Column, Gales Creek, History

Column | The Diaries of Esther Lilly Hundley: May 1930

Esther Lilly Hundley

Cast of characters

Esther Lilly Hundley & Charles Hundley (written as Charley/Chas), the author of the diaries and her husband.

Bill (written as Billie) and Elsie, Esther and Charles’ firstborn and his wife. 

Ted and Thelma, Esther and Charles’ second-born and as of April 13, 1929, Ted’s wife. 

Gladys and Roy Bills (written as Mr. B. or Mr. Bills), Esther and Charles’ third-born and her boyfriend. 

Thur May 1 – Clear & beautiful. We ironed. I washed my hair real early. Charley cultivated strawberries. Dick & I howed them. Chas howed after he got them cultivated. I howed 2 rows. They finished up after dinner about 1:30. Gladie went to a show after supper, we stayed home. 

Fri May 2 – Showery. I made some rhubarb custard pies and killed a fat hen for my birthday. 48 years. No one here but Charley, Dick, Gladie & Myself. Gladie slept in afternoon. Dick went home about 2:15. I fixed over some of our dresses. Oliver came stayed for supper and till 9:30.

Sat May 3 – Showery & sunshine. We did up our usual Sat. work & took a bath afternoon, we went to town. Gladie got her a new summer coat at Penney’s $19.90 for it. Gladie got me a nice pair of silk bloomers & some beads for my birthday. Gladie & I went to a PTA play at the Ladies Club Hall at G.C. The quilt was raffled off. Geo Ray got it, the G.C. school dad. 

Sun May 4 – A beautiful day. Did not rain all day. Billie & Elsie came down real early. Billie went fishing. Ted & Thelma came down. Troy & Vera moved up in Fred’s house. Ted helped Troy all day. Billie got home about 2:15 got 11 fish. Oliver came stayed for lunch. Gladie went to a show at Hillsboro. Charley, Billie, Elsie, Gloria & I went to G.C. to church. Fred Wilson started to hold revival there today.

Mon May 5 – A nice day. I started in real early to clean up the kitchen. Kalsomined it in tan & green border. Put up new curtains. Charley traded his Billie bull today for a Guernsey bull to a cattle man that came through. 

Tue May 6 – Light showers. I cleaned the Hoosier cabinet and all the wood work in the kitchen. After noon we slept some, then marcelled our hair. Oliver came about 4 o’clock stayed for supper. Charley, Gladie & I went to church, went by and got Mr. & Mrs. Ben Harper. The kids all came to church also. 

Wed May 7 – A big frost, cloudy & shower & sunshine all day. I put out a wash real early. Then wrote some letters. Then filled my porch box. Afternoon we slept. Then I put out my aster plants in flower garden. Charley, Gladie & I & Mr. & Mrs. Ben Harper went to church. 

Thur May 8 – A lovely day. We ironed and did up our usual work. Ted & Thelma came down about 9 to work their garden, they stayed for dinner. They took the radio up for awhile. We have Ted’s phoneograph. Gladie & I went up to cemetery & up Soda Springs to get some rock to fix around the graves. Billie & Elsie were here when we got back. He worked up his garden, put more out. We all went to church after supper. Gladie went to a show. 

Fri May 9 – A lovely morning. Gladie went fishing over in Mill Creek, got back at 2:30 got five fish. I worked in garden. Baked light bread first time for a long time. Oliver came about 4 stayed for supper. Chas, Gladie & I went to church. Billie & Elsie came also. Ted & Thelma went to Pike. 

Sat May 10 – Clear & beautiful. We did our usual Sat. work, cleaned the upstairs. Afternoon we went to Forest Grove. When we got home Billie & Elsie were here. Billie put out more garden seed. After supper we all went to church. The kids stayed all nite. 

Sun May 11 – Mother’s Day. A beautiful day. Billie went fishing. Charley, Gladie and I started down to Grandma’s about 10:15. Grandma had gone to church. I had dinner about ready when she got home. Afternoon, Dick and Oscar went to a ball game at Hillsboro. Gladie went for a ride. Norma came about 2’clock. Charley came home at 4:15. I stayed and came with Gladie, took in a show, “The Younge Eagles”. Got home at 9:45. Chas went to church. Ted & Thelma, Troy, Vera, Freddie, Bob, and Mildred & Mack all went over the Wilson River way and on to Tillamook came back by way of McMinnville. Got home about 2 o’clock in the nite.

Mon May 12 – A beautiful day. We did our usual work and worked garden. Gladie painted a pillow top. We slept afternoon. After supper, Gladie & I went to cemetary and cleared around the graves. 

Tue May 13 – Cloudy & showery. Did our usual work. I fixed around some flowers. Gladie painted 2 pillow tops. We slept some. Grandpa Herrick came over. Oliver came stayed for supper. We went to church. Ben, Fannie & Oliver went with us. Billie & Elsie were there also. Rained hard in evening. 

Wed May 14 – Cloudy. I put out a wash and baked light bread. Gladie fixed a pillow. Grandpa H. came for awhile, afternoon, Mr. Kahler came to see about us picking berries. Gladie and I took a lot of flowers to cemetary to put out. After supper we went to church, Billie & Elsie were there again. 

