younger ones to Elwood to get Barbara.  She had been visiting Dr. Aldag’s daughter Kathy.  Had Bob, Steve & Chris down for supper and Chris stayed all night.

Saturday, Aug. 20           Manche Reunion

   I got up at 6:30 and baked a white cake & iced it.  I called Chris.  We ate breakfast, got the mail and groceries.  Chris fried chicken.  I called to see if Barbara & Charlie could go with us to the Manche reunion at Riley park in Greenfield.  We had a nice time.  The children swam in the park pool.  We came away about 4.  I Drove Chris right home so she could get her supper supper ready.  [The third Manche Reunion was held at the Raferts’ New Bethel House in August, 1922.  The reunion for the four descendants of German immigrants John Manche (1808-1852) and Elizabeth Catherine Lange (1816-1865) continues every two years, now at what for many years was the German Methodist Church in New Palestine.  The children were Elizabeth Manche Lantz, Christinia Manche Rafert, Mary Manche Faut and John Manche.  A younger son Paul Manche moved to Terre Haute and his descendants have never joined the reunion since its beginning.]

   I called Stew J. after supper and told him he didn’t have to stay all night with me.  I went to bed at 9:30.  At 1 a.m. Stew came in to see if I was all right.  Millie had called me at 10 and I hadn’t answered.  Old sweethearts, they were worried about me.

Sunday Aug 21   hot & dry

   I went to the second church service.  Frank came in before I left.  After church I took Stewart’s family to dinner at Twin Lantern. We all enjoyed it.  I visited with them at their house a half hour or more.  I spent the afternoon watching T.V.  It was too hot to do anything.  Abe, Mars & Betty got back about 10 p.m. from Michigan.

Monday, Aug. 22    cool & rainy

   It started sprinkling early in the morning.  It is nice and rainy and cool.  Stewart J. and I got the mail, then I took him back home.  Frank, Bertie and Mady Jane Shaw were sitting on the screened porch waiting with Millie & Stew.  I went in and visited with them for a while.  I came home & took the cover off our davenport and bed on the sun porch.  Stewart J. and I stayed downstairs last night.  It was so hot.

No entries for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 23 to 25, 1955

Friday, Aug. 26 1955   Bob Thomas’s birthday, age 50

   Nora called to see if she could ride along to visit Eleanor Malone while I shopped and got Jeanne.  We picked her up and got home about 6:30.  I drove to Pendleton with a sport shirt for Bob after supper.

Saturday, Aug 27   warm    I washed, bought groceries and cleaned and ironed.  Nora, Ed and all 5 grandchildren left early for Martha and Uncle Dave’s in Gary, Ind. 

Sunday Aug 28  hot   Nora, Ed & children got home in time for supper.  Tom Thomas came up by bus to visit at Stewart’s.

Monday Aug 29   warm   Took Jeanne home about 7:30 a.m.  She left her things at her house, then I took her to Rassman’s office.  Tom & Stewart J. stayed all night with me.  It rained and blew in the night.  I got awake about 3 and the boys were up closing windows. 

Tuesday Aug 30    Barbara Jean, Debbie, Harriet, Barbara and Mary went to the city to shop.  Leslie & Barbara stayed all night with me.

Wed. Aug 31    I ate lunch at Bob’s with Chris & Steve and Bob.  I went over Steve’s things after lunch.  It didn’t take us long.  I was back home by 3 o’clock.     Stew, Frank, Stewart, Tom and Leslie went to the State Fair.  They took Tom to the 6 o’clock bus for Bedford. Stew J. stayed all night.

Thursday, Sep 1    pleasant weather & nights

   Abe’s birthday is tomorrow night.  Nora & I drove to Anderson to buy a grille as a gift.  She is having a birthday dinner tomorrow night.  Jeanne & I are invited.  Stewart J. stayed all night.  Mr. Salinas and a son came in and started to work on the yard.  They stopped at 5 and said they would be back in a day or two.  They accomplished a lot.  [Mr. Salinas and family of Pharr, Texas, were among the migrant Mexican Americans who came to work on farms around Fortville for about 4 months every summer mostly with tomato crops.  They lived at the Stokely-Van Camp “Tomato Station” on the south side of the railroad tracks on the east side of 13.  Mr. Salinas and one or two sons worked every year in Grandma’s many flower beds.]

Friday Sep 2    pleasant weather

   I ironed then washed the marble staircase and the back hall steps to the second floor.  Mr. Salinas and 2 boys worked all day in flower beds.  I went to Nora & Ed’s for a delicious turkey dinner.  We had just finished when Aunt Jeanne came with Stew & Frank.

   Jeanne had just finished eating when Kenyon Gregg walked in.  He and Helen are at Ed Reed’s and had just learned about George’s death.  We invited them to dinner tomorrow.

Saturday Sep 3^rd 1955     cool

   I worked all day getting ready for a beef roast dinner.  Everything turned out fine.  Kenyon and Helen stayed till almost 10 p.m.  They took Jeanne & me for a short ride.  We were ready for bed when they left.

Sunday Sep 4   a little warmer

    I had our dinner ready early and Kenyon came afterward.  We sat on the screened porch and had a wonderful visit.  I gave him 6 or 7 old Gregg family pictures.  He was glad to get them.  Barbara R. came just as he was leaving and she stayed until Frank arrived with the children.  They asked us up for supper.  Bob Thomas came just as we were leaving and came with us.  We came home after the Ed Sullivan show.

Monday Sep 5   Labor Day   pleasant temperature, sunny

   Jeanne and I washed & ironed. Harriet and Betty Ferrell were on committees at the yacht races on Geist lake.  Blanche & Floyd Graham came up in the evening and watched T.V. with us.

Tuesday Sep 6    cool and sunny    I took Jeanne in to the city at 6:45, let her out at her home and came back.

[There is an 7-day gap in the diary here]

Wed. Sep 14    Harriet spent the day with me.  She cleaned Dad’s room while I ironed organy curtains for my room.  I hung them after she left.  She was here for lunch with me.  We had such  good visit.

Thurs Sep 15    hot and dry    I called on Ruth Adams in the afternoon.  I stopped to see Treva Souders and found Mary Henderson and her children there.  I had a nice visit both places.

Fri Sep 16    Drove in to the city to shop at Block’s about 3 o’clock.  I purchased a 21 inch and smaller airplane luggage.  I picked up Jeanne at Rita Clark’s at 5:30.  Got our supper then got to bed early.

Saturday Sep 17      Jeanne & I cleaned like mad.  I finished cleaning the kitchen floor then waxed & polished it.  We were all cleaned up and ready for Bud, Mary and Gretchen when they got here at about 4:15.  [Mary Turner was Walt and La Della Turner’s daughter.]  We went to our church for a Smorgasbord supper then took a ride, stopped and curb-visited with Bob, Christy & Steve a minute in Pendleton.  Stew and Millie came in for a visit.   They brought one of Millie’s delicious cakes which we ate with ice cream.  All in bed by 10.

Sunday Sep 18    cool, 60 degrees, clear 

   I got up at 6:15.  Jeanne Lee [Aunt Jeanne] was already up.  We dressed and hurried downstairs.  Got the breakfast table set and Gretchen came down about 9:30.  Mary came down in a little bit and Bud followed.  They ate & visited and left about 8:45.  The day warmed up steadily.

   I looked over my clothes and packed some for my trip to visit the Barby family in Oklahoma tomorrow.  Jeanne & I had dinner then I called Helen Barby and told her when I would arrive at Will Rogers Air Field and she said she and Otto were leaving for Oklahoma City in a little while and would meet me tomorrow.  She is such a dear person.

Monday Sep 19   hot, dry      

[Trip to visit Barby family, Oklahoma, travel on to Salida, Colorado with Barbys]     I was all ready & packed when Stew came for me.  Frank had stopped and kissed my goodbye.  We ate our lunch at the Claypool Hotel.  Stew left me at the hotel because he had an appointment with Mr. Buenting [the attorney for Grandpa’s estate.  He was Grandpa’s attorney for years and.  His last name was pronounced “Bunting.”]

   Stew stopped back at the hotel to see if I was o.k.  My taxi came about 1:45.  I got on the plane at 2:40.  I sat next to a business woman.  We were above the fleecy clouds quite a while. I arrived at St. Louis at 4:30.  The Braniff plane is due at 5:50.  I am almost deaf from the plane noise.  I ate dinner then called Helen Barby.  I arrived in Oklahoma City at 8:10.  Helen, Anna & Otto Barby met me.  We drove to the Huckins hotel where we had rooms. [Helen Barby, a year younger than Grandma, was Otto Barby,Sr.s second wife.  He was born in 1865, came to the Oklahoma Panhandle from Germany in 1880, created a huge ranch and died in August, 1954.]

Tuesday Sep 20  1955      bright sunshine      We had breakfast at the coffee shop and had a short visit with Anna & Otto before they left for the ranch.  Helen and I went to a chiropractor for an adjustment then enjoyed the city.

Wednesday Sep 21    hot & sunny

   Edna Barby Davidson, [Otto and Anna’s daughter] came by for us and we ate lunch with her downtown.  After lunch we drove to Norman to see Helen’s son Boardman Barby & family.  We took a tour of the U. of Oklahoma campus.  We returned to Oklahoma City.  [Boardman, son of Otto, Sr. and Helen, born in 1930, was a much younger half-brother of Otto, Lloyd, and Ralph, sons of Otto’s first wife.  “Old” Otto Barby was 65 when Boardman was born.]

Thurs Sep 22    hot and showers

   Helen and I ate breakfast early.  Helen & I then went to Edna’s to get Otto’s car which he had driven to the city and left with her.  We drove to the ranch about 225 miles northwest near Knowles in Beaver County [the eastern of the 3 counties of the Oklahoma Panhandle.  It is very dry rolling country, not much to see.  We arrived about 6:00 o’ clock and changed into cool dresses.  The house is pleasant, but not large.  Helen showed me around her lovely yard.  While we were looking 7 turkeys walked by on a lower drive.  We went to bed early.  Their son Boardman came in about midnight. 

   [Nancy and I visited Ralph and Marie Barby 19 years later in July, 1974 on our way to the Grand Canyon, Santa Barbara and San Francisco, California.  Ralph greeted us at the door in stocking feet.  Lunch was ready and Marie asked me what I would like to drink.  I said, “A six-pack of beer, please.”  I wasn’t joking.  Marie said, “We don’t drink.  I have sweet tea, lemonade or water.”  The 50,000 acre (78 square mile) Barby ranch was where Grandpa Rafert had bought Hereford “feeder” cattle through the 1930s.  They were brought by train 60 to 100 animals at a time to Indiana and dropped off at Oaklandon then trucked to his farm at Fortville grow on pasture for sale to local farmers.  Over the years he bought over 10,000 feeder cattle.  My Dad often went along on the ride to buy cattle out and sometimes road the caboose back to Indiana on the train bringing them east.    

   Grandma went on western business trips sometimes also. One such trip around 1920 was to sell a 640 acre ranch that Grandpa inherited from his father in Hettinger County, North Dakota near a town called Mott.  That farm was traded for another 640 acres near Kentland, Indiana, then a few years later for an apartment building in Chicago.  Grandpa, like his father Christopher Rafert was a “horse trader” in properties. 

   The Rafert family and the Barby family became good friends.  Ralph and Marie named one of their boys “Stewart” after my Dad.  Otto and his brother Ralph attended Stanford University and were on the polo team there.  In summer 1956 Dad, Mom and myself, Leslie, Tom Thomas and Barbara Cooper visited all of the Barby’s on our own trip west to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the Grand Canyon. 

   When Nancy and I visited in 1974, Ralph and Marie’s son-in-law Ralph Cox took us on a tour to see some of their 2,500 Herefords.  The Barby family kept their ranch income and property in common.  Their main source of income was selling several million cubic feet of gas a day to the Continental gas pipeline which ran through their ranch.  Nancy enjoyed looking at their buffalo herd.  I enjoyed hearing about their local rodeo.] 

Friday, Sep 23      cooler

   I put on my wool suit after the three of us [Grandma, Helen and son Boardman] ate our breakfast and drove to Beaver.  Otto and Anna joined us there and we drove through Pueblo, New Mexico and on to Salida, Colorado.  [Salida, south of Denver and a bit west, was 430 miles from Knowles and about a 9 hour drive.  The town is located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range about 40 miles north of the Great Sand Dunes National Park.]  The roadsides and mountains were beautiful in the sunshine.  The aspens were turning golden yellow.  We arrived at Salida about 5 p.m. and stopped at the Circle R motel. It is very nice.  We then ate supper and went to bed early.

