Old Year (or New Year) Skulking Around the Straw Stack

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

Wednesday, January 1, 1913:

Greeting for January 1st 1913

Happy New Year Day

Hail the new year with all gladness,

Let us welcome it today.

For the joys it brings are many,

And its sorrows will not stay.

Now to make good resolutions;

Ones that we will never break,

Crushing down our weaker spirit

We should do this for our sake.

I would like to make a resolution

One that I would never break,

But the weaker spirit dwells within me,

And I’m doubting what to take.

Saw a rabbit this morning. Perhaps that was the new year come to welcome me. I fancied I saw either the old year or else the new year skulking around the straw stack, when I went out to milk this morning. It wasn’t quite day light so maybe that accounts for it.

I would like to resolve that I will study more this year, but I’m in doubt to whether my will power is strong enough. However I think I will at least make an attempt.

New Years Post Card, circa 1912 — New Years Post Card, circa 1913

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

This blog is now at its halfway point. Grandma kept this diary for exactly four years—she began it on January 1, 1911 and the last entry was on December 31, 1914.

When I began posting these entries on January 1, 2011, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to this point. But I’ve had a wonderful time doing this blog. I love doing research and finding materials. And, it’s been wonderful re-connecting with relatives and making many wonderful new friends.

I now fully expect—knock on wood—that I’ll post the last dairy entry one-hundred-years after Grandma wrote it on December 31, 2014.

It’s been a wonderful two years—and I look forward to sharing the next two years with you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The Old Year is Vanishing Forever

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

Tuesday, December 31, 1912: Poor old year, how sad that you must die tonight and vanish forever into the gloomy past. Otherwise this day was the same as others. As I think of the approaching tomorrow, I wonder what that year will bring to me. I leave no deep regrets for this dying year, and though I have done things I ought not to have done, I hope they will not occur again to mar the beauty of the year 1913.

Source: Ladies Home Journal (December, 1913)

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

Does age affect how we think about the past? I don’t think of the past as gloomy—though it gets murkier as time goes by.

New Year’s Eve is a good time for self-reflection. I love Grandma’s cautious optimism—and am keeping my fingers crossed that nothing marred 1913, and that it proved to be a beautiful year.

Winter Break Over

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

Monday, December 30, 1912: Went back to school today after a two weeks rest. Had such a time carrying my books. I had brought so many home, and it was raining in the bargain.

The road that Grandma would have walked down to go home from school on a recent rainy day.

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

Grandma had to walk about a mile and a half to get to school. Nothing’s worse than a cold December rain.

Did Grandma read all the books over the break that she brought home? What were they about?

A hundred years ago, the Christmas break was really long. And, it’s Interesting that school began prior to New Year’s Day—today schools don’t generally resume until January 2.

What Happened to Jimmie Muffly?

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

Sunday, December 29, 1912: Went to Sunday School this afternoon. Jimmie went along.

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

Jimmie was Grandma’ brother. On pictures, he looks like an adorable (though probably slightly spoiled child).

Jimmie was the only son in the family and by far the youngest child. In 1912, Grandma’s oldest sister Besse was 24 and married. The next sister, Ruth lived at home, and was a teacher at a nearby one-room school house. Grandma (Helena) was 17-years –old. And, Jimmie was 7-years-old.—a full ten years younger than Grandma.

One fun thing about doing family history research is that I often know what happened to the people in the diary.

In Jimmie’s case, he went to the University of Pennsylvania and then became a veterinarian in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Lewisburg is about 10 miles from McEwensville. Much of his veterinary work involved taking care of farm animals.

Jimmie–known as Jim as an adult– married twice, but never had any children. His first wife died many years ago. Jim died in 1988. His second wife Ruth (she had the same name as his sister) died in 2010 at the age of 99. Her obituary is available in the online version of the Sunbury Daily Item.

Looking Forward to School Starting Again

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

Saturday, December 28, 1912: We had visitors a little while this morning. Everything seemed so dull to me this awful Saturday. Guess I’ll welcome going to school next week as a change. After all my vacation lacked the enjoyment that sometimes comes to others.

Recent photo of the house Grandma lived in. The photo was taken at dusk on a December day. — Recent photo of the house Grandma lived in.

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

Who were the visitors? Grandma didn’t seem very excited about their visit.

Perhaps the visitors were old friends of her parents or distant relatives, who, from Grandma’s perspective, were very uninteresting and boring.

Based on the previous diary entries—it seems like Grandma enjoyed her Christmas break, but I suppose that she was starting to get tired of being at home. The last day of school before the break was December 13—so she hadn’t been to school for two weeks!

Christmas Table Decorations and Centerpieces a Hundred Years Ago

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

Wednesday, December 25, 1912: Xmas: I got a few presents: a purse, one dollar, an apron, a pinholder, a book, a bow, and a pair of slippers. Aunt Lizzie and Uncle George were here and Mrs. Besse to be sure.

We had a turkey and some ice cream. At present I feel like a stuffed toad from too much gourmandizing of a lot of good things. Guess I may call my Christmas a happy one and hoping everyone else has enjoyed the same likewise I’ll bring my entry to a close.

DSC06818.crop — Click on picture to enlarge. Source: Ladies Home Journal (December, 1912)

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

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Grandma got the De Luxe slippers in her favorite color. 🙂

slipper a hundred years ago — Source: Ladies Home Journal (December, 1912)

Nice gifts, good food, family. . . It sounds like end of a perfect Christmas day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Tree Decorations A Hundred Years Ago

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

Tuesday, December 24, 1912: Cleaned this morning. Trimmed the tree this evening and await the coming of tomorrow’s dawn impatience.

Lightweight glass balls on tinsel strands gives the effect.

Ladies Home Journal (December, 1911)

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

It’s almost Christmas!

What did the Muffly’s trimmed tree look like?

The butterflies are of spun glass in myriad colors and marking. The birds are lifelike celluloid models.

The tree of snow is the latest contribution to the science of Christmas festivities. The tree is bleached white, made fireproof, and chemically preserved so that it can be used year after year, thereby aiding the campaign against the devastation of our evergreens. The decorations of rose garlands is as unusual as the tree, and the crimson of the flowers forms a brilliant contrast to the dazzling whiteness.

Ladies Home Journal (December, 1911)

Who would have guessed that some people had reusable trees a hundred years ago!!