Author: Nichelle Barra Page 86 of 91

Wednesday 7 Feb 1945

Went to school. Mom wasn’t going to let me but did anyway. I couldn’t write, take gym or typing. I listen to the radio programs then went to bed. I have 66 points.

Thursday 8 Feb 1945

Friday 9 Feb 1945

Went to school. Got another job. I work in room 116 in the first grade helping the teacher. Went over town + got my self a new red dress. Listen to the radio programs + went to bed.

Saturday 10 Feb 1945

No school today. Put up my hair. Listened to the radio. Went to the hospility. Dad has his operation took 1 hr. Ned left today at 1:00 o’clock. Went to “town club” with Tonkin, Frankie, Pat, Sally, Sally danced with “Wilbert Farmer.” Frankie mad at me. Tonkin, Hines, Cheese, Pee Wee, + I went to MacTiery. Had a lot of fun.

My Response

If you remember from last time, Grandma had used iodine for her sore fingers from volleyball. She left it on for apparently a long time and it burned her fingers! I am assuming the points she mentioned on Wednesday had to do with her typing class because she couldn’t type in class that day. Good thing she did well on the test!

And now I have a better idea of what Grandma’s dad was doing in the hospital – awaiting an operation. He has been there since before the first of the year though and I know I don’t know what hospital wait times were like in 1945, but I have a hard time believing he had to wait for over a month to get an operation. Especially if whatever he was in there for was bad enough for blood transfusions. Maybe in later entries there will be more information. 

Fellow genealogists, I’m curious, have any of you tried to get hospital records? If so, were you successful and how did you go about it? I want to find a record of my Grandma’s dad to see why he was admitted to the hospital that he later died in (he died of something other than what he went in there for). I want to see if the family rumor is right or not.

3 Feb 1945

Saturday 3 Feb 1945

No school. Put up my hair in the morning. Went over town with Frankie. Wore Betty’s blue suit + went to the Mansonite Temple with Frankie. Met Nick Holland over there. He asked me to dance, but I said no. He to good of a dancer for me. Frankie got mad a him + went home without even saying goodbye. Boy do I feel sorry for Dick.

4 Feb 1945

Sunday 4 Feb 1945

Went to sunday school. Then later to the Temple with Tillie + saw William Powle + MUrlora Loy in “The Thin Man Goes Home.” Got a new love book read one story. Mom + the kids went to the hospily I stayed home alone + took a bath + put up my hair. Bettys leaving 2:00 o’clock this morning. I said Goodbye to her. Going to miss her again.

5 Feb 1945

Monday 5 Feb 1945

Went to school. Don’t remember what I did because I’m behind in writing in my diary. Listen to Lux theatre “Laura” was on with Dana Andrews. Put up my hair + went to bed.

6 Feb 1945

Tuesday 6 Feb 1945

Went to school. Went to vollyball after school. I hurt the tips of my fingers + so I put iodia on them + then put a banage on them. I kept it on for 2 hr. And it started burning. Then I took it off and they were realy burnt. Went to bed at 10:00 didn’t get to sleep until 2:00 in the morning. Boy did I go through torcher mom put up my hair.

My Response:

So… Iodine? I think that’s what the word means. I thought iodine had been used for cuts, not for sore fingers. Unless of course she meant she had cut them and that’s why they are sore. Nonetheless, I chuckled at the part where she was put through torture in having her mom put up her hair. I’ll bet she stayed away from iodine for a while!

I am also noticing that Grandma seems to forget some days to put in a diary entry. It makes me wonder if this was a kind of New Years resolution that she’s falling off from.

Jan 30 1945

Tuesday 30 Jan 1945

Went to school. This is Feb 2 that I’m writing this. I’ve miss 3 days. So I don’t remember what we did.

Jan 31 1945

Wednesday 31 Jan 1945

Went to school. At 9:30 we gave our plays for the assembly. They were pretty good. After school we gave them for the matanade. They were rotten! Went to the show with Frankie and saw “Song of Russia” with Robert Taylor & Susan Peters. Was it good. Came home + put up my hair.

Feb 1 1945

Thursday 1 Feb 1945

Went to school. Practice our play 1st, 2nd, + 3rd hour. Had a typing test did awful. Stayed home all nite + studyed my Social Science. Mom, Betty + Ned went to the hosipity. Listened to the radio programs. Put up my hair + went to bed. Forgot to write in the diary till today.

Feb 2 1945

Friday 2 Feb 1945

Went to school. Practice our play in the morning. Came right home from school. Ate supper + got to leave for school at a quarter to seven. Our play was a success. And Marlin was wonderful. The other play didn’t do so good. After the plays I + Frankie went out with Ed Small + Harvey. After we saw Marlin. Oh! I think Marlins darling + wonderful. 

My Response

I do wish I could have seen this play! She never mentioned what it was about but it did take up quite a bit of her time. She seemed excited about it. With her movie obsession, I wonder if she was thinking that maybe one day, she could be on the movies she so loves to watch. I also wonder if the school looks the same as it did when I went there. I can still picture the auditorium and I would guess it looked pretty much the same in my grandma’s time as well.

28 Jan 1945: Sunday

Went to sunday school. Had a chicken dinner. Went to the Court with Franki. Saw “Star on Parade” with Larry Parks & “White Cliffs of Dover,” with Ireane Dunne & Alan Marshall. Jack & Marge came over. Ned, Mom & Marge went to the hosipily. I stayed home with Grant and Marion. Jack did too. Took a bath & put up my hair. Listen to the radio.

29 Jan 1945 Monday

Went to school. Got our Aud tickets. Went to the hosipily after school. Got 20 postcards. Wrote to the movie stars. Went to the library & then to the drugstore & got 10 more postcards. Dick & Betty came over & went to the hospility. I stayed home & listedn Linx & the Gold Theater. Put up my hair. I’m going to go to bed & probly eat something first. 

My Response:

With everyone coming to see Ollie (Grandma’s dad) in the hospital, I wonder if it’s getting more serious. I know he makes it but I’m not quite sure what was wrong at this time. He’s been in the hospital for about a month now so I’m wondering if that’s why everyone is making sure to see him.