DIARY OF JOSEPH BERTRAM
1904-1932 (Not continuous)
Transcribed and contributed by Lois Bertram Wapakoneta, Ohio
Diary of Joseph Bertram
1932
1932
Standing Top Row, left to right: Charles S. Bertram, Mary Louise (Miller) Bertram -wife of Charles, Lula (Winegar) Bartram & her husband Paul Bertram, Joseph Bertram, "Bessie" (Stewart) Bertram - wife of Joseph, Mable (Klein) Bertram & her husband William Stewart Bertram, Mary Alice (Bertram) & her husband Herschel Webster
Bottom Row, left to right: Alice J Bertram, Marjorie Bertram daughters of Charles & Mary Louise Bertram, Harold Edward Bertram, Harold Wayne"Hal" Webster & Joan Lee Webster - children of Mary Alice & Herschel Webster.
Bottom Row, left to right: Alice J Bertram, Marjorie Bertram daughters of Charles & Mary Louise Bertram, Harold Edward Bertram, Harold Wayne"Hal" Webster & Joan Lee Webster - children of Mary Alice & Herschel Webster.
JANUARY 1, 1932 - AUGUST 1, 1932
Jan 1 The boys went to church this morning. Home this evening. Cloudy cool day.
Jan 2 Nothing done this morning. This evening I took load corn and had ground for feed. Cloudy cool day.
Jan 3 The boys went to church this morning. Home this evening. Herschel & wife and Charles & wife here for dinner. Fair cool day.
Jan 4 This morning I butchered 2 hogs. Sold one to Ralph Hess, 310 lbs. $3.65 per.
Jan 5 Nothing done today. Rain all day.
Jan 6 Nothing done today but chores. Cloudy cooler day. The creek is bank full today.
Jan 7 Today I rendered out lard and done other chores. Fair cool day. Last night Bess and I took Charlie Stewart 14 lbs of sausage and this morning about 8 o'clock we got word he is dead. Died with heart failure.
Jan 8 Today I cleaned out the stables. Fair cool day.
Jan 9 Today the boys and I finished shredding corn. Fair cool day.
Jan 10 The boys went to church this morning. Alice and kids are here for dinner, also Charles & wife. Pleasant winter day.
Jan 11 Today I am hauling out manure. Fair cool day.
Jan 12 Bad rainy day. I attended a Federal Land Bank Meeting this afternoon.
Jan 13 Today I trucked load of stock to Cincinnati. Fair cool day.
Jan 14 Today I cleaned the stable. Fair cool.
Jan 15 Bess and I went to Seymour to see Dad and Mom today. Fair cool day.
Jan 16 Rainy bad day. Bess and I went to town this evening.
Jan 17 The boys went to church this morning. Home this evening. Fair cool day. The rain yesterday and last night put the creek out, biggest in two years.
Jan 18 This morning I ditched water off the wheat. This evening I took corn and had ground to feed. Fair cool day.
Jan 19 This morning I hauled out manure. This evening I took Joe Roseberry truckload of manure and brought home half tone of coal. $5.50 per ton. $6.00 for 2 loads of manure. Fair cool day.
Jan 20 This morning I hauled out more manure. Nothing done this evening. Fair cool day.
Jan 21 This morning I cleaned out the hen house. Nothing done this evening. Fair cool day.
Jan 22 Nothing done today. Rainy cold day.
Jan 23 Cloudy rainy cold day. Bess and I went to town this evening.
Jan 24 The boys went to church this morning. All home this evening. Fair cool day.
Jan 25 This morning I hauled out manure. This evening I went out to solicit stock for trucking to city. Fair cool day.
Jan 26 This morning I cleaned the henhouse. This evening I took feed and had ground. Fair cool day.
Jan 27 Nothing done today. Some rain today.
Jan 28 Nothing done today. Bess and I went to town this evening. Fair cool day.
Jan 29 Bess and I and Charles & wife drove to Indianapolis. Rainy cold day with snow and rain tonight.
Jan 30 Nothing done today.
Jan 31 The boys went to church this morning. All home this evening. Fair cold day.
Feb 1 This morning I attended a Farmer's Meeting and this evening Bess and I went to Henry Hargeshimer's funeral. Cold cloudy day.
