Jan.1 to Jan 31, 1931

Footnotes: My footnotes are marked with "( )", CLICK on the number to read the Footnote.

The Diary starts.........

Jan. 5th, Monday
Dear Diary
It was raining when I got out of bed this morning but now the wind is whistling through the trees and it is turning oh, so cold. Dad went up to see Finis and Mother went down to Dany's. Mother likes to go down there to play cards. They play Sell-Pitch but Mother didn't get to stay long today because Mrs. Becky Mathews wanted some butter milk and she had to come home. Mother sells milk for 15 cents a gal. Rain sounds so loud on the tin roof. Dad put the trough up to the cistern to catch water.

Jan 6, Tuesday
Dear Diary:
It snowed a wee bit last night and a little this morning. In school today we had a test in Language. Don't know what I made yet. You know Buster(5) is my teacher and he is real hard on us. Bonnie (5) has also been my teacher. All the kids liked her because she was so easy on us and before Bonnie, Hubert(5,6) taught me. Can you imagine that? Hubert is teaching at Hanson now. Mother went down to Becky's this afternoon to take her some fresh churned milk. We got a letter from Carrie(5,7) and Ken this morning.

Jan 7th, Wednesday
Dear Diary:
I made a B in Language on the test we had. Mother went down to Dany's to play cards again this afternoon and they are coming up here tonight. But Dad doesn't like for them to play cards up here. I don't know if he thinks it is a waste of time or sinful(8). Mr. Gothard has been working on our car. Dad has been up there at the shop. I received four packages of chewing gum from the Palmer Match Co. today. I sent off 12 Plamer Match box tops and got the gum.

Jan 8th, Thursday
Dear Diary:
We had a test in Government today. There was a funeral down here today but none of us went. We didn't know anything about it until too late. Mother and I have been playing cards since I came in from school. Beulah Franklin was up here this afternoon playing cards with Mother and Artie.

Jan. 9th, Friday
Dear Diary:
We had a spelling match and a Ciphering match at school today. We do that nearly every Friday if we have been good. Mother went down to Dany's to play cards and Artie came too. Artie, Mother and I have been playing tonight. Buster is going to Hanson tonight to the basketball tournment.

Jan 10th, Saturday
Dear Diary:
We have been playing cards dome this afternoon. Seems there isn't much to do except play cards or read of course I could study some. Buster didn't come home last night. Guess he stayed with Hubert and Tommy. It is now 7 O'clock at night and Dad has gone to a lodge meeting. Finis and Artie came down to stay with us until he gets back. Dany's folks have just come in and Finis and Artie are going home. This morning I got my lessons and this afternoon I read some and now I have a headache. I have the headache so often. You know I started wearing glasses when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I should have had them before. The eye doctor said I had almost lost one eye. ( Lazy Eye ).Jan. 11th, Sunday
Dear Diary:
I went up to Finis' this afternoon and mother went to Dany's but we didn't stay long because Mr. Guy Kirkwood's folks came. Dad also went up to Finis'. Uncle Eanis Sisk is staying all night with us. It is raining now.

Jan 12th, Monday
Dear Diary:
Uncle Eanis stayed until after dinner. Mother and Dad are writing to Nola and Tuck now. I have been reading some. I called Clyde a few minutes ago to get him to help me on a debate we are going to have at school. The subject for debate is "That Life In the Country is More Healthful than Life in the City." I got the County side and Clyde gave me some notes but it was hard writing them down standing up to the wall phone(9). I used to have to stand in a chair to reach it.

Jan. 13, Tuesday
Dear Dairy:
I got a small diary from Carrie and Ken this morning. They are going to give me a penny every day I write in it. Mother and Dad got a letter from them. Dad and Finis have started cleaning out the stables and putting the manure on the garden. Mother, Dany and Beulah ( Dany's wife ) have gone up to Artie's to play cards. Audrey and Magaline (Dany's children ) are staying with me.

( The mother of the Robards(10) brothers that later rob the Nebo Bank. She is a sister to Aunt Cynthia and Miss Betty Lantaff. )

Jan 14, Wednesday
Dear Diary:
Dad has a sick mule. We don't know what is the matter with it. We got up this morning and there was a six inch snow on the ground. Everything is so pretty. Mother and I have played cards and I have read some. We also played the Victrola.