Sat. Sep 24    air cool, sun hot

   We left our cabins at 7:30 and ate at a café in Salida.  We drove 14 miles to a ranch Boardman was interested in buying.  We drove around some then went into the big log house on the ranch about 100 yards back from the highway.  It is two-story and has 5 large rooms.  We visited with Mrs. Doveton who lives there.  We ate at Buena Vista, the next town 6 miles farther on about 20 miles from Salida on state highway  at the junction of US 224 & 285, maybe 80 or 90 miles west of Colorado Springs.  The mountains are beautiful, snow covered at over 12,000 feet and Trout Pass at over 9,500 feet is about 10 miles east on 24.  Helen, Anna and I drove around a while.

   Boardman bought the ranch, about 4,000 acres and house for $110,000 and paid $11,000 down.  [Boardman Barby was age 25.  He was probably using money inherited from his father, Otto Barby, who died in a year earlier in August, 1954.  The $110,000 of 1955 would be about a million and a half dollars now, but the ranch with its beautiful location is probably worth much more than that today.]  A thunderstorm came up and it poured rain.  We got our Circle R cabins back, then ate supper and went to bed.

Sunday, September 25  1955    cool, clear

   We ate breakfast about 8:00 and started back to Oklahoma.  We saw the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains just to the west as we drove through a large valley.  We drove up through the clouds, returning through Trinidad, Colo. Then to Raton, N. Mexico and Boise, Okla. then Guymon and a short distance to Goodwell to visit Otto and Anna’s two boys Carlton & Leland at their dorm at Oklahoma Panhandle State University.  Also Marion Barby.  We stayed all night in Beaver.  It had rained every place we were all day.

Monday Sep 26    cloudy   We ate lunch at Anna’s.

Tues. Sep 27    I had a good visit all day at Anna’s. 

Wed. Sep 28   nice day    Drove to Ralph and Marie Barby’s place after lunch.  I met their son Stewart’s wife.  We got to bed early that night at Helen’s.  [Stewart Barby died in July, 1965.  When we saw him in 1956 at age 21 in 1956 he was quite sick with lupus.]

Thurs. 29   nice day    Visited with Lloyd Barby’s daughter.  Lloyd, Otto and Ralph’s younger brother died a month ago at age 57.

Fri. Sep 30   nice day 

   Helen drove me to Beaver.  Then Otto and Anna drove me around the ranch to see 250 Herefords on a ranch that Otto owned personally at the edge of town.  Then Anna showed me pigs she owns that somebody feeds for her.  Anna’s boys Carlton and Leland came in from college for the weekend and sang for me.  They are wonderful boys. [We met them a year later when we visited with the Barby’s a couple of days on our way west.] 

Sat Oct 1   cloudy    We went to Beaver after lunch.  I am all packed for my trip home.  I stayed overnight at Anna’s.  On the way home to Anna’s we stopped at Leata and young Lloyd’s house.  I bought a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums as a gift for Anna.  [Young Lloyd became the patriarch of the family.  He was a rigid Republican who felt the “death tax” was destroying ranch families.  Somehow the Barby family still owns the 50,000 acres.]

Sun Oct 2    cloudy          We went to Sunday School and church.   Helen & I started to Oklahoma City after dinner.  It started to rain and we learned water was over the road when we reached Tonkawa.  We stopped at a motel about 75 miles from Oklahoma City and called the airport to change my flight reservation to Tuesday.

Monday Oct 3  rainy         We arrived at Edna’s about 10:30 or 11.  After supper we watched T.V.  It was still raining.

Tuesday October 4 1955   It rained all night.  I left for the airport at 7:25 a.m. in the limousine.  There was lots of water in the streets.  The airport is a long way out from the downtown district.  I got my flight

confirmed and luggage taken care of all the way through to Indianapolis.  I ate a vegetable lunch at our stopover in Kansas City.  Leaving K.C. we were in clouds the whole way.  We couldn’t land at Wichita.  Too much water there.  We left K.C. about 12:30.  We were held at St. Louis about ½ hour while they changed a tire.  We stopped at Terre Haute for about 10 minutes.  We kept our seat belts fastened most of the trip.  I arrived at Indpls at about 5:30.  Stew’s family were there to meet me.  We drove to Rita Clark’s and picked up Jeanne.   When I got home all of the family were at the house.  Harriet had prepared a delicious dinner and Barbara & Millie contributed to it too.  I rode back to the city with Stew to take Jeanne home.  [Airplane note:   the propeller planes of the 1950s were like the cars of those days, prone to frequent mechanical or engine problems, small and large. They flew at a low altitude and were much more subject to weather conditions and often gave a very bumpy ride.  It took Grandma 10 hours to fly from Oklahoma City to Indianapolis.  Now trips to European cities take less time.]

Wednesday Oct  5   still raining    I went to the grocery then picked up my mail at Stewart’s.  Charlie Cooper & Stewart J. stayed all night last night with me.  I took Stewart home for breakfast then ate my breakfast at Harriet’s with them.

Sat  Oct 8      clear      I drove in for Jeanne about 8:30 a.m.  We stopped at Crown Hill & brought all of the vase liners out to clean up and paint this winter.  Harriet was here when we got here so she & Aunt Jeanne went to the third floor & got busy again cleaning.

Sun 9   partly cloudy   Jeanne & I went to church.

Mon Oct 10  clear   We left at 6:45  I took Jeanne home first then to her office at Rassman’s real estate office on Massachusetts Ave.  I went to Blocks a while to shop and ran into Margaret McBane and took her back to Fortville.  In the afternoon I went to Brown’s orchard and bought a bushel of Grime’s apples.  Later Stew, Frank, Bob Thomas and I drove to Otto Buenting’s house at 8702 Broadway.  We signed legal papers for George’s estate and got home about 9:30 p.m.  Stew is on a Petit jury and served earlier today at Greenfield.

Tues Oct 11   sunny and warm     Frank & I went to Otto Buenting’s offce and then with him to People’s Bank.  Charlie Forrest was there and Mr. Charles Jansen and his son.  Mr. Jansen bought the Garden Court houses.  [The biggest property Grandpa built, 24 houses in four rows of six around a city block on twentieth street with a courtyard in the center.  They were the last of his Indianapolis building projects, finished in 1924.  He began by building “fourplexes,” groups of 3 rows of 4 houses in 1913.  He sold the 1913 houses to a wealthy black woman and he later regretted not keeping them.]  Frank & I ate lunch in Ayres’ basement, then went home.

Wed Oct 12   cloudy, rained off & on     trip to Madison on the Ohio River

   Faye Wiseheart and Mayme Wright came for me about 8 a.m. We stopped for Hazel Pritchard and we drove to Madison, Ind. and arrived there about 10:30 via highway 421.  We sat around at the Clifty Falls State Park Inn and ate our lunch there at 12, then drove over to Hanover and walked all around the campus of Hanover College right above the Ohio River.  Then we went back to the Lanier mansion in Madison and looked over it.   Then we traveled to Shrewsbury House which is almost as old as Lanier and sells antiques.  We saw lots of beautiful things on all three floors.  On the way back we ate our supper at Shelbyville.  We were home by 7 o’clock.

Thurs Oct 13, 1955      bright sunny but cooler    I took Stewart J. home after breakfast, then took Stew’s galoshes to him at Frank’s.  Saw Stew again as a stopped a minute at Dad’s office on his way to jury duty in Greenfield.  [The office was emptied in 1956.  Dad brought all the diaries, cash books, and ledgers to our house.  I now still have them 66 years later.  SJR]

Sat Oct 15   Jeanne came out on bus about 10.  Harriet came and we went to the grocery.  We drove her home and visited with her in her living room.  I baked an apple pie and made apple sauce and baked 4 potatoes and scooped them out.  Nora called and wanted us to go to Anderson to Mr. Romine’s.  We did and she took some chairs up for him to refinish and cane.

Sun. Oct 16     cloudy      Jeanne & I went to church.  Mary Cooper sat in front of us between Stewart’s family.  Leslie & Barbara sat farther back.  It didn’t take me long to get our dinner, hamburgers, baked scooped potatoes, green beans, cookies & apple sauce.  We went up to Frank’s and visited with Frank & Spencer & George.  Barbara & Debbie were visiting Aunt Marilyn.  I took Jeanne to the 4:20 bus.  Leslie came over and stayed all night.

Monday Oct 17     cloudy   cool   Dentist appointment 9 a.m. with Deak Dekyne.  Lunch at Millie and Stews.  Appointment 2:15 with Mars Ferrell.

Tuesday Oct 18     cloudy and showers    I had breakfast at Harriet’s while I visited with her.  Did a good sized washing in a.m.  Mayme came for me at 1 p.m. to go to bridge club at Hazel’s.  I have the next meeting.

Wed Oct 19     Got Harriet & Freddy   About 9 a.m. Harriet brought me a pot of vegetable soup.  We worked in the attic.[The attic at the Big House had antiques and a room filled with “steamer trunks” that were also carried on train trips, about 18 or 20 of them.  The bigger trove of antique were stored in the carriage house/horse stable/garage when the Raferts moved to Fortville in June 1926.  These beds, dressers, rugs, old books, etc. going back to the 1870s sat there until the summer of 2012 when they were inventoried for an auction 86 years later.]  I picked up Spencer from Kindergarten.  He was here for lunch and so was Abe.  Harriet took them all after lunch.  Hazel Pritchard brought me a plate of cookies.

Thursday 20    I stopped at Agnes’ at about 1 o’clock & stayed till 3 then shopped till 5 and came home about dark.  Boys had light on in the house when I got home.  Stewart brought S.J. over about 8:30.

Fri  Oct 21   [Picked up Aunt Della Stewart at Monon train station]

   I cleaned in the a.m.  Left the house about 4 o’clock, parked at Reeta Clark’s back yard and visited with her till Jeanne came home.  We packed her things in the car then went out to eat.  Jeanne & I ate at the Tee Pee, then sat in the car and watched traffic on 37, then drove over to the Monon railroad Station on 38 St. at other corner of State Fair Grounds and waited for Aunt Della’s train arrival at 10:00 p.m.  We got to bed around 11:30.

Saturday 22  Ate breakfast about 8 and visited with Aunt Della.  Stewart and Leslie came over to see Aunt Della.  [Aunt Della was Grandma and Aunt Jeanne Stewart’s only living aunt and in her early 80s was a delight to visit with because her stories were so good.]    

Sunday 23           We 3 went to church.  Our dinner was cooked in the electric roaster.  Jeanne took the bus back to city about 2:30

Tues. 25  Visiting Nurses Association meet at Helen Brown’s.  All were there but Freedonia Bachelder.

Thur. Oct 26   Went to Buckley’s for supper.  Freda Rash [Ted Rash’s wife] drove & Jane Deakyne,  Hazel and Bess Baldwin came for me.  We had good fried chicken.  Home about 10:30.  S.J. stayed with Aunt Della.  They were still up listening to T.V.  [Aunt Della Stewart’s husband was Uncle Will Stewart’s wife.  Uncle Will was also a doctor who practiced medicine in Indianapolis with  Grandma’s father Dr. Frank Stewart and their brother Dr. Willis Benton, “Uncle Bent” Stewart.  Uncle Will died in 1930.  Aunt Della died in the fall of 1957.  She came to Fortville every year from 1951 to 1955 to visit Grandma from her home with a daughter in Glencoe, Illinois,   located on Lake Michigan just north of Chicago.]

Friday 26   Drove to city about 10:30 with Aunt Della.  We ate lunch at the beautiful restaurant on the eleventh floor of the Hume-Mansure bldg.  [The Hume-Mansure building was completed in 1911.  The restaurant was the entire glass-enclosed top floor].  I dropped Aunt Della off at Lucille & Allegra Stewart’s home on Delaware St.  [daughters of Uncle Bent Stewart, they were also Aunt Della’s nieces].  I stopped by Jeanne’s office.  She will come out tomorrow.  It was raining & I borrowed her umbrella.    

Saturday 27 Oct    dark and cold and misty      Aunt Jeanne missed the 10:30 bus and I drove to get her after noon.  George Thomas [age 11] called me and we talked a while.  Jeanne & I visited with Aunt Della all afternoon & into the evening.  Leslie and S.J. came over.

