Mary's Memoirs

This is the last entry in Mary Theler's diary. She was killed July 27, 1950, in a car accident coming home late from a meeting in Bremerton. I have included the newspaper article that give the brutal details of her death and tells how the community reacted. I have been writing from her diary for 19 years. It started in 1931. Mary was 48 years old.

Monday, July 24, 1950

An extremely warm day and I went in the canal four times between tying up my phlox which is all completed. Up to Mae Housen's and called several people. Then Mae and I called several people. Then Mae and I called on Laura White who is in bed with 2 fractured ribs. Got all but one of my parcels. Must look in boxes to see if it is packed under the wrappings. Put all of it away. We ate salad for dinner as it was so warm. Sam watered the lawn again. We watered the a.m. too. To White Shrine at 7:10. Stopped at Duffield's and heard all about the new granddaughter, Linda Christine. The meeting was very short, and we adjourned to the upstairs where we played cards. I called numbers for the bingo game, and we had fun. Nice orange sherbert and cake yet I feel it cost too much for such a small evening. Ruby was Worthy Herald as Ethel Stees is back east. Home early.

Tuesday, July 25, 1950

Today was very warm. Sam sprayed weed killer over half of the lawn and will do the rest tomorrow. He and Tom set up the new water pump and are getting ready to set a cement step to rest the water tank on. Sam washed clothes so he really had a busy day. Now he is mowing the lawn. I cleaned house and cabin. Then visited at Bea Howell's but it was so warm there I started to feel sick so went home. Was going to Holly but I got started so late I decided to call at Howell's. Home and laid in the hammock and slept awhile. The water is wonderful. Wrote in scrapbook. Addressed some letters. Cool out. Quite a wind is blowing.

Wednesday, July 26, 1950

Today I was up at 7:10 and by 9:30 was all through with the ironing and was I glad. Got my work done and went to town. Sam helped Tom K. put in some material on pump shed, then went to Seattle for pipe fittings etc. Pritchetts at Margaret Housen's. The girls are full of ideas, and they should be able to decorate the side walls beautifully. Over to Ruby Gray's and saw the favors. They will be very lovely, and everyone should be glad to get a good blotter. Ruby will make corsages also. She surely is a clever girl. To town and have the favors cut out by Fletchers. Hazel Noshir will OK them and call me later. To Belfair O.E.S. Social Club. Only a few out but we had a good time. Craft lilies on the table and raspberry short cake. We talked bazaar mostly. Home early.

■ Clydene Hostetler was a longtime Belfair resident and historian. She has been researching Mary Theler's life for the past 20 years. She can be emailed at [email protected]