17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Saturday, October 25, 1912: I’ve resolved to do something if carried out, I think will prove very beneficial to me at least. I’m going to try anyway and see the result.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Hmm—What was the resolution? The previous day’s diary entry mentioned a “convention” in McEwensville—though it wasn’t clear what type of convention it was.
If it was some sort of religious event—maybe Grandma resolved to be a better, more religious person.
The convention may have been sponsored by one of the churches in McEwensville.
St. Johns’ United Church of Christ (It was St. John’s Reformed Church in Grandma’s day.)Building that once housed Messiah Lutheran Church
She almost seems to be trying to keep what she’s doing secret in her entries. Wonder why she worded it the way she did instead of just saying what she’d resolved to do? Did someone read her journal against her wishes? I wonder.
I would probably look up the archives for your local paper for that day to see what the convention was. I would think that event would have gotten a write up of some kind.
I wonder if we will find a clue to this resolution in her future.
a mysterious girl wasn’t she?
She almost seems to be trying to keep what she’s doing secret in her entries. Wonder why she worded it the way she did instead of just saying what she’d resolved to do? Did someone read her journal against her wishes? I wonder.
Maybe. . . There was one mention of her mother–early in the diary. On Jan. 21, 1911 she wrote:
“. . . Mother is reading tonight, while I make my entry, but she doesn’t know what I’m writing, for she has her back turned.”
But she hasn’t indicated recently that anyone might be curious about what she was writing.
it will be interesting to see how it evolves…she’s being very coy with her diary.
I would probably look up the archives for your local paper for that day to see what the convention was. I would think that event would have gotten a write up of some kind.
I was able to find it in the newspaper. It was a Christian Endeavors convention.
https://ahundredyearsago.com/2012/10/30/1912-christian-endeavors-convention/