5 Our family 50 years ago

Excerpts from the January 1962 diary of Dorothy Batt Cleverly (1915–1982). The full text of her diary can be found online at Dorothy's Idaho Diaries and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on Colorado Avenue in Nampa, Idaho.

Mon, Jan 1.  I got up & put the turkey on to cook at 8:30. I made cranberry salad, dressing & fixed a can of yams with marshmellows on & made out the hot rolls & peeled potatoes; then I played games with the Kids. At noon Gail, Lynda & Kids came & brought Gene & Ivard home and we ate dinner about 3:

Tues, Jan 2.  Kids went back to school today. After lunch Ivard, Jackie and I went up & Paid place and Wards & Hales took all our money but $1. At 7:30 Ivard & Ray went to Caldwell to play ball. We beat Nampa 2nd. Ray was high point man.

Wed, Jan 3.  I don't feel very good. I have such a cold. Ivard went to Dr. at 9:30 for a shot. We played Scrabble. At 1: I took Jackie to her dance lesson. Ivard took Ray, Dean & Dale up to titheing settlement at 7:

Thurs, Jan 4.  Ray stayed home in bed all day sick. I finished writing to Kay, 10 pages, & Ivard mailed it when he went after Jerry. He took Jackie to Primary at 4: I made potatoe soup & we ate when they got Jerry.

Fri, Jan 5.  Jerry took Ray to Seminary then he ate & got ready and went to work. I have such a cold I don't feel like doing anything. Ivard and I played Scrabble most of the day. I made fruited Jello salad & cooked Sirlone Steaks, mashed potatoes, gravy & cauliflower for supper. Gene played for Adrian & made 3 pts.

Sat, Jan 6.  Dean left for Idaho City at 9: A.M with Scouts. He got home at 4:45. Went to Church Camp. I made 12 loaves bread, 4 white, 4 whole wheat & 4 oatmeal.

Sun, Jan 7.  My first day as Sunday School teacher, had 17 Kids - Dales class. When we got home from Testimony meeting Ivard had meat loaf & potatoes cooked & we heated some string beans & ate at 3: I played Scrabble with Ivard & wrote Mother & Lyle.

Mon, Jan 8.  I went back to work after a month off.

Tues, Jan 9.  I got home from work & read the paper & went to bed at 9:. Jackie and Ivard were still in bed. I was froze half to death. I woke up at 4: when Kids came home from school & got up & washed a batch of overalls, made a big Kettle of fruit cocktail, cocoa & tuna sandwiches for supper. Jerry got called in to Stake Presidents office & he was ask to be traveling companion to high council.

Wed, Jan 10.  Jerry was ask & joined Junior Chamber of Commerce. I came home from work & read paper & went to bed at 9:. Ivard got me up at 12: & I got ready & took Jackie to her dancing lesson. Ray stayed home from school with a stomach ache but he got up & went to work at 3:45. Dale came home from school & went to Cub Scouts. I made a beef, vegetable pie for supper.

Thurs, Jan 11.  I woke up at 3: & washed a batch of cloths and Ivard & I & Dean played a game of Scrabble after Ivard took Ray to work & Jackie to Primary. I read my new relief Society magazine.

Fri, Jan 12.  It started to snow at 5:30 A.M. & snowed until afternoon. I made tapioca pudding & tamalle pie for supper & we ate when Jerry & Ray came at 6:45. Jerry got in wreck in pick-up - couldn't stop at stop sign & slid into two cars, bashed our back & front fender. Got a ticket for Failure to Yield - fined $25., $15. suspended. Bishop came & took Ray & Dean to Stake House to Banna Split Party. My nite off.

Sat, Jan 13.  Lyle's birthday. Baked 8 loaves bread. Ivard went to Adrian. At 2: Jerry & Dean went up town to get Dale a birthday present, got a few groc & bought me 12 towels, 6 wash cloths & a beach towel.

Sun, Jan 14.  Dale was 10 years old. Got up & helped Jerry make a angle food cake & put a ham roast on to cook. Ivard - Jerry - Ray & Dean went to Priesthood & sunday school, Ray came home & got me & little Kids for sunday school. I had potatoes peeled & when we got home I put them on, & made gravy & opened yams & pees & Jerry got some softee & we were just going to eat when Gene - Gail - Debbie, Jeff & Kriss came, Lynda stayed home.

Mon, Jan 15.  Got letter from Lyle. Jerry took Ray to Seminary then Ivard took Jerry to work. At 2: we went to Bank & paid bills & got the licence for car. Jerry & Dean went to Mutual.

Tues, Jan 16.  When I woke up at 9:30 Ivard had last nites dishes done & was ready to go to Dr. While he was gone I cleaned house & washed my bed & another batch of cloths. Ivard went & saw Ins. about Jerrys wreck & took Pick-up up to get an estimate on having it fixed.

Wed, Jan 17.  At 12:40 I took Jackie to dance lesson then went & signed for unemployment & paid Alexanders. Came home & Ivard had last nites dishes done and a big Kettle of corn popped for Dale to take to Cub Scouts. I went back to work tonite.

