My Grandmother's Diary ~ Part 17, July 20 - 31, 1920

Gertrude (left) and her friend Bea sometime near 1920

This is the 17th 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.  This tiny diary is only 3" tall, 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.

In this section of her diary, Gertrude is on summer vacation from high school, and she describes daily life in Beverly, Massachusetts with her friends and family members.  She doesn't do anything exciting, but it is a slice of life in 1920 New England.

TUES. JULY 20, 1920

Got up at 7.30 went

over Mrs. Butler’s all the

morning.  After dinner

Eunice & I went downtown.

Helen, Ellsworth & Clement

up.  Went to ride with Brick

after supper went to bed at 10

WEDNESDAY 21

Got up at 7.15 went over to

Butlers a little while came

home worked around the

house, after dinner went up Ethel’s

After supper went downtown

Went to bed at 10 o’clock.

THURSDAY 22

Got up at 7.30 went over

Mrs. Butler’s came home at 3

went to ride up Danvers with

Brick.  After supper Eunice, B

& I went riding.  Mr. Lowell up

Went to bed at 10.15

NOTES:  If you notice, dinner was the midday meal in New England in 1920, and supper is the evening meal.  Dinner in the old days was always the biggest meal of the day, usually at midday.  Gertrude, my grandmother, always called lunch "dinner" all her life.   On the 20th it is the first time I've noticed her call Helen and Ellsworth's son "Clement" instead of "the baby".  She mentions her brother's wife, Ethel.  On the 22nd she mentions her friends Brick and "B" (probably her friend "Bea" in the photo above).  Mr. Lowell, the occasional border was back on the 22nd.

FRI. JULY 23, 1920

Got up at 7.30 worked

around the house most

of the morning.  Eunice and

I went downtown at 3.45  Ethel

And Rus came down. After supper

Eunice, Ella & I went to ride

Up Danvers.  Went to bed at 9.45

SATURDAY 24

Got up at 7.15 went over

to Butlers until 3 came

home worked around the house

took a bath.  After supper

Eunice, Brick, Marion & I

Went for a ride.  Went

To bed at 10.30

SUNDAY 25

Got up at 9.00 had breakfast

Went over to Bea’s a little while

After dinner Eunice, Brick

and I went to Idlewood

home all evening bed at 10.00

NOTES:  She mentions going downtown with her sister Eunice, and her brother Russell and his wife, Ethel, were visiting.  Ella must be a friend, as well as Brick.  Marion is her first cousin.  Bea is a good friend, who is in the photographs above.   Idlewood is the nearby park and lake in Wenham, featured in this blog post HERE,  which was accessible by trolley from Beverly.   

MON. JULY 26, 1920

Got up at 7.30 Worked over

Butlers a little while &

came home and worked.  After

dinner Eunice & I went up to

Ethel’s.  After supper Marion

came up and we went down her

house.  Went to bed at 9.45

TUESDAY 27

Got up at 7.15 went over

Butler’s all the morning.

Ruth & Nana up.  After dinner

went down Helen’s took baby down

beach stayed to supper home at 6

after supper Brick & I went up to

Fred’s.  Went to bed at 10.15

WEDNESDAY 28

Got up at 7.30 Worked all

morning over to Butler’s

stayed home all afternoon.  ???

Marion came up.  After supper went

to ride with Brick.  Bed at 10.00

NOTE:   On the 27th she mentions "Nana", which would be her maternal grandmother Mary Etta (Healey) Hoogerzeil (1852 - 1932).  I don't know who was the Ruth who accompanied Nana, for I can't find a cousin or aunt on that side of the family named Ruth.  Maybe she was a friend?  Gertrude is back to calling Helen's little son "the baby". 

THURS. JULY 29, 1920

Got up at 7.15 went over

Mrs. Butlers all morning and

afternoon knitting.  After

supper Mr. Lowell

came up.  Brick and I went

to ride up Danvers.

Went to bed at 10.

FRIDAY 30

Got up at 7.30 Worked

all morning over to Mrs.

Butlers.  After dinner Belle

and Elsie came up.  Stayed

home all afternoon & evening

went to bed at 10.15

SATURDAY 31

Got up at 7.30 over to

Mrs. Butlers all morning

and afternoon.  Mr. Lowell

over at 4.  After supper played

whist.  Bed at 10.30

NOTES:  Gertrude was knitting again! Belle is her aunt, Isabel Hoogerzeil (1888 - 1960), and Elsie is a mystery.  Mr. Lowell the boarder is back for the weekend. They played "whist" (a card game), which sounds so old fashioned to me!

Next week I'll cover August in Gertrude's diary.  August 1st was her birthday!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Grandmother's Diary ~ Part 17, July 20 - 31, 1920", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 3, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/04/my-grandmothers-diary-part-17-july-20.html: accessed [access date]).