Jan. 16, Friday
Dear Diary:
We got some magazines from Carrie and Ken today. We sure do enjoy reading. Thats about all we can do except play cards and do the chores - milking, churning, cooking, bring in the coal. Dad brings in most of the coal and builds the fires Dany and Beulah were here awhile but mother was up at Finis'. Audrey and Magaline have the itch and I'm afraid I'll catch it. Their fingers are broken out and they scratch them all the time.

Jan 17th, Saturday
Dear Diary
Dad has gone to Dawson. Mother and Artie have gone to Dany's and Magaline is up here with me. I have been drawing in a map nearly all day ( U. S. ). Mother didn't cook dinner today. She is going to get supper instead. I have another one of my headaches. Its because I worked on the map so much but I did a real good job.

Jan. 18, Sunday
Dear Diary:
I have been reading some today. Mother is up at Finis' now. I washed clothes for myself this morning. Audrey and Magaline were here a little while this morning. We may go down there tonight. I have had a headache all day.

Jan. 19, Monday
Dear Diary:
Dad went over to Mr. Handcocks this morning, Mrs. Betty Lantaff has been here this afternoon also Beulah Franklin. Dany and family came up tonight and we went up to Finis' and played cards.

Jan. 20, Tuesday
Dear Diary:
We got a letter from Bonnie(11) today saying she was coming real soon. We also got one from Carrie(12) and Ken saying they had gotten them a new Nash car and another letter from Pauline(13) saying she had had a fall. Dad, Finis and Iley killed 5 hogs today. They shot them in the head, scalded them with boiling water and hung them up on a scaffol where they scrapped the hair off them, cut them open and took the insides out then lay them on a table they had built with wooden horses and planks and cut them up. Hog killing is always a big day. Iley took some meat home with him for helping and the neighbors all get some liver. We had our Debate at school today. Buster(14) said we tied. Mrs. Betty is staying all night with us.

Jan 21, Wednesday
Dear Diary:
Mrs. Jane Brown and Mrs Becky Mathews ( sisters ) came this morning and helped Mother make her sausage. Dad built a fire under the old iron kittle and has been making lard all day. I wrote to Bonnie tonight, also to Lee and Lillian Franklin who lives in Grand Junction, Colo.

Jan. 22, Thursday
Dear Diary
Mrs. Jane has been helping Mother fry sausage to can. Beulah Franklin is washing a few clothes for us. Becky Mathews came back for awhile and has been helping too. The Diploma examination is held at Charleston today and tomorrow. That is an examation that 8th grade students have to take and pass before they can go to high school. Ruby Dockery went but we dicided I wouldn't go today.

Jan 23rd, Friday
Dear Diary:
Just think!! A week from today school will be out whoopee! How glad I am. Next year I will be going to high school. I could have gone this year but dicided to go through the 8th grade again. We got some Victrola records from Carrie and Ken today. Dad, Finis and Iley are working on the barn today. Becky Mathews and Beulah F. came a little while this afternoon.

Jan. 24th, Saturday
Dear Diary:
I have been reading and Beulah F. and Artie came and we played cards. I wrote to Pauline and Carrie and Ken this morning. Buster is gone to Madisonville. We thought Mrs. Betty was coming to stay all night with us but guess she went to Gothards. You know she lives alone since Mr. Lantaff's death and that's the reason she stays with us at night. Dad, Finis and Iley have been working on the barn again.

Jan. 25, Sunday
Dear Diary
Uncle Frank and Aunt Gilly have just left. They spent most of the day with us. I have been eating walnuts. I hate to crack them because I always pinch my finger. Mother and I went up to Mrs. Betty's house tonight. Aunt Cynthia is up there spending a few days.

Jan. 26th, Monday
Dear Diary:
Beulah F. is washing clothes for Mother today. Bonnie called about two hours ago saying she was at Dawson and would come to Charleston tomorrow on the train then Clyde(15) called and said he would bring her tonight. He started and got to Mr. Thomas' and got stuck in the mud. Now Buster has gone after her.

