Church Bulletin Fans

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

Sunday, July 14, 1912: Went to Sunday School this afternoon. I was almost melting by the time I got there.

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

Did Grandma fold a church bulletin to make a fan to cool herself ?

—

Fast forward 50 or so years to a time when Grandma actually was a grandmother and I was a small child. . .

I can remember sitting on hard pews in Messiah Lutheran Church in McEwensville on hot summer days.

To cool (and entertain) myself, I’d make fans out of church bulletins. Inevitably I’d accidently drop the fan onto the pew in front of me. And, Grandma would smile, pick it up, and give it back to me.

Wading and Swimming

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

Saturday, July 13, 1912: My calling was out in the field today. I was glad when it was over and I was at leisure to do something.

Recent photo of the stream that flows through the farm Grandma grew up on.

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

Sounds like Grandma had to again watch cows or do some other type of field work. Thank goodness she apparently had time to do something fun—at least I hope it was fun; she only wrote that it was “something.”

I love to swim on hot summer days. I don’t think that Grandma ever learned how to swim, but she may have taken her shoes off and waded in the creek. The water would have felt good in the days before electric fans and air conditioners.

A book published in 1911 called Outdoor Sports by Claude Miller discussed the importance of confidence when swimming:

. . . The lack of confidence is disastrous. I have known girls who could swim perfectly well in the shallow but could not keep up at all in water out of their depth. And yet they have not been touching the bottom in the shallow water, but they could if they wished.

Learning to swim in water that is over your head is really better, though it is more “scary” at first. If you do learn in that way you can there-after look upon the deepest water with confident scorn.

Made an Apron

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

Friday, July 12, 1912: I made an apron today and performed some odd jobs. Good night.

woman wearing apron — Picture of a woman wearing an apron in the April 1911 issue of Ladies Home Journal

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

Back in the days when it was difficult to do laundry—and people tied to keep their clothes clean for as long as possible– lots of aprons were needed.

Grandma has mentioned making aprons several times since the start of the diary in January, 1911:

Started to make a much needed apron. Mother and I had quite a squabble over it. She said I wasn’t making it right.

May 16, 1911

. . . Was going to make an apron this afternoon for myself, but Bisser took pity on me and did it herself, so you see I was saved all the bother.

June 20, 1911

. . . I made an apron today. . .

March 16, 1912

How to Dry Wet Shoes

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

Thursday, July 11, 1912: Ruth and I went to a party over at Stout’s this evening. It rained so hard this afternoon, and I thought perhaps we wouldn’t go after all.

rain drops — Photo source: Wikimedia Commons

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

Did Grandma and her sister Ruth get wet feet when they walked to their neighbors’ for the party?

Here’s hundred-year-old advice for drying wet shoes.

To dry out shoes, stuff your shoes full of dry grass or old paper to keep them from shrinking.

When they are dry, soften them with tallow or oil.

Outdoor Sports (1911) by Claude H. Miller

Chores for Each Day of the Week

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

Wednesday, July 10, 1912: Did some ironing this forenoon and puttered around this afternoon.

ironing.B — Picture Source: Approved Methods for Home Laundering

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

Each day of the week used to have its own tasks. An old booklet called Approved Methods for Home Laundering published by Proctor & Gamble said that most of the ironing should be done on Wednesday.

Plan for the Week’s Work

MONDAY

1.            Put the house in order.

2.            Plan and cook for Tuesday.

3.            Sort clothes.

4.            Mend clothes (rents grow in washing).

5.            Take out stains.

6.            Soak soiled clothes.

7.            Lay fire for morning.

8.            Fill boiler.

9.            Get tubs and other things ready.

TUESDAY

1.            Light fire and heat water.

2.            Make soap solution.

3.            Do washing.

4.            Sprinkle and roll clothes.

WEDNESDAY

1.            Iron and bake.

2.            Do thick starching.

THURSDAY

1.            Finish ironing.

FRIDAY

1.            Put house in order.

SATURDAY

1.            Bake and plan for Sunday.

There was some variation from one list to the next in which things should be done on which days. (This list doesn’t quite match the recommended tasks for the various days of the week in the old Round and Round the Mulberry Bush ditty.)

Porch Furniture a Hundred Years Ago

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

Monday, July 8, 1912: Nothing much to record. My head feels sort of heavy like.

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

My head feels heavy like, too. I think it’s the hot weather. On days like this, I wish that my house had an old-fashioned porch that I could sit on.

Here are some drawings of furniture for summer porches from an article called “The Little House Summer Porch: Making the Living Porch Attractive” in the July, 1912 issue of Ladies Home Journal.

Finally Received Bible!

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

Sunday, July 7, 1912: Went to Sunday School this morning. Received my Bible after having been learning verses for about a year and a half.

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

Whew, Grandma finally received her Bible. She learned 700+ verses to get it—and some weeks she learned more than 20 verses. For example, on December 23, 1911 she wrote that she was trying to learn 27 verses that week.

She sure was persistent—I never would have stuck with it.

Grandma completed memorizing the verses on May 26–and received the Bible the previous week (June 30), but they kept the Bible to put her name on the cover .