Feb 2 Nothing done this morning. This evening I took corn and had ground for feed. Cloudy cold day.
Feb 3 Today I trucked load stock to Cincinnati. Partly cloudy cool day.
Feb 4 This morning I delivered a sow to Mr. Hirtsell. Nothing done balance of day. Cold blustery day.
Feb 5 This morning I helped Ernest Stewart butcher. Nothing done this evening. Partly cloudy and cold day.
Feb 6 This morning Harold and I hauled out manure. This evening we went to town. Fair cool day.
Feb 7 This morning Bess and I went to Mrs. James Gahn funeral at Vernon. This afternoon we drove to Lawrenceburg to see the Ohio River, it is very high. Fair cool day.
Feb 8 Today Bess and I took Grace Marsh and Fred Euler and drove to Indianapolis to see Stewart at ST. Vincent Hospital. He has been there since last Wednesday when he got hurt. We took dinner with Emma D. Fair cool day.
Feb 9 This morning I cleaned and scrubbed the brooder house. Nothing done this evening. Fair and warmer.
Feb 10 This was the warmest day I ever saw in Feb. The temperature was 92 at 2 o'clock p.m. in the sun. I repaired the shed doors today to keep the chickens out. Fair hot day.
Feb 11 This forenoon had a hard storm and rain. This evening Bess and I went to town. Cloudy cooler this evening.
Feb 12 This morning I went to look at some hogs. This evening I hauled out manure. Cloudy cool day.
Feb 13 This morning we cut some trees along the creek. Fair cool day.
Feb 14 This morning I helped dig grave in the Euler cemetery for Gary Spaulding's baby. They brought it from Illinois and buried it this afternoon. Fair cold day.
Feb 15 Today I attended a Taxpayer's Meeting at Vernon. Fair cool day.
Feb 16 Nothing done this morning. This evening I went after coal and had feed ground. More rain today.
Feb 17 This morning doing some repairs on stables. This evening Bess and I went to town. Cloudy cold day.
Feb 18 Today we are butchering. Killed 2 hogs and Patten killed 1. We dressed them together. Fair cool day.
Feb 19 Pat & Ave, John Hall and Sis are helping cut lard and made the sausage. Fair warmer day.
Feb 20 Nothing much done today. Bess and I went to town this evening. Fair cool day.
Feb 21 Rainy cool day. Stewart went to church this morning. Charles & wife, Herschel & Alice are here for supper.
Feb 22 Nothing done this morning. This evening I took load of feed and had ground. Fair cool day.
Feb 23 This morning I took sedan to town to have bearings taken up. This evening Bess and I went after same. Fair cool day.
Feb 24 This morning I hauled out manure. This evening Bess and I went to Hargeshamer's sale. Very pleasant day.
Feb 25 This morning I went after load lumber I bought at sale yesterday. This evening Bess and I went to see Paw & Maw. Pleasant day.
Feb 26 This morning I prepared the brooder house for young chicks. This evening Bess and I went to town. Pleasant day.
Feb 27 This morning I went to Seymour and got 374, 2 week old chicks and bag of feed at a cost of $30, to L. A. Jackson. This evening we went to town. Pleasant day.
Feb 28 The boys went to church this morning. Charles & wife and Alice are here for dinner. This afternoon Charles Kellermeyer & Minnie brought Paw & Maw from Seymour. They are going to stay for a few days. Pleasant day.
Feb 29 Today I shipped carload of stock from N. Vernon to Cincinnati. Pleasant day.
Mar 1 This morning Paw and I trimmed fruit trees. This evening I plowed the garden. Pleasant day.
Mar 2 Today I worked out the carload of stock. This evening Ingelhart was down to see me, having some trouble about Stewart and the basketball team. Late this evening I went to town and got license for Ford Roadster. Fair cool day.
Mar 3 This morning Paw and I repaired the grape arbor and this evening we went to the creek and cut some trees off the bank. Fair cool day.
Mar 4 Nothing done today. Little rain today.
Mar 5 This morning I trucked 2 cows for Ralph Hess and brought back mare and colt. Bess went to town this evening. Damp cloudy morning. Bess and I went to town this evening about 4o'clock, began to snow very hard. Very bad evening.
