It's Halloween and voting time for Mary and Sam

This week is Halloween and voting. I wish she would have wrote the last name of their candidate. He won. Mary cleans out her father's things in the little apartment that was above the garage. Very sad. Mary stays busy as ever!

Friday, Oct. 29, 1948

Two ladies from the Mormon Society in Bremerton came to talk about the quilt and they have it all settled now. Then Betty Fischler and Wilma Rasmussen came for the flowers, and we talked and talked. At 4 I picked up Helen Mitchell and Blanche Hackett and went to Holly. Grandma was surprised but glad to see us and we ate Blanche's hot dish. I brought other things, but we did not use them. To the bazaar at 7:45 and enjoyed it very much. Their decorations were all Halloween on Albert's fish net. Very good. I bought a cake and doilies. We ate lunch, visited with all we knew and left at 9:30. Home late.

Saturday, Oct. 30, 1948

Rained last night so it is sloppy out. A very gray day. Arose late. Cleaned house and wrote letters. To Gorst and had my hair recombed, it looks lovely. Then got the pies at Crosswhites, they taste grand! At 5:30 Fischlers came for me, so we drove to the Temple. Quite a few of the incoming officers were there and everyone was excited. The banquet tables were lovely with red autumn leaves in which chrysanthemums were placed. Lovey, Alma, Gertrude and a gang of us ate together. We had reserve seats upstairs, so it was lovely all around. It was a perfect evening and Alma and Al did so well. Oh, how proud we all were! The addendum by Belfair Chapter was very clever and everyone enjoyed it. The one put on by Grand Chapter very beautifully done. So many old-time friends were there. We were about the last to leave. About 350 people were present. It was perfect and an evening I'll never forget.

Sunday, Oct. 31, 1948

Was going to sleep late but couldn't so got up and ate. Then did a few things around here. Cleora called and asked me over to dinner. Over to Skenes' and they fried trout. Oh, it was good. Edith has a bad chest cold. She gets them often. Graham put on his new Scotch kilts, and they surely are lovely. Over to Cleora's and spent the rest of the day. We had a lovely ham dinner and I enjoyed it. Went up to Meryle Norton's for a visit and met a gang of children trick or treating. Cleora showed me how she had her meetings all lined up so I'm going to copy her method as it's a very good one. We ate popcorn and later some of Jim's birthday cake. He has consented to be our Master of Ceremonies at the Christmas party. Home late and to bed. A most pleasant day.

Monday, Nov. 1, 1948

Today was cold and windy so I got Squires and he dug the dahlias. Then I cleaned my Chapter dress and other garments, and the house is in order again. A fresh snow is on the mountains, and it looks lovely. To Dottie Walker's in the late afternoon as I cleaned all the cabin shelves first. Got my flowered dress and suit altered and they look good. Then over to Lovey's and ate dinner with her. We talked about the Christmas party, and we will cut stencil for cards on Thursday. Afterwards I called on Jesse Duffield's and asked Jess if he would be our Santa Claus. He said he would so I'm happy over that. He will make a good one. Home to find Sam at the store with ducks and geese he got hunting at Tulelake, California. The goose hunting was very good. Trying to rain outside and very cold.

Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1948

This was a very wet day, simply poured down. Sam hung a wire in the attic, and I put all the summer clothes up there, also the shoes. Then I went up to vote. Was number 106 at 2:30 so quite a few were out at that. Home again and cleaned all the ducks and geese. Took us about an hour and a half to do it all. They are so fat. Sam took inventory at the Tavern about 5 o'clock. Took 2 geese over to Nichol's. They were thrilled. Today I cleaned all of Papa's things out of the apartment. Put them all in 2 boxes. It was a sad task but had to be done some time. Howard Gray's father passed away and I called Grace. She and Louie are coming down Nov. 12 to settle up Papa's affairs. Mary Ruth and Jack came down and stayed until late. Sam went to Shelton to hear the election returns. It will be a close race.

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 1948

Cleaned up house and was eating breakfast just as Sam returned from Shelton with the news that Roy had won. We were so thrilled! Sam went to Seattle, and I went to Bremerton. Did some errands and then out to Elma Alan's. Took her to Bluebird Inn where we had a lovely lunch. Then to Belfair and called on Skenes. She was better so did not care to go to Shelton. Home and we ate by candlelight. It was fun and it took some of the load off Alma's shoulders. Afterwards we attended the first of Belfair Chapter and we had a good time. Cleora, Ralph and Maimee came out and it was very nice to see them. The new officers did very lovely work too. Took Elma home to Bremerton and we stayed all night at her place. The first night she had slept there since Gus passed away. Talked far into the night.

Thursday, Nov. 4, 1948

Today arose early and Elma cooked breakfast. It looks like a good day. To Seattle on 8:30 boat. Talked to Agnes Berg all the way over. Uptown and got me a new gray dress at Best's. It is lovely. Also, a Jersey outfit at the Bon. Met Sam at noon and we went to the Cloud Room for lunch. It is a lovely place, and the lunch was delicious. Could see all over the city. Then we picked out our Christmas cards and Sam went to get other affairs done so I did a little more shopping. Caught the 3:30 boat and got to Lovey's at 5. She insisted that I eat. Then we went over her Christmas party list, and it surely was a big help. She had all the cards ready. Home and wrote out 38 cards. Would be 50 if I mailed to all the officers. Cleaned up my dish too. Put everything away. To bed early. Tired.

■ Clydene Hostetler is a longtime Belfair resident, local historian, media archivist and documentary filmmaker of "Hidden in Plain Sight." She has been researching Mary Theler's life for the past 14 years. She can be emailed at [email protected].