Check out this LINK for a great YOUTUBE video of New York City in the 1940s!
1 W=R M
New Years again. Jeanne Klump called in afternoon. I did not work today at plant. Went thru trunk in attic & straightened it up a little. N wrote Ruth [Fifield, her aunt]. Getting a cold.
2 W=F 16deg F TU
Worked 2 hrs. O. T. Recd card from Bob from 12th Army Group HQ, France with no date. Recd 2 letters from Ralph & 2 telegrams. He is at Kingman, AZ. N called GE Co. about refrigerator, but no one called. I called yesterday but was asked to call today as no one was working
3 W=F W
Recd "The Soul's Return" from AMORC for Mrs. Hendricks subscription to The R. C. Digest from me for Xmas. Mended dresser drawer for dresser in attic. N & dad went to call on eye doctors yesterday for dad's eye cataracts. They want $250. Refrig. representative called to look at box. He says a ? unit is required.
4 W=F TH
O. T. 2 hrs. Recd letter from Ralph-his last from Laredo, Tex. Recd a telegram giving his new Kingman, AZ address. Sent birthay card to Rieka [his niece, Jennie's daughter].
5 W=F F
Recd letter from Bob & one from Jennie. Dad V is going to live with Margaret. N took her parents to visit local Social Security Board to find out about Old Age Pensions. She obtained the necessary papers to make application. It is our 27th wedding anniversary today.
6 W=F SA
N is 50 years old today. She had papers notarized for her parents at the U.C. Trust Co. Recd letter from Bob dated 12/14 wherein he states he received 2 packages & letters, one was from A T F.
7 W=S SU
Cleaned walks twice. Jack Ackerman & Roy Mowrer called for me at 1:50PM to take me to Winklepleck's roast suckling pig dinner at Boy Scout cabin near Bonnie Burn. He tried two hills but only got 1/2 way up & had to return. We stopped at Orchard Inn & had dinner there. Wrote in on N's letter to Bob. N made cookies for Ralph & did up a pkg for him. Ran into snow & sleet which made use of windshield impossible. Jack had heater in car but had to lean out of window to see his way.
8 W=F M
N felt bad this morning. Had to vomit, upset stomach. She ate a sardine last evening. Recd lesson builder from AMORC. Requested my Forum subscription extension for 1 yr.
9 W=F 15deg TU
Overtime 2 hrs. We recd telegram from Ralph from Bristol, stating he would be here next week.
10 W=F 11deg W
Had stomach flu this afternoon. Did not eat supper but went straight to bed. Got up at 10:30 & then back to bed at 12:50.
11 W=F TH Overtime 2 hrs.
12 W=S F
Recd Income Tax Forms etc., from Int Rev Bureau yesterday. N lost $10 of war stamps today.
13 W=S SA
Today the stamps reappeared. The man who bot them & accidentally received more than he bot, called N & said he would return same next week. [Something that we will never experience!]
14 W=S SU
Shovelled snow twice. N & I wrote Bob. Ralph has not been heard from since his telegram Tues.
15 W=F M
Recd 6 letters from Bob & 3 from Ralph & Sally. He is not in France, probably Luxembourg or Belgium. Recd 1st A T & T dividend check. Recd M. O. for $25 for Bob's checking acct.
16 W=S TU More snow.
N teleg. to Ralph not to come by car due to storm here. Ralph ans & said he had to come that way & they plan to leave Bristol Weds. AM & arrive late W. or early Thurs. Read Bob's letter to Mrs. McMillan. Did not work overtime due to storm. Shoveled walks after midnight. N wrote 3 page letter to Bob.
17 W=F W
Ralph was supposed to have left Bristol for here this AM. They did not reach here before midnight. Shoveled snow. Recd another letter from Bob.
18 W=F TH
No overtime. The kids got here this AM at 1:30. They had left Bristol yesterday at 7AM. N & I were up until they came. Recd 3 more letters from Bob & 1 from Ruth. Ralph shoveled out the driveway today & put his car into garage. I also helped a little.
19 W=F F
Recd 4 letters from Bob. We had Jeanne Klump at supper & for the evening.
20 W=F SA
Ralph & Sally went to NYC at 2PM & came back after midnight with Mrs. Moore's son (Sally's nephew) [our cousin Pat Moore III who we called Pat Jr.] who is a cadet in Navy & studying at Columbia University. [I can't be positive this picture is from this date, but it fits all the criteria to be taken on this visit. The coat was a fox, which mother had remade into a cape & muff after it wore out, and/or went out of style. I still use the muff on occasions when it's cold and it goes with my outfit!] Recd 1st V Mail letter from Bob today dated 1/6/45. [1/16/11-I noticed an article in my recent DAR Magazine, American Spirit, that there was info on Victory Mail at the Smithsonian's website. It's fascinating, I recommend reading the info in this link for an overview of how V Mail worked & if you click this link, be sure to click the links found there for further reading, really gives insight into what was what with the mail, which in our family during the war was very important as you have seen. Actually as I keep transcribing, you will see it was always important in our family, we are a group of letter/card writers! Just yesterday as I was looking for something, a letter from grandmother fell out of a box. There is a blurb about Civil War mail on the Postal Museum site, check it out too; I have the letters one of grandmother's ancestors sent home from that war, and am transcribing them.]
21 W=F SU
We had Pat Moore to dinner with us today. He slept with us last night in Bob's bed. The kids took him back to Columbia & then visited friends out at Long Island.
22 W=Rain Sleet M xx
Ralph & I went to see Industrial exhibit at Armory of Union County War Plant outputs. Our monitor top on refrigerator was replaced today with another one.
23 W=F TU Ralph & Sally called on Hazel & Robb [Adams].
24 W=C W 0degF Cold Wave Had a nice talk w/ Ralph on immortality, religion, etc.
25 W=F 3degF TH xx
Ralph & Jo and a friend left about 9:30 AM for Bristol. Ralph drove me to Elizabeth Depot where I took leave of him. Missed last Kearny train commuter so came in by bus thru Newark. Dad & mother S recd letter from Chicago office of Social Security advising them of payments starting Jan. 1945. Dad gets $11.85/month, Deed gets $5.93 per month.
26 W=F F
Dad received his with-holding receipt for total wages of $637.80, tax withheld $1.55. I filled it out.
27 W= F SA
Recd letter from Bob. Took N out to 6 places delivering & receiving wool & woolen knit articles.
28 W=F SU xx
Wrote in N's letter to Bob. Worked at plant from 8:45 to 1:00PM at Ferguson's request. He rode me in & back home. We wasted an hr. when he ran out of gas on the highway. [Good thing Fergy was the boss!]
29 W=R & SL M
Attended lecture by Imperator Ralph M. Lewis at Pythian Hall, Roosevelt Room in company with Pete Lieske, Pat, Chas. Searles & 2 other engineers. It was a wonderful experience. Mr. & Mrs. Haack & Mr. & Mrs. Scott were also there. Recd a copy of "Ref Data for Radio Engineers" today.
30 W=F TU
Overtime 2 hrs. Recd telegram from Ralph & Jo stating their safe arrival in Kingman, AZ. [Gee, that's on Route 66, wonder how they went from Bristol to Kingman. Will have to look at an Atlas! Later, I think they went from Bristol over the forerunner of Interstate 40 all the way to what was then Route 66 to Kingman. In 5 days they left NJ, went to Bristol and got to Kingman, an amazing feat considering the highways at the time!]
31 W=F 20deg W
Recd card to fill out from Jury Commission. So did Deed. N got summons to serve on Petit Jury starting 2/5/45.
FEBRUARY 1945
1 W=F TH Went to bed then got up at 11PM. Did some esoterical studying, etc.
2 W=F F
Overtime 2 hrs (+ ½ from Sunday) Snow & ice still on ground for longest period since 1925. Ice in local rivers too. Skating in all parks.
3 W=F SA still cold
4 W=F SU
Shoveled snow to basement coal window. Also for clothes line. Pruned rest of Spirea bushes. Fixed 2 doorbells. Wrote to Robert in N’s letter.
5 W=F M N started her jury service of 2 weeks. She was selected on a case.
6 W=F TU N finished her first jury case at 6PM & was home at 6:20PM just as I came in. Called IHP, told him I was going to NY Chapter with him tomorrow to place my application for membership.
7 W=F W xxxxx
Pat & I attended AMORC NYC Junior Lodge meeting where I was initiated into the Lodge. I was greatly uplifted & happy. So was Pat. I received (along with the other initiates) a red rosebud which I kept & brot home w/ me. I have it pressed in Cosmic Consc. Recd ¾ ton each of coal & coke.
8 W=S TH
9 W=C F
Recd withholding receipt from Company today. Shoveled snow from walks. Pat called me this AM. Many were hour or more late on account of snow storm yesterday. New England was hard hit.
10 W=F SA
Snow & ice melting fast. Suddenly developed a sore throat this afternoon. Went to bed at 8:45 & got up at 12:30AM Sunday. Studied 10T-M28 & TARO 10 & 11. N recd a post card from Sally. They are living in a room & eating out in Kingman, Arizona. [This sounds like such an adventure...probably a room in a boarding house with meals in restaurants.]
11 W=F SU
Took N & Deed to an interracial meeting at Third Presbyterian Church. Studied Kaballa & read In Tune with the Infinite. Wrote a few lines in N’s letter to Bob. Worked on income tax.
12 W=F M Went to AMORC Kaballa class w/ Charles Searles.
13 W=S TU
Had 2 V mail letters from Bob. He is not getting much of our mail it seems. N served on another negro case on the jury service this afternoon. Overtime 2 hrs.
14 W=F W N was on another case today. Worked on Income Tax Report.
15 W=R TH
Worked overtime 2 hrs. Recd V Mail valentine & airmail letter from Bob. N completed her jury service today.
16 W=F F Recd letter from Jo.
17 W=C SA Worked on floor plan changes. Recd 2 letters from Bob.
18 W=F SU
Beautiful day. Took N & folks out for drive. Andrew & Alida called just as we came back. They stayed for tea & the evening. Wrote cards to Marjorie Abrams, Jennie S & John & Helen Selberg & baby. Worked on floor plan changes. Gave 2 telephone sets to Andrew to use.
19 W=F 19 deg M Recd 2 letters from Bob. N & I wrote a letter to him.
20 W=F 15deg TU Worked O/T 2 hrs. N recd her check from Jury duty.
21 W=R W
Went to AMORC Jr. Lodge to hear Weed on Hierarchy. Went w/ Pat Searles & Scottie. It was very good & inspiring. Recd 3 letters & pix from Bob.
22 W= R TH Washington’s B’day. Worked all day at plant. Heavy fog during eve & night.
23 W=C F
Recd an airmail & a Vmail letter from Bob in Belgium. O/T 2 hrs. [Odd that the example of a VMail envelope I found was mailed to someone just blocks down the street from where mom & dad had lived in NYC. I'm a bit stymied by this, and do NOT have time for another research project! Gpa states in January '45 he received his first VMail letter from Bob, but in the articles on Postal Museum website, it says they began using it in 1942 and stopped in later months of 1945. As much as Bob wrote home & vice versa, I don't understand why they weren't using V Mail more. It was a way to conserve weight & space on flights, space needed for war materiel, so seems like they would have been required to use it. There is a stipulation on the printed form that one could not have enclosures, & we see that Bob often sends pix home, so naturally he couldn't use VMail for that...anyone want a project? Looking further into this subject would be a great one!]
24 W=F SA
Recd 3 letters from Bob. Took N & Deed to Elmora movies & called for them at 11:45
25 W= F SU Worked on Income Tax Report.
26 W=R M
Recd 2 letters from Bob. Went to AMORC NYC & listened to a Kaballa lecture by Charles Searles.
27 W=F TU O/T 2 hrs. Recd 3 letters from Bob.
28 W=R & S W
Got up at 1:30 this morning. Read copy of ASTM Manual on Presentation of Data from C. S. Anderson. Recd my copy of Wisdom of the Overself returned by Mr. Jensen. Recd 2 letters from Bob.
MARCH 1945
1 W=F TH Overtime 2 hours.
2 W=F Fr Rec’d letter from Bob
3 W=C & R SA Rec’d letter from Bob & one from Hershey about shipment of chocolates to Bob.
4 W=F SU
Completed & mailed my Income Tax return today. Recd a telegram this AM from Ralph saying he would be in Elizabeth in a few days as he is changing stations. He is a Sergeant now. (Buck). We were all over to Andrew’s for late supper, same as dinner. It was good.
5 W=C M
Took N to Bonds in Newark tonite where we bot her a suit and a shirt or waist [dress which we call shirtwaist].
6 W=R Tu
Overtime 2 hrs. Mr. McCarthy brot me to Eliz. Arch from where I caught a 24 bus home. N is engaged in house cleaning again. [Somehow grandpa’s phrase makes cleaning house seem almost elegant!]
7 W=R W
Ralph & Sally arrived this noon from Kingman, AZ, having traveled 2700 miles in 3.5 days. They left there Sat. Sent for Child of the Sun from AMORC for Mrs. Hendricks. [Think about this, 2700 miles in 3.5 days in the days before interstate highways! Obviously they both drove and slept; dad was always notorious for long haul drives, but mom would have made him let her drive. Dad told me he never "let" her drive very much when they traveled. I'd bet money this wasn't one of those times. Look at a map, they would have left NJ and gone west over to what today is Interstate 70, probably to here in St. Louis where they would have headed out west on the forerunner of Interstate 64, which is US Highway 40 which is an old road, then to US Route 66 which is now Interstate 40. What a great trip! I've driven US 66 most of the way on existing pavement from Chicago to Flagstaff, AZ and at the end in Santa Monica. Before I die I have to drive from Flag to Santa Monica! I have a school chum in Kingman who says I can hang out there on my way! But I really can't imagine doing this from NJ in 3 1/2 days on a two-lane road. I've known for many years my automobile wanderlust gene came straight from dad! WAIT, they just drove from Bristol to Kingman in January, sure wish I knew what this was all about! Dad must have had training maybe which ended in March? Check this out, there is a WWII Air Field Museum in Kingman! So here it is, 1/2/45 dad arrives in Kingman; 1/9 BACK in Bristol; 1/17 says he's leaving Bristol to arrive in NJ on 1/18, 1/25 leaving NJ for Bristol, but by 1/30 BACK in Kingman. Seems like he was doing more traveling than gunnery sargenting! ]
8 W=F xxx TH
Recd “V” Mail letter from Bob. N & kids went to NYC to see Mrs. Moore [Elizabeth Kilgore Moore, mother’s eldest sister] & Pat [our 1st cousin Pat Moore III]. He just graduated with very high honors from Cadet training school. Ralph will probably go across to Europe in a month or 2. Signed a new request on Payroll to have 3 equal payments on 7th, 15th and 21st of each month until balance last of month. Went downtown & got a new pair of shoes. Ferguson [his boss sometimes called CRF] assigned me to the work of a Section Chief without a Section Chief’s rating which, he said, could not be given just now due to overburden of supervisors in the organization already. He will take Geo. Adams’ place as S. Ch. under Paul Naef. I will have 12 men reporting to me.
