In this installment, my great uncle Arthur Hunter is mentioned several times, as he has been in previous installments – he was married to Gwen Westmoreland and they moved to Cordele, Georgia, and Gwen visited often. My great grandfather William Hunter’s death is recorded and so is Anna’s great grandmother, Mrs. Jim Prance.
As I have done previously, I show each page I transcribed along with the original page of the diary I transcribed from – as you can see, some of the handwriting is difficult to interpret. You will have to click on the original to be able to read it.
1919
Bonnie went to Marietta June 3 and had an operation on her nose and head, had a bone taken out of her nose. She staid at the sanitarium still the 4th.
Her side hurt so much and got worse Sunday night June 29. Dr. Benson came see her the next night. Meax (?) carried her to Dr. Benson Sanitarium Thur morn July 1 and she was operated on and they removed the appendix and one ovary and just left a mall piece of the other one. She was so sick for two days and ??? so much but is doing fine the Dr and nurse says.
Bonnie came home from the sanitarium Thur July 17. They brought her in a car, she lay in the back seat, took the trip tolerable well.
Gwen and children came July 18. Olin, Clara, Leonard, and Calvin Chance went to Atlanta in Mr. Chance’s cart to meet her. They went home Aug. 1. Olin and Lois went with them to Atlanta. Calvin carried them.
Guyrine Hunter died Aug 6, 1919, and was buried at Bascomb Cemetery Aug 8. Six girls acted as pallbearers. They were Tade Tyson and Elina Dobbs, Ida Poor, and Mary Len Tate, Idell, and Jacie Hunter.
Mary Presley was carried to Dr Benson’s Sanitarium Aug 18, and operated on her appendicitis, took off the appendix and a spot on one ovary.
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Manda McCleskey died Thursday Sept 9, 1919. Was buried at the Dawson Cemetery on the 10th.
Bonnie went to the Sanitarium Thur – Sept 18 and had her tonsils taken out and she staid down there till Sunday.
Nellie King and * Poor married Sunday Oct 26, 1919.
Bonnie had her under teeth pulled Nov 3, 1919.
James and Luella moved back from S. Ga. Nov 6, 1919.
Aden King was operated on Nov 8, 1919.
Aunt Sis Benson died Nov 26, 1919.
Willard Benson died Jan 7, 1920.
This is March the 12th. There has been so many deaths the last week of February and 1st week of March. Most of them caused by flu and phenomena
Mary Dobbs, as used to be (?), Mr. Tol Bird, sister and two nephews, Claud Barns, and Bro Eugene, Mr. Norton, Mr. Charley Robert, Ed Cook, Emma Dobbs little boy, Joe Chance’s little girl, Joe Calahan, Clara Beavers Reece, Mrs Arwood, and so many others have died.
I had a wen cut out of my hip May 4, 1920.
Ben, Olin, Leonard, James, and myself went to Cordele to see Gwen and family, July 7 and came back the 9th. We had a nice trip. Went in our car, had no trouble, and enjoyed ourselves fine.
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January 8, 1921
Our family is so small only Ben, Lirs (Lois?) and myself at home. Bonnie was not satisfied, she wanted to get out and work for herself and make her own money, but she will never know it hurt me for her to leave home. She has been working at the Marietta Sanitarium nearly two months. I will be so glad when she gets tired of it and comes back home to stay. I feel like home is the place for Bonnie and this will always be her home. The children keep leaving one at a time till they are gone but Lirs (Lois?). I hope she will love Papa, Mama, and home well enough to stay with us in our old age. But this is still home to everyone of them.
1921
Cousin Dock Fowler died Monday, May 16, and was buried at Gresham May 17. There was a large crowd there. Rev George Crew and White conducted the funeral services.
Gwen, William, Minnie Lou, Martha, and Elizabeth came July 29, 1921, on Friday and the next Thursday, August 4, James and family came. All in our family was here except Arthur (Hunter). We made a table out under the mulberry trees Thurs and ate dinner out there, made a freezer full of chocolate ice cream. All of us except Papa and Lirs (Lois?) went to Austell and Powder Springs. Did not get home until after dark. Had the freezer full of peach cream for supper. There was 17 of us.
James and family went home Monday and Gwen went home Aug 8.
page 15
1921
We all met at Jessie’s Sept 2 and celebrated Pa’s 88th birthday. We carried dinner and had a long table out under the oak tree in the yard. Had the table just full of good things and had a bunch of bananas and several gallons of nectar.. At lunch there was Pa, Kate (?), Claburn, Nannie, Lucile, Margaret, Daisy, Linda, Matte, Bonnie, Lois, Olin, Clara, Leonard, Will, Gre (?), Mattie Jane, Cecil, Arch, Jessie, Nelle, Ray, Hal, Earl, Martha, Fred, Gladys, Jessie Ruth, Aunt George Mathis, Cousin Mollie Delay, Mr. John Tate, and Mr. John Goodwin there for dinner and Mrs. Brooks came in the eve. There carloads of us went down in the pasture and bottoms that eve. Earl and I waded in the creek. It was a day long to be remembered by xxx?xxxx.
