18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Sunday, July 20, 1913: Went to Sunday School this morning. Ruther and I went up to church this evening.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Hmm. . . Ruther. . . That’s a new nickname for Ruth.
Was Grandma annoyed with her sister Ruth. . . or feeling kindly toward her? Throughout the diary Grandma called her Rufus when she was annoyed with her. When the sisters were getting along well, Grandma generally called her Ruth. . . though she occasionally referred to her as Ruthie.
A Hundred Years Ago 
You make me think how many names I have for my sisters. There are quite a few 🙂
I’ve never had so many names for a person: although I have done that with my cats!
Sounds like an affectionate version of her name. My guess 🙂
My Dad had at least a dozen names for each of his children. He often quoted a Danish proverb that said “a beloved child has many names”.
What a sweet thought!
I always just called my brother Mike but I had a few nick names for my daughter!
My brothers and I had several names for each other when we were kids. I think its part of the fun that siblings have together.
We had many alternative names for one another in my family, some not very appreciated. Jane
Your grandma was a woman of few words! She should have been a suspense writer!
Hahaha, yes i do that with my children too, calling them differently with different moods. I added their surname when i’m mad. 😀
I remember at that age, my sisters and friends and I experimenting with lots of (more or less) cool nicknames. Not always appreciated by one and other either ;0)
Wonder if they fought a lot. 😀
It seems like they had more disagreements in the first couple years of the diary than what they do towards the end. I guess both Ruth and Grandma were growing up, and were less likely to annoy each other.