9 W=F F
Took Ralph & Jo to Elmora Theatre to see “Experiment Perilous” and a western picture. Recd ¾ ton each of K coke & pea coal.
10 W=C SA
M. L. Swikhart, Jack Mann, Bob Nixon, Adie T., Wm. Castro, Chet Hanson, & C. S. Anderson are slated to go to Passaic Monday or later. Geo. S. Hanson will take my job Monday. (Also recd ½ ton of reclaimed coke yesterday.)
11 W=F SU Sent for seeds to W. A. Burpee. Burned grass & leaves in rear of lot. Painted garbage pail (new). Fixed car headlight leads.
12 W=C & R M
Started my new job with Paul Naef today. Missed Kaballa Class this evening as we stayed home expecting Andrew & Alida & to be with the kids. They (Andrew & A) did not come or call.
13 W=F TU
Ralph & Sally & 2 soldier friends left for Bristol at 10:30pm. Had my first acquaintance with induction generator this AM. Learned from Pat that Charles Searles is to be installed as the new Master in the NY Minor Lodge next Sunday. Had quite an interesting talk with Mary_______? this noon. [He didn’t know her last name.]
14 W=F W
Loaned 1000 years of Yesterdays to Mary_____today. Had quite a long talk today at the dinner table with Mr. Jensen regarding his “strange” experiences. Called Pat at his home after supper but he was at the Temple. Mrs. P. was there & I spoke to her regarding Sunday. Started spading garden.
15 W=C TH Overtime 2 hrs! Was in conf in Souder’s office yesterday & today.
16 W= F F Recd seed from Burpee, also duster. The sprayer did not come.
17 W=F SA No news, Spring is here.
18 W=F SU
Worked until late afternoon in garden & yard. Then got cleaned up & dressed & attended annual New Year celebration & Installation of Officers at AMORC Jr. Lodge at Pythian Hall, 5th floor, 135 W. 70th Street. Chas. Searles became the new Master & Pat became Deputy Master. Charles Weiss & I attended & went home together. Mr. & Mrs. Haack were also there.
[Here is a little more about the Pythian Hall, a famous building turned into a school in the 1950s & into apartments in the 1980s: Another lodge building begun in 1926, the $2 million Pythian Temple on West 70th Street, was for the local chapter of the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal order founded in 1864. The theater designer Thomas Lamb created a midblock facade of movie-set Egyptian forms, seated Pharaonic figures, polychrome columns and a setback arrangement similar to that of the Level Club. Inside, there were 13 lodge rooms and an auditorium decorated in a striking Egyptian manner.]19 W=F M
Bob sent another package of Luxembourg souvenirs, views, etc. which we recd today. FIRST THUNDERSTORM OF SEASON this eve. Made out form for Bob so he can vote in the Elizabeth primaries on June 12th.
20 W=F TU
Overtime 2 ¼ hrs. Recd letter from Bob. Went to dentist Rudolph Sussman & had crowned tooth examined. He took xray of it & will advise N if I am to come back & when. Drove in to work today Very Warm!
21 W=R W 1st day of Spring!
Recd V Mail letter from Bob. Took work home. N bot me 2 beautiful red roses today for A. R. C. New Year gift, bless her soul!
22 W=R & S TH Overtime 2 hrs.
Washing machine wringer taken away today for repairs. Mary washed clothes by hand. Had Easter card from Bob. [No mention of dad’s 25th birthday today.]
23 W=C F
Spaded in garden with new spading fork. Took work home. Went to bed early & got up at 1:30AM for awhile.
24 W=F SA
Took N to see Hazel who is recovering from pneumonia. I also went in to see her. N left 2 qts of canned peaches. Recd letter from Harvey Miles about my joining Jr. Lodge.
25 W=F SU
Beautiful weather. Spaded & raked part of garden for seed. I planted 3 rows of 2 different varieties of peas, 1 row of parsley of 2 different kinds & some onion sets. Wrote letter to Bob (in with N’s). N helped clean up leaves from beds of hedges. Put new innertube on spare tire.
26 W=F M
Charles Searles & I went to Minor Lodge meeting for Kaballa Class. Got up early to write Ralph & Bob. Recd several snaps & 3 letters from Bob who is still in Belgium. The repaired wringer for washing machine was returned today.
27 W=C xx TU
Recd 2 letters from Bob. Overtime 2 ¼ hrs. Harry Whittom was reported as having died in battle in Germany on the 13th of March. Paul Naef told me today I was to have charge of a new project for Passaic starting next week sometime. CRF to have charge of all remaining existing projects. Ordered 6 tons stove size K coke & 3 ½ tons pea anthracite coal. Also 1 ½ tons of reclaimed coke for immediate delivery for cash from Weimar Coal Co.
28 W=F W Recd 5 letters from Bob & 1 from Jo. Wrote letter to Bob
29 W=F TH Hot! Overtime 2 hrs.
30 W=F F Warm. Spaded in garden
Recd V mail from Bob. N recd candy box & Jewish bread from Hollanders next door.
31 W=C & R SA
Had 2nd thunderstorm of season this evening. There was a rainbow and the most beautiful sky that I can remember ever seeing. Recd Easter greeting card from Ralph & Ruth.
APRIL 1945
1 W=F SU Easter
Spaded yard, cut fence posts (19) & took folks for ride thru Somerville, Far Hills & Morristown. Wrote letter to Bob. Recd 1 ½ tons of reclaimed coke yesterday.
2 W=R M
Recd 100 ft of ½” half-round screen molding from Brown Hardware Corp.
3 W=F TU Recd letter from Bob. Put up new fence posts on garden fence.
4 W=C W
Recd letter from Ralph. N wrote letter to him. Recd book from AMORC today which I ordered for Mrs. Hendricks.
5 W=R TH
N went to club meeting at Bayonne. Recd 2 letters from Bob (both V Mail). Cut front lawn first time this season.
6 W=F cold 32deg F
Cut rest of lawn. Visited Joe & Mrs. Hendricks. Delivered church pledge & money to Joe & book to Mrs. H. Paul Naef has been out sick 2 days. Ed Hotz & I visited 11th Avenue plant to see C. R. Rathstrom on an R. F. Unit proposed change. He accepted it. I agreed to put into effect a gauge for main casting big clearance on R. F. unit.
7 W=F SA frost in AM
Took N to see “National Velvet” at Elmora Theatre starring Mickey Rooney. [I thought this was rather fun – I would never record anyone but Elizabeth Taylor!]
Took care today of Mr. Rathstrom’s request of yesterday that I provide a gauge to measure the castings & overall of same for clearance in mtgs. The line had been stopped by him this AM. We opened it up again by borrowing a mtg. from Type Test Lab.
8 W=F SU
Cleaned all but 2 upstairs windows. Spaded garden. Completed repair of fence. Sawed up tree from across the way which was fallen in the last storm.
9 W=F MP. Naef & I went to Passaic today & interviewed Mr. Joseph’s ? ?. Finished spading garden
12 W=F TH xxxxxx
President Roosevelt died of a stroke or cerebral hemorrhage at 4:35 PM at Warm Springs, GA. He recd much praise over the radio. Dave Zeliff & I started work on Power Dist. Pan. Overtime 2 hrs.
13 W= F F HOT!
Seven of us (Haack, Winklepleck, Scotty, P. Lieske, Searles, Pat & myself) attended dinner in honor of Winkey’s leaving Kearny for a new job at Broadway. All flags at half mast as nation and world mourn loss of a real humanitarian and leader. The whole world gives him tribute. He will be buried Sunday at Hyde Park.
14 W=F SA
Dave Zeliff & I spent most of day at Passaic plant on our new Power Dist. Unit of the “SS” radar eqpt. Went to Kuntzman’s home in Cranford & brot my 100lb. bag of victory fertilizer.
15 W=F SU
Early this AM I listened to a WAAF (Newark News) broadcast from Pennsy Station. Heard both the first & second of the funeral trains pass thru the station, one at 3:52 and the other at 4:17AM. The corpse was in the rear coach of 2nd train. It was all lighted up as it passed thru the station. Bought several vegetable plants including 1 doz Rutgers tomatoe plants. Set these out. Also set out a $2.00 Azalea plant. Finished cutting lawn & upstairs windows (2). Wrote to Bob in N’s letter. [If you click the links about FDR's funeral train, you will see a book by the name of FDR's Funeral Train, I HIGHLY recommend reading it, especially if you are "into" trains or the whole FDR story, it's a fabulous book, a bit detailed at times, but worth the time invested to read it!]
16 W=R M
Recd letter from Bob & 1 from Ralph. Wrote Ralph in N’s letter. Mary returned copy of Mystical Life of Jesus. Tomorrow she gets The Secret Doctrines of J. Changed lock on west side of garage.
17 W=R TU
Overtime 2 hrs. John Romano drove me home. Deed recd letter from Ralph who expects to be in Bristol, VA by next Friday. Recd refund check for $1.10 from Burpee’s.
18 W=F W
Recd letter from Jo. I weighed 190 lbs. today. Recd 6 copies of The Mastery of Life & env & application blanks. Dave Zeliff started at Passaic today. Fergy, Paul, Hanson & I are assisting in getting out a special report for 1944 activities. Gave Mary my copy of Secret Doctrines Of Jesus to read.
19 W=F TH
Overtime 2 hrs. Recd letter from Ralph who is on his way to Greensboro, NC. Deed is 73 yrs. old. N had a party here for her. [Army Air Corps Basic Training Station #10 is where dad was in Greensboro. He would have been teaching there, as he was a gunnery instructor, having already done his own training in TX and NV. Grandpa always just says 'Greensboro'.]
20 W=C F
Sally Jo called up two times (this AM & in eve.). She said Ralph had told her he would leave San Antonio, TX, field on Army Transport plane & arrive Newark on 4/20/45 in AM. We have not heard from him to 10:45PM. We sent telegram to Laredo, TX, AAF Cons. Officer. Planted 3 more rows of peas. We also saw Nick Miglori & he called Newark Port, Office of Transportation, but there was no record there of him. Sent 25cents to Eberhard Faber Pencil Co., 37 Greenpoint Av., Brooklyn 22, NY for slide rule. Sent 25cents to Allied Radio Corp., 833 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago., IL for “Allied Radio Data Handbook” by Nelson M. Coake.
21 W=R SA
We telephoned Jo once & Ralph got here after 11:00AM & he telephoned Jo again. We sent a 2nd telegram to Ralph’s C.O. at Laredo asking him to disregard previous telegram. Ralph came by hops instead of all in one trip as he had thought at first. He went from San Antonio to Dallas & got put off there. Then to Memphis & again he was put off. From there to Washington, DC. There he took Pennsy to Newark. Got here by taxi. I remained home in AM but went in to work after lunch. He plans to leave again tomorrow.
22 W=F SU Cold/windy
Ralph left Pennsy Station on 2:45 PM Washington Express. We took him to Station in Newark & bid him goodbye. He is going to Jo at Bristol, VA where he will stay until about 2nd of May when he leaves for Greensboro, NC arriving there in daylight hours, May 3rd. Then it is probably England or Pacific for him. We learned Fri. night from Jo that she is to have a baby in about 6 months thus making me a grandpa and Bob an Uncle. Wrote a page in with N’s letter to Bob. Studied Kaballa for tomorrow night.
23 W=F M Went to Kab. meeting alone tonight. Mr. Weed was absent.
24 W=C TU slight snowfall in evening. Overtime 2 hrs.
Had a fruitful talk with Nick Disantis. Recd 2 letters from Bob who is now somewhere in Germany. Also recd another package from him. He gave dad & I each a set of cuff buttons or links. He gave me a tie from Brussels. Then he sent various Belgium coins & souvenirs from Brussels. Geo. Hanson reported his new boy this AM,9 lbs 5 oz. The cold weather has practically ruined all my tomatoe plants.
25 W=R W
N went to Newark Historical Soc. Hdqtrs. & brot back some facts bearing on her early colonial ancestry. Loaned “Self Mastery & Fate with the Cycles of Life” to Marie. Jim Quigley also reported the arrival yesterday of a baby boy.
26 W=R TH
Recd 1st copy of Radio News (Radio Electronics Eng. Edition) May Issue. Recd my “Triangulator” today. I paid 60cents for it some time back. Ray the tool inspector sent for 50 of them.
27 W=C F
Wrote for Child Cultural Institute booklet & for copies of booklet “Who & What are the R. C., Facts at your Fingertips”. Recd letter & 2 snaps from Bob.
28 W= F SA
Recd letter from Bob. A rumor was circulated this afternoon & evening that Germany had surrendered unconditionally; but Mr. Truman issued an official denial at 9:30PM. Started to cut lawn –will finish tomorrow. Mr. Souder goes to Passaic Monday. He will report to Green & Reynolds. Dave & I are still working on the Power Dist. Unit of the SS Equipment.
29 W=C SU
Planted spinach, Swiss chard, carrots, beets, lettuce, tomatoes, kohlrabi, onion sets, onion seeds, beans & radishes. Cut lawn. Took folks for a 2 hr ride to Plainfield. Wrote 2 pages in N’s letter to Bob.[Today the US Army entered Dachau. When they saw the train of boxcars full of dead bodies, one soldier said, "...we have penetrated to the center of the black heart..." Those soldiers who entered Dachau that day had seen 511 days of combat.]
30 W= C M Recd letter from Bob. Recd Allied Radio Handbook.
MAY 1945
1 W=R TU May Day! And no peace in Europe yet.
I mended 5 or 6 ironing cords. Paul intimated I would be leading engineer on R. F. Unit & would remain at Kearny. Our org. will probably be 5526.
2 W=R XXX W
Wrote card to A. G. D. for his birthday on May 7th when he will also start on his retirement on that date.
3 W=R TH Overtime 2 hrs. Ralph reached Greensboro, NC.
4 W=R F O/T 2 hrs. Recd telegram from Ralph at Greensboro, NC.
5 W=C SA
Still no announcement of “VE” Day (Victory in Europe). Bot a doz each of Rutgers Tomatoe plants & lettuce plants at Haimes Farm store. A Mr. Roberts, a Russian, who works for co. at Passaic, told me this AM that he had known a Vander Meulen, a Hollander, for 2 yrs while in TX. He was with Mining Equipment Corp.
6 W=C Su
Cut lawn. Planted 1 doz tomatoe & 1 doz lettuce plants. Repaired all screens except rear door for which I have no wire. They are ready to paint. Mrs. Putnam came over after dinner. I took her & folks out for a ride to Wash. Rock. VE Day not yet declared up to 12:00 midnight. Wrote to Bob in N’s letter. Also wrote to Dad V. for Mother’s Day. [How poignant this is, he probably was writing to his father to lament the loss of his mother, and to see how his father was faring.]
