Saturday, August 30, 2008

The End

This is it, 89 pages. I am almost sad to be done. I hope I have captured the spirit of his diary. There are a few pages of notes in the back of the journal that has work hours people spent putting up a fence and purchase from 1910 and 1911. Animals born and sold. Mostly incomplete pages that wouldn't make a lot of sense to put up here. It is fun to look over though.

Hope you have enjoyed the journey back in time!

A Note About the John Braden Diary

I should post every so often what this diary is and dates to let some one just coming to the blog know what these pages are and who wrote them.

John Braden is my great great grandfather. He was born December 19, 1864 in Illinois. He started this diary when he moved to Webster City, Iowa in 1898. The diary spans over a couple of years with a few entries after.

I though since I am putting John Braden's diary on here, it might be a good idea to put some information about his family here too. I wish I had Lucina thoughts on paper too. I am thankful for the diary I have, but it just peeks my curiosity about Lucina life. Here below is the information John wrote in the back of his diary.

John Braden was born in the year of 1864 December the 19th
Lucina Gatton was born in the year of 1867 November the 11th
Lora May Braden was born in the year 1891 of May the 4th
Harry Vanburen Braden was born in the year of 1892 September the 25th
John Young Braden was born in the year of 1895 June the 26th
Cora A. Braden was born in the year of 1898 June the 29th
Ray B. and Fay G. Braden were born in the year of 1899 October the 19th
Dorothy J. Braden was born in the year of 1902 July the 17th


Lora May Braden died May 26, 1893
Fay Gatton Braden died October the 15, 1900

Sadly it looks like when he wrote this diary they had already lost one child. They lose Fay just under a year after she was born.

Page Eighty Nine John Braden's Diary

9/18
clouddy & coald all day

9/19
show day four _____ & sells show i dident work it rained all day no show

9/20
uncle will got up sick had to go home tom went with him went on the 4.17 train

9/21
ma went down to Johns to stay all night

9/23
i shaved John was here to day

Page Eighty Eight John Braden's Diary

JULY THE 16
i cream supper in the Park wife & i went a while i shaved my mustash off i have got the store Bill Paid Paid it the 15th the wether is offle dry all though it look for rain to night i am loading cars & pooting up mills

July 21th
ma arived Home to day Paid on my Place July the 7th $9 00

august the 7
$9 00 to a ply on contrack with Edger litchfield for my place

september the 7
i Paid $9 00 on my place John gatton moved Back to Webester city

9/16
i sent art $20 00 to come here on 9/17 tom Phairs & uncle will come here this evening we set up and talked till after 12 o clock

Page Eighty Seven John Braden's Diary

May the 6/1901
i made my first payment on my place $9 00

May the 13
Well we have got moved to our new home moved last tuesday we went out to Jo Barneses yesterday

May the 12
i paid him $1 00 for syrup i planted currents bushes & some goosBerrys bushes

May the 7th
i paid $9 00 on my house

May the 6th
i bought Ed gattons Banjo & a pair of shoes for $5 00

May the 12
Ed g paid $3 00 on acount & the 18th $3 00 & 25 $3 00 31 $3 00

June the 9th
$3 00

June the 10th
i am doing the teamming a gain i Paid Edger litchfield $9 00 on my house

Page Eighty Six John Braden's Diary

March 31/1901
Well we are quarnteaned in yet i have not worked for 3 weeks comming tuesday ed Braden wint out to Jims thursday he has been here 3 weeks

april 13th
Ed gatton give me two dollars and half

Sunday 14
read the papers all day

Monday 15
made garden at litchfield

tuesday 16
___ Dr one of the big horses at the foundry

17
ma wint to misouria today

sunday the 21
i worked in the L.M.F.G. co. yard 17, 18, 19, 20 last week Edgar litchfield & i am on a house & lot deal

April tuesday the 30
Ed gatton Has $4.50 on a count ma Has gon to mo We got a letter from Her last week Wife is sick with soar throat

Page Eighty Five John Braden's Diary

Monday the 11
i came home sick i worked 8 to day

tuesday the 12
i worked 2 to day was in bed most of the day

Wensday the 13
i was in bed all day pritty sick

thursday 14
was up all day Felt better i have got the small pox wint up and votted at the primary after supper