Mar 6 Paw and the boys went to church this morning. All home this evening. Charles & wife, and Alice and kids are here for dinner. Cold blustery day.
Mar 7 Nothing done today. Cold blustery day.
Mar 8 Same as yesterday. Cloudy cold day.
Mar 9 Nothing done. Very cold day.
Mar 10 This is the coldest weather of the winter. This evening I took load of corn and had ground for feed. Fair cold.
Mar 11 Nothing done this morning. This evening I took Paw & Maw back home. They have been here nearly two weeks. Fair little warmer today.
Mar 12 Nothing done this morning. This evening Bess and I went to town. Cold blustery day.
Mar 13 Bess and I were home all day. Nobody came. Cold blustery day.
Mar 14 This morning I took the cream to Columbus. Nothing done this evening. Fair cold day. This last week was the coldest weather of the winter.
Mar 15 This morning I took truck to town and had same greased. This evening Bess and I went to town. Fair and some warmer.
Mar 16 Today I trucked load of stock to Cincinnati. Very pleasant day.
Mar 17 Rain last night filled the creek bank full. This morning I took Bess to town to have her hair marcelled. This evening I am working around the barn. Fair cool day.
Mar 18 This morning I worked out my shipment of stock and wrote checks. This evening I went to town after Harold. Fair cool day.
Mar 19 Nothing but chores done this morning. This evening Bess and I went to town. Cool cloudy day.
Mar 20 Harold went to church this morning. This evening we went up to Charles & Mary Louise's. Cloudy cold day.
Mar 21 Today I trucked 200 bu. corn to Hallowell for Patten. Partly fair with little rain this evening.
Mar 22 This evening I took load of feed and had ground for chicks. Fair cool day.
Mar 23 Nothing done this morning. This evening I am trimming Alice's shade trees. Fair cool day.
Mar 24 The same as yesterday. Bess went with me to town. Partly cloudy cool day.
Mar 25 Nothing done this morning. This evening I took feed and had ground for corn. Fair cool day.
Mar 26 Nothing but chores done today. Bess and boys went to town this evening. Cloudy cool day. My 53rd birthday.
Mar 27 Charles & wife, Alice & Herschel are home for dinner today. Fair cool.
Mar 28 Harold and Bob Miller are hauling out manure today. Harold has no school today. This evening Bess and I drove to Madison. Partly cloudy cool.
Mar 29 This morning the oilman brought load of gas and I went to A. James and helped truckman load Pat's corn. This evening I took seed corn to school for testing. Fair cool day.
Mar 30 Nothing done this morning. This evening Bess and I went to town. I trimmed Alice's cherry trees. Fair cool day.
Mar 31 This morning Norval Wilson came here to work. This evening we cut down trees along the creek. Cloudy cold day.
Apr 1 Today we are cutting timber along the creek and hauling home for wood. Cloudy with snowstorm this morning, then fair balance of day.
Apr 2 This morning we buzzed wood. This evening Bess and I went to town. The boys hauled out manure. Fair cool day.
Apr 3 The boys went to church this morning. Home this evening. Charles & wife are here for supper. Fair warm day.
Apr 4 This morning I took cream to Columbus. This evening Buss and I took load of manure to Alice and put on yard and brought 2 cows home from Webster's to feed. Fair cool day.
Apr 5 Today we made some garden and planted potatoes in garden. Fair cool day.
Apr 6 This morning Buss plowed the potato patch. This evening Buss disked the alfalfa to kill some of the weeds. Bess and I went to town. Fair cool day.
Apr 7 This morning Buss disked the potato patch and we planted 1 bushel before dinner and then began to rain. Doing chores this evening.
Apr 8 Rainy day. Nothing done.
Apr 9 Stewart and Buss are cutting trees along the creek. I took feed and had ground this morning. This evening Bess and I went to town. Cloudy cool day.
Apr 10 The boys went to church this morning. Home the balance of day. Cloudy with little rain.
Apr 11 Today I trucked load of stock to Cincinnati. 6 of my own hogs. Buss split some wood. Cloudy rain.
Apr 12 Today I truck load of hogs for Howard Childs. Buss went along. Cloudy cool day.
