My family and I moved two times before I graduated college – and both times we moved into the house my paternal grandparents were moving from. The first time was to the house my father grew up in and the second time to the duplex my grandparents had purchased to take care of my great-grandparents. With my great-grandparents and my grandmother gone, my family moved in with my grandpa when I had just started college. While unpacking, I happened to find my grandmother’s journal and with my grandfather’s blessing, I was able to keep it.
This journal spans the year of 1945. She didn’t write every day in the journal but she was pretty regular in the beginning. She was the youngest of 7 children (and the second girl, all the rest were boys) and was turning 15 in 1945. She did have at least two brothers who were in World War II as well.
Tuesday January 2nd 1945
Grant stayed all nite. Took down the Christmas tree. Did dishes. Read Grant my diary am starting a new year. Did dinner dishes. Played with Grant and read stories. Did the supper dishes. Jack, Marge, Mom and Grant went to the temple and saw Thirty Seconds Over Toky with Van Johnson. I took care of Marion. Listen to the radio, Put up my hair. Bonnie came over for a while. Eggs went to the drugstore with me. School starts tomorrow.
My Thoughts:
I am surprised by my 15 year old Grandmother’s writing style! Having read her letters from when she was older, I assumed it would be written like that and not so choppy. To explain a little, Grant is her nephew. Her older brother (Jack) is married (that’s Marge) and Grant is her nephew (about 7 years younger than her). Marion is not her niece, and is likely a cousin. My grandmother’s father had several brothers and sisters as well and the Hummel clan got together a lot at this time. With that, it is odd to me that my grandmother didn’t talk about these years too much. I also didn’t think to ask when I was younger – something I wish I would have done now. My grandmother also had interesting names for her girlfriends – some of whom I was able to meet when I was younger. She kept in close touch with them throughout her life. She also loved movies and movie stars. She will write about them quite a bit!
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