Sunday 28    cool           

   I put my roast in the oven.  Jeanne and I set the dining room table.  We went to church.  Bob, Christy and Steve came.  John Thomas came over from his mother’s [Fanny Girt].  Dinner turned out well for everybody.  Afterward we had a business meeting in Dad’s office.  Harriet came over.   After the meeting on Dad’s estate they all left by 3:30 and I drove Jeanne to meet the 4 o’clock bus.

Mon. 29   Visited with Aunt Della

Tuesday Oct 30  Bridge club at Mayme’s.  Leata Flood gave me a permanent.  [Leata was young at the time and died over 50 years later around 2007.]  Martha McDonald, Nell Hudson and Harriet Wisehart not there.  We had a good time as always.

Wed Oct 31 1955   rainy

   Left house at 10:30.  At lunch at the Tee Pee.  We met with old friends at the club [She doesn’t name it].  It rained hard all afternoon.  We met quite a few old friends then took Helen with us to her house.  We had a good visit and a good supper there.  We started home and it poured.  The windshield steamed up badly.  Got home about 8:30.  Stewart had let Honey in and put all my lights on. [Honey was Grandpa and Grandma’s last dog].  Glad to get home after a busy day.

Thurs Nov 1 1955

   Drove to Noblesville in the afternoon.  I bought Stewart a hat.  Aunt Della enjoyed the trip too.  She bought some letter writing paper.  Leslie & Stewart J. stayed here for the night.

Friday Nov 4    I did washing in a.m.  Aunt Della & I ate our lunch at the Tee Pee.  Left George’s light tan hat to be re-blocked [shaped] for Frank.  It will be ready in 2 weeks Fri. the 18^th.   Jeanne met us and we stopped at her house for her suitcase.  We hurried home then went out to Cyntheanne church for turkey dinner.  It was delicious.  We got to bed about 10:30.     Stew & Millie left for Chicago at 4 a.m. on estate business concerning the apartment building there.  [The Chicago building at 744-746 E. 49^th St. was along with the Garden Court houses in Indianapolis a “crown jewel” of Grandpa’s properties.  Garden Court on 20^th Street & Illinois had 24 houses.  The three-story Chicago building had 24 apartments.  Grandpa traded a 640 acre farm in Newton County, Indiana, for this building in the early 1920s.  He had obtained the Newton County farm with money from the sale of a 640

acre wheat farm near Mott in Hettinger County, North Dakota, property left from the Christopher Rafert estate. He sold the Chicago build about 1949 on contract with Grandpa holding the mortgage.  In other words, he served a banker for the purchasers so he continued to get money at good interest from it.]

Saturday Nov 5  sunny         We visited with Aunt Della all day.  Jeanne cleaned house and after dinner Stewart J. came over and we put the wicker furniture from the screened porch inside.  Aunt Della’s friend Burnet Lewis came for her.  Her 84 year old father was with her.  Leslie came over and I made potato soup for supper.  [Aunt Della had been visiting for over two weeks which was usual for her.  I learned a trove of family history from her.]

   Stew and Millie stopped by about 11 to let us know they were back from Chicago.  Stew had inspected the apartment building at Chicago and met with the attorney, Mr. Guttmacher. [GOR sold the building in 1949 and held a mortgage on it.]  They had dinner Friday night with Cole and Helen Sorenson.  Dr. Sorenson was in Chicago for a medical convention. [Mom had her last surgery with Dr. Sorensen at the Cleveland Clinic in 1952.  She always became friends with her surgeons in Cleveland where she had first gone in 1937 for surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes in her neck.  In 1963 Mom and Dad visited with the Sorenson’s on their first trip to Europe at Athens, Greece.  By an almost unbelievable coincidence, Dad also met relatives, Larry and Margaret Alexander.  Margaret was the daughter of Grandma Rafert’s first cousin Blanch Stewart Chapler, whose father James Stewart was grandma’s father Frank Stewart’s brother.  The Alexanders were going around the world on their 42 foot sailboat sailboat “Sea Fever” and had stopped over for a year in Athens to teach school.  Dad kept up with the Alexanders and last visited Larry and Margaret on a 1985 motorcycle trip west at Port Townsend, Washington.  And, yes, they had another sailboat.]

Sun Nov 6    I didn’t go to church.  Jeanne went home on bus at 4:30

Mon Nov 7   cold & clear     I ironed clothes after lunch, went to the grocery    Stewart J. came over about 8 p.m. to stay overnight

   I called Ruth Osbon and thanked her for the brass kettle she sent me.  She said it belonged to her great-grandfather. She will stay at Twentieth Street until after the first of the year.  She has some china to sell.  I will buy some of it if I can.  [Frank Osbon was the rent collector there beginning in 1938 and died in July, 1950.  His wife Ruth then took over as rent collector at Garden Court.  I, Stewart J., loved her because she was a sweet lady who saved rare & unusual coins over the years of rent collecting and often gave me one.  I still have an 1875 20 cent coin, four 2 cent coins dated 1865 to 1868, etc.  Some international coins may have come to her in change because until the late 1800s foreign coins still circulated in the U.S.  She also made bouquets of tiny artificial flowers that she sold for extra income.  For collecting rents her house was rent free.  When the houses were sold, she could not stay on.]

Tues November 8 1955     cool

   I drove into the city to return a pair of shoes.  Bought black wool dress at Ayres.  Parked at the Dennison garage.  Stopped at the grocery on the way home.  Leslie is home with a cold.  Got a prescription filled for her before I left town.  The boys are busy picking corn.  I followed Frank home from the grain elevator twice to shine my lights so he could see better.  He sold two wagon loads and had to wait a long time in line to dump the grain.

Wed Nov 9    cloudy part of day, a little warmer

   Kathleen came at 8 and Runt Stewart came at 9. Harriet came about 9:30.  They were all busy cleaning the house and putting storm windows on.  I didn’t sleep much last night so I have been all in.  My back has bothered me all day.

Thurs 10    a beautiful day   I took S.J. home    I had to help Stewart get some chains at Frank’s house to return to John Deere in Greenfield.  I asked Kathleen to get Runt’s breakfast.  It didn’t take me long to make the trip to Greenfield then get groceries.  Harriet & Fred were here.  She got lunch.

   Runt washed all of the windows on the outside.  [I once counted all the panes of glass on the outside windows and came up with 722.  SJR.]  He cleaned the screen porch rug, rolled it up and carried it to the third floor and also the bamboo shades.  He finished before I left for a chiropractic session with Tom Noel.

Fri Nov 11   Stewart J. got up before me and was eating cereal for breakfast when I got down stairs.  I drove him for it was sprinkling outside and went to Frank’s and took the kids to school.  I picked up Harriet’s crowd as we went by.  [There were 6-8 of us in school from Fred in Kindergarten to me in tenth grade.  It must have been a packed car.]  I asked Stew over for lunch.  Millie went down to her mother’s, Flora Hawk.  The sky cleared after lunch so I drove to the city.  I bought myself a beige coat.

   I like to park at the Dennison garage.  I got a spot on the second floor.  I saw Jeanne briefly at work at Rassman’s.  She is going to a party tomorrow night so isn’t coming to Fortville.  I stopped at Bud Hiday’s on the way home and bought a bulb for my bedside table.  I bought a dozen eggs from Millie.  Stew had bought some too and her mother had given her a dozen so she had extra.  S.J. isn’t here to stay overnight because he will be away at a basketball game.  [I was student manager of sports equipment all the way through high school.  We had a small number of basketball, baseball and track members and played at Pendleton, New Castle, Greenfield, Mount Comfort, Noblesville, New Bethel and other nearby schools.]

Sat Nov 12   pleasant    Leslie & Stewart came over and watched T.V. till almost dark.  I stayed alone all night.

Sunday 13     cloudy but warm   I went to church, then Margaret, Ben McBane, Nora & Ed and I went to the Russet cafeteria in Broad Ripple.  Then we went to the antique show at the Murat Temple on Massachusetts Ave.  Nice show.  We saw Jeanne and her friend Mary Tansel.

Monday 14   warm   saw Tom Noel, my chiropractor for a treatment.  I mixed up a batch of “ice box” cookies.

Tues Nov 15       Eight of us were at bridge club.  I had baked 2 kinds of cookies.  After club Faye, Mayme, Betty Lou, Hazel, Harriet Wisehart, Irene & I drove to the Post Restaurant near Pendleton for supper.  S.J. came over after I got back.  We had a hard rain and thunder storm about bed time.

Wed 16     Toward evening did my washing, a big one.  S.J. came over about 9 o’clock.  It’s Jeanne’s birthday [born in 1890, she turned 65] 

Thur 17     Harriet’s birthday, age 32    I took a scarf and bouquet to Harriet on way to the city.  I bought a housecoat for Harriet for Nora as a gift.  I had a foot appointment with Dr. Gorman. Got home about 4:30.

Fri 18  Ironed.  Jeanne came out on bus.  Stew got her at the station [Kate Trailor’s Marathon gas station on 67 and Merrill St.]  Bought five fries [chickens] at Krogers yesterday.  [Kroger was the oldest and smallest of Fortville’s 3 groceries.  The I.G.A. and Strough’s were the other two.]

Sat Nov 19     snowed last night, about 3 inches.  Jeanne & I didn’t do much today but visit.  I made 2 pairs of printed pillow cases.  My new coat arrived from Blocks.  Jeanne likes it.

Sunday, Nov 20       Had fried chicken dinner.  Bob and Christy came about 12 noon.  Dinner turned out real good.  I had baked a sheet cake.  We had a good visit after dinner.  Bob told us his mother had a breast removed a week ago and came home from the hospital on Fri.  I took Jeanne to the 4:30 bus at Trailor’s.  The sun came out in the afternoon.  Temperature 36 degrees

Mon 21  nice day

Tues. 22   nice day.  I drove to the city about 10.  Stopped and visited with Agnes then drove to the Propyleum where Mrs. Clark had our Visiting Nurse Association luncheon. There were 11 members there.

Wednesday Nov 23    cool wind

   Bought a hen and other groceries for Thanksgiving tomorrow.  I rode to Greenfield with Stew, came back and had lunch at Millie’s, then went to the city.   I stopped at Sears downtown to pick up their record player that had been repaired.  [Christopher Rafert owned the land Sears was built at the time of his death in 1910.  Grandpa sold it about 1948 and Sears built their downtown store there.  Some of the Christopher Rafert lots north of the Circle were not sold until after Grandpa’s death.  Grandpa made a corporation of his father’s estate so he could sell properties without rushing and get the best value from them.  He still had 10 housing lots in his Pleasant Run Eminence development on the east side of Indianapolis at the time of his death.  He began developing cottages at Pleasant Run Eminence on Arlington Avenue and Sixteenth Street west of Post Road in the early 1920s.  Imagine a modern developer keeping lots for over 30 years!]

   I then went to Anchor Laboratories for medicine for Stew & Frank’s hogs.  Stewart J. rode along with me.  I had supper ready when Jeanne came out on the bus.

Thanksgiving, Thurs 24 Nov. 1955

   I had Steve, Tommy, SJ and Leslie and Aunt Jeanne for breakfast.  I baked a sheet cake & iced it.  I got over to Stew’s about 11:30.  Bob, Steve & Chris were there.  Mary Frances and Martha Thomas came in a little bit.  We had a delicious dinner and sat and visited till 4:30 before Bob’s mother and Mary Frances left.  It was a beautiful sunny day, no wind.  We took some outdoor pictures.  Christy stayed all night at Stew’s.  [Millie’s Aunt Hazel Ashcraft also came.  Our dog Blackie chewed up the lace on her hat badly, but she didn’t notice the damage on leaving!] 

   Stew and Millie took Aunt Jeanne home then spent the evening at Jim & Betty Hawk’s home.  [Jim Hawk’s father Edgar Hawk was my grandfather James Hawk’s older brother.  Mom’s cousin Jim Hawk was named after my grandfather.  Jim was an Ob-gyn and delivered me, Stewart J. at Methodist Hospital on September 27, 1940.  According to my Baby Book, my middle name comes from Dr. Jim Hawk.   His wife, Betty, was the daughter of John Gottschalk of Washington, D.C.  Gottschalk was head of the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior for many years during the Roosevelt administration.  Betty and Jim had two sons, Jim and John.  Their  cousins, Sara Nell Gottschalk and Tom Gottschalk were students at Earlham College when I was there.  It’s a small world!  Sara Nell was a senior and sat at the same table I did during my freshman year.  She was also head of the Earlham Young Democrats and managed to get John Kennedy to stop at Earlham to speak during his 1960 presidential campaign.  Tom was a year behind me at Earlham. My senior year he and I were on the same floor in a dorm and enjoyed knowing each other.  Jim and Betty Hawk are buried in the Hawk Plot at the New Palestine cemetery.] 

