17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Sunday, January 19, 1913: A bright and beautiful dawn welcomed the approach of day. Ruth and I walked to Turbotville this morning to attend a family reunion. All of ‘em weren’t there. Had quite a pleasant time, but it would have been nicer if some more of the cousins had been there. We had our pictures taken out on the lawn. That walk home didn’t do me up, but I did get a terrific head-ache anyway.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Whew, it is probably about a five-mile walk—10 miles round trip– from the Muffly farm to Turbotville. Even on the nicest of days—in January or any other month– this sounds like a long, exhausting walk for Grandma and her sister Ruth.
Grandma’s maternal grandparents lived in Turbotville. Why didn’t Grandma’s mother go to the reunion to see her parents and siblings?
A Hundred Years Ago 
She was sick a lot! Did she have migraines, do we think? 10 miles is a quite a stroll for a reunion. 🙂
Grandma did seem to get sick a lot when she was a teen. Until I read your question, I never thought about whether she got migraines when she was young. As far as I know, she didn’t have migraines when she was an older woman.
She sounds tired in what she wrote. This brings back memories of family reunions I have been to.
While 5 miles seems far, with good company it can go by pretty fast. I like listening to my Ipod when I’m walking…too bad they didn’t have that luxury.
I’d love to see that picture they took! 🙂
This reminds me of the walk my grandmother had to her high school and how I walked part of it when I was a kid.
We’d all be in better shape, wouldn’t we? I wouldn’t even consider walking 5 miles and I’d say most of us wouldn’t. Too bad for us!
You’re so right–we should walk more.
I love the old buildings. I love the history. Maybe her mom rode in a car? Hmmm, that is interesting!
Based on the diary, I don’t think that the family had a car. I suppose her mother might have gone in a horse and buggy.
A long walk for sure but getting there was probably half the fun, especially if it was a nice day.
I just hope they had comfortable shoes!
When I first read it I thought wow, that is a some walk! Mom probably did not go because she did not want to walk!! 😉 That would have been me!! ha ha Seriously I bet she thought to get the girls out of the house so she can get something done.
Makes sense to me–both Mom not wanting to walk and wanting to get some work done.
I’ll bet you wish you had a copy of that photo. It does seem strange that their mother didn’t go, perhaps it was mainly the younger generation.