7 W=F & C XXXX M
“VE” Day at W. E. Co. today at 10:20AM. Went home via Newark. Walked track to East Ferry St. & took bus to Newark, where I connected with 12 bus to Elizabeth. Then I took 24 home. Reached home at 12:40pm (2 hrs & 20 minutes after the W. E. whistles blew.) Got N from hairdresser. Then repaired screen door & painted screens in garage. V.E. Day will be officially announced tomorrow at 9AM. N bot U S Savings bond today in 7th War Bond drive. Recd request from U S Treasury Dept. Internal Revenue at Newark for an additional 45cents due today from Dad S. I sent them a check to cover in reply. Recd letter from Jo.
8 W=R XXX TU
“VE” Day Official! Went back to work at 10:15AM. Painted screen door before going to work. Overtime 2 ¼ hrs. Heard Truman & Churchill speeches over radio this AM. N heard King George of England in PM. Drove car in to work. [1/1/11 We just saw The King’s Speech movie this evening, what a GREAT story! I had no idea his speech was as much a problem as it was that late in his life...learned a lot, great movie!]
9 W=F W
Planted another doz Rutgers tomatoe plants, also 1 doz Calif peppers from the school sale. AGD called me on phone.
10 W=R TH
Rain again all day. Got soaked coming home. O/T 2 hrs. Our Dept. was changed from 9812 to 5526. All 9800 series organizations are now eliminated. About 8 of our people are going to Passaic. Mr. Henise is our new division chairman replacing Mr. Souder.
11 W=F xxx F Cold & windy
A 54 mile per hour gale blew over a couple of trees at Summit and Pk Av [might be Summit & something else, hard to read] and at other places in City early this AM. Mary [housekeeper] told Naomi she could no longer work for us. Her husband wants her to quit. N recd Mother’s Day telegram from Bob. Painted 2nd screen door for side.
12 W=F SA
Loaned N $5.98 to buy a maternity dress for Sally. Cut part of lawn. Made out application for membership in The Commercial Traveler’s Mutual Accident Assoc. of America, Utica, NY. Recd 3 letters from Bob.
13 W=C, R SU Mother’s Day!
Had Roast Pork & lemon crème pie today. [Grandma cooking a special meal for HERSELF, well I guess for her mother too, but the men got the advantage of it!] Painted more screens. Cut lawn & trimmed it. Planted another doz tomatoe plants, Marglobe. Wrote Bob in N’s letter.
14 W=F M
Recd a letter apiece from Bob & Ralph. Attended Kaballa class meeting at Jr. Lodge.
15 W=F TU Overtime 2 hrs.
16 W=C W
Hoed in garden. N had a relative or friend of Mary Nelson [housekeeper] here today. Recd a nice letter from J. D. Acker.
17 W=F TH Overtime 2 hrs.
Ed Hotz went to Chicago today on drive assembly. Wrote letter to Acker.
18 W=F F painted 3 screens.
19 W=R SA
Recd 2 letters from Bob & 1 from Ralph & Sally. Have sore throat & running nose yesterday & today.
20 W= F XXX SU
Cut lawn & hedge. Painted screens & hoed in garden. Ralph called about 9PM just after I came in from working. He reported that Sally was in the base hospital after having had a miscarriage. Added this info to N’s letter to Bob. [Mom told me about this experience more than once. It was very hard on her. They were still in Greensboro, NC. She was in a ward full of military wives of course. After the miscarriage, the remains of the baby were put in a bucket and left across the room against a wall. She remembered crying her heart out with the knowledge that her dead baby was in that undignified bucket! She had no privacy to grieve.]
21 W=F M
Recd letter from Bob. N returned wool for credit today (except 2 hanks). We recd the 9’ x 12’ summer rug from Wang’s today. I put up all upstairs screens, hoed garden. Dobbie & Brower started at Passaic today.
22 W=F Hot! TU Overtime 2 hrs.
Severe thunderstorm & windstorm between 5:15 & 7:15 which blew down several more trees in Elizabeth. Ralph called from Greensboro, NC about 10:30pm. Jo is doing good but had a hard time of it. Ralph will have to go back to Laredo in 2 weeks.
23 W=F W
Recd 9 x 15 ft. fibre rug today from Goerke’s. N put it down. She is busy cleaning downstairs. Cut back hedge.
24 W=F TH Overtime 2 hrs.
Recd Jones & Laughlin Handbook of Useful Info. for Business Men & Mechanics & Engineers. Recd package from Bob containing dish trays, pictures & maps & mementos.
25 W=F F
3 of our rugs to Brehm's for cleaning & storage to 9/1/45. Price to clean $11.73, store $2.31; thereafter $1.16 per month. Recd sun parlor summer rug today from McManus Bros. Carl Fenstermaker bid us goodbye this evening. He was drafted into Navy & leaves tomorrow for training. Hoed in garden.
26 W=C SA
Recd accident policy dated 5/23/45. Recd acknowledgement certificate from AMORC for Supreme Temple gift & signed & returned statement or slip stating this for inclusion or deposit in the New Temple Archives. Took N to movies.
27 W=R SU
Sent card to June for b’day. Finished painting screens with exception of those for the basement. Started pot stove. A Polish woman came to see N about working for her today.
28 W=R M Charlie Searles & I attended Kaballa lecture at AMORC. Recd 2 letters from Bob.
29 W= F T No news. Put up 2 screen doors.
30 W=F W Memorial Day
Beautiful weather. Cut & trimmed lawn. Repaired garden fence door by getting new oak post & putting it next to door. Planted corn & pole beans. Put up poles for beans & hoed garden. Andrew & Alida called in afternoon.
31 W=F TH
Took work home. Also worked overtime 2 hrs. P. Naef said we should ease up on overtime hereafter unless reqd to do so by job condition, etc. Recd 2 letters from Ralph from Greensboro, NC.
[In April and May of 1945 there were 5,000 suicides in Berlin alone, one of whom of course was Adolph Hitler.]
JUNE 1945
[Perhaps one of the most momentous months of the War for grandpa ~ both boys were due to be home soon on furlough, his beloved sister & father came from Portland, OR for a visit, & the war situation was looking better; the garden seems to have thrived, despite those pesky Mexican bean beetles, and the normal parts of their lives stayed pretty normal - grandma's knitting and grandpa's gardening, repairs to the house and lots of letters received and sent.]
1 W=C F 36deg at Flanders-coldest June 1st on record.
Recd 3 letters from Bob from Bad Wildungen in Germany with pictures & clippings. [Website gives more info & pictures, but here’s a quick look:
1940 Bad Wildungen becomes the Prussian State Bath. The State of Hessen takes control after the Second World War.
1940 The neighbouring communities of Upper Wildungen, Reitzenhagen and Reinhardshausen are incorporated.
1943 The Nazi Party takes control of Castle Friedrichstein which then becomes the Nazi district headquarters.
1945 American troops liberate Bad Wildungen from the Nazis. The Fürstenhof Hotel is used by the Americans until 1958.]
2 W=R XX SA
Went to bed early. Recd letter from Jennie stating that she was going to bring dad to see us, leaving Portland by plane June 21st. In letter from Bob recd the other day (dated 5/18) he mentioned the following: “There is no more censoring of mail by our unit officers & so far as I know, there will only be spot checking by the base censor.” (Bob has been in Bad Wildungen, Germany since 4/27 or 28). “I saw the horse that Konev gave to Bradley and also the jeep that Bradley gave to Konev. I took pix of both the horse & jeep & will send them as soon as they are developed. Yesterday Konev came to visit Gen. Bradley & there was quite a ceremony that was held in front of the headquarters. I saw the whole thing which was very interesting.” Up to April 27th he had been at Wiesbaden, Germany. On 5/11 Eisenhower conferred with 34 star generals of the U S Army ground and air force units for 2 ½ hours in the Hotel Furstenhof, tactical hq of the 12th Army group, since 4/27, at Bad Wildungen where Bob is also. [Konev was involved in many meetings with American General Omar Bradley, which Konev referred to with warmth in his memoirs. There are a number of good websites if one wishes to read more about this meeting and others & more about Konev, which I also see spelled Koniev; check out this website or this very cool blog detailing one man's experiences. See June 20 for more info.]
3 W=C SU
Rain last night & a thunderstorm. Cold & cloudy all day.
Did not work. Wrote Jennie. Sent cards to Bob & to Ralph & Sally Jo (wedding anniv. & birthday). [Dad & mom’s anniversary is 6/6, June's b'day 6/1] Took N & Deed to Elmora Theater.
4 W=R 52deg M Coldest 6/4 in 16 yrs.
Transplanted cabbages & turnips. Omar Bradley & Major Hansen [sp?] arrived home in NYC yesterday.
5 W=C TU 50deg
Started pot stove again. Cleaned 6 windows & put up more screens. Took work home.
6 W=F W
Recd letter from Sally. Cut lawn. Talk of going on 5 day week. Overtime is to be cut down to minimum at W. E. [Today is mom & dad’s 3rd anniversary.]
7 W=F TH
Trimmed lawn. Fixed carpet sweeper. Gen Patton landed in Boston with a part of his staff. Bradley is to be head of Veterans’ Bureau.
8 W=F F
Recd letter from Bob. Hoed in garden; peas are nearly ready. Took N to 2 places tonight.
9 W=C SA Hoed in garden, 2 letters fro Bob. Picked 1st lettuce yesterday.
10 W=R SU
Bob may be coming home soon. Edged & trimmed all beds around house & hedges & garage. Put new cord in bathroom window & in window on west side of our room. Put fertilizer into holes around roses, peonies & hydrangeas, also ivy & spirea bushes. Sent card about Jennie & Dad’s coming to Andrew & Alida, picked more radishes & onions.
11 W=F M Hot!
Picked 1st peas & broccoli. Also some more lettuce (Boston white head). Recd letter from Ralph. Hoed in garden.
12 W=C TU Hot
The new pastor at First Baptist called on N & me this eve. Wrote Aunt Jennie tonite. It’s her 61st birthday today.
13 W=R W Recd letter from Bob.
14 W=F Th over 90degrees XXX
N & I went shopping for some clothes for myself. Recd several snaps from Bob of France & Luxembourg. Mary ....sent in her application for membership in AMORC.
15 W=F F 92deg + XXX terrific heat & high humidity.
Painted front screen door. Recd 1 ¾ tons coke & 1 ton pea coal today as 1st delivery on current contract. Had interview with Henise this AM as did Fergy regarding going back to Equipment. Seems like they have asked for me among others. I told him I was willing to stay with him out to end of Spec. Proj. job if he wanted me. He thanked me for this attitude.
16 W=F 92deg F SA
Cut lawn. Took folks for a drive on Route 29. Recd summer squash seeds from Mrs. McMillan. Put up front screen door.
17 W=F SU 92deg F
Trimmed lawn & beds. Trimmed ivy. Put wisteria vines in place. Washed remainder of downstairs windows & put up screens. Cleaned front porch lights also back porch globe. Put table & lamp on back porch. Cleaned weeds out of driveway. Mrs. Put[nam] called N.
18 W=F Hot! M cool at night.
Hoed garden. Brot in 1st cauliflower & spinach, also picked lettuce & broccoli. Corn is up 4”. Pole beans doing badly. Mexican bean beetles busy on my beans, must dust them. Painted medicine closet. Wrote card for Mr. & Mrs. Chas. Abrams wed. anniv. on 6/18/45. General “Ike” Eisenhower came home to Washington today. He will be in NY tomorrow. Recd 2 letters from Ralph. Wrote in N’s letters to both boys.
19 W=R TU
Had car lubricated, front wheels greased flushed & 5 qts of Mobiloil put in. 4,000,000 were out to the “Ike” Eisenhower parade in NYC today.
[New York City: The Girls Will Cheer And The Men Will Shout. Ticker tape flutters down, girls wave excitedly from the curb, onlookers crowd the windows and the rooftops as the one and only General "Ike" drives up lower Broadway today. Four million New Yorkers got a look at their hero on Eisenhower Day. Here is a long entry on Ike...the author erroneously calls him Gen. Washington in one place!]
New Yorkers turned out June 19, 1945 to cheer the waving General Dwight D. Eisenhower as his car passed through the streets of Manhattan on the way to New York's official greeting at City Hall. (AP Photo)To read more go here.20 W=C W
Planted 6 geraniums in my bed & 1 for mother S. Painted med. closet 2nd coat. We recd about 19 snapshots from Bob. One of them shows him with the horse Koniev gave Bradley. The other with Bradley’s car. All taken at Bad Wildungen and at HQ (Badehotel-Furstiliches).
21 W=R rain at night TH
Went downtown for suit. It had been mailed out today. Bot shoes & extra pair bluish trousers for grey summer suit. N recd her Wagner sweeper today, also cocoa rug.
22 W=F Mowed lawn. Picked a pan full of peas. Have not heard from Jennie & Dad yet.
23 W=F SA
Drove in today expecting to get Dad & Jennie but N recd a letter from Jennie (air mail) in which she said suitcases had been expressed to our door but that already Dad’s plane res. had been canceled. She was to try train reservation next. Hoed garden & replanted pole beans. Recd Hosp. Ser. Plan Subs. Contract after I called them yesterday.
24 W=F SU XXX
Worked all day in garden again after trimming lawn. Planted 3 more rows of corn (Golden & Bantam). Hoed & weeded entire garden. Put stakes around tomoatoe plants. Planted 7 of my special Burpee variety tomatoes. Ike [I think this is the name of the tomatoe type.] One of Jennie’s boy friends called on phone for her this AM and was disappointed in not finding her here yet.
25 W=F M 93deg Hot!
Recd telegram from June saying Dad & Jennie had left Fri. and would arrive NYC at Grand Central Sta. tomorrow at 8:30AM. Cut hedge (large one). Mrs. Davis & Mrs. Mott called on N & mother this eve. Recd letter from each of boys. Bob is on his way here*. Ralph expects another furlough in July. Heavenly Days! [*Somewhere I thought I typed that Bob was in Gourock, Scotland but now I can't find it. That is from where the Queen Mary would depart on July 28 for NY. I believe this statement means that Bob is on the way to Scotland to prepare for the voyage home or already in Scotland awaiting passage home.]
26 W=R TU XXX
Dad & Jennie arrived on Commodore Vanderbilt at 8:30am. N & I met them & drove them home. Worked overtime on a lecture on Insp. Layouts til 8PM. Dad cut lawn today against my wishes. [Great-grandfather was probably tired of sitting after that long train ride! They would have taken the C V from Chicago to NY, and some other train from Portland to Chicago. Just the opposite of what he & his family took going westward from Dunkirk, NY to Portland in 1910; too bad great-grandfather didn't keep a diary of his journey 35 years later.]