Fri Nov 25   Tom, Stewart, Leslie and I drove to the city about 9:15 a.m.  We ate lunch at Hook’s Circle cafeteria.  The boys went to the stamp shop in the Ober building nearby on Pennsylvania St. while Leslie & I shopped at 10 cent stores.  I bought her a scarf at Wasson’s to go with a dark green orlon sweater I bought her earlier.  We met the boys at the bus terminal at 1:45.  We left Tom to take the bus to Bedford, then got my car at the Dennison Parking garage.  S.J. came over and stayed all night.

Sat 26  Jeanne came out on 3:00 p.m. bus.  We had supper and watched T.V.  Martha McDonald called me yesterday eve. to tell me that she and Mark and Bruce Perkins got back from Michigan. 

Sun Nov 27     pale sunlight, cool

   Harriet called to invite us to dinner. Jeanne & I went to church then to her house.  I sewed buttons on Barbara’s red coat.  Nora & Ed came over for dinner. I sewed a rip in Mary’s cord pants and hugged her good [Mary was 7, in second grade].  We visited a while then came home & Jeanne got ready to go to the bus.  I came on back home and watched T.V.  Stew came in and visited a while.  Harry Martin, our T.V. weatherman, said it was snowing in Indianapolis.  I looked out and the wind was blowing colder and it was snowing here.

Thur Dec 1, 1955      I went to city with Millie & Stew.  Saw Jeanne when we went to eat at the Point cafeteria.

Fri Dec 2     Jeanne came out in the evening.  We had supper after I picked her up at the bus.  We watched T.V.  Frank came in to visit.

Sat 3    we were busy all day

Sun 4     sunny    picked up Millie and we went to church.  Had a good dinner.  Watched T.V.  Bob T. didn’t come down from Pendleton so we drove to the city about 3:15.  I brought Jeanne’s washed clothes.  S.J. came over about 8:30.

Mon 5  Nora & I took the 8:23 bus to the city.  We ate our lunch at the Spinning Wheel. Caught the 1:30 bus home.  I went to Strough’s and ordered my Christmas turkey.  Took a birthday present to Spencer [He turned 7 on December 2].  Stopped at Millie’s.  She was making delicious corn crisp.  I picked up S.J. at the Golden Rule furniture store corner at Staat St. & Main. St.

Tues Dec 6      beautiful sunny day, no wind       15 degrees                 Leslie’s birthday, age 12

   Bridge at Faye Wisehart’s.  Hazel will drive Irene, Margaret, Martha and me.  Mayme will drive herself.  The road is icy between here and there.  Faye’s house looked lovely.  We had a good time.  We all went to two gift shops.  Then we went east to Anderson to eat.  I picked up my car at the Pure Oil station where it had been washed.  Hazel drove here to my house and waited while I put the car in the garage.

   S.J. went to Noblesville basketball game.  On the way back he had the school bus drop him off in front of the house and came in.  We watched 64,000 Dollar Question.  He went to bed ahead of me.

Wednesday Dec 7   30 degrees, cloudy    Stewart J. slipped out early this morning without me hearing him.  Busy all day. 

Thursday 8   cold           Got my & S.J.’s breakfast about 8:30.  Washed Jeanne’s and my clothes.  Leslie celebrated her birthday with 6 girls for a slumber party.

Friday 9    cloudy   

   I went in to the city with Stew & Millie.  We separated.  I ate lunch at the Point cafeteria with Jeanne.  Shopped.  Went to the bus terminal and came out on the 4:30 bus.  It started to snow when we got to Thirty-Eighth Street.  It snowed hard all the way home.  The bus driver ended his trip at Traylor’s gas station [Apparently he felt it was too snowy to drive further].  Chet took me home.  Stew met Aunt Jeanne’s bus.  S.J. stayed all night with us.

Saturday 10      cold     Jeanne and I went to the grocery after I invited Christy, Bob and Steve for dinner tomorrow.  I baked oatmeal cookies.  We were busy all day.  Stew, Frank and Stewart J. were here dumping 2 loads of crushed stone and spreading it on the driveway.

Sunday Dec 11   sunny & cold. 

   Busy with dinner.  Everybody ate a lot.  I fried 2 chickens and baked a meatloaf.  We had broccoli, mashed potato, candied sweets and pumpkin pie.  I took Jeanne to the bus at 4:20.  S.J. came after supper.  We watched “What’s My Line?”  [Led by Host John Charles Daly the four panelists, Kitty Carlisle, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, and a mixture of others from 1950 to 1966.  The game was to guess a person’s work.  All T.V. shows were black and white until about 1956.]

Wednesday 14 Dec 1955   10 degrees

   Took Nora to Post Office and mailed some Xmas cards of my own.  I tried to pick up the children but missed them.  I took Nora home.  It was snowing.  I found out from Millie that Leslie was still at school.  I drove back & got Leslie after they cleaned their brushes and pans.  They were painting on school windows for Christmas.  Some of the windows are lovely.  We brought Dianne Strough along & bought some Eskimo pies and I let her out at home.   I put up my car in the garage.  By supper time it was bad on the roads.  S.J. walked over and let himself in and was almost asleep in his bed in Frank’s old room before I knew he was here.

Thursday 15 Dec       8 degrees.      I stayed home all day and wrote Christmas cards.  Frank & Stew stopped in.

Fri 16 Dec    0 degrees   Still a thin covering of snow.  I got another batch of cards mailed out.  Harriet came in for a few minutes.  Frank brought clothes to dry.  Their dryer is out of order.   S.J had a basketball game at New Bethel.  I told him I would be o.k. tonight.  Saw a “Spectacular” on T.V. tonight, Circus at Sarasota.  Wonderful acts.  Christy is babysitting at Harriet’s tonight.  I called up and she answered the phone.  I told her I would see her there in the morning.

Sat 17        warmer at 23 degrees

   I drove to Harriet’s in a.m.  Charlie, Chris and Mary were at the breakfast table.  Everybody was getting ready to go to Tenth and Arlington to get shoes.  They took Chris home to Pendleton first.  I baked sugar cookies.  [Grandma often baked sugar cookies .  They were good to eat on the way home from school, always in an enamel pan covered with a linen cloth, still warm.]  I went up to Frank’s.  Carpenters have their bathtub out and plywood on the floor of the new bathroom. [Grandpa installed the first bathroom in this house where I started out as a baby in September, 1940.  Before that time, there was only the outhouse near the garage.  This was the second and larger bathroom.  The Frank Raferts moved into the house around 1951.  We moved across the field that year to the Jester Farm that Dad had bought in 1940 and into our new house on the lane near the fence that also marked the Hancock/Madison county line.  The lane curved east there to go down into a swale then up to the big red bank barn and the Jester house.  Our 26 acre woods was to the north of the lane there and the Jester house and farm buildings.  For a long time we grandchildren played in the Jester house, built around 1850.  Dad tore it down shortly before he sold the farm in late 1966 to a group of 17 doctors who developed.  Bob Ferrell took down the barn and rebuilt it on his parent’s land a mile or so north of Fortville.]

   S.J. came over about 8:30.  We went to bed fairly early.

Sunday Dec 18   cloudy   some warmer

   Went to church, then over to Stewart’s to stay with Leslie who has a cold. The rest of the family went to Lois and John Hawk’s with Jim & Flora Hawk and Jim’s sisters Carrie Spilker and Mabel Kottlowski True for dinner and gift exchange.  Leslie & I spent the afternoon watching T.V. and playing with her cute black kitten.  They came home about 5.  S.J. came home with me.  The sun shown all day.

Mon Dec 19.    Jeanne S. called me this morning.  I told her I would be at her house about 4 o’clock.  Nora & I caught the 8:23 bus.  We shopped then had lunch at Block’s tea room.  After that I had my hair shampooed at Wasson’s.   I then went to Rita Clark’s [where Aunt Jeanne roomed for years] on a city bus.  She had invited Corazon, a Phillipine student at Indiana U. to give a talk to a large group.  The party began to arrive after we ate.  There were 33 in all.  Cora as she was known gave a very entertaining & interesting talk about customs in the Philippines.

Tues 20  There was a skiff of snow last night.  I stayed over at Rita’s and Cora took an early bus to return to Indiana U.  I ate breakfast with Reeta.  After breakfast Stew came to take me home. 

Thurs 22       I talked to Barbara to tell her I will have Christmas dinner here.  Her house is torn up and the bathroom isn’t finished.  Stew brought dishes and cut glass and a half dozen sterling knives & forks & a dozen sterling spoons that I bought from Ruth Osbon that she packed for me.  She is moving out of her apartment at Garden Court Jan. 1.  We will miss her.

Fri 23     Jeanne came out about 5:30 on the bus.  We sat up and visited till the Late Show began.

Sat 24    I got the turkey at Strough’s and a lot of other things.  I made dressing, stuffed the turkey and started roasting it at about 1 o’clock.  I baked & iced a cake.  Jeanne cleaned downstairs.  I cleaned the bathroom.

Sunday Christmas, 1955

   Everything was ready when the folks came.  Our dinner was delicious.  All of our children were perfect.  The 10 smaller ones all ate in the sun room and behaved like little angels.  They were through before we were and played out in the yard.  [The smaller ones were George Thomas, Debbie, Spencer, George, and Bob Rafert, Barbara, Charlie, Jim, Mary and Fred Cooper.  George Thomas and Barbara Cooper were the oldest at 11.  The older kids were Steve and Christy Thomas, Kermit (Tom) Thomas, Stewart J. and Leslie Rafert.  In 1955 there were 16 grandchildren not counting Randy Thomas who died as a one year old.  Five more grandchildren were born after 1955:  Bill Cooper and Susan, Timothy, Michael and Elizabeth (Libby) Rafert for a total 20 George and Ethel Rafert grandchildren who got beyond early childhood.  At the time of finishing the copying of these diaries on July 11, 2021 thirteen of us remain.  Of the 20 grandchildren, 11 have a total of 24 children.  Finally, the grandchildren of George and Ethel Rafert who had children have a total of 59 grandchildren themselves.  There are as of 2021 a few great-grandchildren of the grandchildren.  There are now six generations of this family line.]

   Everybody was gone by 4 o’clock.  I drove over to Floyd & Blanche Graham’s and visited with them.  Jeanne started dishes and when I got back I helped her finish them.  Stew came over to see us in the evening.  We watched What’s My Line.  [Floyd Graham worked as a handyman on the Indianapolis houses for many years.  Blanche was Grandma’s friend.] 

Mon 26 Dec     another sunny day

   I invited Blanche Graham & guests to come over in the afternoon.  The 4 women came about 3 o’clock.  We had a good visit.  I served ice cream & coffee.  Christy Thomas came and ate with us.  She told us she is going to be in Jane Shirley’s wedding tomorrow.  She took Jeanne to the 4:30 bus.

Tues 27     another nice day

   I dressed to go to the city.  Just as I was ready to leave, Art Baynham called to ask if I would be at home.  I said yes.  He and his wife Ilene came about 11:30.  They brought gifts, an apron, a lettuce washer and a sweet little vase.  I got lunch and we had a good visit.  Harriet came over for a while.  They left at 3.  [Arthur Baynham was a classmate of Grandpa’s at I.U.]     

Wed 28    another sunny day   Norah & I went to the city on the 10 o’clock bus, came back on the 12:30 one.  We brought Lenah, Martha MacDonald’s sister to her house.  Then we went to Anderson to Mr. Romine’s to bring my grandparent’s drop leaf table home.  Frank stopped to see me.  He feels like he is taking cold.  I hope not. 

Thurs 29    nice day, sunshine   busy at home

Friday Dec 30   nice day, sunshine.    I picked up Barbara to take her to the grocery.  Mayme Wright called to invite me to her house New Year’s Eve to play canasta.  I didn’t accept because Jeanne will be here. 

Sat. Dec 31     Jeanne came out on the 3 o’clock bus.  I had a chicken dinner ready when Bob Thomas came for supper.  Christy & Barbara McLaughlan stopped about 2 p.m.  She and Steve have dates tonight.

