Author: Nichelle Barra Page 5 of 12

 

Wednesday 22 March 1944

*At top: Still hoping

Dear Diary,

Went to school. Made pea soup through it down the drain. Did my Social Studies before supper and after. Bonnie came over. Katie Betty’s friend came and visited tonite. Put up my hair + listen to Jack Carson.

Thursday 23 March 1944

at top:(Still) Refereer the free throws with Marilyn

Dear Diary

Went to school. Rained all morning. Went to Volleyball tonight pretain to be mad at Marilyn + Pat. Got my Social Studies report. Read some of food. Got a sunday with mom + dad. Put up my hair.

Friday 24 March 1944

At top: Still hoping I get on the team

Dear Diary

Didn’t go to school. Clean the shed and started to white wash the basement. Went over to Dickie’s got the ticket for the circuse. Went over to Grant’s. He’s staying all night read him a story. Put up my hair.

Saturday 25 March 1944

At top: Same here

Dear Diary

Did the dishes, clean the basement, made the bed. Went to South School Circles the same thing over again. Went to the show at the Franklin saw “None Shall Excapes” Saw the adorable actor going to find out his name. Read Grant story.

 

Sunday 26 March 1944

At top: Same

Dear Diary

Went to sunday school. Went to the show at the Wolverine. Saw Prince O. Dick + Betty came over. Forgot to go to church tonite. Made a puzzle. Grant + I had a fight. Took my bath put up my hair. Had a piece of cake. 

Monday 27 March 1944

At top: Same

Dear Diary

Went to school. Referee the noon free throws alone. Went to the store. Bought a record “My Shinning Hour” Listen to Lux + the Gild Theater. Was O.K. Got my coat + shirt from the cleaners. Put up my hair.

Tuesday 28 March 1944

At top: Still hoping

Dear Diary,

Went to school. Made vegetable soup. Went to volleyball. Mrs. Newburge played with us. Ripped [arrow pointing up to the word “murder”] my shoe. Made 7 out of 25 in freethrowing. Made a pushe with Tilie. Listened to the programs. Put up my hair. 

Wednesday 29 March 1944

At top: Still

Dear Diary

Went to school. Don’t know my math. Marilyn ate lunch with me. Talked with Mrs. Newburg. Had a sunday with Bonnie, Bud, + Dorothy. Gave Bonnie good talking to of how to act. Listen to the radio. Put up my hair. 

 

Tuesday 14 March 1944

*At top: Still hoping I get on the team

Dear Diary

Went to school. Gave half of the consert to the kids. Went to volleyball at Ames. Mrs. Newburg didn’t go. Went to the show and saw “Reap The Wild Wind” was o.k. only I didn’t want her to die. After I got a coke. Owe Bob 10¢

 

Wednesday 15 March 1944

*at top: Still

Dear Diary

I went to school. We gave the second part of the consert. Took home Gene’s uniform. Pat called me up. Went to the Temple saw “Lassie Come Home” Then went over to Dick + Betty’s. Put up my hair.

 

Thursday 16 March 1944

*At top: Still hoping

Dear Diary

I went to school. After I went to volleyball it was raining. We played basketball part time. Did my did my math + not my soc. science. Had a multed. Mom had a glass too. Didn’t put my hair up.

Friday 17 March 1944

*At top: Still hoping

Dear Diary

Went to school. Made tomato soup… While walking home from school a boy was walking behind us. Frankie + I asked him to walk with us + he took both our arms + started walking with us. He is in my homeroom he walked me the rest of the way home. Went to the show with Bud.

Saturday 18 March 1944

*At top: Got my fingers crossed. Still hoping

Dear Diary

Went to the school + had my hair put up. Had an awful headache all day. Bought a record for 10¢. Had a multed with mom dad + Bob. Went to the midnight show at the Temple + saw “Gung Ho!” Took Dick + Betty home. Got in a 1:30.

 

Sunday 19 March 1944

*At top: Still

Dear Diary

Didn’t go to Sunday School. Grant didn’t come over either. Didn’t go to church tonite. Went over to Jack + Margie’s. Went after pop. Went to Dick + Betty’s she let me borrow a book “Volunteer Nurse”. Took a spunch bath. Went to bed at 9:30.

 

Monday 20 March 1944

*At top: Still

Dear Diary

Went to school. Mom + Dad said I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to. I went anyway. Am still reading my book. Played hide and seek. Came in at 9:00. Listen to Lux the Hard Way was on. Listen to Gild the Consent Nieft with Charles Boye. Put up my hair. 

 

Tuesday 21 March 1944

*At top: still hoping

Dear Diary

Went to school. Played volleyball. Mrs. Newburg played too. There was a speaker at are school a lady, was she ever good. Went to Mommy and got a multed with mom + dad + Bob. Came home and put up my hair. 