27 W=F W
Drove down to plant & went in to pick up 2 pcs of baggage (handbags) from Grand Central Station at noon. Aunt Jennie & Elinore & Margie [Vander Weel] came this afternoon after stopping at DeBoer’s. Then DeBoers came out after supper. Jennie & her girls had supper with us. Dad fixed flower & shrub beds today in front yard. Started working on new Mod. Kit. for Mark 22 per D-153356. [Kert do you remember being at Grand Central Station with grandpa? I have one vivid memory of being in the grand hall part, a couple of these pix are just like my memory.]
Four U.S. soldiers chat with Gen. of Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, right, before taking off from Paris for the flight on which they accompanied Gen. Eisenhower to the United States on June 27, 1945. They had just finished broadcasting their farewells to Paris, France. Soldiers from left to right are: T. Sgt. Eugene L. Cottier, Lincoln, Neb.; Sgt. Gerald Ball, Mound City, Kan.; Sgt. Roger Davisson, Tunas, Mo.; Cpl. Richard Corridon, Lawrenceville, Ill. (AP Photo/HBR)
28 W=F TH
Took Dad & Mother & Jennie for ride. Dad cut rear hedge. Recd new policy from J. H. Howard, Amer. Underwriting Co.
29 W=F 90deg F +, high humidity.
Took folks for a ride along Hudson River but it was very smoky & hazy. Drove thru Newark on way home. Jennie bot ice cream on way home as she did yesterday also.
30 W=F SA 95deg F
Took N & Dad V & S & Mother S for ride thru Summit and Short Hills.
JULY 1945
1 W=F SU 93deg Took N, Jennie & Dad to see old haunts in Leonia & Hackensack, etc.
2 W=R M Recd letter from Ralph. Had good shower at 5:15 & later again. Had a talk w/ Dad.
3 W=F TU Took N & Jennie up to Washington & Eagle Rocks
4 W=F W Cool Nice!
Took family to Asbury & Sea Girt, had dinner on Boardwalk. Also stopped in to see Peter V & his wife & daughter. Made date for Sunday afternoon.
5 W=R TH Dad’s transplanted lettuce & beans he seeded are okay.
6 W=R F Took Jennie, mother S & dad V to Staten Island.
7 W=F SA
We had Miss Lundberg [Remember she & her brother were pals of Grandpa’s in grade school in Leonia.] & the Washburns here this eve after supper. Jennie S enjoyed their visit with us.
8 W=F SU
Planted tampala lettuce, etc., spaded used areas. Peter V & Doris & Dorothy, Andrew, Alida & Helen came to an afternoon snatch as snatch can affair. Took several pictures. Dad & Jennie left w/ the DeBoers for a stay with them. [Perhaps this is another term for pot luck supper?]
9 W=F MPartial eclipse of sun from 7:04 to 9:07am. Picked green beans, 1st cabbage & kohlrabi, also Swiss chard. Took N to 356 Lincoln Avenue, Cranford.
10 W=R TU
Big storm damage in Phillipsburg & Easton, PA area last night. Worked to 9PM. Had ride to Elizabeth with Leo Knapp who also took Ken Stalter to YMCA. Recd an AMORC binder for monographs.
11 W=F W Beautiful weather!
Picked wax beans & lettuce. Gave Mr. Evans lettuce, Swiss chard & kohlrabi. Jennie called from NYC Public Library. She was on her way to P[atterson I think] after a day alone in NYC.
12 W=F TH Beautiful cool day! (Coldest July 12 in 15 years). Overtime 2 hours.
13 W=F F Swell day.
Picked 1st turnips. Went to Library & got Marie Corelli’s “Life Everlasting” & 2 Leonardo DaVinci books. Recd card from Mary Pitinkis who is vacationing in Miami, FL. She is my first AMORC member. [The first person he actually signed up himself.]
14 W=R SA Rain in evening.
Supposed to go on my vacation but Paul wants me to come in Monday and go to Whippany to see the Mod Kit for the Mark22 R. F. unit which Stalter and myself are working on. Paul got back from Chicago at 2AM by plane. Jennie called N today and wants me to come for them tomorrow. Mowed lawn. Recd package from Bob with misc. items.
15 W=R SU
Trimmed lawn & cut grass around garden. Trimmed off excess limbs from trees. Made strap for watch fob. Called Alida. Dad & Jennie went over to Folkert DeBoer’s [Andrew's brother] for dinner. Andrew brot his son Sam to depot in Newark and ran out to see us. He goes to Maine from 8/1 to 8/18. He is willing to take Dad & Jennie & me to Buffalo, etc. either before or after that date. N is reading Life Everlasting which I had previously read some time ago. Recd telegram from Ralph saying he got to Bristol & would be here shortly.
16 W=C XXX M
Went in to work with car today. Jack Haviland drove Stalter & me out to Whippany where we spent the day on field changes 11, 12 & 13. Came back by bus to Newark & then by 108 bus to plant. Drove to Andrew’s after work to get Jennie & had puncture to right rear tire. Had supper there & Dad gave me some red cabbage plants from Folkert’s farm. Recd A T & T Co. dividend check. World’s 1st atomic bomb exploded near Alamogordo, NM..
17 W=R TU
1st day of vacation. Picked vegetables. Gave Mrs. Migliore some kohlrabis. Took N & Jennie to bus 47 & got them when they returned from Bam’s. [Bamburger’s Department Store] Rained nearly all day. Mother & Dad had a row last night among themselves & tonight Mother S & dad too got on their high horse. Someone from Washington called the operator told Mother S. and asked for us. Whoever it was was not there when I answered and neither was the operator. Took snooze during the day.
18 W=R W
Went to bank vault, shopping & paid bills. N & J to movie at Roselle Park. Repaired cords on 2 windows in the pantry and one in kitchen (small).
19 W=R TH
Over 4 inches of rain has fallen in 4 days. Basement is wet again. N had a bum washday. Took Jennie to P O. Took tire to Sealy’s tire place to have 2”+ hole vulc thru Mr. Peirsen our serviceman. Recd tax bill. Took N to store 2 times. She bot small size ? for me. Recd another telegram saying that Ralph would be here tomorrow morning early by car.
20 W=R F
Ralph & Sally arrived late afternoon. They came with a couple who have business at Dover & who will take them back on Tues. Picked beans, kohlrabi, beets, carrots, lettuce, etc. (Awful long duration rainy weather.) Slept downstairs. [These pix may be them packing the car to leave, but grandpa says nothing about their leaving on Tuesday, so I'm putting them here. I assume this is not dad's car since grandpa says the other couple will take them back to Bristol.]
21 W=F SA
Cut & trimmed lawn. Andrew called on phone & then came later in person to make arrangements for Jennie & Dad & myself to go to Buffalo & Dunkirk. Took Jennie out to supper at the William Pitt in Chatham. Then drove to Morristown where we drove around taking a look at Washington Hgts &
then went to Comm. Th. After that sodas & home again. The kids went to NYC with friends. [This photo was taken at The Latin Quarter in NYC. I THINK it is the couple who is in the pictures on the 20th. If it wasn't taken this date it was taken sometime in the same timeframe based upon dad's uniform & the girls are in summer dresses.]22 W=R SU
Had chicken dinner (8 of us at table) Dreary day. [Mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, Jennie, great-grandfather, & great grandparents Salmon]
23 W=R MHad car inspected & it was OK. Had lights adjusted previously by Twin Boro Auto Corp. on 158 E. Westfield Avenue. Jennie spent day down in NYC shopping. I took her to train & brot her back home after 7:00. Took Ralph to City Hall. He gave me 4 (5 gal) B coupons. Also gave me (18 gal) permit yesterday. Dad pruned rose bushes (climbers). N & Deed & R & Sally had another row.
24 W=F TU
Andrew could not come today due to water in basements of 2 of his houses, the worst flood in North Jersey since 1903. Took Jennie, Dad & N for a ride thru Summit, Far Hills and to Princeton. Saw Einstein’s home at 114 Mercer St. Showed folks what the Walker Gordon Rotolactor looks like. Called Alida & made arrangements to meet Andy at our house tomorrow.
25 W=F W
Left here at 9:30 AM in Andrew’s car with Jennie & dad for Buffalo & Dunkirk, NY. Arrived in Hartwick at Evelyn’s [Gast Mott] house about 3:30 pm. Left about 4:30. Had supper at Delhi & slept at Avon. [This is cousin Carol Mott & Dutch Goodrich's home now where I spent two weekends in April, 2012 between photographing the VM/Wykstra pottery in Albany and spending a week, with Carol accompanying me, in Dunkirk researching the pottery and exploring our NY roots.]
26 W=F TH
Up early 7am. Arrived at Buffalo depot at about 8:15. Saw John V [Vander Weel I assume] who came down to us while we were eating. Left Jennie’s 2 round trip tickets with him & went on to E. Aurora where we contacted the Village Clerk for information relative to the Ramsdells place at Main & Cook Road where Jennie was born. This we visited and Dad had quite a time recognizing the old place as things had been altered. Our old home had been relocated. Jennie got picture of it and also of the new house which replaced the old Ramsdell residence. The present owner (a Mrs. Baker) treated us to iced tea. We left then & looked for Margaret’s old birthplace at Sheriden but could not find it. Went to Hilda’s [Evelyn’s mom, Hilda Vander Meulen Gast] about 1:30PM where we spent afternoon sorting out books & pictures from Uncle T’s collection. [Carolyn Depp thinks the pictures were stereopticon pictures which he collected, some of them ended up in her family.] Andy took some & so did Jennie & I. Hilda had William Van der Goot [Carolyn does not know who this was] and a couple other people out (Andy & I slept together throughout trip.) Churchill lost the election to Attlee.
27 W=F F
Visited cemetery at Fredonia and saw graves [Forest Hill Cemetery] of Grandfather & Uncle T. Dad was much affected. He took trip fairly well. Looked again for Margaret’s [his other sister] home at Sheriden without success. Drove around Fredonia & Dunkirk. Took dad for shave. Had lunch at Hilda’s then took her back to Buffalo with us. We had a nice supper at Jennie’s [Hilda's sister who grandpa calls Aunt Jennie].
Then we all saw the Falls under colored illumination. We drove there over Peace Bridge and on Canadian side. Then home via Rainbow Bridge (new). To bed after midnight.
28 W=R SA
After breakfast Andrew & I took our leave of Jennie (S) & Dad & Aunt J & Marge (who is about to have a baby.) [On 15 Sep 1945 Marge Abrams gave birth to her first child, son Donald B. Abrams, whom I have found and included in our cousin group.] After seeing John & trying to get reservation for Jennie & Dad (unsuccessfully) we left Buffalo via route 16 then US 20A to Batavia over to route 15 & to 17 thru Bath. (about 464 miles). Arrived home around 11:00. After refreshments at Alida’s, Andy took me home. I called N from Alida’s. A B-25 bomber hit Empire State Building this AM between 9 & 10. 13 dead. N said Bob is due home on ‘Queen Mary’ Thursday!! There were accounts of the 3305 sig oper Bn. movements [this may have been Bob's unit or one he had been in earlier, signal operations batallion I suspect - this is the date on which the QM carrying Bob and 14,789 other returning troops left Gourock, Scotland for NY] in the Newark News & Elizabeth papers. (7/27 Elizabeth Journal & 7/28 Newark News)
29 W=R SU
Took N & folks for ride to Morristown & Whippany. N gave Mrs. Fenstermaker some of our turnips.
30 W=F M
Elizabeth Journal again listed Bob as passenger on the Queen Mary. Cut lawn, took N with wool. Drove car to work.
31 W=R TU
Overtime 2 ¼ hours. Recd book for my birthday on 7/25/45. It is from Deed. Wrote letter to John Wiley & Sons, Inc. dated today, enclosing check 227 for $2.64 which includes 14cents for postage.
AUGUST 1945
1 W=R W Bob is 23 years old today and is on the Queen Mary which will dock tomorrow. Picked beans & other vegetables. Picked 2 or 3 tomatoes, the 1st so far. Recd letter from Jo & Uncle John. Jennie & Dad left for Chicago Monday night from Buffalo; had reservations for 2 berths from Chicago to Portland. John called Chicago & reserved them Sunday @ 11AM as arranged w/ him Sat. before Andrew & I left. Ralph & Jo are in Harlingen, TX. Mosquitos are extra plentiful this month due to all the rain. [In looking for information on the landing of the QM I noted this in the N Y Times of 8/2/45: "NJ to spray mosquito breeding grounds with DDT..." guess Grandpa wasn't kidding when he said the pesky things were extra plentiful.]
2 W=F TH XXXX
[This photo is of the QM steaming into NY Harbor on 6/20/45; I cannot find a single pic of her arrival on this day, but I guess the ship doesn't look any different than she did 6 weeks later. If I find a photo on this date, I'll substitute it. Funny, one day I was thinking about this and it hit me like that proverbial ton of bricks, of course there are NO pix of her arrival with Bob on board! They arrived in the dark!!!! No one would have gotten any spectacular photos like this one at 4am for crying out loud...one mystery solved, many more to go!] Bob arrived at NY Pier 50 in Queen Mary between 4 and 5am. Arrived at Camp Kilmer this afternoon. He called us from there at 11:30pm. He & we all were very, very happy! He expects to go to Camp Dix tomorrow & home from there by Sat. nite or Sunday AM. Jean Klump and her mother called on us this evening. I weeded in garden. [The QM sailed on July 28 from Gourock, Scotland, by mid-August the departures were moved to Southampton, England. On Bob's voyage the QM carried 14,790 troops and 68 passengers. The crossing took 4 days, 14 hours and 8 minutes and traveled 3,136 miles. This info from another website dedicated to troop crossings. As Kert pointed out, the troops' arrival home was BIG NEWS at the end of the War. From a new book Kert bought to read up on the troops returning home come these additional details; the QM was the 1st ship to carry 10,000 passengers at one time, the first to transport an entire U S Military division at 1 time and the only ship ever to carry more than 16,500 people on one voyage. She was never attacked, she was too fast, and never fired her guns in anger. She was repainted with her standard Cunard livery in September, 1946. Multiply our one little story by hundreds of thousands of such stories to try to grasp the enormity of it all. But God love grandpa, note that in the midst of all of this hullaballoo, he didn't ignore weeding his garden! From another source, "This former "Royal Mail Ship" was built in Scotland and plied the North Atlantic from Southampton, England to New York as a luxury liner for 31 years with time out during World War II when she was refitted to become a troop carrier. Weighing 81,231 tons, the Queen Mary is over 1,019 feet long, 118 feet wide, and 145 feet from the water line to the top of the stacks. Purchased in 1967 by the city of Long Beach, the Queen Mary sailed from New York around Cape Horn to her new home in Long Beach, to become a hotel and convention center with such attractions as restaurants, shops, and a museum of the sea."]3 W=F F
Overtime 2 ¾ hrs. N bot citronella & boric acid for me. We each bot a box of candy for Bob (N & I). N mailed books back to Wiley & Sons. [Citronella & boric acid for mosquito control & treating of bites.]
4 W=F SA beautiful day!
Cut lawn. Bob called N from Dix about 2pm. Said he would try to get here tonight if possible. Would get bus to Trenton & then come by train.