Apr 13 I trucked another load of stock today. Took Stewart along. Fair cool day.
Apr 14 Buss is disking down stocks today. I am working out 2 loads of stock. Fair cool day.
Apr 15 Buss and I finished planting potatoes today. Fair cool day.
Apr 16 This morning we cut poles along the creek. This evening Bess and I went to town. Stewart and Buss are cleaning brush in the orchard. Cloudy some rain.
Apr 17 The boys went to church this morning. Charles & wife and Alice and kids were here for dinner. Fair cool day.
Apr 18 Today we sowed 3 acres to oats and alfalfa. I went to town after seed early this morning. Fair cool day.
Apr 19 Today we are taking off stocks. This morning I hitched Dockie colt for first time. Fair cool day.
Apr 20 Today we are taking off stocks. Fair this morning. A shower about 3 o'clock.
Apr 21 This morning Buss and I trucked 3 loads of cinders from town for Ed Eder's road to camp. Cloudy with little rain this morning. Fair this evening. Charles came after team and plow to plow his truck patch and Buss went to help him.
Apr 22 Buss began to plow for corn today. This morning I hauled in some poles for wood. This evening I went and planted bu. potatoes for Charles. Fair hot day.
Apr 23 Buss is plowing today. This morning I trucked home some poles for wood. This evening Bess and I went to town. Cloudy with rain.
Apr 24 The boys went to church this morning. Bess and I are home this evening. We took the kids home to see their mother. She is sick. Herschel took her to Dr. Gilispie this morning. Cloudy cool, little rain.
Apr 25 This morning I took corn and had chick feed ground. Buss is plowing today. Some rain today.
Apr 26 Buss is plowing for corn today. I am trimming some hedge. Cloudy cool.
Apr 27 Buss is plowing today. I am trimming hedge. Fair cool day.
Apr 28 Buss is plowing today. This morning I took feed and had ground. After dinner I took Lottie to Mallony's to breed. Fair cool day.
Apr 29 Buss is plowing today. I am burning hedge brush this morning. After dinner I took Dot to Mallony's to breed. Rain about 4 o'clock.
Apr 30 This morning Stewart went to Bedford after load of furniture for Brooks. The kids are here for dinner today. Fair warm day.
May 1 The boys went to church this morning. This evening Bess and I went to Seymour to see Alice and Paw & Maw. Alice is better. Fair cool day.
May 2 Buss is plowing today. I am at town doing campaign work. Cloudy cool day.
May 3 Some rain today. I am at Hayden today at the election. Tonight Bess and I went with Herschel to see Alice at Seymour Hospital. She is some better. Some rain tonight.
May 4 Buss is plowing today. Fair cool day.
May 5 Buss and I are plowing today. Fair cool day.
May 6 Same as yesterday. Fair warmer.
May 7 We are plowing today. Bess and I went to town this evening. Fair warm day.
May 8 Buss and I are plowing today. Had a nice rain last night. Fair cool day.
May 9 Today I trucked load of stock to city. Buss is plowing between showers of rain.
May 10 This morning Bess and I went to town and I paid my tax. Buss is plowing. We plowed this evening till about 4 o'clock and had a rain.
May 11 Today I trucked load of stock to city. Buss is plowing between showers of rain.
May 12 We are plowing in Sullivan Bottoms today. Cloudy cool day.
May 13 We are plowing today. Fair cool day.
May 14 Today we began to plant corn. The boys are disking and harrowing. Fair cool day.
May 15 Bess and I are home today. Alice & Herschel are here for dinner. Charles & Louise are here for supper. Fair warm day.
May 16 We are planting today. Cloudy cool with rain about 4 o'clock.
May 17 We are plowing this morning and planting this evening. Fair cool day.
May 18 This morning we finished planting in Sullivan Bottoms and moved to Long Bottoms to plow. Fair cool. Yesterday evening, 17th, I moved John Hall onto the Workins' farm.
May 19 Today we are plowing and planting in Long Bottoms. Fair cool day.
May 20 Today we are planting in Long Bottoms. Fair warmer day.
May 21 We are planting the Betsy Bottoms today. Harold is plowing in 15 Acre field. Cloudy warm with little sprinkle rain.
