My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 25, October 30 – November 10, 1920

1920 patterns for Halloween costumes

This is the 25th 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 November pages. Every Monday I post another section of the diary.  You can read the first installment HERE.

Halloween

SAT. OCT. 30, 1920

Up at 7.45 worked around

the house all the morn-

ing.  Stayed home all

afternoon took my bath.

Mr. Lowell over.  After supper went

to the store then stayed out a

while.  Went to bed at 11.30

SUNDAY 31

Up at 8.15 home all morning

Ma, Pa & Hollis gone to Topsfield

after apples. After dinner went

to walk with Mildred.  Went

down to Marion’s house a

while.  Went to bed at 9.

MONDAY, NOV. 1

Up at 6.45 went to school

all morning stayed home

all afternoon.  ???

around the house all the

evening and went to

Bed at 8.45

NOTE:  I was disappointed that Gertrude didn’t mention more about Halloween.  Perhaps it wasn’t celebrated? No special traditions? She mentions her parents and brother Hollis going to pick apples in Topsfield, the boarder Mr. Lowell, her sister Mildred, and first cousin Marion.

TUESDAY. NOV. 2, 1920

Up at 6.45 went to

school all morning stayed

home all afternoon. After

supper went to a party up

to Lappaville? With Elizabeth

and Herbert had a swell time

home at 11.30.  Bed at 11.45

WEDNESDAY 3

Up at 6.45 went to school all

morning went back for French

walked both ways home

at 5. Stayed home all the

evening and studied

Went to bed at 8.45

THURSDAY 4

Up t 6.45 went to school

all morning went down Helen’s

to dinner took Clement out

all afternoon.  Rus & Ethel down. After

supper Geo. & Henry came down

went over Ethel’s.  Bed at 10.15

NOTE: Gertrude attended a party on Tuesday with her friend’s Elizabeth and Herbert at “Lappaville?” (my Mom thinks it might say "Tapleyville" - a section of Danvers).  I couldn’t find a similar spelling via Google.  Was this a dance hall? An amusement park? She mentions her sister Helen, and Helen’s baby Clement.  She also mentions her brother Russell and his wife Ethel.  The two friends George and Henry came to visit again – it seems they always come together.

FRI. NOV. 5, 1920

Up at 7.30 stayed home and

worked all the morning

and afternoon. Went

down to the A&P before

supper.  Home all evening played

cards. Bed at 9.

SATURDAY 6

Up at 7.45 stayed home all

morning.  Home all after

noon.  Bill & Mr. Lowell over

After supper went over the skat-

ing rinks with Hollis had a

swell time.  Bed at 11.15

SUNDAY 7

Up at 10 home all morning

after dinner Ellsworth & Helen

up.  Went to walk with Eunice

Ty & Geo.  Home all evening

Played old Victrola.  Bed at 9.45

NOTE:  She mentions the grocery store “A&P”, someone named “Bill” and the boarder Mr. Lowell.  It must have been cold because she went skating with her brother Hollis.   Her sister Helen and brother-in-law Ellsworth came to visit, and this time she went out with her sister Eunice with Ty & George (what happened to Henry, who used to always come visit with George)? And who is Ty?

MON.  NOV. 8, 1920

Up at 6.45 went to school

All morning. After dinner

About 4.30 went down Helen’s

Stayed home all evening

Played the old Victrola  Mrs.

Butler and Mr. Small over.  Bed at 9.30

TUESDAY 9

Up at 6.45 school all morn-

ing home at 1.15 stayed

home all the afternoon

Rus, Ethel, Ma & Pa over Butlers. Geo

Ty Eunice and I went down Julien’s

Home at 9.30. Bed at 10.

WEDNESDAY 10

Up at 6.45 went to school

all morning brought my

dinner stayed for book [keeping].

Stayed home all evening

Bed at 9.30

NOTE: Gertrude mentions friends Mr and Mrs. Butler, and Mrs. Small.  She also mentions family members brother Russell, sister-in-law Ethel, parents.  Gertrude and her sister Eunice went out again with Ty and George to “Julien’s” (another friend? A place in Beverly?)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 25, October 30 – November 10, 1920”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 29, 2017, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/05/my-grandmothers-diary-part-25-october.html: accessed [access date]).