24 December 1946
Tuesday 24 December 1946
Bob, Press, Mom, Ned, Dad, + I stayed home + played cards. Gave mom her coffee table. Jack + Marge came over. Went to bed. Please Dear Lord let this be a very merry Christmas for all. Amen.
And that is the end of my grandmother’s journal! Oddly, even though it wasn’t always very informative, I feel like I got to know my grandmother much better through this process. I hope those who read these enjoyed them as well as I did. 🙂
9 Aug 1946
Friday 9 August 1946
Dear Diary,
Went to work. After work met Char. went shopping with Pat + her. Bought me a horse picture, sketching paper + pencil carons. Got home at 5:30. Frances called but didn’t talk to him. Going to break the date with Dick + go with Fran. Went to the Court + saw “Roy Rogers” + “the Spiral Staircase.” Went with Eggs. Marion + Grant were over. Put up my hair went to bed at 1:00. Ate crackers in bed.
10 Aug 1946
Saturday 10 August 1946
Dear Diary,
No work. Went over town with mom. Bought a new light green three corner length sleeved coat + a black and white plade skirt. Betty birthday tomorrow. Got her a pair of nolons stockings. Mom got her an umberall. Frances took me to the Temple saw “The Green Years” with Tom Drake was it good. Went to Fuzzy’s ate a ham. + coffee. Went for a ride. Saw Chrisholm’s farm. Got home at 1:00. G.T.K.’s F.F.
11 Aug 1946
Sunday 11 August 1946
Dear Diary,
Didn’t get up till 11:00. Was doing breakfast dishes when Marilyn came over. Went to the Franklin with her + saw “The Bride Wore Boots,” with Barbara Stanwyck + Bob Cummings. Came home. Sat around + drew. Took a shower + put up my hair. Listen to the radio. Jack, Grant, + Marion came over. Mary Jane called me up. She’s visiting her sis.
12 Aug 1946
Monday 12 August 1946
Dear Diary,
Seems heaven at work without Marie. Came home. B. Betty gave me a diet to go on. Went to the store for her. Was supposed to go to the Baneroff Hotel with Pat but changed my mind. Went to Eastown + watched them bowl. Bought two movie books + got a coke. Got home at 9:30. Stayed at Buds till 10:00.
13 Aug 1946
Tuesday 13 August 1946
Dear Diary,
Went to work. Pat got sick went home. Came home with a bad headache. Took care of Marion. Mom + Dad went with Jack + Marge to the Temple + saw “The Green Years.” Got Marion a sunday. B.Betty came over look at movie book. Put up my hair + went to bed.
14 Aug 1946
Wednesday 14 August 1946
Dear Diary,
Had to work suppose to be my day off. Worked from 7:30 to 1:00. Went over to Tonkins talked till 4:00. Came home got ready for my date with Frances. Today we’re cel. “VJ Day” Went to Hoyt big fireworks. went to the Aud. Had a street dance. It was packed. So was the Aud. Got home at 11:00.
15 Aug 1946
Thursday 15 August 1946
Dear Diary,
Went to work. Got mad at Pat. Came home went to the stores. Ate. Went to the Court + saw “Laura” with Dana Andrews + Gene Tierney. Made the fifth time. Got out of the show at 8:30. Went over to Budd no one was there but Ray talked a while with him. Came home put my hair up went to bed by 10:30.
16 Aug 1946
Friday 16 August 1946
Dear Diary,
Went to work. Got paid $21/00. Bought 2 book Jane Eyre + Serenade. Went to the show with Bud at the Court saw “Blondie” + “Greenwhich Village” with Don Ameche, William Bendix + Vivian Blain. He got me a ice cream cone. Came home + dance with Dickie for a while. Gave Brian + Dick their toy watches I got them.
Yesterday I received one of my favorite things in the mail: records from NARA 🙂
These are the Civil War Pension Records for my 3x Great-Grandfather, Judson Almy. He was a private in the 15th New York Volunteers Engineers.
There are 118 different pages in this file. 118!!!
Not only that, but it explained why I haven’t been able to find his marriage certificate:
“I was legally married on the 8th day of May 1876 to Nancy Abby by Reverend O.B. Hale, a Methodist Pastor at Lees Corners, Ingersoll Township in Midland County, State of Michigan, and that said O.B. Hale promised to forward to me a proper marriage Certificate, but that he failed to do so and I verily believe that he failed to have said marriage Certificate properly recorded as I have carefully searched the Township and County Records at the place of marriage and I am unable to locate any official record of the said marriage between myself and Nancy Abby.”
These wonderful records also mention that Judson had a homestead that he co-owned with another person. That gives me a place to look up his land records 🙂
Judson created many records over the years. In his last years, he had very bad health. The description of these are rather humorous, in a dark way, and mostly because these aren’t used anymore. He asked for an increase of $2 in 1901 because of his health issues and was denied. He had disease of the liver and a disease that effected his lungs. In parentheses it was marked as simply old. He continuously applied for an increase because as a farmer, he could no longer do hard labor. He also had several people, including his doctors, write in to say that he was an honorable man; in other words, that his liver disease did not come from too much drinking. His physician also wrote in in 1921 and said that Judson was 80 and “in a state of practiced decrepitude.” Interesting wording.
There is also mention of a family Bible. This is the first I’ve heard of an Almy Bible! Well, I hoped but had yet to see that there was anyway. The family Bible was used to confirm Judson’s birth date. The Bible was in the hands of his sister. Judson had two sisters, as far as I can find anyway. One sister died in 1904 and this affidavit was written in 1913, which means the family Bible was with his sister Carrie Agnes (Almy) Cooley. I am going to see if I can track down her relatives to see if that Bible still exists.
I’ve ordered records through NARA before – including Civil War records – but I have never had this much information come from them. I am very excited and can’t wait to dive into them even further!
Written in Erma (Almy) Witherell’s hand “my first plane ride” 1927. Can you imagine that kind of plane ride???
“Glenn took picture from the plane. James Rd. Airport. Arrow showing where we landed.”
Detroit from the air – arrow pointing to Second National Bank
James Road Runway. I have no idea if this is from Saginaw (if that’s where they started from) or Detroit. I couldn’t seem to find what used to be called James Road Airport or Runway. It could be in Bay City actually, which is very near Saginaw. I know Bay City has a similarly named airport that is now called James Clements Municipal Airport. Could be the same place.
One of the many plants of the area, I’m sure. The arrow is pointing to the Grey Iron Plant. I’m not sure if this is near Saginaw or part of Detroit.
Probably this was the reason for the trip – Erma’s cousin, Ivan Wiltse, in Detroit 1927. Ivan was the son of Erma’s father’s sister, Chauncey. I wonder if this house is still standing in Detroit…
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