Thur May 15 – Cloudy. We cleaned up the front room, changed things around. I cleaned out the hen house, afternoon. Then we slept some, then marcelled our hair. Gladie went to a show. We went to church. Ben & Fannie went with us. 

Fri May 16 – Cloudy. We ironed. Gladie went fishing got 3. I made Grandma’s curtains. I washed my hair real early, got it curled before 11. We slept some afternoon. Troy and Vera came for awhile. The Raleigh Man came. Grandpa H. came for awhile after supper. We went to church. Ben & Fannie went with us. 

Sat May 17 – Cloudy & showery. We did our usual Sat. work. Afternoon, Charley, Gladie & I went to town. Went by Watts and around Stringtown, as they are putting oil on G.C. road. After supper we went to church. Ted & Thelma went to F.G. and came back here stayed all nite. 

Sun May 18 – Cloudy and light showers in after noon. I made an orange sponge cake, had dandy luck with it. Afternoon, Ted & Thelma, Charley, Gladie & I went for a ride in Ted’s car up around Pike. Stopped to see Freda. We went on out to see an old school building, The Bishop Scott Catholic School, away back in the hills, an awfully big concrete building, but out of use. We had to go by way of Hillside on account of oil on roads, we got home at 5:15. Had lunch at 6. Gladie went to a show. Ted & Thelma went home. Charley & I went to church. Billie & Elsie were there. They went to Portland today, Mrs. Paris came out with them. 

Mon May 19 – Rainy. Dr. Coon came to test cows for T.B. Gladie and I went over to see about picking strawberries. Set old Billie hen on Duck eggs. It has rained hard all day since 9 o’clock. No church to nite. We slept about all afternoon. 

Tue May 20 – Still rainy. I put out a wash real early. Gladie painted some pillow tops. We slept some in p.m. Dick came about 5 o’clock. We went to church, Ben, Frannie & Oliver went with us. Dick stayed home and read. 

Wed May 21 – Cloudy & sunshine. Gladie and Dick both went fishing along Gales Creek. Gladie got 2, Dick got 2. One was 15 inches long. I made light bread and some cookies. Afternoon, Gladie, Dick & I went fishing again. He got one. We went to church. Ben, Fannie & Oliver went. Billie & Elsie were there. Emmet came out and was with them. Today was Teddie’s 26 birthday. I gave him a sweat shirt for a present. 

Thur May 22 – Clear & pretty. We just did our usual work. Dick went fishing. Billie & Emmet went over to Wilson River fishing. Gladie went fishing in Campbell Creek, got 3. Ted & Thelma came down stayed all nite. We went to church tonite. 

Fri May 23 – We did our usual work. Ted, Thelma, Gladie & I went over to Kahlers to see his berry patch. Went to cemetary in p.m. Ted & Dick finished spaiding the lot up. We went to church. 

Sat May 24 – We did our usual work. Went to town in afternoon. Ted & Thelma went to Pike. We went to church. Real warm today. 

Sun May 25 – A nice day. We did up our work early, fixed a lunch and Charley, Dick, Gladie & I went to Sauvies Island, got down there at 10 o’clock. Dick & Gladie fished. Gladie got 2 cat fish. Dick got a carp. We got home about 4:30. Emmet & Billie were here. Got back from the river. Got a lot of fish, one 21 inches long. Dick took them up to Camp. E.K. came back with him. E.K., Dick and I went to a show at Hillsboro, a mystery play. Gladie went to F.G. to a show. 

Mon May 26 – A nice day. Did up our usual work. Gladie and Emmet went up to Camp in fore noon. Billie came down to plant some more garden. Dick went home after dinner. We planted our late garden. Emmet helped us. Vera & Freddie came down for awhile. Billie & Elsie came & Gloria, stayed for supper. 

Tue May 27 – A nice day. I put out a wash. Charley, Emmett and Gladie fell the bee tree right after noon. Then Emmet, Gladie & I went to cemetary, got some rock up by Soda Springs to put around flowers by the graves. We went to church. 

Wed May 28 – Showery. I made a cake. Gladie& E.K. went up to Camp. Marion & the boys came over from Tillamook about eleven, they stayed for dinner. Went up to Timber and came back after supper. Billie & Elsie came about 1:30 took E.K. to F.G., he went to Portland. Gladie went with them to town. Charley, Marion & the Kids went to church. Gladie & I went to bed. 

Thur May 29 – A nice day. We got up early. Gladie & I went to Guy Kahlers to pick berries for the first. Picked till 11:30, got 4 crate, made 80 cts. Got home at one. Marion & I went to cemetary. Gladie & Roscoe went and got ferns & moss. We all went to church. 

Fri May 30 – Decoration Day. A nice day. Gladie fixed a lot of flowers for the graves. Emma, Leon, Delpha & Jackie came about 9:15. Delpha stayed here for dinner. Emma, Leon, Jackie, Ted & Thelma went up to Troy’s & Vera’s for dinner. We all went to cemetary in afternoon. Ted & Thelma, Marion & the boys were here for lunch. Had our first berries, the rest had supper up to Troy’s. We all went to church. Billie & Elsie came by. There was 5 cars went from here. Dr. Lake preached.

Sat May 31 – Some rainy. Emma’s folks and Marion’s all went back to Tillamook about 8. Then we did up our work. Went to F.G. in p.m. and to church after supper. Ben, Fannie & Oliver went with us. 

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