Josephine Jordan was my great, great, grandmother. She lived the life of a common farm wife in northern Maine. She kept a line a-day diary. I have her complete diaries from 1892 to 1898. You can learn more about Josephine, her diaries, and some historical perspective by going back to the first installment of this series.
Your questions, insights, or comments about this month's diary entries are welcomed.
--Sund, May 1
Went to hear Elder Young. Fine but cold.
--Mond, May 2
Frank went back to Hall's yesterday afternoon and worked until today at noon. Got ten dollars and came home.
--Tues, May 3
Raining quite fast. Mr. McHenry the M.M. married today.
--Wed, May 4
Raining and blowing. All well.
--Thurs, May 5
Fine but cold. Finished ploughing today. All well.
--Frid, May 6
Hubby & I were down town. Got a pair of boots.
--Sat, May 7
Men sowed peas and oats today.
--Sund, May 8
Frank drove his colt to church and took Blanche.
--Mond, May 9
Men harrowing. Fine but windy.
--Tues, May 10
Blanche & Gertie gone to circle, which meets at Mrs.Varnum.
--Wed, May 11
Yesterday Husband sowed some peas & planted potatoes in garden.
--Thurs, May 12
Got our phosphate of Ulrich. 2-1/2 tons. Gave our note for $92.50 for 7 months from date. All well, thank the Lord.
--Frid, May 13
Got our apple trees. Fifty in all for $15, payable 8 months from date. Commenced to plant potatoes.
--Sat, May 14
Helped cut potatoes this morning. Men putting in.
--Sund, May 15
Frank, Blanche & I went to church. All quite well.
--Mond, May 16
Cut potatoes this morning. About four p.m. commenced putting in. Got in three barrels.
--Tues, May 17
Still working as yesterday
--Wed, May 18
Cutting potatoes and planting is the order of the day.
--Thurs, May 19
C. D. exercises. Blanche has gone. Boys are going.
[Note: I assume "C.D. exercises" must mean Commencement Day exercises]
--Frid, May 20
Graduation. Blanche has gone. Boys are going.
--Sat, May 21
How many trials we have.
--Sund, May 22
Rained all day. None of us went to church.
--Mond, May 23
Still raining real fast. All quite well.
--Tues, May 24
Frank is working a few days for Sampsons.
--Wed, May 25
Married twenty one years today. It seems like fifty.
--Thurs, May 26
This morning found a little colt in the barn.
--Frid, May 27
Did a little washing. Blanche & Gertie got greens for dinner.
--Sat, May 28
Husband went down town three times on business.
--Sun, May 29
Did not go to church. The boys went to church and drove the colt.
--Mond, May 30
Laurie and his father are putting in potatoes.
Your questions, insights, or comments about this month's diary entries are welcomed.
###
--Sund, May 1
Went to hear Elder Young. Fine but cold.
--Mond, May 2
Frank went back to Hall's yesterday afternoon and worked until today at noon. Got ten dollars and came home.
--Tues, May 3
Raining quite fast. Mr. McHenry the M.M. married today.
--Wed, May 4
Raining and blowing. All well.
--Thurs, May 5
Fine but cold. Finished ploughing today. All well.
--Frid, May 6
Hubby & I were down town. Got a pair of boots.
--Sat, May 7
Men sowed peas and oats today.
--Sund, May 8
Frank drove his colt to church and took Blanche.
--Mond, May 9
Men harrowing. Fine but windy.
--Tues, May 10
Blanche & Gertie gone to circle, which meets at Mrs.Varnum.
--Wed, May 11
Yesterday Husband sowed some peas & planted potatoes in garden.
--Thurs, May 12
Got our phosphate of Ulrich. 2-1/2 tons. Gave our note for $92.50 for 7 months from date. All well, thank the Lord.
--Frid, May 13
Got our apple trees. Fifty in all for $15, payable 8 months from date. Commenced to plant potatoes.
--Sat, May 14
Helped cut potatoes this morning. Men putting in.
--Sund, May 15
Frank, Blanche & I went to church. All quite well.
--Mond, May 16
Cut potatoes this morning. About four p.m. commenced putting in. Got in three barrels.
--Tues, May 17
Still working as yesterday
--Wed, May 18
Cutting potatoes and planting is the order of the day.
--Thurs, May 19
C. D. exercises. Blanche has gone. Boys are going.
[Note: I assume "C.D. exercises" must mean Commencement Day exercises]
--Frid, May 20
Graduation. Blanche has gone. Boys are going.
--Sat, May 21
How many trials we have.
--Sund, May 22
Rained all day. None of us went to church.
--Mond, May 23
Still raining real fast. All quite well.
--Tues, May 24
Frank is working a few days for Sampsons.
--Wed, May 25
Married twenty one years today. It seems like fifty.
--Thurs, May 26
This morning found a little colt in the barn.
--Frid, May 27
Did a little washing. Blanche & Gertie got greens for dinner.
--Sat, May 28
Husband went down town three times on business.
--Sun, May 29
Did not go to church. The boys went to church and drove the colt.
--Mond, May 30
Laurie and his father are putting in potatoes.
8 comments:
Hi Patti,
You have found one of the diary's little surprises. I was kind of shocked to read that.
Hm, I wonder whether Josephine was being sarcastic. Maybe not. When people ask Dwayne how long we've been married, he always says "forever" or "about 100 years", not meaning that it's dragging on, but because we're so close and know each other so well, it seems like we've never been apart.
I find her comments interesting and sometimes funny. May 16, she talked about "cutting potatoes", I beleive she was cutting a potatoe into pieces so that each piece would have at least one "eye" or root for planting. One potatoe might yield 3-5 plantings. annie
Hedrick, do you think Frank and Blanche drove the newborn colt to church? Is that possible so soon after birth? Or perhaps it was a more mature colt.
Thank you for posting these diary entries. I am.enjoying reading them and imagining her life as she wrote them.
Cheers,
Mike
Bahaha! Josephine married 21 years, but seems like 50! Loved it!
2. I find it quite interesting, as might you, Mr. Kimball, that Josephine's great-grandaughter, daughter of Earl Dewey Jordan, married a potato farmer from Aroostak County where she raised my father and his sister before relocating to central Connecticut. :) Oh, how we behold to tradition!
I literally chuckled at May 25th. I have been married 20 (as of this past Valentine's Day). Some days it seems like 40, some it seems like a week.
Also wanted to let you know that tonight, I am going to start my own "Josephine Jordan Journal" and let my 10 1/2 yr old daughter start one. Try to write 1-3 sentences to sum up our day.
Josephine's love for the Lord and her writing style really really reminds me of my (almost) 80 yr old great-aunt. I am so enjoying reading these entries and feel like Josephine is definitely someone I would have gotten along with. Praising God for her faithfulness and the legacy it has left on this world!
"Married 21 years...feels like 50", I don't know how I missed this line the first time I read this diary. Today it quite literally made me laugh out loud. Great line for the day!
Blanche & Gertie gone to circle, which meets at Mrs.Varnum.
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