Was Grandma’s Name Helena or Helen?

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

Saturday, May 10, 1913: Nothing much doing today. I got my diploma this evening. The ones we had at commencement were fakes.

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

Congratulations, Grandma! It’s official now, you’re a high school graduate.

Your diploma hangs in my house, and is one reason that I’ve always been so fascinated with you. I’ve told the story before, but I’ll tell it again.

—

I’m going to repost part of what I wrote on Day 2 of this blog, January 2, 2011:

Helena, Helen or Grandma?

As I work at posting this diary I’ve struggled with what name to use when referring to the diary’s author.

The diary’s author called herself Helena. My grandmother called herself Helen.

I grew up in the farmhouse where my grandmother lived when my father was a child. When I was a teen I found Helena Muffly’s high school diploma in the attic.

I saw Grandma the next Sunday at church. After church I asked her whether her name was Helen or Helena.

She said Helen. When I told her about the name on the diploma. She laughed and replied, “Oh, that was just kid stuff.”

My cousin Stu did a little research on Grandma’s name using the Family Search.org tool. He found that her name is listed as Helena in the 1900 and 1920 censuses–but that it is Helen in the 1910 one.

Helen? Helena? Grandma? It seems strange to call a teen Grandma, but that’s how I think of her. Maybe I’ll just call the author Grandma when I write about her even though she was many years away from becoming my grandmother.

When I was in a college I visited the home of my roommate’s parents. Their family room was decorated with framed old family documents—marriage certificates, birth certificates, diplomas, baptismal certificates and so on.

I immediately thought of Grandma’s diploma in my parent’s attic and the mystery surrounding her name—and asked if I could have it. I framed the diploma and it’s been part of my household décor in the many apartments and houses that I’ve lived in since then.

Flowering Shrubs a Hundred Years Ago

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

Friday, May 9, 1913: The weather has quite suddenly changed and it is very cold. That’s all I have to write about.

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

Brrr—cold weather in May is no fun. But even cold days are almost tolerable when I see all of the beautiful flowers and flowering shrubs erupting into bloom. .

Today, I’m going to share pictures of flowering scrubs that were in the April 1913 issue of Ladies Home Journal. Some of the plants are still popular today—others I don’t recognize or seldom see anymore.

Has the Meaning of Varnish Changed over the Past Hundred Years?

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

Thursday, May 8, 1913: Rufus was busy shining up the piano, desk, etc. with varnish. It’s rather difficult to keep from getting in it, and then you have to handle your fingers so gingerly. I’ve been warned several times.

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

The piano was almost new. Grandma’s mother purchased it on March 29, 1913:

. . . Ma bought a piano. I’m so glad for now I can learn to play.

The meaning of the word varnish must have changed over the last hundred years. When I think of varnish, I think of a lacquer; but it sounds like Grandma was referring to furniture polish.

Grandma called her sister Ruth, Rufus when she was annoyed with her. I can almost see Grandma’s fingerprints on the shiny piano wood; and Ruth’s exasperated expression.

What Was Grandma’s Oldest Sister Like?

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

Wednesday, May 7, 1913: Haven’t done much today to make this entry interesting. Besse was out here this morning.

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

Besse was Grandma’s oldest sister. She was seven years older than Grandma—and would have been 25 years-old in 1913.

The diary and other sources provide lots of clues about what Besse was like.

Besse was married to a butcher, Curt Hester; and lived in nearby Watsontown.

According to the History of the McEwensville Schools, 1800-1958 by Thomas Kramm, Besse Muffly was a teacher at the Red Hill School, a one-room school house at the south end of McEwensville, from 1906-1909. She probably quit teaching when she got married.

Recent photo of building that once housed Red Hill School. It is now a home. — Recent photo of building that once housed Red Hill School, the school where Besse taught. It is now a home.

Besse and Curt occasionally came out to the Muffly farm on Sunday afternoons. For example on March 2, 1913 Grandma wrote:

Went to Sunday School this morning. Besse and Curt were out this afternoon.

