Carrying Water for Mortar

16-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Wednesday, May 10, 1911: I did about half of the ironing this morning. I don’t call that very much of a suit do you? This afternoon I had to carry water to be used in making mortar and spilt waters on my skirts.

 Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Why was the family making mortar? Does Grandma mean they were making cement—or mortar to be used when bricks were laid?

I think she probably was referring to cement. I picture that the path between the house and barn was just a dirt path and that it probably was sometimes muddy. Maybe they were laying a sidewalk.

Or, maybe they were making a cement floor for the barnyard. Until I saw this entry I never thought about the barnyard—now I’m wondering whether the floor was dirt or cement. . . . Or. . . .