Sunday Jan 1  1956    Went to church.  Barbara Cooper and Leslie sat by me.  Another beautiful sunshine day.

Grandma Rafert with Seven Grandsons, August, 1963

Left:  George Thomas with hands on George Rafert,

Charlie Cooper behind Bill Cooper, Jim Cooper and Spencer Rafert holding Grandma,  At right Fred Cooper

Notice the smiles!  My shadow is in the lower right corner.

          Grandma died December 2, 1964 at age 76.  We older grandchildren remember her sweetness, her round kitchen table where we played endless games of Uno, Canasta, poker, and Monopoly.  When she moved in 1956 into her new house on Ohio Street and just across the street from the Cooper Grandparents Ed and Nora, we all visited her there for the remaining eight years of her life.  Her sister, our Aunt Jeanne Stewart, moved in with her and we loved her too.  I hope we pass these memories on to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  And we have these wonderful daily diaries to remember us when we were kids so long ago!

Grandma as a brave girl helping the police

          Before were turn to Grandma’s brief surviving 1909 diary I am including a story of her bravery in capturing a peeping Tom in 1906 when she was 18 and in her senior year of high school in Indianapolis.  Grandpa was so proud of her that he included in his diary #10 on May 28, 1952:

GIRL CAPTURES “PEEPER”

Miss Ethel Stewart sees Face at Window, Calls Police by Phone         

and Shadows Man until they Arrive

          A plucky 18-year-old girl turned detective long enough last night to hand over to the police a “Jack-the-Peeper.”  Miss Ethel Stewart, living at 1730 North Pennsylvania Street, sitting alone in the library of her home, was startled to hear heavy footsteps on the porch.  Turning, she saw the face of a man staring at her through the window.  Instead of screaming, she rushed for the door.  The man jumped off the porch, ran north and dodged between two houses.  Then the young woman turned detective.  Leaving her own home by a side door she went to the rear of the house in search of the “peeper.”  He was going north through back yards and over back fences.

          She went into her home again and called up police headquarters.  “There’s a man out here on Pennsylvania Street who is peering into windows and frightening persons” the desk sergeant heard a clear feminine voice say.  “If you hurry a couple of bicycle cops out right away I’ll capture the man and turn him over to them.  “And who are you?” asked the sergeant, very much surprised.  “I’m Miss Stewart, Miss Ethel Stewart,” she replied.  I live at 1130 North Pennsylvania Street.  But hurry the men.”

          When bicycle officers Morgan and Samuels arrived at 1130 they were told that the girl was up the street shadowing the man.  They found her near Sixteenth Street five blocks north.  “The man is back of that house yonder,” she said, pointing to a house on the corner.  “One of you come with me and we’ll capture him.”  As one of the officers, with the girl, was going around the house they encountered the man and arrested him.

          In his diary comments on this, Grandpa George Rafert wrote, “I wanted to get this article pasted in my diary as I know our grandchildren will want to see it. It will give them a better idea of their grandma Rafert when she was a young girl of 18.  All this must have happened in the year 1906 and the thought now comes to me that when I stepped on her front porch for the first time about a year later in the fall of 1907 that I sure was not going to have a chance to escape.”

George Rafert letter to Ethel Stewart, July 1908

George Otis Rafert was introduced by a friend to Ethel Stewart in 1907.  He started seeing her often at that time.  I am bracketing her diary with letters from him written the summer of 1908, the year before this diary begins and with a letter written in March, 1910 after the stretch of diary that follows.  George and Ethel married a few months later on August 10, 1910 at her home.  The two letters show that they were very dear to each other in 1908, but in the custom of those days, young men and women could have what we would call a “sweetheart” but at the same time go out socially to dances or college visits or the brand new “moving pictures” with friends of the opposite sex without much concern.  As you read the 1909 diary you will see this happening, even though “George” is the special one.  George Rafert lived with his parents Christopher and Christina Rafert and his unmarried sister Jane (known as Jenny), then in her late thirties at their home at 1131 N. Delaware Street, a block east and six blocks south of Ethel’s home at 1730 N. Pennsylvania St.  Christopher Rafert was near the end of his life in his late 60s and the family lived in a mansion he had built in 1875.  The Stewart’s, on the other hand, lived in a very modest house and Frank Stewart was an obstetrician/gynecologist who made a very modest income.  The Raferts owned a lumber yard and lots of property and were in the “Blue Book” of the 400 wealthiest families of Indianapolis.  They were “aristocrats” while Frank Stewart and his brothers Willis Benton and William Robert Stewart were professionals at a time when professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and college teachers had very little status and very low incomes.  So the son of wealth was in love with a young woman who was from the respectable but not wealthy middle class.  But they were very much in love and that shows throughout their lives

          At the time of this letter, George Rafert is in real estate with a partner downtown.  He writes on letterhead, “The Day-Rafert Co., Real Estate, Suite 1020 Lemcke Building.  New phone, 167   Old phone, Main 864

“My dear Ethel,                                                              July 25, 1908

I received your letter day before yesterday and enjoyed it.  I presume it is bad taste on my part to show such haste to answer but if you are homesick and if a letter from home can cheer you up a bit I know of no better use I can use my time  than to write now.

          Father [Christopher Rafert], the Griffith boys and myself are going swimming this afternoon.  I am quite proud of the old man.  When a man going on 70 years will go swimming with a bunch of kids he is alright.  I am sorry I never thought of taking you out and teaching you to swim when you were here. But if there is any warm weather left when you get back I’ll do it yet.  I have certainly missed our canoe rides together.  I would a lot sooner have you where I could talk to you than to have to write for I realize that I haven’t said a thin, and as it is almost noon, I’ll cut it out.  Your last letter was a dandy but it left a very strong desire in my mind to read the “thousands and thousands” of pages you didn’t get time to write, so I’ll close with the pleasurable anticipation of getting to read them early next week.

                                                Your sincere friend, Geo. O. Rafert

Grandma Rafert’s Diary January to June, 1909, age 20

 Some names from this diary Ethel Stewart kept in the first half of 1909 appear in her 1954-1955 diaries.  Edyth Wood, who married Howard Gay, lived two houses north of the Stewart family.  Of course, “Mr. Rafert” or George appears many times, but Grandma Rafert in the custom of those days dated many other young men too.  It soon becomes obvious that “he was the one.”  They were married at the Stewart home on August 10, 1910.

New Years,          January 1, 1909 Friday

A bright clear day.  Mother and I spent a very quiet day all by ourselves.  Jeanne was over at Edyth’s.  Mr and Mrs Robert James spent the evening with us.

January 2, 1909 Saturday

A cold gray day.  Worked around the house this morning.  Jeanne went to a hearts party at Frances Keith’s and I went to Ruth Hendrickson’s to a small afternoon party for Margaret Benton from The Western.

January 3, 1909 Sunday

Sprinkled most of the day.  We did not go to Sunday school or church.  Were by ourselves all afternoon.  John Brake came to call this evening and brought a two lb. box of candy.  He is the same eccentric fellow.  First call for two years, here.

January 4, 1909 Monday

Miss Schiffer our renter left at nine this eve and we can breathe free, the middle room is ours once more.  Rained all day.  Was not outside house.

January 5, 1909 Tuesday

Kenyon Gregg stopped on way to school in a.m.  Aunt Grace Stephenson and babies came in p.m.  Went with Austin Potter to Hypatia Talbott’s to discuss the Euchre Club.  He asked me to go with him on Friday next to Susie Jenkins to the first euchre party

January 6, 1909 Wednesday

Played with Gracia and Edwin in a.m.  Aunt Grace left in p.m.  It was bitter cold but bright and sun shiny.  George Rafert came to call and mama Jeanne and he and I sat and played euchre on dining table most of evening.

January 7, 1909 Thursday

Made a fur hat out of mama’s fur cape, beaver.  Edyth Wood came home from Dayton.  She had gone over there last Sunday.  Mr. Bradford Hunby came up to call on Jeanne.  Mr. Lovejoy, Edyth and Arch Grossman stopped in.

January 8, 1909 Friday

Made a neck ruff of blue ribbons to match my suit and a strip of the beaver and also a muff.  Austin Potter took me the card club and Fred Mayfield took Jeanne.  We got home about twelve.  Had a good time.  Florence Kerr went with Elbert Jenkins.

January 9, 1909 Saturday

Misted some last night and all day today with an occasional shower.  Not as cold but there was a thin coat of ice this morn.  Mama, Jeanne and I had a grand stewed chicken dinner.

January 10, 1909  Sunday

It rained all day.  Mr. Rafert called in the afternoon and Mr. Austin Potter came out to see me.

January 11, 1909  Monday

It snowed all day.  The Phi Kappa Omega sorority meeting was here.

January 12, 1909  Tuesday

Clear and bright about seven inches of snow on ground.  Florence and I learned that sorority was postponed after our arrival at the dormitory, to the next day.

January 13,1909  Wednesday

Snowed most of the day.

January 14, 1909  Thursday

Florence and I went to Phi Kappa reception in their house in afternoon.  Jeanne and I went on bobsled ride that night.    Jeanne went with Charles Sherman and I with Austin Potter.  Hypatia and Lucile Talbott and Marie and Marge Williams and six other girls and fellows.   24 in all.

January 15, 1909  Friday

Colder today.  Snow all off sidewalks but not melted from streets or lawns.  Mama and I went over to Auntie Preston’s this afternoon.  Austin came after his tie this morning.

January 18, 1909 Monday

Made four lunches for Theta dance.  Went with Mr. Rafert and had a dandy time.  Wore my pongee princess.   Mr. Rafert came in his suit but went home and changed.  We got home about two in the morning.

January 19, 1909 Tuesday

Gladys Copeland and I left on 2:15 train for De Pauw, Greencastle.  Frank Lucas met us and took us out to the house.  Mother didn’t put in gimp to lavender dress so had to borrow lace wrist of Pansy Bell.  Went with Raymond Pruitt of Chicago to Phi Psi dance had a fine time.

January 20, 1909   Wednesday

We five girls went to dorm for dinner and there house for supper.  The boys came there for us.  I was with Mr. Whitman and Naomi with Mr. Jones.  We all went to the morning picture show.  Had lots of fun.  Hazel Rhodes of Kentucky and Dena Hurt room at Aunt Eva’s.

January 21, 1909   Thursday

Snow melted and slushy.  Went to College Inn for dinner in evening then to basketball game.  The five of us at the house all went.  I with Mr. Toner   The others did not sit near us.  Stopped at Doll’s Drug Store on way home.

January 22, 1909   Friday

We five girls from the house went to Kappa House for dinner, enjoyed it.  Rained hard all day.  Cleared off after supper and Cricket and Naomi and Mr. Whitcomb and I went walking.  Had something to eat at Doll’s Drug Store afterward

January 24, 1909   Sunday

Church in morning.  Phi Psi house for dinner with Mr. Whitcomb.  We four went to the cemetery and took pictures in p.m.   Had lots of fun.  In evening Mr. Bordman came to see me and Mr.  Whitcomb for Naomi.  Mr B’s handsome but can’t say whether I like him or not.

January 25, 1909   Monday

Naomi and I drove around by ourselves all afternoon and had the best visit.  Went to the dorm with Hazel for supper.  Charles Clive and Frank Lucas came there after us.  We stopped down town for something to eat and went walking.  Wilbur Sellers and Dena Hurt were in the parlor when we came home.  We saw moving picture shows earlier in eve.

January 26, 1909 Tuesday still at Greencastle

I went over to the dormitory for dinner with Hazel as Pansy Bell’s guest.  Naomi, Hazel, Pansy and I drove out to the cemetery where we took pictures in the p.m.  In the evening Mr Whitcomb came and we three girls made candy.

January 27, 1909   Wednesday   Edyth Wood’s birthday 20 years old.  I came home.  Called on Aunt Eva’s cousin Mary on way to station.  Naomi was the only one not busy when I left.  Ann Hadley, a Kappa, came over on the same cart 9:40 and helped with my suitcases.  Was glad to get home.  Slept all afternoon and went to bed early.

January 28, 1909  Thursday

Made a white Persian lawn waist, long sleeves, for myself.  Austin Potter and Emmett Rutledge and Jeanne and I went to the carnation show at the Deutsches Haus [German community center downtown].  Played euchre after we came home.  Enjoyed the evening immensely.

January 29, 1909  Friday

Mother and I went down town.  I had to stay down to go to the dentist.  Had a filling put in.  We bought some cloth for a one piece dress for me.  Novelty cloth, brown with blue stripe.  Jeanne went Alpha Omega Nu with Warrick Wallace.

