My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 24, October 18 – 29, 1920

Florence Etta Hoogerzeil
(1871 - 1941)
Gertrude's mother

This is the 24rd blog post with transcriptions of my grandmother's 1920 diary from Beverly, Massachusetts.  Her name was Gertrude Hitchings (1905 - 2001) and she lived on Elliott Street.  Her diary is a tiny 3" book with minuscule handwriting.  It has taken me a long time to transcribe, and the book is very fragile.  It has missing and torn pages, and the end of the book is gone, so I am very near to the end of this project with these September and October pages. Every Monday I post another section of the diary.  You can read the first installment HERE. 

MON. OCT. 18, 1920

Up at 6.45 went to school

all morning home at 1.15

went back for Dom. Sci.

came home at 5.  Stayed

home all the evening

studying.  Went to Bed

at 9.00

TUESDAY 19

Up at 6.45 school all morning

came home at 1.15 got report

sent home for French stayed home

all afternoon studying.

Home all evening.  George &

Henry came down stayed until

9.45.  Went to bed at 10.30

WEDNESDAY 20

Up at 6.45 school all the

morning, home at 1.15

Helen, Ethel, Elenor was home all

afternoon.  Rus & Ellsworth up to

supper.  Went to bed at 9

NOTE:  Gertrude’s school day was a bit confusing.  She goes back to school in the afternoon for bookkeeping, domestic science and French lessons. Perhaps these elective classes were held after the regular school day?   Her report card only mentioned French, so perhaps she took private French lessons?  She stayed home studying all night after receiving her report card, so perhaps it wasn't good news!

Gertrude mentions George and Henry visiting again, as well as relatives like her sister Helen, sister-in-law Ethel, brother Russell and brother-in-law Ellsworth.  I think Eleanor was a friend?

THURS. OCT. 21, 1920

Up at 6.45 went to school

all morning home at 1.15

after dinner went up to

Ethel’s all afternoon, home at

6.  After supper Henry and

George came down stayed

around the house  Bed at 10.45

FRIDAY 22

Up at 6.45 went to school

had an assembly home at

1.15.  Worked all afternoon went

down the store at four.

Stayed around home

All the evening and

Went to bed at 7.45

SATURDAY 23

Up at 7.30 worked around

the house all morning

After dinner took a bath

Went downtown to do an errand. After

Supper Eunice, Henry, Geo & I went

Downtown. Bed at 10

NOTE:  Another Saturday night bath! She went downtown on Saturday night with her sister Eunice and the two friends Henry and George.

SUN. OCT. 24, 1920

Up at 9.00 stayed around

the house all of morning

and afternoon.  Mr. Lowell over

Nana came up.  Mr. & Mrs.

Butler came over. After lunch

George & Henry came down.

Went to bed at 10.

MONDAY 25

Up at 6.45 went to school

all morning came home at 1.15

went downtown about

half past four.  After supper

went to ride with Ethel up to

Danvers.  Brick up all evening

Went to bed at 10.15

TUESDAY 26

Up at 6.45 went to school

All morning home at 1.15

After dinner Eunice and I

Went up to Ethel’s all afternoon

Stayed home all evening studying

Bed at 8.30.

NOTE:  She mentions Mr. Lowell, the boarder; her Nana, who I think would be her maternal grandmother Mary Etta (Healey) Hoogerzeil (1862 - 1932) since my mother called her grandmother Nana, too (I don't think it would be her paternal grandmother Hannah Eliza (Lewis) Hitchings since she died in Danvers State Hospital in February of 1921 after a long stay; Ethel and Eunice again, and her friends Brick, George and Henry.

WED. OCT. 27, 1920

Up at 6.45 school all the

morning home to dinner

at 1.15 went back on the

2.15 car for bookkeeping

walked home. After supper

went to walk with Ethel & Eunice

Bed at 9.30.

THURSDAY 28

Up at 6.45 went to school

all morning home at 1.15

stayed home all afternoon

raining.  After supper

Geo. and Henry came down

Went to bed at 10.30

FRIDAY 29

Up at 6.45 school all the

morning home at 1.15 stayed

home all afternoon working

home all the evening and

read. Went to bed 8.

NOTE:  More mentions of George and Henry visiting.  She went downtown with them with her sister Eunice the previous week. Were these some new beaus?

-------------------------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 24, October 18 – 29, 1920”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 22, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/05/my-grandmothers-diary-part-24-october.html: accessed [access date]).