Primary Navigation
Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.
Book Contents Navigation
Atwater, Minnesota: 1934-1935
Introduction
About the Author
1. Corinna leaves for New York
2. President Roosevelt's whistle stop in Willmar
3. Ruth tells Corinna to save her letters
4. Gloria goes to Bluebirds camp
5. Harriet bakes a cake for Bluebirds
Harriet (Stafford) Dukelow
6. Baseball game in Minneapolis
7. Shopping at Dayton's in Minneapolis
8. Marvin trades a truck tire for four cords of wood
9. Harriet plans to buy a bicycle
10. Gloria plays paper dolls
Gloria (Stafford) Hansen
11. Ruth elected committee chair to write Chorus Constitution
12. School starts and Harriet looks up bicycles in the Sears catalog
13. Myron types a letter while working at the garage
Myron "Buddy" Covell Stafford
14. Harriet's bicycle arrives
15. Marvin and Ruth's 20-year wedding anniversary
16. Some motherly advice
17. Ruth rides Harriet's bicycle
18. Ruth explains proposed Constitutional Amendments at League of Women Voters meeting
19. Marvin sells the Pontiac and gets a Ford pickup
Marvin Christopher Stafford and Gloria (Stafford) Hansen
20. Ruth gives a reading at the Swedish Ladies' Aid
21. Baked beans and grape pudding for dinner
22. Harriet plays the drunkard's daughter in "A Prisoner at the Bar"
Gloria (Stafford) Hansen and Harriet (Stafford) Dukelow
23. Ruth bakes pies, cake, and bread for the church Food Sale
24. Ruth sews "like blazes" to make pajamas and a petticoat
25. Relief workmen move Olga's house
26. Harriet sells forget-me-nots downtown
27. Wash day
28. An old tam gets a makeover and Ruth sews an old skirt into a dress for Gloria
29. Harriet and Gloria get bracelets and books from Corinna
30. Ruth and Myrtle sew on the porch
31. Mrs. Tresk wears an ostrich plume hat to church
32. Ruth talks to Myron about putting up the storm windows
33. Ruth goes to the Legion play and Marvin goes pheasant hunting
34. Ruth prepares pheasants for dinner
35. Gloria and Harriet get a P and G circus coloring book
36. Nearly everyone in Atwater attends Hovey/Slinden wedding at the Norwegian church
37. Ruth's winter coat gets a makeover
38. Atwater children vaccinated for small pox
39. Hallowe'en can-tipping
40. Gloria and Harriet visit Bobby who is recovering from pneumonia
41. Back taxes on the house count up to $198
42. Games after supper: "Button Button," "Bird, Beast or Fish," and "Hooky, Hooky, Hooky"
43. Harriet practices the piano and Myron practices for the Athletics play
Gloria (Stafford) Hansen; Harriet (Stafford) Dukelow; and Myron "Buddy" Covell Stafford
44. Myron becomes an Eagle Scout
45. Ruth gives a reading at Norwegian Aid
46. Marvin buys 40 lbs of pork at six cents a pound; Ruth stores it outside under a tub
47. Harriet saves her paper route money to buy ice skates
48. Harriet practices singing "I don't want to play in your yard" for the Athletics specialty
49. Ruth spends the afternoon sewing with Winnie
50. Marvin buys 3 tons of coal to keep the house warmer than burning wood
51. Gloria gets chicken pox
52. Ruth helps Harriet deliver papers in a blizzard
53. Myron plays the organ in church
54. Ruth earns $4.40 counting election ballots
55. Myron plays Willie Waldo in "The Antics of Andrew" and Harriet sings in "Sunbonnet School Days"
56. Harriet and Gloria deliver papers by sled and then go coasting
57. Myron "scared witless" by a pencil seller
58. Winnie takes a job at the Wartburg in Minneapolis
59. Myron works on a grease job at the garage; sells 60 gallons of gas in one afternoon
60. Snow fight at the Atwater School
61. League of Women Voters meeting in Willmar, followed by shopping in a snowstorm
62. Harriet sings "Santa is coming to town" and Gloria sings a snowflake song in the school program
63. Santa arrives in town in a truck and gives everyone a box of Cracker Jack and an apple
64. Christmas dinner and opening presents
65. Marvin and Myron have a busy day at the garage selling wood alcohol and storing cars
66. Harriet and Gloria go to the pictures to see Shirley Temple; Ruth goes ice skating
67. Fire truck goes to the wrong house
68. Listening to Hauptman's trial on the radio
69. W.C.T.U. meeting
70. Ruth plays the prelude at church
71. Ruth uses wheat allotment checks to pay down the back taxes
72. Another fierce blizzard
73. Equal Rights Amendment lesson at League of Women Voters meeting