January 30, 1909  Saturday

Snow on the ground.  Cold and blustery.  Down within one degree of zero weather.  George Rafert called up about five and asked to come over.  He came out in the evening.  We took a short walk.  He left early.

January 31, 1909  Sunday

We all stayed at home.  Of course, Papa went to church.  No one came in all day.

February 1, 1909  Monday

We sewed all day on Jeanne’s dress.  I did the house work.  Jeanne started back in Shortridge High again, her senior year.

February 2, 1909  Tuesday

Went to card club at Florence Kerr’s with Austin Potter.  Jeanne went with Kirby Morris.  We had a good time.  A fine moon light night.  We walked home.

February 3, 1909  Wednesday

Mama and I sewed on my dress all day.  I went to bed early.

February 4, 1909  Thursday

A beautiful sunshine all day.  Lots warmer, everybody acts as if spring had come.

February 5, 1909  Friday

Jeanne and I went to Lafayette to the Delta Tau dance.  Got to Lafayette at five o’clock.  Boys met us at train.  Dean Coulter and Dr. Lake sat at the table with Jeanne and me.  We had a fine time at the dance.  George Hoffman’s and Mr. Morrison’s room was swell.  Jeanne and I roomed together.

February 6, 1909  Saturday

Boys showed us around the college buildings in a.m.  We came home at four in the afternoon.  Weather cleared off.  Turned cold.  George Rafert came over in evening to see me.

[break in diary here]

February 22, 1909  Monday

Delta Tau convention.  Morrison of Pittsburgh called up and talked to Jeanne a few minutes.  George R. came over to see me.

February 26, 1909  Friday

George came up [from his house a few blocks away at 1131 N. Delaware St.] in the afternoon.  Came and took me to the Grand Opera House that night.  It was rainy all day.  We walked home.

February 27, 1909  Saturday

Mama was sick in bed all day.  In evening Jeanne and I went up to sit with her.  George came walking in about nine o’clock and asked me to go walking.

February 28, 1909   Sunday

Beautiful day.  I went to church, Central Christian.  Papa went to Bellefontaine Ohio to Golden Wedding Anniversary of Samuel Wellman and wife.  

[“Papa” Frank Stewart’s Grandmother was Mary Wellman who married James Stewart in eastern Ohio in 1821.  Born in 1796, Grandma Mary Stewart’s brother Samuel Wellman joined the James Stewart family in the big move from  Ohio to Wabash County, Indiana in 1852.  All of the James Stewart adult children moved to Indiana: Samuel, Robert, William, Hannah and Julia. Frank Stewart was the first child born in Indiana in December, 1853.  He knew Grandma Mary Wellman Stewart very well.  She lived to a few days after her 84^th birthday, dying in 1880 when Frank was age 26.  Her father, Rudolph Wellman was in the American Revolution and received land in Ohio for his service.  Born in 1754, he died in 1836 and is buried at the Crab Apple Cemetery near St. Clairesville.  Papa was going to visit his cousin Samuel Wellman’s big 50^th wedding anniversary.  His Grandfather Moses Wellman and Mary Wellman Stewart were brother and sister.  I apologize for such a long note here, but I wanted to include the earlier family history that led to Frank Stewart going on this trip to Ohio.  Stewart] 

March 3, 1909  Wednesday 

Papa’s and Mama’s 22^nd wedding anniversary.  Papa brought a dozen beautiful roses, pink and white.  [Frank Stewart and Elnora Elton were married in Chicago March 3, 1887.  He was a doctor and she was

a nurse.  He was 33 and she was 20 when they were married.]

March 4, 1909  Thursday

Went to Lucie Garvin’s to stay allnight.  Edith Dell Ford was there for supper.  Met a Mr. Barnhill, Evans and Graves, all from Wilmington, Ohio.

March 5, 1909  Friday

Went over to Cornelia Gore’s for Theta exam.  George came out in evening.  I let him think some man had sent me the the roses.  Finally told him the truth!

March 7, 1909  Sunday

Beautiful day, sunshine and warm.  I wasn’t out of the house all day.  George took Florence Kerr out driving in the afternoon.  Sad day for me.

March 8, 1909  Monday

Theta dance, went with George.  Wore my new blue crepe de chine dress.  Had a grand time.  Jeanne went with Harry Hoffman.  I forgave George in my own mind.

March 9, 1909  Tuesday.   Slept late.

March 10, 1909  Wednesday

Little card club met at our house.  Cold and windy.  Austin Potter and Weir Wiley came for Jeanne and me.  We had exceptionally good eats for the club members and good looking prizes.

March 11, 1909  Thursday

Stayed at home.  Mrs. Robert James came down to spend the afternoon with Mama and me.

March 12,  Friday 

Mama and I went out to spend the afternoon with Mrs. Mullins and Mrs. Swain.

March 13, 1909  Saturday

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher F. Rafert’s 46^th wedding anniversary. [Christopher and Christina Manche were married March 13, 1863.  They were well into their 21^st year of marriage when baby George Otis arrived on Oct. 26, 1883.   His father was age 44 his mother 42.]

March 14, 1909  Sunday

Colder again.  George came over for afternoon.  Harry Huffman came later on.  [Huffman was one of Grandpa’s best friends from I.U.]  Both stayed till about 6:30 and papa and mama went to Roberts Park Methodist Church to hear the new President of De Pauw speak.  [This was the Rafert family church.  Grandma’s family went to Central Christian Church.]

March 15, 1909  Monday

Clear and cool.  Mama and I took a walk in a.m.  Stopped in to see Mrs. James and stayed till almost noon.  Went over to Edyth Wood’s to see Teedie and Annie Mae then we came home and got dinner.  Auntie Preston spent the afternoon here.  Frances Keith came to visit a few minutes.

March 16, 1909  Tuesday

Cold and disagreeable.  A wet snow all day.  I met Jeanne at school and took her with me to spend the afternoon at Florence Kerr’s.  [Aunt Jeanne was the lead actress in two plays her senior year (1910) at Shortridge, the finest high school in Indianapolis.  The Caleb Mills auditorium seated 1,600 people.  She got excellent reviews in the Indianapolis Star for playing Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” and playing the female lead in a popular play about the Civil War called “The Crisis.”  The newspaper review stated that “Miss Jeanne Stewart was charming in the leading role of Virginia Carvel, a girl of strong Southern sympathies.”  Mama acted in amateur plays in Peru Indiana during the six years she and papa lived there and must have encouraged Aunt Jeanne as an actress.]

March 17, 1909  Wednesday

Quite cold.  Mama and I went down town to the English Opera House on the Circle and took Papa some lunch.  Shopped and bought little things and lining for Mama’s brown silk coat.  [The Stewart doctors Frank, Willis Benton and Will had offices in Room 90 on the ground floor of the English Opera House and Hotel on the Meridian Street side of this famous building which had a large auditorium where all the famous actors and important people speaking in Indianapolis came as well as the best known actors and actresses.  I have a receipt signed by Will English himself on October 12, 1893 for one month rent for at office at $33.33.  The three doctors moved their offices north to the Pennway Building at 241 Pennsylvania Street when that building opened about 1912.  The magnificent English Opera House and Hotel was torn down in the early 1950s and replaced by an ugly J.C. Penney.  It has since been replaced by a more dignified building.  The Pennway Building was restored to its original appearance around 2010.]

March 18, 1909  Thursday

Warmer and rather rainy.  I fried donuts this morning and Mama baked a cake.  Florence Kerr was out this afternoon.

March 19, 1909  Friday

Cloudy and cool.  Mama went out to see Mrs. Ashley and Florence Kerr and I went out to Chapel in a.m.  Mama and I stayed for dinner with Mrs. Ashely and Helen.  We came in about two, did some shopping and walked home.  We got home about 4:30.

March 20  Saturday

Planted sweet pea seeds next to the store room on the south.  Octavius cleaned up the back yard and spaded up along the north fence.  Octavius is the old colored man who cleans and helps us garden.  [It is very likely that Octavius was born a slave who could have been born as early as 1840.  He could have been a slave into his 20s.]

March 21, 1909  Sunday

Went to Sunday School, stayed for church at our Central Christian Church.  Mama, Jeanne and I walked home.  George and I took a drive out to Edgewood about six miles south of the city.  It is cold and blustery.  We were nearly blown to pieces.  [Cars were open in those days and the driver sat on the right.]

March 22, 1909  Monday

Went down to Florence Kerr’s house.  Cornelia Gaar was there.  We had a good visit.  Laura Lindley came in just before we left and walked up to 16^th and Alabama St. with me.

March 23, 1909 Tuesday

A fine sun shiny day.  Edyth Wood took me down in the car with her to do her marketing.   Stayed home the rest of the day.

March 24, 1909  Wednesday

A bad rainy day.  Mama and I went down to the school exercises at Caleb Mills Hall at Shortridge.  Went on down town at noon.  I ordered my street hat at Marott’s department store on Massachsetts Ave.

March 25, 1909  Thursday

Called Florence up in the morning to go down town with me in afternoon.  A nice day.  Got my hat and met mama downtown.

March 27, 1909  Saturday

Clear day.  Went to market at eight-thirty with Papa.  Brought marketing home and took Mama to 11:45 train for Wabash.  Came back, Jeanne and I had dinner.  Laura Herod came over in afternoon.

March 28, 1909  Sunday

Clear day.  [Cousin] Lucile and I went to Sunday School.  I came home and got dinner.  George called up and asked me to go riding.  We came home about 4:00 p.m. and made tea and had some of my cake.  Papa and Mama came home about 6:30.  They had gone up to Wabash to the Silver wedding of Uncle Ed and Aunt Charlotte Stewart.

March 29, 1909  Monday

Cold rain in morning.  Dried off by noon but I took an umbrella with me to Greenfield.  I wore my lavender dress.  We played “five hundred.”  Mostly Thetas were there, had a swell time.  I guess they always do at Thayer’s house.  Lawrence Freeman asked me to the Theta dance.

March 30, 1909  Tuesday

Dance.  Had a nice time.

Skip to:  April 30, 1909  Friday

I went to Psi Iota Pi dance with Austin Potter.  Jeanne with John Brandt.  George took Helen Reed.  I only had one dance with him, but that was the intermission.

May 3, 1909  Monday

Went to Crawfordsville to the Phi Kappa Alpha convention.  Jeanne and three others and I had a fine time.  Convention in afternoon at Mrs. Bill Forbes, dance at night.  I stayed at Elsie Doubleday’s.

May 4, 1909  Tuesday

Jeanne left Crawfordsville on day train at 8:30 a.m., but I didn’t leave there until 6 p.m. car.  Had a fine time.  I went to dance with Eldo Wagner, Billie with Ralph Lockwood, Jeanne with Paul Hawkins.

Skip to

May 11, 1909

Went t Phi Delta dance with Lawrence Freeman.  Stayed at Maude Boston’s all night with Florence Kerr.

May 12, 1909  Wednesday

George came out in the evening.

May 13, 1909  Thursday

Folks went to Chicago.  I ordered some groceries from George [He had opened a small grocery store.]  Cora Hewitt stayed with us both nights.

May 14, 1909  Friday

George came out in evening.  Cora and I entertained him.  I went out to Butler in afternoon.

May 15, 1909  Saturday

Folks came home from Chicago at three p.m.  I went to Butler in p.m.  Rained hard.  Saw baseball with De Pauw.  Butler won.

May 16, 1909  Sunday

George and I went driving in p.m.  He stayed o lunch and we went to hear President Bryan of I.U. in evening at our church [Central Christian].

May 17, 1909  Monday

George came over in the evening.

May 18, 1909  Tuesday

Went driving out northeast of the city with George.  Had a fine drive.  The weather was ideal.  The country looks beautiful.

May 20, 1909  Thursday

Roy Buckley, Delta Tau Delta, stayed over and came to see me in evening.  Same old Roy.  Had not seen him for almost a year.

May 21, 1909  Friday

Went out to school.  Girls had a tea at cabin for all girls in college.  Had a good time.  George came over in evening.

May 23, 1909  Sunday

Went to Sunday School in morning.  George and I took drive in p.m.  Went out northeast of town.

May 24, 1909  Monday

Had my picture taken for Theta group in p.m.  George came up from his house in the evening

May 25, 1909  Tuesday

Went to medical banquet with fols at Y.M.C.A.  Saw Frank Lucas and Earl Tower in the lobby.