May 22 Charles & wife are here for dinner. This afternoon we drove to Seymour, the American Legion has a big day there. Fair cool day.
May 23 We finished plowing today and doing some preparing. Fair cool day.
May 24 Today we are rolling and harrowing for planting. Fair warmer day.
May 25 This morning I trucked load of hogs to Indianapolis for Drydon. The boys are piling and burning hedge brush. This evening they are slipping dirt and filling a wash. Warmer little sprinkles of rain.
May 26 Today we finished planting corn. I am helping Bess clean house. Fair warm, little rain tonight.
May 27 Today Stewart and Buss are hauling out manure. Bess and I are cleaning house. Warm threatening weather.
May 28 This morning I helped Bess clean the sitting room. Buss is hauling out manure. This evening Bess and I went to town. Fair warm day.
May 29 We are home today. Charles & wife are home. Fair warm day.
May 30 Decoration Day. Nothing done today. Fair warm day.
May 31 This morning Buss and I are repairing fence over the creek. Stewart went with Herschel to South Bend. This evening Buss and I worked in the garden. Fair hot day.
Jun 1 Had a good rain this morning. Today I trucked load of stock to Indianapolis. Stewart went along. Buss helped Bess all day. Sultry little rain.
Jun 2 Today we began to roll and plow corn. Fair warm day.
Jun 3 Same as yesterday. Fair warm day.
Jun 4 Same as yesterday. Fair hot day.
Jun 5 The boys went to church this morning. All home this evening. Alice and kids are here for the day. She is some better of her operation. Hot sultry day.
Jun 6 The boys are plowing corn today. This evening we went to Columbus after suit of clothes for Harold. This evening Stewart cut down some alfalfa. Fair warm day.
Jun 7 Stewart and Buss plowing corn today, except we put up one load of alfalfa this evening. Hot day with little rain tonight. Tonight Harold graduated from St. Mary's 8th grade.
Jun 8 The boys are plowing corn today. This morning I trucked load stock to town for George Gerth. This evening I cut the balance of alfalfa. Fair cool day.
Jun 9 Today I trucked 16 hogs to Cincinnati. 13 ave. 223#, price $3.75. 3 ave. 230# $3.35. The boys are plowing corn. Fair warm day.
Jun 10 The boys are plowing corn today. Stewart and I put up 2 loads of alfalfa. Partly cloudy today. This evening Joe and Sade drove in from Washington, Ind.
Jun 11 The boys are plowing corn today. Joe & Sade stayed till after dinner then left for her sister's. Bess and I went to town after dinner. Partly cloudy with rain tonight.
Jun 12 Bess and I are home all day. Charles and wife are here for dinner. Partly cloudy today.
Jun 13 Early this morning James Woodward hanged himself in the barn. So there is nothing done today. Stewart and Buss went over there and Buss stayed. Fair warm day.
Jun 14 Today I trucked load of stock to Indianapolis for Gerth and Glixner. The boys did nothing. About 4 o'clock had a shower, otherwise fair warm day.
Jun 15 Nothing much done this morning. This evening we went to James Woodward's funeral. Buried at Vernon. Fair warm.
Jun 16 The boys are plowing corn today. Started 2nd time. Fair warm day.
Jun 17 Same as yesterday. Fair hot day.
Jun 18 Had a good rain early this morning. Nothing done today. Fair hot after shower.
Jun 19 We are home all day. Charles & wife are here. Fair warm day.
Jun 20 Had a good rain this morning. I cleaned the henhouse today and hauled in some ground and filled up the holes. Fair cool after rain.
Jun 21 Today the boys are plowing corn. Fair and warmer day.
Jun 22 Stewart is helping Stewart Euler cut wheat today. Harold and I are plowing corn. Fair hot day.
Jun 23 Harold and I are plowing corn today. Had a shower rain at noon, otherwise fair and warm.
Jun 24 This morning I trucked team of horses from Nebraska to Scipio. Harold is plowing corn. Stewart is helping Stewart Euler. This evening I took load of corn and had ground for feed. Fair cool day.
Jun 25 The boys plowed corn today. Bess and I went to town this evening. Fair hot day.
