I hope everyone is staying well, safe when they travel, and drinking lots of nice warm beverages—tea, hot chocolate, or coffee. I lived through almost 40 winters in Michigan, but this winter in the midwest and northeast sounds major.
If you would like to read the February entries of the 1940s, I have included the links to the posts I did last year.
February 1940
Thursday, February 1, Ella wrote, “Children in except Stella. Oliver Dunlap called.” Friday Jim visited Roy Horton in the evening.
Monday, February 5, Garfield put his sister Charlotte’s wood in for her. Bill and Anna took Garfield to get the last of his teeth pulled on Wednesday. Bill and Anna each had a tooth filled. Lottie Meyers stopped by to see Ella for a second.
Friday the men stoned Garfield and Ella’s well up to about five feet from the top. Sunday, February 11, Garfield visited Charlotte.
Monday Lee, Charlie Sergeant, and Garfield finished stoning the Leavenworth well; Lee worked some on his place; Anna and baby Jimmy visited Ella all day; Goldie stopped in; Jim worked at Wormuth’s; and Ella found out that George Crandall (Jennie Crandall’s husband) was in the hospital. What a day!
Tuesday Garfield and Lee laid out Lee’s cellar lines. Mary Sergeant was there all day. Lottie Meyers visited in the afternoon.
The blizzard on Valentine’s Day (which would have been Sherman Leavenworth’s 97th birthday) had started raging early the previous evening. Bill Meyers Sr. and Jr. plowed, which was awful difficult. The blowing and drifting continued into the next day. Continue reading
February 1939
Monday, February 6, Goldie worked for Mr. Tether cutting blocks of ice (icing) to put in the ice house.
Tuesday Anna and Bill became proud parents of James (Jimmy) Meyers. Wednesday Garfield and Ella went to see their first grandchild.
Thursday Jim Leavenworth visited his friend Orville Clark.
Saturday Frank Bartle enjoyed dinner with the Leavenworths. Goldie and Stella were in. Lee worked for Harry Wormuth.
Wednesday Anna was still in bed. Thursday and Friday Clara helped Anna. Thursday Lee worked on his place by Echo Hill, and at Harry’s on Friday.
Sunday, February 19, when Garfield and Ella visited Alvah and Mary Sergeant, Garfield put Alvah’s front room ceiling up. Lee and Clara visited Bill and Anna.
Monday, February 27, the meter man came—cost: $3.46.
February 1937
Monday, February 1, Anna Leavenworth visited the Meyers.
Friday the Austins spent the evening at Garfield and Ella’s. They stopped by a couple more times during the month.
Ella finished piecing Clara’s log cabin quilt in February.
Garfield did a job for Emile Four one day. He repaired a guitar for Mr. Briggs (Irwin and Johnny stopped by to get it), and worked on a violin for Alexander Mills (a brother of Dr. George Mills).
Alex and George’s grandfather had built the original Mills boarding house which Elizabeth Mills (their mother) still managed. Alex’s wife Minnie was a daughter of Chris and Meta Meyer and had grown up in the Spring House in Barryville.
February 1936
Sunday, February 2, Ella went to Highland Lake with Clinton to see her aunt Jennie Hull. Jim went to see Mort and Jennie Austin.
Wednesday Ella wrote, “Clinton went to town. Bill was here in the evening. Blizzards out west.” Thursday Clinton drove his aunt Jennie Hull to spend the afternoon with his mom, Ella. Friday Clinton snow plowed for the County, widening the roads.
Sunday, February 16, Jim went to the Austin’s for dinner. Austin Smith stopped by with an old violin (he had gotten from Mr. MacIntyre) for Garfield to fix on Thursday.
Sunday, February 23, Dr. Gutfruend was called to check on Anna who was sick.
Friday, Mr. Briggs and the Austins were at the Leavenworth home. Mr. Briggs bought a cello for $11. Saturday was leap day. Mr. Briggs and his son John were at the Leavenworths all afternoon.
February 1935
Monday, February 4, was cloudy and colder in Eldred. Clinton cut ice blocks for Perry Foster.
Friday, February 8, Ella started a star bouquet quilt.
On Friday Arthur Austin received his assistant typist score of 86.53 on the June 1934 test he had taken at the New York Department of Civil Service in Albany.