May 26, 1909  Wednesday

George came up in evening.  Just sat around as it had rained all day and was rather cool.

May 27, 1909  Thursday

Lawrence freeman and I went down to Florence Kerr’s and played cards with her and Jimmy Murry.

May 28, 1909  Friday

George and I went canoeing this afternoon.  Went out about three and came back about seven.  He took a lunch.  It was a perfect afternoon.

May 29, 1909  Saturday

Went out to Butler about noon.  Forence and I bought something to eat at a bakery.  We came home shortly.

May 30, 1909  Sunday

Rainy day.  Was home all day long.  George went to Bloomington, will not be back till tomorrow night.  His I.U. friend Harry Hoffman went with him.

May 31, 1909  Monday

Decoration Day.  David Whitcomb called up and asked me down to the Phi Psi drive and dance at Greencastle.  Rained all afternoon.

June 1, 1909  Tuesday

Washed my hair in p.m.  Went to Florence Kerr’s this afternoon.  Marjorie Benton was there.  George came up this evening.  It has been a beautiful day.

June 2, 1909  Wednesday

Cora Hewitt took breakfast with us this morning.  Rather warm but cloudy all day.  Tudor Hall school commencement tonight.  Took supper with the Wood’s.  Mama and I took a walk this evening.

June 3, 1909  Thursday

Received a letter from Frank Stewart.  He is in Portland, Oregon now.  George came over in the evening.

June 4, 1909  Friday

Went to the junior class reception with Jeanne.  Austin Potter brought me home and Ralph Gregoire brought Jeanne.  I didn’t dance with anyone except Austin.

June 5, 1909  Saturday

Grand day.  George took me driving in p.m.  We did not stay out long.  The balloon race started today.

June 6, 1909  Sunday

Stayed at home all day. Extremely hot. No one came in until evening.  Austin came out to see me and Florence Kerr and Jimmy Murray came late.

June 7, 1909  Monday

Went to dance with Ned McGaughey.  I like him immensely.  The dance was at Mr. Davidson’s in Irvington.  I wore my new linen coat, a long one.

June 8, 1909  Tuesday

Going to Greencastle to De Pauw at nine o’clock.  Mama is going along.  Got there at 10:38.  They were surprised to see us.  Margaret Meek was there from Kokomo.

June 9, 1909  Wednesday 

Greencastle.  Stayed around house till 4 o’clock.  David Kenyon and Cricket took us three girls in a single rig to the farm.  They had a lunch.  We got back about ten.  We had a fine time.

June 10, 1909  Thursday

Went to commencement at 9, got out about 12.  Went downtown in afternoon and saw David Kenyon.  Had a fine time at dance at night.  I went with David Whitcomb.

June 11, 1909  Friday

Started on the drive at eight.  Had a big box of cherry cocktails.  I like David very much.  Had lunch at lower falls, came back to look at upper falls at five, had banquet at Cloverdale, at eight danced some afterward and started home at 12.  Got home about 1.

Ethel Stewart as a baby with her parents Frank and Elnora Stewart, Peru, Indiana late 1889 or early 1890

Frank Corwin Stewart, sisters Jeanne Lee and Ethel, and Elnora Elton Stewart, about 1894 shortly after they had moved to Indianapolis

Two letters from George Rafert to Ethel Stewart dated March 16 and March 23, 1910 before their marriage on August 10, 1910

Rafert Grocery Co.  Geo. O. Rafert, proprietor   Eleventh & Alabama Sts.    We appreciate phone orders               New 4877  Main 1215    

My dear girlie,

        I received your letter this morning and was glad to learn of your safe arrival in La Fontaine.  This afternoon my old friend Mrs. Mood from Green County where I stayed when hunting since college days called me up.  She will be here Friday.  I wish you were here to meet here and give her a joy ride.  I am quite certain she has never been in a bug-wagon [car] in her life. 

[Grandma had been driving since age 16 and George for a while too.  Grandpa’s sister, Aunt Jenny, bought a Baker electric in 1912 for $2000. It could go about 100 miles on a plug-in charge and travel 35-40 m.p.h. This picture was taken in 1912 when the car was new. Aunt Jenny is in front driving from the right side.  Her mother Christina Rafert sits in back.

        I had a great snooze last night and feel fine.  I will observe your instruction relative to catching cold because I don’t want you to have one either and if I get one you will too, that’s a cinch.  I see that I am rapidly regaining the ability I once had when writing themes as a young freshman at Indiana University in 1902, namely of spreading out an occasional thought or idea over a considerable amount of paper.  I didn’t have anything particular to say, but I love my little sweetheart and I know she wanted to read something I had written so I have done my best.

Yours with love, George

The second letter:

Rafert Grocery Co.  229 E. 11^th St., Indianapolis    March 23, 1910

Dearest little girl,

        Joe [his assistant at the grocery] hasn’t turned up yet nor have I heard a word from him so I can’t come up to La Fontaine to meet you.  I certainly would have liked to come if for no other reason than kissing you about half a day sooner than I otherwise can.  If I can miss my sweetheart this way what would it be like when she is my wife?  Believe me dear, I am just hungry to see you.

        I called  your Uncle Ed’s house this morning and was surprised at your Father answering the phone.  He said he had obtained a glimpse of you and that Uncle Ed had obtained his nomination to run for sheriff of Wabash County.  I was glad for his sake because he needed to get out of farming your Grandfather’s old place.  [Ed Stewart won two terms as sheriff of Wabash County.]

        Not a thing of interest has happened today.  Last night before going to bed I got all the letters you had written since being away together in their proper order and read them all over again.  I can hardly wait till you get home so I can see you and take you in my arms agains.  I have missed you awfuly.  If I am not at the train to meet you it will be because Joe is not here and I can’t get away.  Be sure to call me up just as soon as you get back.

Your lover, Geo.

        On the back of the envelope contain this letter is a note dated April 10, 1954:  “It is now over 44 years since I wrote this letter and I still feel the same way.  Ethel just found it among some old letters she had put away.  It may be of interest to our 15 grandchildren.  Geo. O. Rafert”

        Christopher Rafert caught pneumonia in early May, 1910 and died shortly later on May 25.  Up to that time he had been in excellent health.  George Rafert at age 26 was suddenly the executor of his estate which included many Indianapolis and other properties including a large farm in North Dakota and a block of commercial buildings in Alexandria, IN.

        Grandpa and Grandma were married at the Stewart home at 1730 N. Pennsylvania St. on August 10, 1910.  Their honeymoon was spent at Lake Wawasee.  Grandpa incorporated his father’s estate so he did not need to rush to sell properties.   He also tried selling real estate for a while, then started a small grocery store at the corner of Eleventh and Alabama Street.  The family moved there for a while, then moved into his mother Christina Rafert’s house where he had grown up.  She died there in Grandpa’s arms on June 10, 1915.  Her last words were, “My sweet son.”  Grandpa sold the grocery in 1913 and built his first 12 houses.  He stayed happily in business the rest of his life.  The family moved to the Big House at Fortville on June 12, 1926 and loved that big family community center for 86 years.

     We end here with his happy picture taken many years later on December 27, 1948.  From left the ten grandchildren are Steve Thomas, age 14 holding Charlie Cooper four and a half, Stewart J. (8) behind Steve, Tommy Thomas (10) who is behind 60-year-old Grandma Rafert holding  10 month old Jim Cooper, Leslie Rafert, age five talking to Jim, George Rafert Thomas, age 4 with  Christy Thomas sitting on the back of the couch who will be 10 in three months.  Grandpa, holding Debbie Rafert, is age 65 and Debbie is a month older than Jim Cooper at 11 months.  At the right is Barbara Cooper is four and a half, two months older than George Thomas.

        Our grandparents George and Ethel Rafert created happy environment for all of us.  After this picture was taken, ten more first cousin were born, six of Frank and Barbara Rafert and four of Abe and Harriet Cooper.  Twelve of us are living as of this December, 2021.  Most of us stay in touch frequently by visits, phone calls, Facebook, e-mail or otherwise.

Love, Stewart   sjrafert@email.com  333 E. Tulane Rd., Columbus Oh 43202

---

[1] Seibert’s was an orchard on Reformatory Road near the Indiana Reformatory that we enjoyed going to for apple cider.  It was raw, unpasteurized cider that tastes much different from today’s pasteurized cider.  It cost 50 cents a gallon in a glass container.

[2] Grandpa Rafert’s mother was Christina Manche (1841-1915).  Fanny Schilling, Ben Faut and Julia Ruschhaupt were the children of her sister Mary Manche (1843-1904), who married Ernest Faut.  Clara Faut was their brother Walter Faut’s wife.  Elizabeth Hardin and Della Winslow were daughters of Christina Rafert’s brother John Manche (1845-1927).    

[3] Locomotive 6025 was built for the New York Central, at Schenectady, New York, in 1946.  It was a “4-8-4” with a four wheel leading truck, eight high driving wheels, and a four wheel truck under the fire box.  These massive locomotives had a tender that carried 46 tons of coal and 18,000 gallons of water.  The locomotive and tender were 115 feet long and weighed

 400 tons.  They were an awesome sight coming through Fortville with passenger trains at a high speed.  Running from New York City to Chicago and Cleveland to St. Louis, they had high mileage.  Number 6024 once ran 288,849 miles in 11 months an average of 26,000 miles a month (more miles than around the earth) or 875 miles a day.

[4] Aunt Millie was beginning her legendary Girl Scout Troop in which the girls were allowed to try new things, like swinging from loft to loft in our barn on ropes and doing whatever else was fun.  Millie was 60 years ahead of her time, as this kind of scouting is commonplace now.

[5] Edyth (Wood) Gay was an old neighbor and school classmate from Indianapolis.  The Raferts and Gays tended each other’s family gravesites at Crown Hill cemetery in Indianapolis when either family was out of town. 

[6] The large box elder at the east end of the big yard had a long limb pointing south that we grandchildren played on for many years.  A favorite activity was to walk along the top of the long limb like a balance beam.  The limb was well over 30 feet long and about four feet off the ground.  The tree was cut down about 1964.

[7] Canasta was a family favorite and we played many games at the round kitchen table which I (Stewart J.) still have.  Grandma’s parents, Frank and Elnora Stewart started their married life with this table in March, 1887.

[8] The whole country was riveted by the Army-McCarthy hearings.  They were shown on TV at school, so many school children saw them also.

[9] Martha Thomas, Christy’s grandmother and her Aunt Sancy [Mary Frances].  We cousins knew our cousins’ grandparents well.   

[10] Farm lanes connected many areas unreachable by car today.  The lane they took went back through the “Little Woods” and on north to the “big woods” then downhill past a spring which still runs today into a bathtub that Stewart G. Rafert installed in 1935 from one of the city properties.  The lane then connected with what was called Reformatory Road, now Connecticut Avenue.  Gravel Lawn cemetery is at the east end of the winding road on the north side of Connecticut Avenue adjacent to highway 13.

[11] We all used the bus from Traylor’s Marathon often to go to Indianapolis.

[12] George Rafert diary, May 24, 1954: “Last Friday I bought a De Soto fire dome V-8 4-door car from the Wilkinson Sales of Fortville.  It is a beautiful car and has all the latest things on it, power brakes, power steering, radio, heater, shaded windshield, etc.”  The total cost was $3,511.50 with an allowance of $986.50 on the Olds 98 he had driven since 1948.

[13] Della “Dell” Winslow (1880-1956) was Grandpa Rafert’s first cousin, the daughter and fifth of six children of John Manche and Mary Ashcraft.  Grandpa Rafert’s mother Christina was John Manche’s sister.  Dell Winslow lived south of George and Hazel Ashcraft and near Jim and Flora Hawk. 

[14] Cars were very undependable in those days.  Some tube, wire, drum, gear, valve, tire, brake shoe, gauge, light, or fitting could suddenly fail even on a new car.  There were no seat belts and slight accidents could be catastrophic.       

[15] Grace Stewart visited from Los Angeles.  She was Grandma’s distant cousin from Ross County Illinois who visited the Raferts from time to time.  Once she described driving from California in an early model Ford.  In constantly managing the brake, clutch and gas pedal she said it was almost like pedaling across the country.  Born in 1895, she died in 1972.  Elizabeth Griffith was Grandpa’s I.U. classmate Robert Griffith’s wife.  They lived on 5470 Rodeo Rd., Los Angeles.  Robert took over the Charmwood Apartment development which failed in the 1930s and left him owing Grandpa $12,000, big money.  Grandpa forgave the debt and remained Griffith’s good friend.

