January 1933

The following entries were made by Gladys Collins during the month of January in 1933. Her handwriting is petite, neat, and solely in cursive. Some letters are embellished with pronounced loops and flares, the telling penmanship trait of a young woman. Her written story begins in Kansas during the birth of a brand new year…

Jan 1- Sunday eve. New Years Day. Nice day. Rather warm and partly cloudy. Fred Kolb, a visitor. Wrote two letters today-Lucille and Louise.

Jan 2- Monday night. Today was a beautiful day. Rather warm. I sewed on my ‘Crazy Star’ quilt today. Fred Kolb was here this afternoon.

Jan 3- Tuesday night. The end of a beautiful summerlike day. Daddy and Clarence went to Ulysses. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon were visitors.

Jan 4- Wednesday eve. Another beautiful day. Joe and Delma were here today. Mr. Harmon called this afternoon. I never sewed any today.

Jan 5- Thursday eve. Another nice day. Baked bread and cleaned up the house. Daddy and Clarence went to Big Bow. Fred Kolb, a visitor. Mr. Harmon and S. Sanders called.

Jan 6- Friday eve. Nice in morning. Blowed hard in afternoon. We washed and churned. A lady from Haviland was here this evening.

Jan 7- Saturday eve. Heard from Louise. Rather cool today. Are listening to Nashville, Tenn now over the radio. Mr. Harmon was here today and Fred Kolb is here now.

Jan 8- Sunday night. Nice day. We stayed at home today. No company. Am tired and sleepy so will retire.

Jan 9- Monday night. Windy today. Mr. Maxwell was here. Heard from Mary Ruth and Lucille today. Al Heiland of Lakin died yesterday.

Jan 10- Tuesday eve. Windy day but not so cold. Heard from Aunt Offie today. Joe Grantham and some fur buyers were here.

Jan 11- Wednesday eve. Rather nice day. We cleaned up the house and baked bread today. I washed my hair this afternoon.

Jan 12- Thursday eve. A nice day today. Was my eighteenth birthday. I got a letter from Louise today. Fred Kolb was here this evening.

Jan 13- Friday night. A nice day. Joe Grantham was here and butchered a beef. We are listening to the Negro Prayer Band from K.W.K.H.

Jan 14- Saturday eve. Mamma got a card from Offie McKinney today. Beautiful day. Daddy and Clarence went to Ulysses this afternoon. Sent off an order to Sears for goods. Fred Kolb is here listening to the radio.

Jan 15- Sunday eve. The first calf of this year came today. Another nice warm day. Daddy and Clarence went over to Harmons this afternoon.

Jan 16- Monday eve. Rather cold today. Butchered a hog today. Harve and Elton Simpson were here this evening.

Jan 17- Tuesday eve. Cold today and cloudy. I baked my first cornbread this eve and it was pretty good. Fred Kolb is here tonight.

Jan 18- Wednesday night. An awful dirty windy day. Baked bread today. The ‘B’ batteries on the radio burned out so didn’t listen to radio tonight.

Jan 19- Thursday eve. Nice day. Cleaned up the house and started to wash. Got the order today. Callers were Charles Hazell, County agent, Mr. Harmon, John L, and Fred K.

Jan 20- Friday eve. Cloudy most all day. Daddy and Clarence went to Lakin today. Washed and canned 14 gl beef today. Grandma sent each of us goods for dress.

Jan 21- Saturday eve. A terrible dirty windy day. Mr. Tuttle brought a load of coal. Fred Kolb was here a few minutes. I done a little sewing.

Jan 22- Sunday eve. A nice day. Mamma sick with headache. Fred Kolb, Mrs. Allen, Miss Abbott and Earl Allen were here today.

Jan 23- Monday eve. John L and Mr. Harmon called at 10pm. Nice warm day. Cleaned our bedroom. Canned beef and sewed on my quilts. Mamma still sick.

Jan 24- Tuesday eve. Finished my Golden Glow quilt today. Nice day. Mrs. Hazell and Keith called. I baked bread today. Mamma still sick. Clarence helped do Hazell’s chores tonight.

Jan 25- Wednesday eve. Beautiful day. Cleaned up the house and sewed a little. Bro. Guys were here this eve. Clarence herded cows for Hazell’s.

Jan 26- Thursday eve. Windy day. I baked cake and pies. Daddy hauled feed this evening. Clarence was over to Hazell’s.

Jan 27- Friday eve. Daddy and Clarence went to Tuttle’s tonight. Nice day. Washed a few clothes and ironed quilt pieces. Sewed on Friendship quilt. Saw an airplane today.

Jan 28- Windy day. Daddy and Clarence went to Lakin with Mr. Tuttle and got some feed. Fred Kolb was here this afternoon. I sewed on my Flower Garden.

Jan 29- Beautiful day. We had no company and never went any place. Had a good time playing this evening.

Jan 30- Baked bread. Nice day but rather cool. Cleaned the bedrooms and washed all the blankets. Daddy and Clarence went to Ulysses. Joe Grantham called.

Jan 31- Windy day. Clarence went to C. Pearce’s. I sewed on my Wedding Ring quilt and also Flower Garden. Read quite a lot in the Bible.

Noted on a Memo page at the end of the month of January was the following: Read one book: ‘The Gentleman of Courage’ by Curwood.

• Author note: I have attempted to leave grammar, spelling, and vocabulary as it is written in the diary with the exception of corrections necessary to provide clarification and/or understanding,