5 W=F SU XXX
Bob called from Pennsy Station at 3:45am. I drove down & got him. Were we all glad! Bob was looking very well and was also very happy. He gets a 32 day furlough. Must be back at Ft. Dix by Sept 6. We did not get to bed until after daylight. Got up at 9:30 and worked in yard and garden most of day. Bob called on Jean K & brot her over in evening, then took her home in car. Bob brot a lot of candy, milk [?] and cigs with him. He called Ralph in early evening. He & Jo were out to Mexico & Brownsville, TX. We left note for him to call here which he did at 9:50pm. Bob & he & I & N had a nice chat. New atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima. [I will bet hard-earned money this is the MOST low-key report of the bombing of Hiroshima on record!]
6 W=R M
Bob saw Connie Loesser at hospital and collected his various ration allowances, etc. Dave treated Bob to a qt of ice cream for us all. Recd birthday cards from N, Bob & Gramp & Deed & AMORC. Recd $18 for the family.
7 W=C TU
I am 52 years of age today. N had a nice special steak supper for me & watermelon. Had ice cream & cake in eve. Bob brot Jean K over for awhile and then took her out. Recd Jun & July issues of “The Beacon” to read Sat. from Mrs. Hendricks, N brot them.
8 W=F W XXX
Bob took folks out to see Pocono Manor & Delaware Water Gap. Overtime 2 hours. [I never pass thru the DWG on my way to and from my friend Carol’s home in Hope, NJ without thinking of dad's telling me how much they loved the Water Gap...beautiful scenery.] Bob got me yesterday & today at Depot. Russia declared war on Japan. With the discovery of the atomic bomb a new era in the earth’s history is opened up. It will mean the end of large scale war. President Truman got home from the Potsdam conference yesterday.
9 W=R TH
Bob took N to Elizabeth market & she bot 1 bu peaches to can at $5.00 per bushel. Hoed in garden & picked vegetables. Bob took N & I riding in evening and had ice cream at Shults.
10 W=F F
Overtime to 9pm. Leo Knapp brot me home on Freylinghausen Ave. & North Ave., where Bob met me. Recd letter from Jennie.
11 W=F SA
Bob cut lawn for me. He took Jean K out in evening. N & I wrote a letter to Jennie & N wrote one to Ralph & Jo. Japan has proposed peace & the Allies’ answer is on the way. The War may be over for good within the next 24 hours. Picked a few tomatoes. Mosquitoes are terrible. Sending exp. pkg receipt for Jennie’s trunk in letter to Jennie.
12 W=F SU
Worked in garden until about 4pm. Tied up tomatoes & dusted beans with Rotenome powder. Took Bob & folks out to Whippany, & Carl Obertgel's home on Lake Parsippany. There was a false rumor at 9:34pm that peace had been declared by Truman but it was denied 2 minutes later as false & a prank by some unknown source. [I have to wonder how many people in the general population know these exact times!]
13 W=F M
Picked first ears of corn. Also picked a few tomatoes & trimmed rear hedge. Bob went to Jean’s
14 W=F TU XXXXXXXXXXXX [I believe this is the most x’s he ever uses - no I found more later.]
Well, tonite at 6:30 President Truman announced officially that Japan has accepted unconditional surrender and acceded to the conditions of the Potsdam Conference. There was much excitement all thru this country and in other countries too the world over as it signified the end of World War II and perhaps the end of all general warfare for many centuries to come. The world has indeed entered upon a new era - what with the discovery of atomic power utilization.
15 W=F W
Bob, N & I drove all over Staten Island. Crossed on Geothals bridge and came back on the ferry. Made new sockets for flag & pole on front porch. Cut large hedge & trimmed edges of lawn. Gasoline rationing has been done away with. Ferguson called this noon & said I would not need to work tomorrow.
16 W=F TH Beautiful weather!
Another holiday for me. Had dinner at Coach & Horses. Took life easy today. Worked in garden after helping N with washing, etc. [Doesn’t sound like taking life easy to ME!]
Most stores remained closed today also. No PO deliveries yesterday and today.
17 W=F XX F
To work again. The effect of the war’s end was today becoming felt at WE Co., no overtime and tomorrow is our first Saturday off. There were also many layoffs at WE & many other places in our industrialized area.
18 W=F SA
1st Sat off! Picked enough beans for N to can 8 qts. Bob & I washed car. Bob cut lawn & I trimmed it. Heard landing of 2 white planes bearing the Jap high shots (13) to arrange with MacArthur for the surrender of Japan. They landed at the Jinso Island just off Okinawa Island. [I cannot find Jinso Island, there is a Jindo Island off Korea, but no Jinso. I am sure that's what grandpa wrote, perhaps it is now known as something else? Kert any hints?]
19 W=F SU
Bob & I polished car today. Had some more of our corn for dinner. Mrs. Putnam came for a half hour or so to see Bob. Bob took N & Deed to Elmora Theatre. Picked almost a bushel of tomatoes.
20 W=F M
N canned 10 or 11 qts of tomatoes.
21 W=F TU
Bob took N & Mrs. & Connie Loesser down to Asbury. Picked almost another ½ bushel of tomatoes, some corn, lettuce & tampala (red). Loosened dirt in all beds around yard. Repaired 3 electric iron cords.
22 W=F W
Bob took N & folks to a lamb roast dinner at Mrs. Obgertel’s cottage at Lake Parsippany today. Had some red tampala, lettuce & sweet corn for supper right out of our garden. Recd letter from J. D. Acker
23 W=R TH Rain at night as I start the 2nd portion of my vacation.
24 W=R F All day rain. Drove to WE plant for my vacation pay. Wrote letter to Acker.
25 W=R SA
Rain again & thunder shower at night. Picked ½ bu tomatoes & 12 ears of corn , also carrots.
26 W=C SU
Transplanted Chinese cabbages & other plants. Had some more sweet corn which was extremely delicious. Bob took folks out for a ride. Cut & trimmed lawn.
27 W=F M Fair but cool. Got oil at Sears.
28 W=F TU
Prepared to leave tomorrow for a 3 day trip to Mt. Washington NH, Boston & Provincetown, MA. Picked 1 bu of tomatoes & 2 cabbages. [I don't get why they took this trip with Bob at home for only a short time. While it appears the War is over, they didn't really know what would happen in the short term. They could go to New England anytime!]
29 W=F W
Left at 7:14am, mileage 29944. Arrived at Bradford, VT for night at Hartwell Cabins. Trip 337 Miles, mileage 30281. Had lunch at Avon, CT, supper at Hanover, NH (Dartmouth College). [There is a great little restaurant in downtown Hanover near campus that’s been there for many many years where I’ve eaten a number of times, wonder where they ate? My good friend lives in Avon, where I house-sat for her for a week in June, 2009, a beautiful spot on the earth were we have many ancestors on grandma’s Salmon line buried nearby in Farmington, CT, a place I also visited in 2009.] Beautiful weather & trip tho very hot.
30 W=R TH
Left Bradford in rain & spent day going around in the White Mountains. Mileage at end of day 30556. Breakfast at Wells River, VT. Lunch at Willy House 3 mi. from Cranford Gap. Supper at Concord, NH from where N called her mother by phone. Stayed in farm home about 6 miles north of Nassau, NH. Trip mileage 275 mi.
31 W=F F
Came home thru Concord, Lexington, Boston & Providence R.I. Trip 310 miles. Mileage at end of day 30866. Got home about 9:10pm. Total mileage 922 miles. Made 23.2 + miles per gallon average. [Not bad for the times!]
SEPTEMBER 1945
1 W=R SAT Rain @ night; Worked in garden. Cut lawn
2 W=F SU
"VJ" Day today as announced by President Truman. Fixed kit. window sash cords.
3 W=F M LABOR DAY
Bob took N & folks out for a ride thru Watchungs. N & her mother had another fight about nothing. Took it easy today. Wrote letter to Jennie S. quoting surrender value on Dad's 3 policies.
4 W=F TU
Back to work today. Job still there. Bob heard last night that he may have to go to camp in Calif. & that means the Pacific area (?) OR DOES IT? Fred Cloud, Banilis & Geo. Mueller and Alice were let go. Baresi at Passaic is also saying goodbye.
5 W=F W
Bob had dinner at a restaurant with the Adams family (Frances & her parents) at their invitation. Picked another 1/3 bu of tomatoes & 10 or 11 ears of 2nd crop corn.
6 W=F XXX TH
N & I took Bob & the Walsh couple to the train (9:58pm Pennsy) for Trenton & Camp Dix. His 32 day furlough is ended. He thinks he is headed for the Pacific Coast. Had steak, sweet corn & plum pudding.
7 W=F F
Bob called up from Camp Dix and said he would probably leave by tonite or tomorrow for a camp at Santa Barbara, near Los Angeles. Paul Naef talked to me again about job situation. He said I was not on the transfer list, but asked whether I had any plans about returning to Eqpt. I told him no.
8 W=F SA
Hot! DID NOT WORK at plant. Cut lawn, ate another batch of golden x-bantam corn.
9 W=F SU
Went to Fairmount Park & Germantown districts of Philadelphia today with N & folks. Found these places beautiful & Julius Celpus & his early Rosicrucians in 1694 must have enjoyed that spot on the rugged banks of the Wissahickon River, a branch of the Schuykill River. Had late dinner when we got home after driving 200 miles.
10 W=C M Very humid today.
11 W=R TU
Recd card from Bob en route to Calif. Had some more delicious sweet corn. Went to Whippany with Bob Siller & Paul Naef in P's car. He brot me home to Kean's Farm. Togo shot himself but is not dead and will recover.
12 W=F W
Attended Charlie R. Ferguson's 25th Co. anniversary party at Plaza Hotel in Jersey City. Twelve were present including myself as follows: CRF, G A Landry, C W Reynolds, D P Henise, Paul Naef, W J Nordon, D'Amato, Stelling, E W Thursten, Jack R. Haviland & W L Filmer. Recd airmail letter from Jennie saying that Dad had a spell Sunday AM but overcame it. Went to convention & bus meeting at NYC Minor Lodge of AMORC with C L Searles. ["Here is a postcard of "The Hotel Plaza", Jersey City, New Jersey. The postcard indicates that the hotel was opposite Journal Square and the Hudson Tube Station and remarks "8 minutes from New York City". The back of the card writes: "The Hotel Plaza is the ideal headquarters from which to cover the Metropolitan area, affording a combination of business and pleasure. All rooms with bath, popular prices." Based on the cars in the image, I would guess this postcard to be from the 1930's. Today, the hotel is gone. It has been replaced with a Cohen's Optical, Sneaker Store, a Lottery/Magazine shop, a less then attractive bar and a hot dog stand. Jersey City has seen better days."]
13 W=F TH
Picked corn & another 1/2 bu of tomatoes. Charles Searles asked me re my reactions to last night's meeting. Bob called by phone from camp in CA today while N was downtown. Ken Stalter and Leo R Knapp are going to Eqpt next Monday & CRF also returns then to Eqpt where he will conduct student training classes and maintain Section Chief rating.
14 W=R F
Had a severe wind & rain storm which delayed me over an hour in getting home. Was fortunately able to get a ride from 170 to TO bldgs. And then Elmora to Shelley & Byron Avenues. Streets were flooded and blocked by fallen trees, etc. A hurricane is approaching Florida.
15 W=R SA
Cut lawn & trimmed 1 hedge. Accidentally cut N's finger (left hand) with dad's hedge shears. Recd letter from Ralph & Sallie Jo. They were still at Harlingen, TX. Sent notice to Brehm's for rugs. Bob en route to Camp Cooke, CA. Washed dishes for N. [Camp Cooke is the early name for what is now Vandenberg Air Force Base; from Wikipedia:
"The base, nicknamed "VandyLand" by Air Force personnel, was originally established in 1941 as the U.S. Army's Camp Cooke. Camp Cooke was named in honor of Major General Philip St. George Cooke, a cavalry officer whose military career spanned almost half a century, beginning with his graduation from West Point in 1827 to his retirement in 1873. As a colonel during the Mexican-American War, he led the Mormon Battalion from Santa Fe to California. The facility served as a training center for armored and infantry troops through World War II and again in the Korean War.2 W=F SU
"VJ" Day today as announced by President Truman. Fixed kit. window sash cords.
3 W=F M LABOR DAY
Bob took N & folks out for a ride thru Watchungs. N & her mother had another fight about nothing. Took it easy today. Wrote letter to Jennie S. quoting surrender value on Dad's 3 policies.
4 W=F TU
Back to work today. Job still there. Bob heard last night that he may have to go to camp in Calif. & that means the Pacific area (?) OR DOES IT? Fred Cloud, Banilis & Geo. Mueller and Alice were let go. Baresi at Passaic is also saying goodbye.
5 W=F W
Bob had dinner at a restaurant with the Adams family (Frances & her parents) at their invitation. Picked another 1/3 bu of tomatoes & 10 or 11 ears of 2nd crop corn.
6 W=F XXX TH
N & I took Bob & the Walsh couple to the train (9:58pm Pennsy) for Trenton & Camp Dix. His 32 day furlough is ended. He thinks he is headed for the Pacific Coast. Had steak, sweet corn & plum pudding.
7 W=F F
Bob called up from Camp Dix and said he would probably leave by tonite or tomorrow for a camp at Santa Barbara, near Los Angeles. Paul Naef talked to me again about job situation. He said I was not on the transfer list, but asked whether I had any plans about returning to Eqpt. I told him no.
8 W=F SA
Hot! DID NOT WORK at plant. Cut lawn, ate another batch of golden x-bantam corn.
9 W=F SU
Went to Fairmount Park & Germantown districts of Philadelphia today with N & folks. Found these places beautiful & Julius Celpus & his early Rosicrucians in 1694 must have enjoyed that spot on the rugged banks of the Wissahickon River, a branch of the Schuykill River. Had late dinner when we got home after driving 200 miles.
10 W=C M Very humid today.
11 W=R TU
Recd card from Bob en route to Calif. Had some more delicious sweet corn. Went to Whippany with Bob Siller & Paul Naef in P's car. He brot me home to Kean's Farm. Togo shot himself but is not dead and will recover.
12 W=F W
Attended Charlie R. Ferguson's 25th Co. anniversary party at Plaza Hotel in Jersey City. Twelve were present including myself as follows: CRF, G A Landry, C W Reynolds, D P Henise, Paul Naef, W J Nordon, D'Amato, Stelling, E W Thursten, Jack R. Haviland & W L Filmer. Recd airmail letter from Jennie saying that Dad had a spell Sunday AM but overcame it. Went to convention & bus meeting at NYC Minor Lodge of AMORC with C L Searles. ["Here is a postcard of "The Hotel Plaza", Jersey City, New Jersey. The postcard indicates that the hotel was opposite Journal Square and the Hudson Tube Station and remarks "8 minutes from New York City". The back of the card writes: "The Hotel Plaza is the ideal headquarters from which to cover the Metropolitan area, affording a combination of business and pleasure. All rooms with bath, popular prices." Based on the cars in the image, I would guess this postcard to be from the 1930's. Today, the hotel is gone. It has been replaced with a Cohen's Optical, Sneaker Store, a Lottery/Magazine shop, a less then attractive bar and a hot dog stand. Jersey City has seen better days."]
