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

Monday, October 28, 1912:  Got mad at the Rufus tonight. I think she can be so mean sometimes.

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

When Grandma was annoyed with her sister Ruth, she called her Rufus. How was Ruth mean to Grandma?

The past week has had many high points and low points for Grandma. She also has seemed frustrated with herself and other family members. But there are very few specifics in the diary entries.

There’s a need for research here! I haven’t worked ahead—this post needs to be published in less than 24 hours.

I want to tie it all back to the “convention” that Grandma attended on October 24:

Didn’t have school this afternoon so we could go without missing. It was very entertaining. Enjoyed it much.  Would like to have gone to the convention again tonight, but it was raining.

And, the next day, she wrote:

I’ve resolved to do something if carried out, I think will prove very beneficial to me at least. I’m going to try any way and see the result.

My Questions—What was the convention? Did the convention somehow affect Grandma’s mood and how she was interacting with her family?

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Note to Readers–Thanks for all of your wonderful suggestions about what the convention may have been.

Note to Self—(1) Try to find time to research this. (2) Try to get further ahead on writing posts. . . or at least remember to look ahead further so that there is time to do research before posts need to be written.

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

Sunday, October 27, 1912:  Went to Sunday School this morning. Carrie was over this afternoon. Miss Tweet was here also.

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

Sounds like Grandma spent a nice afternoon with two friends—Carrie Stout and Helen (Tweet) Wesner.

Grandma’s Sunday’s had a general routine—Sunday school, visiting with friends or relatives, and maybe a fun or relaxing activity— like a walk with a friend, or making ice cream, etc.

Sometimes the Sunday entries seem boring, then I remember how Grandma had to work very hard all week at school and on the farm—and I realize that these entries actually probably describe some of her happiest times.

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

Thursday, October 24, 1912:  Didn’t have school this afternoon so we could go without missing. It was very entertaining. Enjoyed it much.  Would like to have gone to the convention again tonight, but it was raining. That’s what if did this afternoon, too.

Was out to Ruthie’s school before I went up to the church. Took Jimmie out, that is he was to stay with her.

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

Grandma’s 7-year-old brother Jimmie also attended the McEwenville School. Their sister Ruth was a teacher at a nearby one-room school-house. Apparently the students at Ruth’s school didn’t get the afternoon off for the convention.

Why did Ruth need to babysit Jimmie while she was teaching. Maybe their parents also went to the convention.

I still haven’t figured out what the convention was—though Grandma mentioned it the previous day when she wrote:

Wanted to go to the Convention this evening, but it commenced to rain and Rufus said she wasn’t going, but she did go when Rachel came . .  .

It almost sounds like it was something associated with one of the churches in McEwensville—though I’m surprised that the students got time off school to attend a religious event.  Or maybe it was some sort of local political convention–elections were rapidly approaching both then and now.