Mary's Memoirs

Just a pleasant summer week. It did rain a bit one day. Mary mentions that it would be nice to put the fires out, so they had fires back in 1950, too. Blackberries are in season, so they bought some for Clara to can. Mary and Sam had lots of company during the week.

Monday, July 3, 1950

Very warm all day. It was 77 in the garage. We baked the ham and have potatoes ready for salad. The Jell-O is made. So, we are all set for the 4th. Sam rode with Pink Williams to Port Orchard so was gone part of the day. Watered the lawn in the evening. This morning, I ironed and mended all the clothes so am all through for this week. Also wrote to Mother, Mildred Kents, Almeda and postmaster at Chinook about getting calla lilies. Queenie is home. She flunked. Would go for upland birds but not for ducks. Seems good to have a dog around again. Lots of cars on the road when I went to the post office to subscribe for Masonic Tribune. Put some more clippings in my scrapbook. Will need more pages I'm sure as it's filling up fast. Florine Swansea and her husband are coming. Then I got everything ready for dinner, dishes out, etc. The Severances came at 4:30 and we ate at 5:45. They enjoyed themselves and so did Gay, their granddaughter. We walked around the place. Looked at my scrapbook and had a good time in general. Florine surely loves to go, just like I do. They went home at 8 as the traffic would be lightest then. Ruby, Earl and Carl's folks came about 9 o'clock and Charlie Wallin and his wife came about the same time, so we got to bed very late. The mock orange trees are in full bloom.

Tuesday, July 5, 1950

We ate late and the folks went out visiting. Sam went up to Belfair and I tried to find Emma Morris but could not as she has a house on the Tahuya side where I can't find out. Then I ran over to Skene's and oh, what a mess they are in with this new house they are building out of an old one! But they seem happy, so I guess that's all that matters. At 5 o'clock the Chas. Wallins were back, and we ate dinner of more ham and salad. Then I went to a Rainbow Board meeting at 7 and came home at 9:45. There was a good group out and we had a lot of fun. When I arrived home, we had strawberries and cream with cookies and talked until late. Sam and Charlie had mowed the entire lawn. It looks very good. Someone took Sam's good saw out of the garage. We are both disgusted! But we are away so much it could easily happen.

Wednesday, July 6, 1950

Arose late and made breakfast. We ate about 10 and about 11:30 the folks left. Sam went to Tacoma to see about our water pump. The place is all cleaned up again and looks good. Sam watered the garden good so I'm going out to weed awhile before I go to Bremerton. Pasted my diary in the scrapbook so it is up to date. Took four months to get it in there as I always forgot to get it typed. Betty Fischer typed it, and Eddie was in today with it. To Gorst and had my hair combed. Then to Maimee Hanberg where she got balance of names from my notes. Ate a biscuit and had tea there. To Reliance Chapter and they had a good crowd out. It was very warm as it was at our meeting. They had initiation and grand chapter reports. Both were good but it made me proud of our own officers as they are so good. Marie Tweed had Regal lilies and Ocean Spray on the baskets with a small flag. It was the finest yet.

Thursday, July 7, 1950

Arose at 9:30 and turned on the water. Very dark and cold out. Barometer is falling. Today we worked in the garden again. We really got quite a lot done and if we could keep at it would be done in short order. I lay out in the sun and rested for over an hour. It surely felt good. Made meatballs and spaghetti for the potluck picnic and as usual, made too much. We met at Maimee Gould's and followed Maimee Hanberg out to Florence Lindberg's home. You go by Bob Marvin's. All the officers were there except Erma Haynes and Nadine Clark. There were 31 at the table and oh, we did have fun! Guess we all ate too much too as I did not sleep too good all night. We decided to make our Friendship Night favors at Laes Picnic in August. Ruby Gray will order the blotter material from the printer where Hazel Magnussen works. Talked about the official visit some too. We are meeting Philathea on Tuesday as Herman cannot go Wednesday. I called Hazel. She said it was O.K.

Friday, July 8, 1950

Arose late. Sam watered for about 2½ hours and moved pinball machines out of the tavern. Then he hoed in the garden, the last two rows. We drove over to Minter Creek, but there was no auction. The signs are all gone and the place was empty. We saw children selling wild blackberries, so we know summer is really here. Tried to rain several times and now it is clouding up again. Hope it puts all the fires out. Sam went to Bremerton to meet Clara. I had dinner already at 5:15 and Toby came out too, so I sat an extra plate. We had a nice dinner and later went over to order some wild blackberries for Clara to can Monday. Tried to rain several times but never got very wet. Sam, Clara and Toby went up to see John and Annie, so I went to bed early. Could not sleep last night so am very weary tonight.

Saturday, July 9, 1950

Today it was raining off and on all day. We were just through eating when Annie came down and took the girls up to Belfair. They really are lost down here. There is little for them to do. They are not interested in flowers or out of doors. Went out with the hand sickle and cleaned along the bulkhead. Then I cooked dinner, and they all came home about 4. We ate fried chicken, and it was delicious. Had shortcake also which was very good. Harris Watson brought Clara's berries and she picked all the raspberries so now they are canning them all. Very windy out, and not good for swimming. The bulkhead garden is all clean, so Sam raked it up. Raked in front of grape arbor so it is in pretty good shape. About an hour a day would keep our garden up good. Florence Lindberg called up. She is going to Canada on a trip. Took the girls down the canal for a ride. It was nice out.

■ Clydene Hostetler was a longtime Belfair resident and historian. She now resides on a classic wooden boat on the Columbia River. She has been researching Mary Theler's life for the past 17 years. She can be emailed at [email protected]