13 W=F TH
Picked corn & another 1/2 bu of tomatoes. Charles Searles asked me re my reactions to last night's meeting. Bob called by phone from camp in CA today while N was downtown. Ken Stalter and Leo R Knapp are going to Eqpt next Monday & CRF also returns then to Eqpt where he will conduct student training classes and maintain Section Chief rating.
14 W=R F
Had a severe wind & rain storm which delayed me over an hour in getting home. Was fortunately able to get a ride from 170 to TO bldgs. And then Elmora to Shelley & Byron Avenues. Streets were flooded and blocked by fallen trees, etc. A hurricane is approaching Florida.
15 W=R SA
Cut lawn & trimmed 1 hedge. Accidentally cut N's finger (left hand) with dad's hedge shears. Recd letter from Ralph & Sallie Jo. They were still at Harlingen, TX. Sent notice to Brehm's for rugs. Bob en route to Camp Cooke, CA. Washed dishes for N. [Camp Cooke is the early name for what is now Vandenberg Air Force Base; from Wikipedia:
The base was transferred to the U.S. Air Force in 1957 and began its transformation into a space and ballistic missile test facility. One year later, Cooke Air Force base was renamed in honor of General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, the second chief of staff of the Air Force, who was an early advocate of space and missile operations." For more information on Camp Cooke go here.]
16 W=C SU
Washed dishes for N. Also washed kitchen and bathroom floors. Read in "Descipleship in the New Age" as I have been doing off & on for quite awhile.
17 W=R M
Rain & heavy winds. 150 mph hurricane hit Miami & Fl generally yesterday. Took work home. CRF started w/ Brubalser.
18 W=R TU
Heavy rains all day. Wrote Lundstrom also sent congratulatory card to Marjorie as we rec'd a card today from Jennie that she had a baby boy 7 lbs 6 oz on 9/15/45.
19 W=C W
Recd letter from Ralph. He is leaving Harlingen soon for some camp in Midwest. He will not go overseas.
20 W=F TH
Paul Naef left on trip for Chicago by plane. CRF came over to help out while he is away. Recd letter from Bob. N wrote letter to Bob. Wrote letter to Mary Pitinkis about her leaving Co. & AMORC studies. N mailed 7 pictures I took on our camera to Bob.
21 W=F F
Mr. Francis was let out of Co. today. N went to foot doctor Monday & was told her feet were in bad shape. Today she says she does not feel so good.
22 W= F SA
Cut lawn & worked in garden. Cut rear hedge. N canned 4 qts each of pole beans & carrots. Picked squash, corn (last of 2nd crop), tomatoes, peppers, beans, Swiss chard & tampala.
23 W=R SU
Took N & folks out for drive to see DeWittes' place near New Brunswick & Millford, also to see Camp Kilmer.
24 W=C M Took work home
25 W=F TU
Attended party in honor of Mr. C. R. Ferguson at the Flagship on Rte 29, Union, NJ. A Mr. Smith from Hawthorn is going to work for us. I met him this noon.
26 W=C W
Recd 1st volume of "A Treatise on the Seven Rays" by Bailey. Recd letter from Mary Pitinkis. Put dining room summer rug in attic after N cleaned it.
27 W=F TH
Recd letter from the C J Lundstrom Mfg. Co., Box 278, Little Falls, NY re my recent inquiry about an addl bookcase section. They have it, I ordered it. Also N recd letter from Ruth Fifield [her aunt in Chicago].
28 W=C F
Mr. Henise has been demoted to Dept. Chief. About 26 others are also involved I hear. Wrote in on N's letter to Ralph & Sally. Took work home.
29 W=R 87deg SA
Cut & trimmed lawn. Went shopping with N & paid bills. Hottest 9/29 on record.
30 W=C SU 60deg Cold!
Studied in "Treatise on the 7 Rays" which I find extremely revealing and corroborative. Sorted co. mail. N wrote to Jennie S & mailed pictures also to Bob in which I added 1 sheet. Advised Bob of telephone bill of $4.10.
18 W=R TU
Heavy rains all day. Wrote Lundstrom also sent congratulatory card to Marjorie as we rec'd a card today from Jennie that she had a baby boy 7 lbs 6 oz on 9/15/45.
19 W=C W
Recd letter from Ralph. He is leaving Harlingen soon for some camp in Midwest. He will not go overseas.
20 W=F TH
Paul Naef left on trip for Chicago by plane. CRF came over to help out while he is away. Recd letter from Bob. N wrote letter to Bob. Wrote letter to Mary Pitinkis about her leaving Co. & AMORC studies. N mailed 7 pictures I took on our camera to Bob.
21 W=F F
Mr. Francis was let out of Co. today. N went to foot doctor Monday & was told her feet were in bad shape. Today she says she does not feel so good.
22 W= F SA
Cut lawn & worked in garden. Cut rear hedge. N canned 4 qts each of pole beans & carrots. Picked squash, corn (last of 2nd crop), tomatoes, peppers, beans, Swiss chard & tampala.
23 W=R SU
Took N & folks out for drive to see DeWittes' place near New Brunswick & Millford, also to see Camp Kilmer.
24 W=C M Took work home
25 W=F TU
Attended party in honor of Mr. C. R. Ferguson at the Flagship on Rte 29, Union, NJ. A Mr. Smith from Hawthorn is going to work for us. I met him this noon.
26 W=C W
Recd 1st volume of "A Treatise on the Seven Rays" by Bailey. Recd letter from Mary Pitinkis. Put dining room summer rug in attic after N cleaned it.
27 W=F TH
Recd letter from the C J Lundstrom Mfg. Co., Box 278, Little Falls, NY re my recent inquiry about an addl bookcase section. They have it, I ordered it. Also N recd letter from Ruth Fifield [her aunt in Chicago].
28 W=C F
Mr. Henise has been demoted to Dept. Chief. About 26 others are also involved I hear. Wrote in on N's letter to Ralph & Sally. Took work home.
29 W=R 87deg SA
Cut & trimmed lawn. Went shopping with N & paid bills. Hottest 9/29 on record.
30 W=C SU 60deg Cold!
Studied in "Treatise on the 7 Rays" which I find extremely revealing and corroborative. Sorted co. mail. N wrote to Jennie S & mailed pictures also to Bob in which I added 1 sheet. Advised Bob of telephone bill of $4.10.
OCTOBER 1945
1 W=C M
Daylight saving time ended yesterday at 2am. It had been in use for 3 years without a break. Recd letter from Ralph. He is going to Madison, WI. Also letter from Emperator Lewis ? dues.
2 W=R TU N is cleaning & started on my room today. Took work home.
3 W=F W
Attended AMORC NY Jr. Lodge meeting w/ Searles & Pat. Started reading "The Kabalion by the Three Initiates."
4 W=F XXX TH white frost
Bob called at 12:30 am (F) tonight from Camp Cooke. He became a civilian again today. He is headed for S F, Portland, Salt Lake City, Madison, WI, The Fifields and home. He expects to be gone a month. He has 77 points and rec'd $165.00 travel allowance. His duffel bag will be
shipped to us from Syracuse by one of his friends.
6 W=R XX SAT
Attended NYC Minor Lodge of AMORC rally today with Searles & Pat. Had a fine time there and kept eyes & ears open. N browsed in Harmony Book shop at supper time. Had supper in an old English Tea Room. Recd letter from Ralph from Chicago. He is going to stop at Ruth & Bert's
at Hinsdale & then go to Madison where he is today. Rec'd rugs from Brehm's.
7 W=R SU
Attended 2nd day of Rosicrucion Rally at Temple in NYC. Was very good. Spent all day there as I did yesterday.
8 W=F M
Sent card to Dad. Paid Brehm's, Inc. up to date (check 236). N picked me 2 nice beautiful roses & had them in a vase in my room when I came home.
9 W=R TU Filled out questionnaire for IHP on Welfare of NYC JR LODGE. Took work home.
10 W=F W
Paul introduced our new division chief, Mr. Marshall, to us this AM. Rec'd letter from Jennie S. and one from Bob at Portland, where he arrived last Sunday. He had hitch-hiked to SF & took ? to Portland. N made up several jars of green pepper & tomato relish (ground up) with onions
(also picalilly). [Unless I missed something, this is Bob's only trip to Portland. In her 1999 letter to me, June says: "I met Bob only once. We lived in Portland and rented our daylight basement to 3 airline stewardesses, one of whom had been a beauty queen. Bob was quite good
looking in his uniform and we decided to go nightclubbing so got the beauty queen to come along as his date. He was quite smitten and was sorry he had to go back to base the next day." I suspect he didn't go "back to base", an erroneous memory on June's part 56 years later! I
suspect he had to get on with his trip to Chicago. See the 4th above.]
11 W=F TH
Wrote follow up to C J Lundstrom Mfg. Co. on my bookcase order # 81793 of 9/26/45. Recd letter from Ralph from Truax Field, Madison, WI. Finished reading "The Kybalion" by the Three Initiates. [Originally known as "Madison Army Airfield", Truax Field was activated as an Army Air Forces airfield in June 1942 during World War II. During the war it was used by the Army Air Force Eastern Technical Training Center, a major school operating at Truax AAF for training radio operators and mechanics, and later expanded to training in radar operations, control tower operations and other communications fields for the Army Airways Communication Service. A special unit established in 1943 trained radio operators and mechanics on B-29 Superfortress communications equipment. The host unit on the airfield was the 334th (later 3508th) Army Air Force Base Unit. On September 17, 1945, the airfield's mission was changed to that of a separation center, and it was closed as an active AAF airfield on November 30, 1945. IF DAD WAS TRAINING GUNNERY SERGANTS WHY WAS HE AT A SEPARATION CENTER??? MAKES NO SENSE.]
12 W=F F Columbus Day
Started reading "The House of Fulfillment-The Romance of a Soul" by L. Adams Beck (E. Barrington). She also wrote 7 other good books.
13 W=F SA
Cleaned bathroom walls. Took Dad to barber & paid bills. Picked remaining 3rd crop corn and have enough ears for 3 meals. Also picked remaining pole beans and limas- also squash. Picked some kale. The Mexican bean beatles and corn borers were still in evidence. Also "lady bugs" and preying mantis. N cleaned sun porch summer rug.
14 W=C SU Cleaned walls & ceiling of sun parlor
15 W=C M Recd letter from Bob. He is leaving Tues. for Chicago. He is not going to Salt Lake City. Took company work home.
16 W=C TU
N put sun p. in order by wiping woodwork and cleaned wallpaper. Ralph called by phone from Madison, WI just before 10:30pm. He wanted to know when Bob was coming. Bob left Portland at 6:30 for Chicago. Our new Div. Chief, Mr. Marshall, gave the whole division a talk about
policies and plans for the future of specialty products.
17 W=F W
Attended AMORC Forum meeting at NYC Minor Lodge. Recd letter from The Lundstrom Mfgr. Co., definitely promising shipment of bookcase section on 10/23/45. Loaned "The Light of the Soul" to C H Patterson.
18 W=F TH Recd letter from Ralph. Took work home.
19 W=F FR
Recd letter from Bob from Portland. We put cleaned rug back in dining room. N cleaned it today. Bob's duffle bag was recd today from his friend at Syracuse.
20 W=F SA Started washing ceiling & walls of living room.
21 W=F SU Beautiful weather!
Cleaned living room. N & I wrote Bob a common letter & sent it to Ruth F. Took folks for fine ride to see foliage which was marvelous. Cappy Rix died today.
22 W=R M
N cleaned living room. Visited Higgins Mortuary at 414 Westminster Ave. to see Cappy Rix' body for the last time. Spoke at length with Mrs. Weir. They are living at Westfield Towers aptmt. Cappy had had an appendix operation in Aug. after his vacation & then they found he was full of cancer.
23 W=R TU Put rug and rug pad down in living room. Paul Naef is sick with the grippe.
24 W=F W
Spent afternoon at BTL from 2 to 5pm in M A C Keller's office in conference on QDA. Our new division chief, R Marshall, was present. Paul N was home w/ grippe. Meeting was fairly successful. Had dinner in Jersey City & supper in NYC. Then attended convocation at AMORC Jr. Lodge. Bob telegraphed to say he would be home Friday.
25 W=R TH
Paul N called me today from his home about conference on C O at BTL tomorrow & about signing letters for him. Walton lost minutes & other papers of yesterday's conf. in Ridgewood. They were found later by a Ridgewood high school pupil. Recd request also from Marshall to be present with Vetter tomorrow at BTL conf on BTL CO's. Recd notice of shipment of bookcase section from Lundstrom. Mended card table for living room.
26 W=R FR
Attended conf on C O routines at BTL at 463 W St. with Mr. Vetter and Mr. Stanton, Mr. Tebo and 2 others. Bob returned home today on "Pennsy." We took drive along west bank of Hudson to view lights on some 50 new ships but found they had already done so before we arrived. Recd bookcase section.
27 W=F SA NAVY DAY
Put new section of bookcase in and rearranged my books. Took Deed, Dad & N to review of fleet in Hudson by Pres. Truman. The Missouri, Enterprise and Midway were the largest. We viewed it from Cliffside and were over 2 hrs. coming home due to traffic.
28 W=F SU
Took down lower front screens & washed & put up storm windows. Dug up all remaining (about 1/2 bu) carrots, also beets and green peppers. Took work home.
29 W=F M P Naef back again from grippe spell. Bob Siller leaves for Chicago tonight.
30 W=F TU
Bob went to see income tax people at Newark. Was in conf 3:30 to 5:00 with PN & Ed Hotz, Walton & Simpson in Marshall's office on agenda for tomorrow's weekly meeting.
31 W=F W Beautiful day. Attended weekly conf in Mr. Marshall's office from 2 to 5. Halloween.
Daylight saving time ended yesterday at 2am. It had been in use for 3 years without a break. Recd letter from Ralph. He is going to Madison, WI. Also letter from Emperator Lewis ? dues.
2 W=R TU N is cleaning & started on my room today. Took work home.
3 W=F W
Attended AMORC NY Jr. Lodge meeting w/ Searles & Pat. Started reading "The Kabalion by the Three Initiates."
4 W=F XXX TH white frost
Bob called at 12:30 am (F) tonight from Camp Cooke. He became a civilian again today. He is headed for S F, Portland, Salt Lake City, Madison, WI, The Fifields and home. He expects to be gone a month. He has 77 points and rec'd $165.00 travel allowance. His duffel bag will be
shipped to us from Syracuse by one of his friends.
