Journal, 1910-1912

File — Box: 4, Volume: 5

Identifier: III

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

1930
September 2
"Lucile, Norma and I went to Lagoon to swim in the fresh water lake. We had a jublilant time. There was a big barrel floating on the water which we tried to ride."
September 6
"Bottled tomatoes. About 5:00 pm Ethel, Lucy, May, Kate and I went and saw the new Deseret Gymnasium."
October 5
"Ethel finished Helen's dress in time for the Bennion Reunion. I went early because I was on the refreshment committee."
October 26
"Ruby, Laura, Lucile and I helped serve refreshment at Anna Grant's wedding reception. The time set was from seven to eleven p.m. There were about two-hundred people invited. They came and went a few at a time staying half an hour or so. First they congratulated the Bride and groom in the parlor, then they passed into the dining room where they were served with hot chocoate, ice cream, cake, candy and wedding cake; then they went upstairs and viewed the gifts and then went home. The decorations were autumn leaves in the hall, chrysanthimums in the parlor and roses in the dining room. It was a very elegant and stylish reception."
November 24
"We didn't expect papa and mama home for dinner so we stayed in bed till eleven o'clock. Then they phoned that they were coming so we hurriedly cleaned up the kitchen and dining room and cooked a chicken dinner. They arrived just in time to eat dinner before the matinee. We had the box but as the boys preferred to go to the football game we took Luura with us. The play was "The Three Twins" a very funny laughter provoking musical comedy. The costumes and scenery were extraordinary, the main feature being a large flower decked brilliantly lighted aerial swing carrying six pretty girls suspended in baskets."
December 20
"Bro Mertlich and his young bride to be from Germany came bringing our Xmas presents from Heber. They were some fine linen embrodered hankerchiefs for. mama, a watch charm for papa, a pair of gloves and a bunch of cards illustrating the Passion Play for Ethelyn, gloves for Lucile and me, a gold collar pin for Helen and ornamented pocket knives for the boys. Today Archie got fumigated out and in the evening he came over here. He is going to stay with us till Aunt Minnie gets out of quarentine. Ruby called. The first snow of the season came today.
1911
January 2
Ruby, Lucille and I went to the ward dance in the evening. Ray Elsmore took Ruby but Lucile and I went alone as usual. Which was the only reason why we didn't have a perfectly grand time. There was the Xmas tree waltz, the Paul Jones two step, the Virginia Reel, the tag waltz, and all of our favorite dances. Once they had the ladies choose their partners and once the choosing was done by throwing and catching a ball, the ladies being lined up on one side of the hall and gents on the other. We didn't miss more than two or three dances and had lots of fun.
January 12
"Lucile and I went to a shower given by choir to Della Hooper at her home. She is to be married soon...we had lots of fun especially in the games where each person writes on a slip of paper six qualifications required in their future wife or husband. No names were signed but when the slips were gathered and read their authors were nearly all betrayed by their self-conscious looks or by a too strenuous attempt at innocence. Before going hime we had the bride elect display the gifts, which were kitchen utensils, and explain their uses."
February 10
"After supper we were favored by a 'cat concert' in which sixteen individual songs were sung by sixteen individual singers simultaneously to one piano accompaniement. It gave the effect of grand opera."
March 3
"Helen did my hair up on rags so it would be in curls for the party and when I took it down it was curled so tight that it made me look like 'Topsy' in Uncle Toms Cabin. I was so long getting it arranged that Lucile and I didn't get to the dance till about ten o'clock."
June 10
"On Saturday 10th Ethel and I and Helen went to the ranch. Ethel had to go early on account of the state of her health and I went to take care of her till Mama should come...About a week later papa went home and brought mama out. We were to cook for a crowd of shearers and needed her. Aunt Mayme and children moved up to Pine Cliff where Leavirs are. There were about fourteen men to cook for and they stayed about ten days. During this time we worked very hard with few conveniences and scarcely rested at all. It was too hot and the flies were tormenting. The shearers were all from Upton and Coalville and seemed to be socially inclined. Whenever the rain prevented them from working they played horse-shoe, baseball, etc. We intended to stay here half the summer and then change places with Aunt Mayme. However when the time came she did not want to move so we had to all live together at Pine Cliff."
On the annual vacation in August Mary says:
"Louise Hagman and Don Young came out and stayed about three weeks. They are an ideal engaged couple. I would enjoy chaperoning them. We went for horse-back rides, hay-rack rides, had dances, concerts, candy pulls, bon fires, trout dinners (and water fights) Ethel and some of the others stopped at a sheep camp as she was too tired to go on and papa got some mutton there which we cooked on forked sticks over a bon fire.
We couldn't leave the ranch before the first of September as the haying had to be fininshed first. Papa left Aunt M. and all the children but Susie in Heber's care and brought the rest of us home and then went back a little later and let Heber come home, and brought Aunt M. home in the early part of October."
It sounds as though Mary's father Heber spent a fair amount of time juggling his wives and families around. Financially having three wives and two large families must have been difficult. Heber's financial situation grew steadily worse with each passing year.
September
"On the 20th of Sept.. Heber and I went to Logan to attend school at the Agricultural College. I was terribly homesick for the first two or three weeks but I got safely over it and then began to enjoy myself. I roomed at Judge Maugham's with Bessie Day one of Heber's friends and former classmates. She was very kind to me both at school and at our room and tried hard to make me feel at home, for which I shall always be grateful. The only times she every made my unhappy were when we talked about or when I fancied that Heber was in love with her. She was a widow, which according to our religion would prevent her from being his in the next world, and besides her views regarding spiritual things were so strange to me...."

Dates

1910-1912

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