My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 23, October 6 – October 17, 1920

My grandmother, Gertrude Hitchings, a friend, and a sheep, circa 1920

This is the 23rd blog post with transcriptions of my grandmother's 1920 diary from Beverly, Massachusetts.  Her name was Gertrude Hitchings (1905 - 2001) and she lived on Elliott Street.  Her diary is a tiny 3" book with minuscule handwriting.  It has taken me a long time to transcribe, and the book is very fragile.  It has missing and torn pages, and the end of the book is gone, so I am very near to the end of this project with these September and October pages. Every Monday I post another section of the diary.  You can read the first installment HERE. 

WED. OCT. 6, 1920

Up at 6.45 went to school

Had eye & ear test came

Home at 11.45.  Went back

for bookkeeping on 2.15 car

came home at 5.  Went out a

little while after supper

Bed at 10.

THURSDAY 7

Up at 6.45 went to school

all morning home at 1.15

went downtown then Eunice

& I went up to Ethel’s.  Marion

& Brick up after supper

Went to bed at 10.

FRIDAY 8

Up at 6.45 went to school at

7.30 had an assembly home

at 1.15.  After dinner went

downtown with Eunice

After supper went to movies

with Brick.  Bed at 11.30.

NOTE:  After reading this diary it seems that Gertrude went to classes all morning at Beverly high school, came home for dinner [lunch] and then on some days she went back in the afternoon for bookkeeping, French or domestic science classes.  It appears to be an irregular schedule. Here she mentions her sister Eunice, her sister-in-law Ethel, her first cousin Marion, and a friend named Brick. 

SAT. OCT. 9, 1920

Up at 7.30 worked around

home all morning. Stayed

home all afternoon.  Mr.

Lowell up.  After supper went

out a while then played

cards with Pa, Mr. L. & Brick.

Went to bed at 10.45

SUNDAY 10

Up at 9.  Worked home

all morning stayed

home all afternoon. Mr.

Wilkins, Rus, Ethel, Ells and

Helen down.  Went to ride with

Brick.  Jones & Ty came down

Went to bed at 10.30.

MONDAY 11

Up at 6.45 went to school

got home at 1.15. Went

down to Helen’s around

4.30.  After supper went

down to Marion’s a while.

Went to bed at 9.30.

NOTE:  In these pages she mentions the boarder Mr. Lowell, and her friend Brick.  Mr. Wilkins is the father of her friend Bea.  Here she mentions "Jones" and "Ty" for the first time, friends from school? She went to her sister Helen's house, and then to her cousin Marion's house. 

TUES. OCT. 12, 1920

Up at 7.30 stayed home all

morning rained most of the time

After dinner Ty and Jones

came down stayed until

after supper.  Mr. Lowell

over. Pa went to Danvers.  Home

all evening. Bed at 9.45

WEDNESDAY 13

Up at 6.45 went to school

all morning.  Went back after

dinner for bookkeeping

home at 5 stayed home

all evening studying.  Went

to bed at 8.45

THURSDAY 14

Up at 6.45 school all

morning home at 1.15

after dinner went up to

Ethel’s all afternoon.  After supper

Geo & Henry came down.  Played

cards.  Bed at 10.15

NOTE: For some reason Gertrude didn't go to school on Monday, October 12th, maybe Columbus Day?  Ty and Jones are back visiting, and the boarder Mr. Lowell was back.  She went to visit her sister-in-law Ethel, and then two other boys "George" and "Henry" came to visit.  In these pages for the new school year Gertrude is mentioning lots of boy friends instead of her usual girl friends.  

FRI. OCT. 15, 1920

Up at 6.45 went to school

all morning home at 1.15

stayed home all afternoon

sewing.  Home all evening

writing.  Was afull awful

tired so went to bed at

8.00  Jones called up

SATURDAY 16

Up at 7.  Worked home all

morning. After dinner

Geo. & Jones came down. They

went hunting.  After supper

we went down to Helen’s

took care of the baby. Came home

at 9.45.  Bed at 10.30

SUNDAY 17

Up at 9.00 stayed home all

morning.   After dinner Ty & Geo. Came

down.  We went to walk and

took some pictures.  Then Geo. & I went

to ride.  Ma & Pa up Danvers

Bed at 10.30

NOTE:  More mentions of the boys George, Jones and Ty.  She went to ride on the trolley with George.  A possible sweetheart?  Or just a friend?  We'll have to see in the next few pages of the diary! 

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 23, October 6 – October 17, 1920", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 15, 2017, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/05/my-grandmothers-diary-part-23-october-6.html: accessed [access date]).