Frank Burtz died Dec. 22, 1921.
Tip Benson died Dec. 23, 1921.
Fred Gresham was killed Dec. 30, 1921.
Vernia Durham died Feb. 1, 1922.
Mrs. Jim Robertson died May 9, 1922.
Mr. Whit Chastain died May 20, 1922
Mr. Jim Robertson died Aug 8, 1922
Bonnie and Lucile left here Sun July 23, 1922, for Woodruff, S.C. Lucille stayed two weeks, Bonnie staid five weeks., got home the 29th of Aug. Mitt, Minnie, Mattie, and Lottie came home with her and staid five days.
We celebrated Pa’s 89th birthday Sept 2, 1922, at Jessie’s. All the children, most of the grandchildren, and several friends were there. Uncle Thurman, Pa’s only brother was there.
page 16
1922
Lois went to Gwen’s Oct 2. She went to Atlanta and spent the night and went to Gwen’s on the 3rd.
I hurt my hand on the 4th.
Mrs. Johnnie Benson died Oct 12, 1922, at the St. Joseph’s Inf in Atlanta.
1923
Pa was taken sick ??? Dec 29, 1922, and died Jan 3, 1923, was buried at Gresham Cemetery Thur the 4th.
Cousin George Fowler was buried Sat Feb 3, 1923.
Had a sale, and sold Pa’s car, household, and kitchen furniture Sat Feb 3, 1923.
1923 – 1924
Mr. M.E. Knight died June 25, 1923.
Emma A. Gilbert died Jan 13, 1924.
Bonnie was ?????? Jan 16, 1924.
Sallie Benson died Feb 4, 1924.
Allie Haney died Jan 1924.
Mr. George Whitlock died Mar 18, 1924.
Cecil Alley and Clarence Jones married Mar 22, 1924.
Mrs. Whitlock and Mr. Etowah Gring married Mar 26, 1924.
Fred and Lelaura baby Durham baby born Aug 10, 1924.
Harold McCleskey died Aug 12, 1924.
Mr. Wes Brown died Aug 14, 1924.
page 17
1924
Catherine Brooks died Sept 7, 1924.
1925
Johnnie McNeely was carried to Battle Hill Jan 23 1925.
Grir Benson and Kate Durham married Feb 19, 1925.
Lottie Westmoreland died June 1, 1925.
Gwen and children all except William came Sun July 19, 1925. went home Aug 2. Staid two weeks.
Mr. John Tate died August 17, 1925.
1926
Jessie McCleskey got her foot broke and ankle sprained Mar 30, 1926.
Old Mrs Rataford died Apr 21, 1926.
Mr. William Wood died Apr 21, 1926.
Max Durham and Jean Dickerson married June 17, 1926.
Gwen and all her children came Aug 1, 1926.
Uncle Charley Brown came Aug 6 and we had a reunion at Jessie’s the 7th.
Lillian Mathis (or used to be) and two of her girls and her sister Lena was there.
Olin carried Gwen, James, William, and myself to Atlanta that eve and William left at 9:40 for Cordele. We got home at 12:00 that night.
page 18
1926
Johnny McNeeley died Sept 1926.
Lucile Edwards died Oct 2, 1926.
Miss Angie Carried died Oct 4, 1926.
John Sargent died Oct 24, 1926.
William Dyer died Oct 25, 1926.
Mrs. Ettawah King died Oct 29, 1926.
Mrs. Jim Prance died Jan. 20, 1927.
Mr. Crowder died Jun 3, 1927.
Mrs. B. F. Wessner died of Dirt Farm Valley died July 5, 1927.
Nell Hale and Dr. Celbry Cramer married Oct 12, 1927.
Mr. Caleb Burton died Oct 14, 1927.
1928
Mr. Willis McAfee died Jan 19, 1928.
Rickie Tate died Jan. 20, 1928.
Dr. Warren E. Benson died April 21, 1928.
Thad York died May 28, 1928, and was buried the 31.
Mr. Jim Rich died May 31, 1928.
Ben and I went to Fla(?) XXX 21, 1928, and got home on Dec. 1.
Mr. William Hunter and Mr. Buck Medford died in the Fall of 1928.
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4 comments:
I'm pretty sure your guess at name "Lois" is correct, since I saw the dot of the "i".
Thank you el.
You know, sometimes a name looks like one thing and the next I start transcribing it looks like something else....
"its gets confoozing, if not amoozing" - L'l Abner Yokum, 1947.
Pure history! The first entry is clearly a historical account of the great flu epidemic (1918 - 1919, and on into 1920). I've always wondered about its effect on the people in this area, and now this entry provides some insight.
Deborah,
Grass roots history!
I remember looking at a Ridley family cemetery in Murray County, where the marker named three children, two boys and a girl, all buried in the same grave - I think the flu or smallpox got them - and to even make it more emotional, all three were buried on December the 24th.
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