74. Harriet plays Bunco at Camp Fire Girls meeting
75. Gloria catches bobs with Virginia
Gloria (Stafford) Hansen and Myron "Buddy" Covell Stafford
76. Temp hits 35 below in Atwater
77. Harriet's birthday
78. 200 voices at Chorus meet in Willmar
79. Myron is laid up with a basketball injury
80. Ruth sews a blue dress and covers two old quilts
81. Doc Anderson binds Myron's ankle
82. Shopping trip to Willmar
83. Ruth hosts W.C.T.U. lunch
84. Ruth helps out at Boy Scouts' pancake fundraiser
85. Myron attends Boy Scouts' Court of Honor in Minneapolis
86. Myron wins first in Oratory Contest
87. P.T.A. committee meets at the Broman coffee shop
88. Harriet, Gloria, and Ruth go skating on Elvira's pond
89. Ruth covers an old quilt with 10 cent material from the Big Store
90. Harriet and Gloria make divinity
91. Listening to Boake Carter on the radio
92. Ruth ties a quilt
93. Myron plays in basketball tournament on his injured ankle
94. The Staffords borrow Lundgren's electric corn popper to make buttered popcorn
95. Atwater gets serum for diphtheria inoculations
96. Ruth washes her green coat in gas
97. Snow is wet enough for coasting on the school hill
98. Ruth feeds a bum a good supper - plus a piece of divinity
99. Myron drives Marvin's "wrecky Chevy" to the tournament in Litchfield
100. Harriet starts a Skippy club
101. Myron advertises the Junior Class Play at P.T.A.
102. Marvin gives Ruth an electric corn popper for her 45th birthday
103. Harriet attends Camp Fire Girls' ceremonial meeting
104. Marvin gets Wallace Roetzer's car in trade on a bill
105. A tramp chops wood in exchange for breakfast
106. Shopping trip to Willmar in the new car
107. Harriet buys "Little Women" for $1 at the Drug Store
108. Harriet sees "Treasure Island" and comes home singing pirate songs
109. Pancakes for breakfast
110. Camp Fire Girls' Food Sale raises $33
111. Two teachers are not reappointed by the school board
112. Boys orchestra practices new music; not much harmony
113. Trip to Sears in Minneapolis to look for linoleum
114. Myron and Darrel finish chopping the wood
115. Ruth lugs the radio down to the garage for Marvin to listen to the ball game
116. Ruth gets her dress collar picoted in Willmar
117. Corinna sends an Easter box to the Staffords
118. Myron breaks his other ankle at the Olivia game
119. Ruth attends Idella's funeral
120. Marvin brings home the radio to listen to the ball game
121. Harriet and Ruth make May baskets for Miss Branae's shower
122. Sleet storm takes down telephone poles and lines
123. Ruth digs in the garden
124. Myron plays the organ at church; Harriet practices her song for the Senior Class Specialty
125. Ruth buys seeds for the garden
126. Ruth feeds a tramp a plate on the back porch
127. Marvin plants the garden and buys a Whippet car
128. Ruth watches a funeral procession from the front window
129. Nellie cleans and oils the kitchen clock and gets it running again
130. Myron and Harriet go to the ball game; Gloria makes mud cakes
131. Apple trees are blossoming
132. Harriet and Gloria sell poppies
133. Harriet works the fishing pond at C.F.G. fundraiser
134. Byron comes to dinner and brings ice cream
135. Myron plays "The Lost Chord" at Commencement, accompanied by Ruth
136. Marvin goes fishing and catches one little sunfish
137. Marvin sells the Whippet car
138. Methodist Church has 75 year Jubilee Celebration
139. Myron drives the Model A Coupe to Willmar
140. 200 attend Alumni event
141. Ruth transplants flower seedlings
142. Ruth prepares for the trip to New York
143. Final letter written to Corinna in New York
144. Neighborhood children in their bathing suits out in the rain
145. Ruth votes in the school board election
146. Ruth makes sandwiches for lunch at the lake after the ball game
147. Marvin shocks corn at Nordstrom's farm
148. Marvin wants Corinna to handle the books for the garage; Ruth wants to sell the Model T
149. Corinna sends beach balls to Harriet and Gloria
150. Marvin starts 10 days of threshing, driving a bundle team for Nels Nordstrom
Appendix 1: Wash Day
Appendix 2: Oral History
Appendix 3: October 16, 1934 letter
Bibliography
Back cover
Letters written between December 23, 1934, and March 19, 1935.
Previous/next navigation
Atwater, Minnesota: 1934-1935 Copyright © 2019 by Ruth Dukelow is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.