6 W=R XX SAT
Attended NYC Minor Lodge of AMORC rally today with Searles & Pat. Had a fine time there and kept eyes & ears open. N browsed in Harmony Book shop at supper time. Had supper in an old English Tea Room. Recd letter from Ralph from Chicago. He is going to stop at Ruth & Bert's
at Hinsdale & then go to Madison where he is today. Rec'd rugs from Brehm's.
7 W=R SU
Attended 2nd day of Rosicrucion Rally at Temple in NYC. Was very good. Spent all day there as I did yesterday.
8 W=F M
Sent card to Dad. Paid Brehm's, Inc. up to date (check 236). N picked me 2 nice beautiful roses & had them in a vase in my room when I came home.
9 W=R TU Filled out questionnaire for IHP on Welfare of NYC JR LODGE. Took work home.
10 W=F W
Paul introduced our new division chief, Mr. Marshall, to us this AM. Rec'd letter from Jennie S. and one from Bob at Portland, where he arrived last Sunday. He had hitch-hiked to SF & took ? to Portland. N made up several jars of green pepper & tomato relish (ground up) with onions
(also picalilly). [Unless I missed something, this is Bob's only trip to Portland. In her 1999 letter to me, June says: "I met Bob only once. We lived in Portland and rented our daylight basement to 3 airline stewardesses, one of whom had been a beauty queen. Bob was quite good
looking in his uniform and we decided to go nightclubbing so got the beauty queen to come along as his date. He was quite smitten and was sorry he had to go back to base the next day." I suspect he didn't go "back to base", an erroneous memory on June's part 56 years later! I
suspect he had to get on with his trip to Chicago. See the 4th above.]
11 W=F TH
Wrote follow up to C J Lundstrom Mfg. Co. on my bookcase order # 81793 of 9/26/45. Recd letter from Ralph from Truax Field, Madison, WI. Finished reading "The Kybalion" by the Three Initiates. [Originally known as "Madison Army Airfield", Truax Field was activated as an Army Air Forces airfield in June 1942 during World War II. During the war it was used by the Army Air Force Eastern Technical Training Center, a major school operating at Truax AAF for training radio operators and mechanics, and later expanded to training in radar operations, control tower operations and other communications fields for the Army Airways Communication Service. A special unit established in 1943 trained radio operators and mechanics on B-29 Superfortress communications equipment. The host unit on the airfield was the 334th (later 3508th) Army Air Force Base Unit. On September 17, 1945, the airfield's mission was changed to that of a separation center, and it was closed as an active AAF airfield on November 30, 1945. IF DAD WAS TRAINING GUNNERY SERGANTS WHY WAS HE AT A SEPARATION CENTER??? MAKES NO SENSE.]
12 W=F F Columbus Day
Started reading "The House of Fulfillment-The Romance of a Soul" by L. Adams Beck (E. Barrington). She also wrote 7 other good books.
13 W=F SA
Cleaned bathroom walls. Took Dad to barber & paid bills. Picked remaining 3rd crop corn and have enough ears for 3 meals. Also picked remaining pole beans and limas- also squash. Picked some kale. The Mexican bean beatles and corn borers were still in evidence. Also "lady bugs" and preying mantis. N cleaned sun porch summer rug.
14 W=C SU Cleaned walls & ceiling of sun parlor
15 W=C M Recd letter from Bob. He is leaving Tues. for Chicago. He is not going to Salt Lake City. Took company work home.
16 W=C TU
N put sun p. in order by wiping woodwork and cleaned wallpaper. Ralph called by phone from Madison, WI just before 10:30pm. He wanted to know when Bob was coming. Bob left Portland at 6:30 for Chicago. Our new Div. Chief, Mr. Marshall, gave the whole division a talk about
policies and plans for the future of specialty products.
17 W=F W
Attended AMORC Forum meeting at NYC Minor Lodge. Recd letter from The Lundstrom Mfgr. Co., definitely promising shipment of bookcase section on 10/23/45. Loaned "The Light of the Soul" to C H Patterson.
18 W=F TH Recd letter from Ralph. Took work home.
19 W=F FR
Recd letter from Bob from Portland. We put cleaned rug back in dining room. N cleaned it today. Bob's duffle bag was recd today from his friend at Syracuse.
20 W=F SA Started washing ceiling & walls of living room.
21 W=F SU Beautiful weather!
Cleaned living room. N & I wrote Bob a common letter & sent it to Ruth F. Took folks for fine ride to see foliage which was marvelous. Cappy Rix died today.
22 W=R M
N cleaned living room. Visited Higgins Mortuary at 414 Westminster Ave. to see Cappy Rix' body for the last time. Spoke at length with Mrs. Weir. They are living at Westfield Towers aptmt. Cappy had had an appendix operation in Aug. after his vacation & then they found he was full of cancer.
23 W=R TU Put rug and rug pad down in living room. Paul Naef is sick with the grippe.
24 W=F W
Spent afternoon at BTL from 2 to 5pm in M A C Keller's office in conference on QDA. Our new division chief, R Marshall, was present. Paul N was home w/ grippe. Meeting was fairly successful. Had dinner in Jersey City & supper in NYC. Then attended convocation at AMORC Jr. Lodge. Bob telegraphed to say he would be home Friday.
25 W=R TH
Paul N called me today from his home about conference on C O at BTL tomorrow & about signing letters for him. Walton lost minutes & other papers of yesterday's conf. in Ridgewood. They were found later by a Ridgewood high school pupil. Recd request also from Marshall to be present with Vetter tomorrow at BTL conf on BTL CO's. Recd notice of shipment of bookcase section from Lundstrom. Mended card table for living room.
26 W=R FR
Attended conf on C O routines at BTL at 463 W St. with Mr. Vetter and Mr. Stanton, Mr. Tebo and 2 others. Bob returned home today on "Pennsy." We took drive along west bank of Hudson to view lights on some 50 new ships but found they had already done so before we arrived. Recd bookcase section.
27 W=F SA NAVY DAY
Put new section of bookcase in and rearranged my books. Took Deed, Dad & N to review of fleet in Hudson by Pres. Truman. The Missouri, Enterprise and Midway were the largest. We viewed it from Cliffside and were over 2 hrs. coming home due to traffic.
28 W=F SU
Took down lower front screens & washed & put up storm windows. Dug up all remaining (about 1/2 bu) carrots, also beets and green peppers. Took work home.
29 W=F M P Naef back again from grippe spell. Bob Siller leaves for Chicago tonight.
30 W=F TU
Bob went to see income tax people at Newark. Was in conf 3:30 to 5:00 with PN & Ed Hotz, Walton & Simpson in Marshall's office on agenda for tomorrow's weekly meeting.
31 W=F W Beautiful day. Attended weekly conf in Mr. Marshall's office from 2 to 5. Halloween.
NOVEMBER 1945
1 W=F TH N & I to movies.
2 W=F F
Dept 9636 (ours) had its 1st conf from 2 to 5 today. N had pork roast today for 1st time in many months.
3 W=R SA Worked @ plant all day on cancellation work.
4 W=C Colder SU
Bob & I had turkey dinner at Boy Scout Cabin near Bonnie Burn. It was prepared by Winklepleck & Pat & Koskos. It was OK. Put down screens upstairs. Fixed Deed's window cord.
5 W=F M Recd letter from Sally Jo from Madison, WI. Took work home.
6 W=F TU
Took work home. Bob applied for work at Kelly Press. He was offered assembly job @ $32.00 per week. We all voted Rep. ticket.
7 W=F W
Halsey Day in Elizabeth (Pacific naval hero commander of 3rd US Fleet.) He was born here. Heavy fog this AM, train late 20 min. Attended AMORC Junior Lodge meeting at NYC. Was in conf from 2 to after 5pm.
8 W=F TH Heavy fog in AM.
9 W=F F Had party for Hazel, Alma, Frances[Adams], Teddy [Gast?], Bob, N & I.
10 W=R SA
Worked on cancellation work today. One of Bob's wartime buddies from NYC came to spend week-end with him. He had dinner with us then went to another buddy's home in Rahway or Linden.
11 W=R Su
Spent day inside on co. work. Bob took his friend to 11:00 Mass at St. Genevieve Church.
12 W=R M In conf. on ordering situation on QDA. Took work home.
13 W=R TU
N became member of Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century. [ Natl Society Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century of which I am currently (2015-18) President General.] Took N & mother S to see "State Fair" a color film at Park Theater. Took work home. [Note that Dana Andrews was in this movie- he was a patient at Barnes Hospital when I worked there and I met him, late 1960s or early 70s. He got drunk in the bar at the Queeny Tower rooftop restaurant and punched one of our administrators in the face, a female! People are STILL talking about it!]
14 W=R W
Heard Dr. John R. Dunning, Dept of Physics, Columbia University talk on "Development of Atomic Energy" at NJ Bell Tel.Co. Forum 540 Broad St., Newark. It was great. He spoke of the "Manhattan Project".
15 W=F TH Put new sash cord in Deed's room. Put alcohol in car.
16 W=F F
Had new plugs & points put in car by Hersh Motor Car Co., Inc. Bob has new job offer from Dave.
18 W=F SU
Brot in 3 heads of Chinese Cabbage. We had one for dinner. Trimmed rose bushes and wisteria vine. Transferred 6 geranium plants to pots & put up shelf for them in basement.
19 W=R M
Bob started working for Dave. Recd invitation to Catherine DeBoer's wedding Dec 1st. at Haw. Episcopal Church.
21 W=F W
Conf in Marshall's office this pm. Tommy Decker came to town. He called on Bob at store and later in evening at our house. The 2 went out together. He took his 2 books back. N is getting set for a swell turkey dinner tomorrow. Recd letter from Ralph. He may pay us a visit during the holidays.
22 W=R TH
"Thanksgiving" in peacetime once more. Our 18lb turkey was delicious with lots of it left over. Tommy Decker helped us eat it and spent day with us. Another boy also called in evening. Read more in "7 Rays" & finished 1st section. Tom made long distance call for which he left 50cents. I dried the dinner dishes. It rained in AM but cleared in PM. Took down all downstairs screens & doors except basement screens. Fixed iron cord.
23 W=F F Important "War Criminal" trials going on in Japan, Germany & elsewhere.
24 W=F SA Below freezing
Meat off rationing list at 12:01am. Sugar rationing will remain for some time. Deed & Gramp had their 53rd wedding anniversary yesterday. Worked overtime 7 3/4 hrs. today on cancellation work. W J Walton went home at noon, but signed his clock card out at 5:15pm. PN apparently is not aware that he is doing this. This according to some of the engs has been going on right along.
25 W=F SU
Car developed a broken starter spring and is being repaired at Twin Boro Auto Corp., 158 Westfield Ave., Roselle Pk., NJ. Andrew & Alida and Tommy Decker called in afternoon.
26 W=F M
Took work home. Bob brot car back from Twin Boro Auto Sales. It had to have a new Bendix drive. Tommy Decker called on Bob. Mrs. Nina Obgertel called on N.
27 W=F TU O'time til 9pm (3 1/4 hrs + 1/2 for supper). P Naef took George and me home to Elizabeth.
28 W=R W
Circuit #3 blew a fuse. Found it was due to worn insulation on outside front porch lights. Had conference again on QDA Project. W E E Assoc. [Western Electric Employees Assn.] took a strike vote today. Terrific rain storm & rain. 16" snow in NY state. 60 mile gales in NE states.
29 W=R TH Overtime till 9pm. Called Lucis [Lucious?] Pub. Co., for list of books available.
30 W=S F
Several inches snow on ground. P Naef indicated that a merit raise would have been my lot if Company's policy hadn't been changed to hold off on merit raises for supervisors until after strike issue settlement as to lump increase.
1 W=F TH N & I to movies.
2 W=F F
Dept 9636 (ours) had its 1st conf from 2 to 5 today. N had pork roast today for 1st time in many months.
3 W=R SA Worked @ plant all day on cancellation work.
4 W=C Colder SU
Bob & I had turkey dinner at Boy Scout Cabin near Bonnie Burn. It was prepared by Winklepleck & Pat & Koskos. It was OK. Put down screens upstairs. Fixed Deed's window cord.
5 W=F M Recd letter from Sally Jo from Madison, WI. Took work home.
6 W=F TU
Took work home. Bob applied for work at Kelly Press. He was offered assembly job @ $32.00 per week. We all voted Rep. ticket.
7 W=F W
Halsey Day in Elizabeth (Pacific naval hero commander of 3rd US Fleet.) He was born here. Heavy fog this AM, train late 20 min. Attended AMORC Junior Lodge meeting at NYC. Was in conf from 2 to after 5pm.
8 W=F TH Heavy fog in AM.
9 W=F F Had party for Hazel, Alma, Frances[Adams], Teddy [Gast?], Bob, N & I.
10 W=R SA
Worked on cancellation work today. One of Bob's wartime buddies from NYC came to spend week-end with him. He had dinner with us then went to another buddy's home in Rahway or Linden.
11 W=R Su
Spent day inside on co. work. Bob took his friend to 11:00 Mass at St. Genevieve Church.
12 W=R M In conf. on ordering situation on QDA. Took work home.
13 W=R TU
N became member of Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century. [ Natl Society Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century of which I am currently (2015-18) President General.] Took N & mother S to see "State Fair" a color film at Park Theater. Took work home. [Note that Dana Andrews was in this movie- he was a patient at Barnes Hospital when I worked there and I met him, late 1960s or early 70s. He got drunk in the bar at the Queeny Tower rooftop restaurant and punched one of our administrators in the face, a female! People are STILL talking about it!]
14 W=R W
Heard Dr. John R. Dunning, Dept of Physics, Columbia University talk on "Development of Atomic Energy" at NJ Bell Tel.Co. Forum 540 Broad St., Newark. It was great. He spoke of the "Manhattan Project".
15 W=F TH Put new sash cord in Deed's room. Put alcohol in car.
16 W=F F
Had new plugs & points put in car by Hersh Motor Car Co., Inc. Bob has new job offer from Dave.
18 W=F SU
Brot in 3 heads of Chinese Cabbage. We had one for dinner. Trimmed rose bushes and wisteria vine. Transferred 6 geranium plants to pots & put up shelf for them in basement.
19 W=R M
Bob started working for Dave. Recd invitation to Catherine DeBoer's wedding Dec 1st. at Haw. Episcopal Church.
21 W=F W
Conf in Marshall's office this pm. Tommy Decker came to town. He called on Bob at store and later in evening at our house. The 2 went out together. He took his 2 books back. N is getting set for a swell turkey dinner tomorrow. Recd letter from Ralph. He may pay us a visit during the holidays.
22 W=R TH
"Thanksgiving" in peacetime once more. Our 18lb turkey was delicious with lots of it left over. Tommy Decker helped us eat it and spent day with us. Another boy also called in evening. Read more in "7 Rays" & finished 1st section. Tom made long distance call for which he left 50cents. I dried the dinner dishes. It rained in AM but cleared in PM. Took down all downstairs screens & doors except basement screens. Fixed iron cord.