[16] We went to the tiny Rialto Theater where movies were thirty-five cents.

[17] Edyth Gay was the daughter of Frank Wood.  Gramzie wrote a note on his obituary from 1948, “Mr. Wood was our neighbor near 1728 Pennsylvania St. from 1898-44.  Edyth was a chum of Jeanne & Ethel.”  Edyth’s Grandfather John Wood owned a livery stable located at the site of the Circle Theater.  He drove the hearse that brought Abraham Lincoln’s body from Union Station to the statehouse in Indianapolis for viewing in spring 1865.  The obiturary ends, “Frank Wood lived to age 93 and died around 1948.  He loved horses and judged many local horse shows.” 

[18] Bessie Bloomer Gurtner, a first cousin, born 1893, died 1964, was a daughter of Julia Ann Stewart, Grandma’s father Frank Stewart’s sister, and Ellis Bloomer of Wabash, Indiana.  Ellis Bloomer was a Wabash County official for many years and genealogist of the Stewart family.  Bessie was the mother of Virginia, born 1917, who married Andy Black.  They lived in Fort Wayne.  Virginia Black was a good friend of my dad, Stew Rafert.  In the 1980s they had winter homes near each other in central Florida and often visited. Their four children still live in the Fort Wayne area.  They came to a signing of my Miami Indian book in 1997.

[19] Allegra and Lucille Stewart traveled from New York to Rome on the Andrea Doria, the ship that sank two years later after a collision off the New Jersey coast.   They also visited Israel then went on to Egypt where they took the picturesque old Nile train south.  The Aswan Dam was nearly finished.  In 1956, Egypt took control of the Suez Canal.

[20] The Indiana Railways bus that replaced the interurban in January, 1941 was a convenient way to travel the 20 miles from Fortville to downtown Indianapolis.  The buses traveled to the huge former interurban station built in 1904 in central Indianapolis a short distance from Block’s, Ayer’s and other stores near the Circle.  The station was also near the railroad station.   

[21] Dick Pritchard was manager of Grandpa’s grain elevator in Pendleton from 1929 to 1948, when GOR sold it.  It was called Pritchard and Rafert.

[22] To telephone, we cranked the phone and gave the operator the number.  Our grandparents were 50-J.  We were 50-R.  Aunt Elsa was an operator at the office on Staat St. for a time as a young woman.

[23] Grandma’s aunt, Della Reed Stewart, was Dr. William Robert Stewart’s wife.  “Uncle Will,” was a physician in Indianapolis with Grandma’s father Frank Stewart and her cousins Allegra and Lucile’s father, “Uncle Bent”.  Born in 1871, Aunt Della was raised by Quakers at White’s Institute near La Fontaine, Indiana.  White’s also boarded children from reservations in Dakota Territory.  She told me an Indian girl made her a dress with beadwork.  Uncle Will grew up near White’s and married her in 1891.  He died in 1930.  Aunt Della was a good story teller and visted Grandma nearly every year from 1951 to 1956.  She wrote me in August, 1952, saying “My very dear Great Grand Nephew, It was sure a happy surprise to find your card when I returned from Des Moines last Wednesday.  You are a dear to write me and give me news of all of you.  I very often think of you and live over & over again the very happy time I spent with you almost a year ago.  I at once recognized many fine qualities and keen observations you possess and felt very proud of you and very glad you were named Stewart, for that fact made you even closer to me.”  Her last letter to me was written in April, 1957.  She died in March, 1958 at age 87.

[24] Millie Rafert turned a 1953 trip to Sault Ste. Marie, the Upper Peninsula and return through Wisconsin into a two-part article for Trailer Travel magazine called “Land of the Lakes” that appeared in April and May, 1954.  She had first written for Trailer Travel in Nov. 1952 about our trip to Yellowstone, “Discovering the West.”  She didn’t write up this 1954 trip for publication. 

[25] Among the trees blown down in Pendleton was an immense, ancient oak tree that likely dated to the 1400s.  I went to see the stump which was twenty feet across.

[26] We kids pitched in as needed to help and had fun working together.  It was obvious to me that Grandpa wasn’t in the best of health, so I was already doing much of the lawn mowing.  We revived cleaning the big house each third Saturday of December in 2005, having the same fun as we did 50 years earlier.  Aunt Hattie let us know what most need to be done in preparation for the big annual Christmas Eve party.  That got lots of help too.

[27] Grandpa Rafert’s mother was born Christina Manche in 1841.  The first Manche reunion was held August 13, 1920.  The third reunion, 1922 was held at “Brook Willow”,  the Rafert home at New Bethel, southeast of Indianapolis.  In the mid 1920s the reunion moved to Riley Park, Greenfield. and was held there until 1964.  It is now held at the Methodist Church in New Palestine.  This was the German-speaking church the Manche family began attending in 1853.  Services were held in German until 1904.

[28] The 3 transparent, 2 Jonathan and 2 Grimes Golden apple trees, 2 Rochester, 2 Triumph and 2 Champion peach trees, and 2 Seckel pear trees were purchased from the Woods nursery in Greenfield in October 1936 [Receipt, Oct. 29, 1936].  By 1954 the trees were bearing lots of fruit.  If any of us asked for a pie we soon got one.  I once asked for a mulberry pie! 

[29] This was our first train ride, by the Monon Railroad from the 38^th Street Station at the corner of the State Fair Grounds.   At Chicago we stayed at the Morrison Hotel.  Grandpa seemed diminished in the huge city.  It made me think how small our Fortville world was. 

[30]  Dr. Cole Sorensen was a surgeon at Cleveland Clinic who operated on Millie in 1952.  The Sorensens and the Stewart Raferts became good friends.  We visited them in San Francisco in the summer of 1956 where the doctor was a surgeon with the Navy at Treasure Island Navy Base.  In 1963, Stew and Millie visited them in Athens, Greece, where Sorensen continued as a Navy surgeon and wife Helen taught school.

[31] This was a classic slow baked pot roast with gravy, carrots and onions.  One of our favorites and served frequently.

[32] The marble grand staircase with surrounding murals in the entrance hall is one of the treasures of the Rafert house.  Grandpa wrote his name and address in his cash book number 6:  “H.T. Disborough, 4501 English Ave., Indianapolis & 1955 Adams Lane, Sarasota, Florida” but did not comment on the visit in  his diary.  Since  2015 the house has been on the National Register of Historic Places, listed as the “Browne/Rafert House.  Search “Rafert House” or “Browne Rafert House” for the article in Wikipedia on the architecture and history or the online federal report with photos via Google.  Google also locates reports on the “Rafert Flats” in Indianapolis, built by Christopher Rafert in 1894, which are also on the National Register of Historic Places.  

   In December, 2019 I guided George and Spencer Rafert and Jim Cooper on a tour of Rafert locations in Indianapolis.  We looked at the Rafert Flats,  the Pennway apartment building at sixteenth and Pennsylvania Streets where Great-grandma Stewart and Aunt Jeanne Stewart lived (1944-49), the house north of Thirty-fourth Street on the east side of Pennsylvania Street where the Raferts lived from 1924 to 1926 and the Charmwood Apartments Grandpa developed behind the house.  Aunt Jeanne Thomas continued at Shortridge High across Pennsylvania St. when the Rafert family moved to Fortville in 1926 living with Grandma (“Gramzie”) and Aunt Jeanne Stewart at their home at 1728 North Pennsylviania Street until graduation in 1929.  Leslie took our Dad, “Uncle Stew” to see the house when it was being made into condominiums in 1997.   Dad was delighted to compare his memories of seventy years earlier with the impressions of this visit.  George, Spencer, Jim and I went from that location to the Rafert Plot at Crown Hill cemetery nearby.  There were lots of memories—and tears—there.  Developers have asked me why the Rafert name shows up often on city real estate.   The answer is that the family owned and developed dozens of sites in the city.  Grandpa Rafert continued that tradition by building houses and commercial properties until 1924. At his death in 1955 still owned many rental houses in the city.  Grandma’s sister, Aunt Jeanne, was the last to live in Indianapolis, until 1956 the year the last city properties were sold.  She never drove a car.   

[33] When the November, 1954 Farm Journal arrived in Fortville, we were delighted to see an audience photo of this speech focused on Grandpa R. and Walt Turner in the front row.

[34] Grandpa took us several times to a stamp and coin shop in the Ober Building.  He would sit nearby wearing his Fedora hat reading the newspaper while we did our business.  He had no interest in our hobby, but was very patient with us. 

[35] The Owens boy was Doug Owens, revered in the Fortville/Pendleton area for his legal help for local people.  He retired in 2014.  He was our family attorney for over 50 years.  His last big job was writing Dad’s final will in 1998.  He gave me one of my Mom Millie’s best paintings that had hung in his office for 40 years in the fall of 2015. 

[36] Going to the Indianapolis airport to watch planes was another 1950s pastime.  There was an observation deck.  Once we went as a family and spent two hours one evening watching, and no plane landed or departed!

[37] Lucille and Allegra Stewart’s Uncle George Marott built the hotel in 1927.  His wife Ella was their mother Lutie Meek Stewart’s sister.  Lucille also accompanied her uncle George to Europe in 1925 when he toured around checking hotels as a guide to the hotel he would build on Fall Creek Blvd.  Marott had come to the U.S. from Daventry, England with his father as a young man about 1880, trained as a cobbler, and started the Marott Shoe Store on Washington Street.  He was a millionaire by 1900 at age 40.  With his wealth he developed the Indiana Service interurban line that ran from Fort Wayne to Wabash, Peru, Logansport, Delphi and Lafayette. He also built several electric power plants for the interurban and brought electricity to 21 cities and towns in northern Indiana.  The power plant he built in Peru in 1912 is still owned by the city and used today.  He sold the interurban in 1921, sensing that cars would cause the business to decline.  The $2,130,000 from the sale he invested later in building the Marott Hotel.  He died in 1946.    

   Marott was in Germany on August 4^th, 1914 when World War I broke out.  Herbert Hoover arranged for the Olympic, the twin sister of the Titanic, to bring Americans stranded behind enemy lines home.  Seven years later in 1921 Marott sailed again on the Olympic, taking Allegra Stewart and some of his nieces to Europe.  On returning the whole group, which included his niece Allegra Stewart, had to pass through Ellis Island.  When Allegra stepped out of all of the inspections and into the waiting room, a young man ran forward shouting, “Kate!  Kate!” thinking Allegra was his Irish love bride.  Allegra Stewart told me these “Uncle George” stories in the 1980s when I visited her often on my trips to Indiana to do Miami Indian research.

[38] The so-called “smoke house” was a small building between the Big House west deck, connected by a Japanese-style pergola arch to a covered side entry to  the east side of the garage.  The small building had steps on the south for mounting a horse and a window on the north side, with a depression and drain in the center of the floor.  It had its own railing on top.  It may have been for butchering (with the drain) rather than for smoking, unlikely with the window and certainly no indication of smoke stains on the walls.

[39] Clay Wiley had a small antique place near Strough’s grocery in Fortville.  Mom bought a primitive hutch from him, painted green, for $5.  She and I stripped and refinished it in our nice basement room.  It is still a favorite piece of furniture

.  SJR

[40] The Christopher Rafert lot at Crown Hill cemetery is still in family use.  G.O.R.’s grandparents’ Henry Rafert] (1799-1891) and wife Christina  (1800-1883) are buried in a separate lot with their daughter, Christina Brandt.  Christopher Rafert bought a lot in 1889 for the burial of 25-year-old Lawrence Rafert.  It is likely the lot longest in use at Crown Hill.  Laurence Alexander, Lawrence Rafert’s daughter, was buried in 1985, age 95, Barbara Canaday Rafert, 1996, Stewart G. Rafert,1999, Frank Rafert, 2009, Juanita Alexander Young in 2011, age 100, Libby Rafert, 2012? and Steve Thomas, 2019].  Frank and Elnora Elton Stewart, Grandma Rafert’s parents, are buried in their own lot.  Aunt Jeanne Stewart Hawk, Grandma’s sister (1890-1981) is buried at New Palestine cemetery, Hancock County, with my grandfather James Hawk who married her in October, 1965.  Allegra and Lucille Stewart and their parents Willis Benton and Lutie Meek Stewart are buried in George Marott’s Egyptian-style mausoleum at Crown Hill.