Nov. 28

A nice morning. We played shipwreck again like yesterday. We beat again. I don’t know what to write

Nov. 27

Went to school. It is a weary day and I have a cold. The ear tester came and I heard every single one. We played ship wreck and Bonnie, Lu Ella, Coretta, and I took the rest of the girls. We beat at noon and lost at recess.

Nov. 26

We went to church. In the afternoon I went to Anita’s house. We had lots of fun because Lena went away. When I was supposed to go home it rained, so I couldn’t go home right away. When I went home, Loris and Vera were walking home, so I picked up Vera and made Loris walk.

Nov. 29

Samuel and Charles borrowed my Uncle Eli’s horns. 2 of them. I will probably get my cousin’s violin.

Nov. 25

I started to read my Bible through. We were supposed to clean up but instead I read the Bible.

Nov. 24

I don’t know anything because it’s Thanksgiving vacation.

Nov. 23

We went to church in the morning. In the afternoon Elaine and I stayed at home alone. The boys went to see about our ditch about trapping.

Mom and Dad went uptown to fix a door.

Nov. 22

We had a big Thanksgiving dinner. Chicken noodles, potato chips, jello, pickles, turnips, carrots, cakes, pies, fridigy bars. I had ½ and 1 bars. We went home and Mrs. F. came on the bus too. About 8 or so mothers were there and children not old enough to go to school.

Nov. 21

We have dates for school. Tomorrow we have a Thanksgiving Dinner. I forgot what we did because it is already Monday again. I didn’t write in for a whole weekend for because the reason I always have to FORGET.

Nov. 20

I got up at 20 till 7. I didn’t work a bit in the morning but in the evening I had to work very much.

Nov. 19

I went to Sunday School and Church. Edith Elsie and John Mark S. came to our house overnight. In the afternoon Edith and I went to a Sunday School class party. I won 3 prizes. A motto, a mirror, and a pencil.

Nov. 18

Mary Ann came home on the 8:55 bus. Elmer and Florence Anita R. came home in the afternoon. We had fun teasing Florence.

Nov. 17

It was frozen. There was a little ice in the water. Grandma is coming home for Supper and so are Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Fannie, Barbara, and Marilyn were it in black man.

Nov. 16

Got up and went to the barn, but Charles couldn’t because his foot was swollen. He couldn’t get on his everyday shoes, but he went to school anyway. It is very nice out.

Nov. 15

It is thundering and lightening and pouring rain. Got up and went to school. We played shipwreck the girls ourselves. Then we played blackman with the boys.

Nov. 13

Got up and went to school. I’m going to Bonnie’s house for overnight because of Sisterhood meetings but S.’s didn’t get us and so we couldn’t go. So we poped popcorn. It was delicious. We went to bed at 10:00.

Nov. 12

Did our work and went to church.

"Sammie" had to practice 2 places for church.

In the afternoon we went to Grandma’s because Aunt Cora and Ruth Helen A. were at grandpa’s house.

Charles and I went to S.’s house for supper. We had cinnimon toast and pickled pears.

Nov. 11

Saturday ----- I got up and helped mom. In the afternoon I went to Junior Mission Band. On the way, I went to the fair store and bought a new billfold $1.25 it cost. We had a Thanksgiving program. We brought clothes for the relief work.

Armistic Day

Singed treaty of peace in 1918.

Nov. 10

Got up and went to school. I’m behind and so I don’t know what to write. It rained. We jumped rope.

Nov. 9

Got up and went to school. I was behind and so I don’t know what to write.

Nov. 8

This morning we played Dare base. But now it rained and we can’t go out to play.

Nov. 7, 1944

A chilly and dreary morning. Bonnie ran after me and I fell down on the stones. It hurt. We played Blackman and I never got caught.

Election day. Pookie Roosevelt was elected.

Nov. 6, 1944

It is affully cold. 18 above 0. Played Black-man. Almost froze. Boy was it cold.

I was playing blackman. I took Donnie H. down in wrestling. (little rat.)

Nov. 5, 1944

Went to church. Had a good dinner at home. Went to Uncle Lee’s in the afternoon. Ate supper but didn’t wash the dishes. Then I drank 1 glass of goat’s milk. I got to much in my mouth and almost threw up. Went to church and came home again and went to bed.

Nov. 4, 1944

I cleaned up the house. In the evening I wanted to go uptown, but mama said I couldn’t, so I cried. Baby

Nov. 3, 1944

Went to school. Had fun. Played cornors, black-man, and kick the can. The girls all teased me, and I got a head-ache and sore eyes. No fun.

Nov. 2, 1944

1. Got ready for school and went on the bus.
2. (for page 1) Had a big, great big pumpkin.
3. We played black man and STINK base. (Boy! did it smell.) The boys, as usual, beat us again. The girls always loose.
   

November 1, 1944

1. We played black man. I wasn’t it but I fell downward hurt myself. It hurt.
2. I got to stay in the house and help mama. When I got ready for school, I put on high heeled shoes and almost fell down.
3. I got home from school and had to gather 102 eggs. It wasn’t fun.

Pages From My Grandma's Diary

Virginia Habegger
Berne, Indiana
Grade 7
Rural Route #2
Age 11


This blog is, quite simply, the pages from my grandmother's diary. The year was 1944 when she was an 11-year-old girl growing up on a farm in rural Indiana. She lived in Berne, which was, and is still today, a very Swiss community.

I have copied all entries directly from her diary, word for word, spelling for spelling, grammar for grammar, to ensure the integrity of the writing, except that I replaced last names with initials. Please do not be offended by anything you read in here, as it exactly the way she wrote it at the time.

This diary shows a different side of my grandma, that of her as a young girl growing up. It shows her as a girl who attended school, played games (anybody know what the game 'blackman' was?), gathered eggs, and ate fridigy bars at Thanksgiving (anybody know what a 'fridigy bar' is???).

I hope you enjoy these pages. One entry will be posted every Sunday for the next 10 months. God bless you all!