My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 14, June 14 – 25, 1920

My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 14, June 14 – 25, 1920

My grandmother (the girl on the left with the tennis raquet) and her tennis friends
Beverly, Massachusetts circa 1920.  Does anyone know the other faces in this photo? 

This is the 14th installment of my grandmother's diary from 1920.  Her name was Gertrude Hitchings (1905 - 2001), and she was living on Elliott Street in Beverly, Massachusetts.  Gertrude was a 14 year old school girl when she kept this diary.  The book is a tiny 3", and every Monday I publish a new section, with transcriptions of the tiny handwriting.  You can read the first installment HERE.  I'll post more of this diary every week for Amanuensis Monday.

MON. JUNE 14, 1920

Got up at 7.00 went to

school home 1.15 Marion

up after dinner.  Went to

Ella’s at 4. After supper went

up Danvers played tennis with

Bob.  Mr. Lowell over. Eunice’s

Birthday went to bed at 10.15

TUESDAY 15

Got up at 7.00 went to

school home 1.15 Stayed

home all afternoon it

rained.  Pa went up to

Russell’s.  Went out a

little while after supper

Came in 8.45 bed at 10.45

WEDNESDAY 16

Got up at 7.00 went to

school had an assembly home

at 1.15.  Home all afternoon

After supper Marion up.

Went to walk with Ethel up

Danvers. Went to bed at 10.00

NOTE:   The end of the school year is coming, and Gertrude had an assembly at school.  She mentions her first cousin Marion, and friends Ella and Bob.  Mr. Lowell was their boarder, who appears to come and go (traveling salesman?).   Pa visited Russell, the eldest son who was married to Ethel.   To “walk up [to] Danvers” was not far since they lived on Elliott Street, near the Danvers line.

THURS.  JUNE 17, 1920

                Rain

Got up at 9.00 had break

fast stayed home all

the morning as it

rained.  Home all after

noon, Eunice down to Helen’s

After supper Gordon & I went

to movies home 10.15 bed at 10.45

FRIDAY 18

              Rain

Got up at 7.15 went to

school.  Last day.  Got

home 1.15 stayed at

home all the after

noon.  Rained all day.

Home all evening tatting

Went to bed at 10.00

SATURDAY 19

Got up at 7.45 worked

around the house all

morning.  Home all after

noon.  After supper went down

to the beach (Fireman’s Day)  Came

home 10.15 bed at 10.30

NOTE:   School is out for the summer.    Gertrude mentions her sisters Eunice and Helen (who was married and lived nearby), and her brother Gordon.   Fireman’s Day was a day with a parade and drills by the city fire department, as well as a fundraiser.   It must have been held at one of the local beaches, but Gertrude didn’t mention which one she visited that day.

SUN. JUNE 20, 1920

Got up at 9.15 had

breakfast went over

golf links after strawberries

with Pa.  After dinner went to

walk with Ella.  Helen, Ellsworth,

Rus, Ethel & Mr. Lowell over home

all evening went to bed at 10.15

MONDAY 21

Got up at 7.45 had

breakfast at 8 stayed home

all morning tatting and

home all afternoon before

supper went to the store.  Went

out after supper came in

at 9.15 went to bed at 10.

TUESDAY 22

Got up at 7.30 had break

fast.  Home all morning went

to the store before dinner.

Home all afternoon had a thun-

der shower.  Home all evening

reading went to bed at 10

NOTE:  Gertrude mentions picking strawberries at the “golf links” with Pa.  They lived very close to what is now the Beverly Country Club, but in 1920 it was the United Shoe Golf Course.  Her Pa worked at the “The Shoe” as a draftsman.   She mentions her friend Ella, her sister Helen (married to Ellsworth), and brother Russell (married to Ethel), and the boarder Mr. Lowell. 

WED.  JUNE 23, 1920

Got up at 6.45 went

back to school got my points

came home 9.15 went to the

store.  Went up Ethel’s after dinner

After supper the whole family

went to Rus. (his birthday) came

home 10.45 went to bed at 11.15

THURSDAY 24

Got up at 8.00 had break

fast stayed home all

the morning.  Went out

after dinner around the town.

After supper went riding

with Gladys and Brick

went to bed at 10.30

FRIDAY 25

Got up at 7.15 had break

fast worked over to

Mrs. Butler’s all morning

& afternoon.  Before supper

picked strawberries.  After supper played

tennis with Bob went to bed at 10.15

NOTE:   Although school was closed for the summer, Gertrude went back to get her “points” (grades).  I wish I had a copy of that report card!  She mentions the whole family was a Russell’s house for his birthday.  She went riding (bicycles? Trolley car?) with friend’s Gladys and Brick.  More strawberries, and more tennis with Bob.  Was he one of her boyfriends? 

I don't have a report card from Gertrude, but my aunt found this
certificate tucked inside the little diary.  She graduated in 1923.
What was grade 13?

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 14, June 14 – 25, 1920", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 13, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/my-grandmothers-diary-part-14-june-14.html: accessed [access date]).