16-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Friday, November 24, 1911: Instead of having classes all day today we took an hour off and had something more interesting which was reciting and the like. I said a recitation that I said last year. Of course it was recognized at once. I wish we would have something like this every month at least. It relieves the monotony.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
In 1911 Thanksgiving was on the very last day in the month—November 30.
Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family—sharing memories and telling the old family stories. So on this Thanksgiving Day in 2011, I’d like to share my memories of Thanksgiving when I was a child. I’m thinking back to a time about midway between when Grandma kept her diary and now.
Each Thanksgiving, a little after noon, my family piled into our blue Dodge Polara—and Dad drove us the mile or so across the hill to Grandma’s house while my brother and I sang at the top of our lungs:
Over the hill and through the woods
To Grandmother’s house we go.
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
Through the white and drifted snow.
Over the hill and through the woods
To Grandmother’s house we go.
For this is Thanksgiving Day.
When we got to Grandma’s house my brother and I rushed inside to see all of our cousins. I told the rest of my Thanksgiving day story in a previous post. Click the link below to read it.
You might also enjoy reading (or re-reading) the memories of other descendents of Grandma.
Stu: Peanut Butter Cookies, Practical Jokes, Farm Cats, Etc.
Anne Marie: Porch Railings, Flowers, Reading, and More Practical Jokes
Eleanor: Brown Butter Macaroni
Carl: Butchering, Sausage, and the Light Plant
Harold: “Whispering to Myself”
If any of you have memories of Grandma you’d like to share, let me know and I’d be happy to post them.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
A Hundred Years Ago 
Cool! What a treasure you have in a 100 year old diary.
I’m fortunate to have the diary. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for bringing the words back to my too many senior moments brain. I thank God there are still those who enjoy awesome family traditions and moments. God bless you and your family.
I’ve also heard the song sung using the words, “Over the river and through the woods. . .”, but our family went over a hill to get to our grandmother’s home so we always sang “over the hill and through the woods.”
This is so cool that you have her diary! x
I am very fortunate to have a copy of my grandmother’s diary.