23 W=F F Important "War Criminal" trials going on in Japan, Germany & elsewhere.
24 W=F SA Below freezing
Meat off rationing list at 12:01am. Sugar rationing will remain for some time. Deed & Gramp had their 53rd wedding anniversary yesterday. Worked overtime 7 3/4 hrs. today on cancellation work. W J Walton went home at noon, but signed his clock card out at 5:15pm. PN apparently is not aware that he is doing this. This according to some of the engs has been going on right along.
25 W=F SU
Car developed a broken starter spring and is being repaired at Twin Boro Auto Corp., 158 Westfield Ave., Roselle Pk., NJ. Andrew & Alida and Tommy Decker called in afternoon.
26 W=F M
Took work home. Bob brot car back from Twin Boro Auto Sales. It had to have a new Bendix drive. Tommy Decker called on Bob. Mrs. Nina Obgertel called on N.
27 W=F TU O'time til 9pm (3 1/4 hrs + 1/2 for supper). P Naef took George and me home to Elizabeth.
28 W=R W
Circuit #3 blew a fuse. Found it was due to worn insulation on outside front porch lights. Had conference again on QDA Project. W E E Assoc. [Western Electric Employees Assn.] took a strike vote today. Terrific rain storm & rain. 16" snow in NY state. 60 mile gales in NE states.
29 W=R TH Overtime till 9pm. Called Lucis [Lucious?] Pub. Co., for list of books available.
30 W=S F
Several inches snow on ground. P Naef indicated that a merit raise would have been my lot if Company's policy hadn't been changed to hold off on merit raises for supervisors until after strike issue settlement as to lump increase.
DECEMBER 1945
1 W=C SA
Overtime 7.75 hours. N & I bot sun parlor carpet 6' x 9' from Koos Bros. to be delvd next Friday. Tom Decker brot N a box of Whitman's Sampler candy in return for his Thanksgiving dinner. Bob came home drunk at 3:30 this morning. He had been out with T. Decker. Tonite he is out again with him.
2 W=F SU
Fixed wire on east front porch light. Pruned Deed's roses. Bob stayed at a friend's house last night where he went to a party (in Union). Did Co work in evening. Wrote out letter ordering 5 books from Lucius Pub. Co., 11 W 42nd St., NYC.
3 W=C M
Gave N 2 "E" bonds to cash. Supv employees at W E Co. received a general 15% increase in salary. Took work home. [Today Ted Gast, grandpa's first cousin, was discharged from the Army as Technician 5th Grade. He joined the Army 14 July 1941 and was in the 113th Infantry, Corporal Tech. and the 275th A.G. F Band, playing the French Horn. He was stationed in the US, never having to go overseas, because he played piano also in the Army Band and played in military dance bands. You will see references to him throughout Grandpa's diaries, he died just last year and I'll be posting his obituary if I haven't already! Thanks to Carolyn Gast Depp for this information, some of which she learned from an interview with him in May, 2007. Ted was the son of Grandpa's father's half sister, Hilda Vander Meulen Gast, who we see referenced as Aunt Hilda often in the diaries, see 1/23/46 for one.]
4 W=F TU
Overtime 3.25 hrs. N attended DAR function. Recd letter from Ralph again.
5 W=R W
Wed. conf this afternoon in Marshall's office on QDA Project. Took work home. Wrote to Lucis Pub. Co. canceling my recent subscription for "The Beacon" as N has arranged to procure it thru Mrs. Hendricks.
6 W=R TH
Overtime til 9pm. and I had supper at Munsy's. We recd telegram from Ralph stating he would probably arrive within next 2 weeks. Recd 1.75 tons code & 1 ton pea coal.
7 W=C F Recd 3 rugs from Koos Bros. (1 lg for S P and 2 small for L R) Took work home.
8 W=F SA
Worked all day on Termination work. Took Co. work home. Recd 2nd vol of "The 7 Rays" and "White Magic". Did not receive the other books ordered.
9 W=F SU
Worked nearly all day on co. work. Fixed 3 iron cords & put socket up higher under ironing board. Pulled all good Chinese cabbages (about 3/4 bu). They are selling at high prices in the stores. Bob took folks out for a little ride. Patton was injured in an auto crash.
10 W=S M
Recd remaining 3 books from Lucis Pub. Co. to with: "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire", "Initiations, Human and Solar" & "Letters on Occult Mediation". Called them about my order today, Invoice # 13091 of 12/7/45.
11 W=F TU O/T til 9 (3.25 hrs) Started reading "Initiations, Human & Solar" by Alice A. Bailey.
12 W=F W 22deg
Sent letter w/ check to Betty Phillips for 1 box Xmas cards for N. (N cashed my 2 Sept. E bonds. I now have no bonds for Aug., Sept. & Oct.)
13 W=S TH
O/T till 9pm 3.25 hrs. Paul is going hunting on his 3 day vacation next week. He is going to put me in charge for that length of time. Mr. W. P. Simpson is leaving Co. on Jan 1st.
14 W=F F
Helped wrap Xmas pkgs. to Jennie, Marg. & Fifields. Recd 1st copy of "The Beacon" for which N sent a sub. This is part of my Xmas present. She sent it thru Mrs. Hendricks. Took work home.
15 W=C SA Worked all day on Termination work. Bob mailed 4 pkgs today. (2 to Portland, 1 to Ruth & 1 to Gladys)
16 W=F 16deg above SU Wrote Xmas cards. Did co. work.
17 W=F 16deg M Acting Dept. Chief. Did co. work home-2 hrs.
18 W=F TU
Worked 2.5 hrs. I heard that PN is sick & did not go deer-hunting. Livia is off sick again. Eclipse of moon at 7:30pm.
19 W=S W
12" of snow. Paul is sick & will be out all week. Met Pat this AM & he returned "Light of the Soul". He also loaned me some notes on occult matters. Bob & I cleared walks & driveway of snow.
20 W=F TH
Bob bought & put up a Xmas tree. Recd card from Sally saying she would probably not be able to come here for Xmas. Talked with P Naef again today. O/T 2.25 hrs. Mr. R. N. Marshall, our Division Chief, is sick with intestinal grippe.
21 W=F F
Ralph arrived around noon time from Bristol & will leave again on Monday. He has until Jan 2 to get back to Rangoon Field, IL. [Funny, it is Rantoul and what was he doing there? It's not in his info that I have, maybe we learn more later.]
22 W=F SA Bob & Ralph came home "stewed" from drink at "The Rendezvous". Ralph threw up over the stairway between 3 & 4am. [I can only imagine how mad gpa was at THAT!] Worked full day but came home early. Had only 15 minutes for lunch. Recd letter & card from J. D. Acker.
23 W=F SU
Recd several cards, among them one from AGD & a note attached. Had our Xmas turkey dinner today. Took some time looking up my Co. work.
24 W=F M
Ralph got up with me & took me to work in his car (1938 Lincoln Roadster). He left alone in car for Bristol at 11am. Our bunch in 9636 had a hilarious time today. Had party at noon where we all had nuts & cookies & received small gifts. Mr. Marshall came back today & made it his job to get all the facts regarding QDA & Dept. affairs. He met & talked to all except Geo. Hansen who was out at the moment. Paul did not show up but he called to wish us all a Merry Xmas.
25 W=R & sleet TU
Had rest of our turkey dinner. Bob took Dave a lunch of sandwiches, etc. Did some Co. work. We exchanged gifts last night. Patton was buried in Luxembourg yesterday. Recd letter from Jennie Sunday. Dave Zeliff invited us to an open house affair next Sunday. Recd several nice gifts.
26 W=F W
Had 3 hr conf on QDA Project in Marshall's office. 4 Div. chiefs and several Dept. chiefs were present. Took work home. Wrote birthday card to Selma.
27 W=F TH P Naef was back again. Took work home.
28 W=F F
Bob went to house party or warming in honor of Bob Crane, Frances Adams' hubby. Party was a swell well-attended affair & was held at the Crane home.
29 W=R & S SA Worked today. Cleaned snow from walks. Over 16" of snow fell this month. Took work home.
30 W=R SU N & I visited Dave E. Zeliff & wife who entertained at Open House. Met Gibbons & wife there.
31 W=R M
Bob went to New Years party in Union with Jeanne Klump. I slept awhile & missed New Year announcements as I awoke at 1am 1/1/46. Recd a picture of Ralph & Sally for our Xmas a few days ago. It is beautiful.
Overtime 7.75 hours. N & I bot sun parlor carpet 6' x 9' from Koos Bros. to be delvd next Friday. Tom Decker brot N a box of Whitman's Sampler candy in return for his Thanksgiving dinner. Bob came home drunk at 3:30 this morning. He had been out with T. Decker. Tonite he is out again with him.
2 W=F SU
Fixed wire on east front porch light. Pruned Deed's roses. Bob stayed at a friend's house last night where he went to a party (in Union). Did Co work in evening. Wrote out letter ordering 5 books from Lucius Pub. Co., 11 W 42nd St., NYC.
3 W=C M
Gave N 2 "E" bonds to cash. Supv employees at W E Co. received a general 15% increase in salary. Took work home. [Today Ted Gast, grandpa's first cousin, was discharged from the Army as Technician 5th Grade. He joined the Army 14 July 1941 and was in the 113th Infantry, Corporal Tech. and the 275th A.G. F Band, playing the French Horn. He was stationed in the US, never having to go overseas, because he played piano also in the Army Band and played in military dance bands. You will see references to him throughout Grandpa's diaries, he died just last year and I'll be posting his obituary if I haven't already! Thanks to Carolyn Gast Depp for this information, some of which she learned from an interview with him in May, 2007. Ted was the son of Grandpa's father's half sister, Hilda Vander Meulen Gast, who we see referenced as Aunt Hilda often in the diaries, see 1/23/46 for one.]
4 W=F TU
Overtime 3.25 hrs. N attended DAR function. Recd letter from Ralph again.
5 W=R W
Wed. conf this afternoon in Marshall's office on QDA Project. Took work home. Wrote to Lucis Pub. Co. canceling my recent subscription for "The Beacon" as N has arranged to procure it thru Mrs. Hendricks.
6 W=R TH
Overtime til 9pm. and I had supper at Munsy's. We recd telegram from Ralph stating he would probably arrive within next 2 weeks. Recd 1.75 tons code & 1 ton pea coal.
7 W=C F Recd 3 rugs from Koos Bros. (1 lg for S P and 2 small for L R) Took work home.
8 W=F SA
Worked all day on Termination work. Took Co. work home. Recd 2nd vol of "The 7 Rays" and "White Magic". Did not receive the other books ordered.
9 W=F SU
Worked nearly all day on co. work. Fixed 3 iron cords & put socket up higher under ironing board. Pulled all good Chinese cabbages (about 3/4 bu). They are selling at high prices in the stores. Bob took folks out for a little ride. Patton was injured in an auto crash.
10 W=S M
Recd remaining 3 books from Lucis Pub. Co. to with: "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire", "Initiations, Human and Solar" & "Letters on Occult Mediation". Called them about my order today, Invoice # 13091 of 12/7/45.
11 W=F TU O/T til 9 (3.25 hrs) Started reading "Initiations, Human & Solar" by Alice A. Bailey.
12 W=F W 22deg
Sent letter w/ check to Betty Phillips for 1 box Xmas cards for N. (N cashed my 2 Sept. E bonds. I now have no bonds for Aug., Sept. & Oct.)
13 W=S TH
O/T till 9pm 3.25 hrs. Paul is going hunting on his 3 day vacation next week. He is going to put me in charge for that length of time. Mr. W. P. Simpson is leaving Co. on Jan 1st.
14 W=F F
Helped wrap Xmas pkgs. to Jennie, Marg. & Fifields. Recd 1st copy of "The Beacon" for which N sent a sub. This is part of my Xmas present. She sent it thru Mrs. Hendricks. Took work home.
15 W=C SA Worked all day on Termination work. Bob mailed 4 pkgs today. (2 to Portland, 1 to Ruth & 1 to Gladys)
16 W=F 16deg above SU Wrote Xmas cards. Did co. work.
17 W=F 16deg M Acting Dept. Chief. Did co. work home-2 hrs.
18 W=F TU
Worked 2.5 hrs. I heard that PN is sick & did not go deer-hunting. Livia is off sick again. Eclipse of moon at 7:30pm.
19 W=S W
12" of snow. Paul is sick & will be out all week. Met Pat this AM & he returned "Light of the Soul". He also loaned me some notes on occult matters. Bob & I cleared walks & driveway of snow.
20 W=F TH
Bob bought & put up a Xmas tree. Recd card from Sally saying she would probably not be able to come here for Xmas. Talked with P Naef again today. O/T 2.25 hrs. Mr. R. N. Marshall, our Division Chief, is sick with intestinal grippe.
21 W=F F
Ralph arrived around noon time from Bristol & will leave again on Monday. He has until Jan 2 to get back to Rangoon Field, IL. [Funny, it is Rantoul and what was he doing there? It's not in his info that I have, maybe we learn more later.]
22 W=F SA Bob & Ralph came home "stewed" from drink at "The Rendezvous". Ralph threw up over the stairway between 3 & 4am. [I can only imagine how mad gpa was at THAT!] Worked full day but came home early. Had only 15 minutes for lunch. Recd letter & card from J. D. Acker.
23 W=F SU
Recd several cards, among them one from AGD & a note attached. Had our Xmas turkey dinner today. Took some time looking up my Co. work.
24 W=F M
Ralph got up with me & took me to work in his car (1938 Lincoln Roadster). He left alone in car for Bristol at 11am. Our bunch in 9636 had a hilarious time today. Had party at noon where we all had nuts & cookies & received small gifts. Mr. Marshall came back today & made it his job to get all the facts regarding QDA & Dept. affairs. He met & talked to all except Geo. Hansen who was out at the moment. Paul did not show up but he called to wish us all a Merry Xmas.
25 W=R & sleet TU
Had rest of our turkey dinner. Bob took Dave a lunch of sandwiches, etc. Did some Co. work. We exchanged gifts last night. Patton was buried in Luxembourg yesterday. Recd letter from Jennie Sunday. Dave Zeliff invited us to an open house affair next Sunday. Recd several nice gifts.
26 W=F W
Had 3 hr conf on QDA Project in Marshall's office. 4 Div. chiefs and several Dept. chiefs were present. Took work home. Wrote birthday card to Selma.
27 W=F TH P Naef was back again. Took work home.
28 W=F F
Bob went to house party or warming in honor of Bob Crane, Frances Adams' hubby. Party was a swell well-attended affair & was held at the Crane home.
29 W=R & S SA Worked today. Cleaned snow from walks. Over 16" of snow fell this month. Took work home.
30 W=R SU N & I visited Dave E. Zeliff & wife who entertained at Open House. Met Gibbons & wife there.
31 W=R M
Bob went to New Years party in Union with Jeanne Klump. I slept awhile & missed New Year announcements as I awoke at 1am 1/1/46. Recd a picture of Ralph & Sally for our Xmas a few days ago. It is beautiful.
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