Thurs, Jan 18.  Sent Gail birthday card & $2. for show. Snowed during nite & on & off all day. Dale stayed home sick.  I got up at 2:30 & washed a batch of cloths & put spare ribs in oven & played Scrabble with Ivard.

Fri, Jan 19.  Snowed & blowed hard all day. I came home from work & read paper and made a bowl of fruit Jello for supper & one for 70's party. At 7:15 we went to Kuna to Stake 70's supper & programe. The wind was really blowing & drifting. We got home at midnite. My nite off - I'm sure glad.

Sat, Jan 20.  Snowed & blowed - snow was 1 ft deep on level & 3 or 4 in places. I got up at 9:45  & washed,  dried & put away 3 big batches of cloths, made a big Kettle of chilli & 2 batches of bread and 3 pumpkin pies, 2 banna cream pies & a pan cinnamon rolls. had fire in fire place, sure cold. My nite off.

Sun, Jan 21.  Got my sunday school lesson. Ivard, Jerry, Ray & Dean went to Priesthood & Ivard came home & took me - Dale & Jackie to sunday school. came home & hurried & ate and Jerry and I went to Stake House to Sunday School Union meeting. got home at 4: & played Scrabble & watched T.V. Ivard & Kids went to church Jerry had to talk for his first time as traveling companion to High Councel, Dr Daines. I got up went to work at 11:, car wheels froze up. It was 26 degrees below.

Mon, Jan 22.  I got $900. from my Ins. on Ivard. I about froze to death then heater quit working comeing home. I get home & we had run out of oil. Had a fire in fire place. My washer & tub are froze up & shower drain. Gail was here, he'd brought Gene over for his 8:30 dentist appointment.

Tues, Jan 23.  I was about froze when I got home. I ate & read paper & went to bed. I got up at 3:00 & we took Ray to work, he stayed home from school today. Went to hospital & got my 2 checks signed & went up to Hales & paid for 3 electric blankets & heater (electric) got 27 lbs hamberger for freezer & groc., 2 sacks coal & licence for pick-up. At 6:30 Ivard & Dale & Ray went to Middleton to their last game. The guys won their game.

Wed, Jan 24.  I came home from work & went to bed at 9:45. I got up at 12:30 & took Jackie to dancing then we came home & got Ivard & took him out to Jesse Clarks to get pick-up. The Ins fixed it, after Jerry wreck.

Thurs, Jan 25.  I came home from work & we went to Boise & had 2 checks signed by St. Lukes hospital, My Ins. on Ivard, $463.35. Came back to Nampa after I bought a new toilet seat & the Kids some Valentines & candy. Ivard took Jackie to Primary. I got up & cooked supper. Ivard & I went to bed at 7: & were just about to sleep when cold water hose busted on washer, they disconnected it & shut off tap. they gust got out when got water tap burst, water all over place & no shut off. Ivard found a tap & put on.

Fri, Jan 26.  Mother sent me new dress & Kids some valentines. I came home from work & went to bed until noon. We ate & at 6:30 all of us went over to Middleton to Junior basketball tournment. Our ward beat Kuna 45 to 30. Ray went out on fouls. My nite off.

Sat, Jan 27.  I got up & washed cloths, most of them in cold water, our hot water tank must have broke the other nite when the water froze up. I made 4 loaves of white bread & 4 of Irish Oatmeal. I iorned all afternoon. Jerry fixed supper & we ate and at 6:50 we all left for Middleton to basketball tournment. We got beat 3 points by 2nd Ward. My nite off.

Sun, Jan 28.  Gail left for Sacramento all alone in fog at midnite. Jerry - Ray, Dean & Dale went to Stake Conference. I got up & tended Sis. I had a big Kettle of Fruit Cocktail fixed for lunch when they got home. then Ivard Jerry - Ray & Dean went to after noon conference.

Mon, Jan 29.  real foggy all nite & this morning comeing home. Ivard & Jackie hadn't gone to Sacramento with Gail, I was sure glad but I'll worry about him going all alone in this weather. Ivard & Kids went to Middleton to tournment, we beat Kuna. Ivard & Jackie went to Hales & bought new water tank.

Tues, Jan 30.  I came home from work & read paper & went right to bed. Ivard went to Dr. at 10:30 & took Jackie with him. They came home & at noon they came to bed with me and I never did get any more sleep. They brought new water tank & plumber came & said he'd charge $15. to Install it. He will come tomorrow. We ate & all of us went to Stake House to final game of tournment. We got beat by 2nd Ward but we go to region because 2nd is inelligable.

Wed, Jan 31.  When I got home Ivard had gone to hospital for ex-rays. Jackie watched T.V. & I went to bed, I was so tired. I slept until noon then got up & Ivard had gone down basement to see if he could find shut off on water & found a cracked elbo on hot water line & all the hot water was leaking in basement. Him & Dustry Rhodes fixed a new one. Now we don't have to buy the new tank. I took Ivard to Dr. & he will have to go back to hospital if he isn't any better by Sat, after takeing anti-biodics. He thinks he has a deep absess the ex rays don't show, hes eating wrong too.