 

A note from me: My grandmother seemed to be quite particular about her hair. That didn’t change when I knew her as well. There were always hair appointments in her plan book so the idea of her always putting her hair up at night makes me smile. 🙂

When I first looked at my grandmother’s journal, the cover says it is from 1945, so I had assumed that was it. Every week when I transcribed the entries, it was the first time I was also reading them. So the ending of 1945 and then going into 1944 was very unexpected! I then looked through the rest and found a few 1946 entries as well. With that, I’ll go through the 1944 entries and then move on to the 1946 entries. Enjoy! 🙂

8 March 1944 Wednesday

Dear Diary

Went to school. Had an assembly I was in it. Turned out terrible. Went to the Temple and saw Destination Toky with Cary Grant. Went with mom + dad. Had a egg sandwich, bottle pop. 

 

 

9 March 1944 Thursday

Dear Diary,

Mrs. Newburg said I was a 100% better in volleyball + that I may be on the team  or squat. When to Stone School and sang three songs, was better than the assembly. Got a cablegram from Gene.

 

10 March 1944 Friday

*at top: Hope I get on the team

Dear Diary,

Sprain my finger. When to the Conserate to sing was better than I thought. Dad + Mom went too. After, I went over to Dick  Linstrom’s house. Then over to Bud’s. Had a bacon sandwich and went to bed.

 

11 March 1944 Saturday

*at top: I hope I get on the team

Dear Diary,

Played volleyball. Went to the library. Talked with Marshall. Got mad at him as usual. Grant came over. Went to the Court with Grant + Frances. Saw Youngest Possbesstion [Profession]. Bud walked home with us.

 

12 March 1944 Sunday

*at top: Here’s hoping I get on the team

Dear Diary,

Went to Sunday school with Grant. When to the show, saw “women in Bondage” wasn’t so good. Forgot to go to Church at 6:30 so I stayed home + played cards with Grant + Dickie. Mom put my hair up + then I went to bed.

 

 

13 March 1944 Monday

*at top: Same here

Dear Diary,

I when to school. Got a programe of the contest. everyone put their andtograph on it and so did some teachers. Had a ice cream multite [malted?]. listen to Lux Theater. Did my Social Studies. Washed + put up my hair. 

 

Few Comments From Me:

One thing I love about my grandmother’s journal is the glimpse at what my hometown once was like. I love that she mentions familiar places; Stone school, for example, was my elementary school. The Court Theater was a place I also went for movies when I was younger. And I love the small things she includes – like the bacon sandwich. Sometimes, the diaries just give me a small piece of my grandmother back and I”m very thankful to have her diary so I can do that. 🙂

 

Thursday 12 April 1945

Today is April 12th 1945. The day that shocked the world. For today Franklin De Roosevelt died at 3:35 in Warm Springs, Ga. He died of a hemerage, in the back of the neck. This was the sadest moment for the people of the United States.

Monday 16 April 1945

Just got a card from the war department that Ned is out to sea again.

Friday 25 May 1945

Went to school. In the noon hour we practiced tumbling. Went to sleep sixth hour. Gave the Matinate, was a success. Went to the Court with Hines and saw “Cross of the Lorrine” with Gene Kelly and Jean Perrie Amount. It rained most of the day.

Thursday 31 May 1945

Dearest Diary: today I received my 100 point letter and certificate. Also my 30 word 10 minute certificate in typing. Went to the show with Hines. Didn’t get home until 5 to 12. Ned will be home sometime this morning. Can’t hardly wait.

Friday 1 June 1945

Went to the nine A party. Had a lot of fun. Am going to miss North very much. Got a N.I.S. address book. Got a lot of kids names. Including Ed Watacho. Saw Martin. He didn’t even speak to me. 

 

Saturday 2 June 1945

Worked from 2:30 to 5:00 then home from 6:00 to 10:00. Didn’t do much of anything today but sit around. Listened to radio programs all morning. Dad called up.

Saturday 9 June 1945

Dearest Diary, Tonite Corky for the first time kissed me. I don’t know if its real or not but it was thirling. I don’t know if he likes me or not but I’ll soon find out. Please let him like me. And I like him. 

 

So concludes my grandmother’s 1945 part of the journal. There are some 1944 and 1946 entries that I’ll add but the 1945 were the most consistent. There are many things that I wished had been answered: what did her dad have that put him in the hospital for so long? When did he come home? Did Ned and Gene ever get to visit like she mentioned? And of course, what happened to the boy that gave her her such a kiss?

I wish she was still around so I could ask her these questions!

North Middle School, the one she is graduating from in the end of these posts, is the same school I also went to. It is being torn down currently. I drove by it this past weekend and it’s nearly half demolished. It’s so weird to see! I’ll probably dedicate a post to it one day.