Besse also came out to the farm alone sometimes. For example, she helped with the cooking and serving when the threshers came:

Was in such terrible trepidation this morning, lest I would have to miss school and help Ma with the work, but Besse came to my relief. So glad I was. I missed those stacks and stacks of dishes for dinner, but have to confront them tonight.

September 13, 1911

Several places the diary mentioned Grandma, Besse, and their sister Ruth having fun together. For example, on April 15, 1911, Grandma wrote:

Besse was out this afternoon. We three kids went for arbutus and I got some this time.

Besse had also faced some difficult times. The previous year she had a baby that died shortly after birth. On April 9, 2012 Grandma wrote:

I was an aunt for one brief half a day yesterday, but didn’t know it until this morning. I was so disappointed when I heard it was dead. My little nephew was buried this afternoon. The baby I never saw. I feel like crying, when I think I am an aunt no longer.

Got Proofs of Graduation Photos

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

Monday, May 5, 1913: Got my proofs this morning. In one I look rather mad. Cleaned a closet this afternoon. Expect to get some more of it tomorrow.

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

It didn’t take Grandma long to get the proofs. Her graduation pictures were taken on May 1.

I love the pensive expression on Grandma’s face on the picture she selected. I wonder if she was pleased with this photo. . . and, what she looked like in the picture where she looked rather mad.

I hope that you don’t mind that I’ve posted Grandma’s graduation photo several times—but it seemed like it was such an important part of today’s diary entry and I didn’t want to make you dig through old posts to find it.

1913 Gift Suggestions

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

Sunday, May 4, 1913: Went to Sunday School this afternoon. Although it is over a week since commencement, I received a present today. Making eighteen in all.

Sewing bag (Source: Ladies Home Journal, November, 1913) — sewing bag (source: Ladies Home Journal, November, 1913)

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

Hmm. . . What present did Grandma receive? . .

It probably was a small gift from her Sunday School teacher or another church member. . . maybe something handmade.

Grandma previously mentioned getting a hat pin, a handkerchief, a $2 bill, and a dress.

The November, 1913 issue of Ladies Home Journal suggested a few small gifts that could be made for 25¢ to $1. The magazine probably was thinking about Christmas when they published the article, but many of the gifts would have been equally appropriate as graduation gifts.

1913 Sunbury Teachers’ Meeting

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

Friday, May 2, 1913: Dear old Ruthie went to Sunbury this morning and isn’t coming home until tomorrow night. Rather miss the kid, too. I’m afraid I’ll soon have to begin to watch cows for that time is now at hand.

Row 1: Rachel Oakes (middle), Blanche Bryson (right). Row 2: Ruth Muffly (left) Source: The History of McEwensville Schools by Thomas Kramm (Used with permission)

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

I can’t believe it, but I may know why Grandma’s sister Ruth went to Sunbury. I think it was to attend a teachers’ meeting.

Sometimes I’m amazed how the pieces fit together. There is a photo in The History of the McEwensville Schools 1800-1958 of 12 women who attended a teachers meeting in Sunbury in 1913. One of them is Ruth Muffly—so I’m speculating that the reason she went to Sunbury on this date was to attend that meeting.

Ruth was a teacher at a nearby one-room school-house. The other two women who were identified in the photo were Rachel Oakes and Blanche Bryson. Both are mentioned in the diary. They were friends of Grandma and Ruth—as well as teachers.

Sunbury is about 15 miles from McEwensville, and it is the county seat of Northumberland county. The meeting probably was held to provide information and professional development for the teachers at many small schools scattered across the county.

Ruth wasn’t exactly a kid–she was 21 and three years older than Grandma.

Grandma often got annoyed with Ruth—but almost immediately missed her when she was gone. Was it because she had to do more work—or was it because she missed the companionship?

Maybe Grandma wished that Ruth was at home to help watch the cows. During previous summers Grandma often mentioned needing to watch the cows so that they didn’t escape from the pasture and get into the crops.