Jan. 27th, Tuesday
Dear Diary:
Aunt Cynthia and Mrs. Betty came down a little while this afternoon. Morton, Lillian and Generia came and are staying all night. Buster got in about 11:30 last night with Bonnie. He had to go in the wagon and it took so long. We sure were glad to see her. Beulah came home too. She walked most of the way from Dalton because the roads are so bad.

Jan 28th, Wednesday
Dear Diary:
Morton, Lillian and Generia left this morning about 9 o'clock. Aunt Cynthia is spending the day with us. Dad has gone to Dawson in the wagon. Clyde is coming after Bonnie tonight. The roads are better now.

Jan. 29th, Thursday
Dear Diary:
It is kindly lonesome since Bonnie left. BGuster is getting ready to go to Bowling Green soon, Dad, Finis and Iley are still working on the barn. Beulah F. and the girls have been here this afternoon. Floyd(16) and his girl are coming tonight. Floyd is staying in Madisonville, He is deputy sheriff for Mr. George Beeny.

Jan. 30th, Friday
Dear Diary:
School is out today Hurrah!
Lois Brown has been here all day and Magaline and Audrey part of the day. Mrs. Jane Brown, Bobby Jean and Ann Liza came this afternoon. They came to go to the last day of school but were too late. We always get a sack of candy on the last day. Gladys Brown and Bonnie Hicks were here a little while this afternoon.

Jan 31st, Saturday
Dear Diary:
Beulah Franklin and her kids came this afternoon. They have been playing cards. Ruby Dockery came to see me, Buster left for B. G. this morning. We sure will miss him. Mother, Beulah and I went down to Dany's tonight and Finis came after us saying Buck and Lillian Dockery were up at the house so we went home and we all played cards.

4. Cynthia is the mother of Mary Ella who married Glover Wilkey. Glover and Jimmy ( Dad ) are brothers.

5. Flora, Bonnie, Buster, Hubert, Clyde, and Carrie are brothers and sisters to Mary Ruth.

6. Hubert is the author of "The Jonathan Tree" and "The Wilkey - Wilkie Family". He was superintendent of Hopkins County Schools and later of Leitchfield schools. In Leitchfield there is a school and gym named after Hubert.

7. Carrie hated her name. She later changed it to Carol. Mary Ruth sometimes calls her "Bill."

8. Dad's ( James Harvey "Jimmy" Wilkey ) father was a minister. Jimmy's grandfather and ggrandfather on the Sisk side were also ministers. My vote would be "sinful".

9. The phones of that day and time were usually made of oak wood and hung on the wall of the house. The part you talked into was on a bracket which was adjustable. The part on which you heard the other party was on a cord and you put this up to your ear. Beulah had its own telephone exchange and was later ran by blind people. I do not know the people who ran the telephone exchange when Mary Ruth wrote her Diary.

10. In 1939 one of the brothers robbed the Mortons Gap bank. See Sheriff Floyd Wilkey

11. Bonnie Dora Wilkey, sister to Mary Ruth. Bonnie taught and operated a chain of beauty shops. She painted as a hobby.

12. Carrie changed her name to Carole. She is a sister to Mary Ruth. Carole was secretary in Cook County Dept. of Education, District Attorney's office, and private secretary of Cook County Board of Commissioners. Chicago, Ill.

13. Pauline, a sister to Mary Ruth, taught and operated a chain of beauty shops.

14. Buster is a nickname, John Jackson Wilkey, brother to Mary Ruth, taught agriculture for three years and then worked for farm security program in districts and in Washington. He then worked for the State Department in Korea, Brazil, India, Thailand, and Iran and short hitches in other countries.

15. James Clyde Wilkey, brother to Mary Ruth, served in WW I, worked for Purdy's Grocery, later became a rural mail carrier and worked with the Post Office Department for twenty one years. Also see Magazine Section, Clyde Wilkey. Rural Carrier

16. Floyd Wilkey, a brother to Mary Ruth, served in WW l, deputy sheriff, high sheriff, Parole and Probation Officer.