Art worked for Emily Stevens at the Post Office. His next job, clerical in nature, would be for the Sullivan County Highway Department.
Monday, February 11, Ella started a feather fan quilt. The following Monday she made her daughter Anna a dress.
February 1933
On Friday, February 3, Jennie Austin spent the day with Ella.
The following Tuesday Clara and Anna went to town to get slab bacon from Claude Angell, the butcher. It cost $1.59.
Thursday night 12 inches of snow fell. Mid-February Lawrence Crandall was in an auto accident. He died the next day.
Lawrence Crandall had run Cold Spring Farm with his wife Matilda. The Leavenworth men went to Larry Crandall’s funeral.
The next day Austin Smith was at the Leavenworth’s for his violin lesson.
Saturday Lynn and Mildred Hill Myers were at Garfield and Ella’s for the evening. Clinton went to visit the Wolff’s.
The last day of February, Garfield got a piece of sawdust in his eye.
February 1932
“The Japanese and Chinese are fighting,” Ella wrote on February 1 and 6.
What little snow was on the ground was gone by the end of the first week of February.
Bill Meyers Jr. stopped by a few evenings the second week, perhaps to see Anna. Clara Leavenworth went to a bridal shower for Bill’s sister Dorothy.
On a clear, warm day, in mid-February, Jim played with Carl Dunlap. Garfield started porch screens and did a little work for John Love. Grant Sergeant stopped by for supper and the evening. He was joined by Bill Meyers.
Garfield made Ella a flower stand and started on a table. Clinton and Garfield worked at the Scouts cutting ice for four days.
At the end of the month, Clinton and Herm Bosch went fishing at Montgomery Lake. [Montgomery Lake was close to the Leavenworths. Bosch Pond was on east side of Eldred.]
February 1931
Sunday, February 1, was a busy day. Ella [Leavenworth] sold Lottie Meyers 1-1/2 quarts of milk. Kate Love was there in the afternoon and Garfield gave music lessons in the afternoon and evening.
Thursday Anna went to school, but not Jim as the schoolhouse was too cold.
A few days later, Clara went to work for Aunt Lizzie Wilson. Anna went to Beach Lake with the basketball team the day before Valentine’s Day.
Thursday evening, February 19, was a house full of company—Grant Sergeant, Billy Meyers, and the Wolff brothers.
Ella thought the last week of February felt like spring. She sent in an order for 100 chicks to arrive in May.
Though the weather was clear and felt like spring to Ella, Grant and Clara skied over at Alvah Sergeant’s. Clinton was working; Anna and Jim were in school. Bill Meyers Sr. helped Garfield with his Ford engine.
At the end of the month, Mr. Elijah Moore (a carpenter at the Boy Scout Camp) had dinner with the Leavenworths.
Lillie Calkin, Bethel, to Mr. J.E. Austin, Hopewell Junction, New York
February 14, 1926
Dear Dad,
We have had quite a spell of weather. I got to school both days of the big storm, but no one else did on Friday. Dorothy is going to school with me now. We both stay in Miss Story’s house over to Fosterdale from Monday to Friday. I could not drive from here the way the roads are now.
Our chickens are not doing very well, range from 130 to 177 a day. Only cleared about $65 in January. I think we crowded them too hard, too young.
I hope you will keep well. How is the sore hand? We have to leave early in the morning. We have had an ice storm today and the roads will be heavy tomorrow.
Don’t think I bought this paper. I detest pink writing paper, but I received two boxes for Xmas. With love, Lillie
Dot Calkin, Bethel, to Mr. J.E. Austin, Hopewell Junction, N.Y.
February 20, 1926
Dear Grandpa,
Have you tried to run your car yet or haven’t you had a chance to? We can’t run ours. It’s all we can do to get down through the field with the horses. I go over to mother’s school now. We can’t get through anymore, so we stay over there.
How are your hens laying? Daddy says our hens are laying pretty good. He has got about 320 and he gets around 175 eggs every day.
I think I got 27 valentines this year. Thanks for the valentine you gave me. It is the nicest one I got. Daddy has got all of his wood out of the woods and some sawed up.
Love from all, Dorothy
Note: Dorothy turned 100 in December.