Friday 15 am not so well to day

saturday 16
am better to day wife cora & the baby have got the small pox to they are getting on all Wright tom H was here to day

sunday the 17
all Hands doing very well i took a short walk out it was so fine out dooars

Page Eighty Four John Braden's Diary

monday the 28
got my money Paid the coal Bill $5 35 got $3 95 Halled iron all day

March the First
a nice warme day i Have been doing the choars For the l.M.F.G. co. For a bout 3 weeks as the temester has quit the foundry has been closed down for 3 weeks under going Repairs & pooting in new meshinery I was Halling mills un till noon halling lumber this after noon gorge G is going out in the country to work Jim & Minie is going to move out to grace & tom has gone to the countary to work Friday Ed & Charley G

Page Eighty Three John Braden's Diary

Janory the 17/1901
i was pooting up Feede Grinders all day Ed G With George G went out to cut Wood But came Back

Friday the 18
i was ironing sweeps & dipping ey Boalts Painting Roods Wife went up town got Harry & John a pair of pants & waists & socks

sunday the 20
wife & ey went to church ollie & wife was Babtised

monday the 21
Pay day i ironed sweeps till noon Run the ingin after dinner went up town after supper Paid the Butcher $1 94 paid the log 85 cents

tuesday 22
i was ironing sweeps & cleanning up a round the foundry took the cow red to the bull Jo Barns was here for dinner to day i Borrowed $5 00 From ma to night Paid on my store Bill

Page Eighty Two John Braden's Diary

Janory the First (1901)
i dident work to day dad was Here for dinner we Had duck for dinner I went up town got a ax 75 cents some Hair for my Fiddle Boo 25 cents charley started for illinoise to day

Janory the (16)(1901)
marrion & ed gatton came here on the 4th Ed is here yet marrion has gon away wife went to church last sunday night with george & ida i went to the log last monday night the 14 i went up town last night paid $7 00 on acount to the store i loaded a car of nock down mills to day 40 mills

Page Eighty One John Braden's Diary

December the 19 1900
26 years old to day ma got me a pocket knife for my Birthday We had co_sno_ cake & mine Pa for dinner Frank Wikle Was here for dinner he came from illi last night Pa gatton Was here to dinner i got H. V. Braden a pair of shoes last night $1 50

monday the 24
Pay day & christmas eve old sandy Brought me a pair of coof Buttons & wife got a lamp gramma got a cup & sasar dad gatton got a cup & sasar Harry John & cora got Harry a Bank John a Bank cora a dool

christmas day
i dident work to day We had chicken for dinner dad was here

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Happy Sister's Day!

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Kidsfest 2008

An other great day! We went back to Joliet today so younger son could be part of Kidsfest. They had a lot of activities for kids and performers. A friend of ours was dancing with her group today. It was too bad they both had 2pm performances! I would have love to seen her dance. Younger son and 6 other cast members preformed for about 15 minutes in front of Rialto Theatre and did some of the High School Musical songs they did on stage a couple of weeks ago. They did a great job! For the last song the college that was sponsoring the kidsfest had college kids from their school that also preformed HSM this year joined them. It was a lot of fun. Younger son made some great friends through this experience and had lots of fun. Of course I was standing in front with my camera :) It was so hot I though the camera was going to self destruct! It took forever to take the picture after I would click the shot. Luckily they all turned out ok and the camera seems fine. Originally they were calling for 98 degree temperatures, but we were very lucky, it was only 85 degrees. In the sun it was still pretty hot though. At least parking was free today! Always a plus.

Happy August!

We had a great first day of August! We got together with some friends we haven't seen in quite awhile. While homeschooling years ago we met a few families we hung around with regularly. We did a lot of really cool field trips and had lunch and pool parties often. These kids are closer to older son's age and two of the families ended up going to high school. The kids have all been busy with high school, college and assorted activities. So our gatherings are more like once a year. One family is moving next year so this may have been our last get together as a group. The mom's still get to go to lunch once in awhile :) Younger son was always the youngest in the group so even though he is still homeschooled all but two kids are college age now. We miss doing things with this group!

The kids had fun swimming and hanging out and us moms sat around and talked. Here are two pictures I took.

The "Kids"

The Moms