Jun 26 The boys went to church this morning. This we went to see Dad and Mom at Seymour. Fair hot day.
Jun 27 Heavy rainfall all day, by night the creek is coming out of bank.
Jun 28 Nothing done today. The creek was out big through the night. Fair cool day.
Jun 29 Today I trucked load stock to Cincinnati. Fair cool day.
Jun 30 We began to cut wheat today. Fair hot day.
Jul 1 Cutting wheat today. Very mean to cut because of the flood. Fair hot day.
Jul 2 Today Harold and I moved a family from town to Walbash, 158 miles for $25. Fair cool day.
Jul 3 Home all day. Alice and kids were home for dinner. Fair warm day.
Jul 4 Nothing done today. Heavy rains.
Jul 5 Heavy rains put the creek out in Bottoms again last night. Partly fair today.
Jul 6 Nothing done today. Hot sultry day.
Jul 7 This morning I trucked load of stock to Cincinnati. Got back by 1 o'clock. As I ate my dinner, had a heavy rain here but at town had a cyclone (Link to Newspaper articles on this storm) which tore Hutton's barn down and carried same away. It then moved to Vernon and just leveled half of that town. As soon as we got the word, Bess and I went to see the wreck which is terrible.
Jul 8 Nothing done today. Fair hot day.
Jul 9 Nothing done today. Bess and I went to town this evening. Fair hot day.
Jul 10 We all went to Herschel's for dinner. Fair hot day.
Jul 11 Rainy this morning. Nothing done today. Fair hot this evening.
Jul 12 Nothing done this morning. This evening the boys began to lay by corn. The corn is very uneven because of the floods. Hot sultry day.
Jul 13 Laying by corn today. Hot sultry day.
Jul 14 Laying by corn this morning. About 2 pm had an electrical storm which killed 2 mules for Ed Baker while plowing corn. Hot sultry day.
Jul 15 Harold plowed corn last night till 9 o'clock because of heat. This morning the boys plowed corn and this evening we cut oats. Very hot weather.
Jul 16 Stewart and I plowed corn this morning. Nothing done this evening. Hot sultry day.
Jul 17 We are home all day. Fair hot day.
Jul 18 This morning I took cream to Columbus. Stewart tried to plow corn but too big. This evening our ring began to thrash at Howard Childs. Stewart helped. Fair hot day.
Jul 19 This morning I trucked load of stock to Cincinnati. After dinner I cut some wheat and timothy for to thrash. Stewart is helping to thrash. Hot sultry day.
Jul 20 This morning helped Stewart William thrash. This evening Stewart Euler. Fair hot.
Jul 21 Stewart helped Fisher thrash this morning. This evening we thrashed 120 wheat, 40 oats. Hot sultry day.
Jul 22 Today Stewart helped thrash W. J. Fisher and F. A. Marsh. Fair hot day.
Jul 23 This morning Stewart helped thrash Ivan Marsh and Wm Branham. This evening Bess and I went to town. Hot sultry day.
Jul 24 Bess and I are home all day. Charles & wife were here awhile late this evening. Fair cooler day.
Jul 25 Stewart is helping to finish thrashing today at Malcomb's. This morning I cut down a patch of poor hay. This evening I cut the alfalfa. Fair warm day.
Jul 26 This morning we re-topped the straw stack. This evening we put up 2 loads of alfalfa. Fair hot.
Jul 27 This morning I repaired fence along the road. This evening we are taking drift out of creek. Fair warm day.
Jul 28 This morning same as yesterday evening. This evening I took corn to have ground for cows. Fair warm day.
Jul 29 This morning I am repairing fence. This evening I trucked 118 bu corn for bank to Morris Weley. Fair warm day.
Jul 30 Nothing done today. We went to town this evening. Fair warm day.
Jul 31 We are home today. Alice and kids, Charles & wife are home. Fair warm day.
Aug 1 This morning Bess and I took cream to Columbus. Then came back by way of Seymour and saw the folks. Cloudy cool with showers.
THE END as far as we know. Why did he stop here??? Perhaps the years that are missing will be found sometime and we can add them into this document. It has been a wonderful view of rural mid-America at the turn of the century and the early 20th.
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