5 Our family 50 years ago

Excerpts from the July 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.

Sun, July 1.  Jerry - Ray - Dean & Dale went to conference & when they got home at noon we had barbacue ready & we ate then Jerry - Ray & Dean went to afternoon session. I wrote Kay.

Mon, July 2.  Got up at 7: & took Dean over to the Orchard where Gail works to pick cherries. I got my fill. Came back & Ivard cleaned the stuff out of Utility Room & we started to paint it.

Tues, July 3.  Jackie & Ivard went to Glenns F. on train & got pick-up. The paint wasn't very dry so we didn't paint today.

Wed, July 4.  I made potatoe salad & fixed hamberger patties to cook outside on grill. At 3:30 we all rode over to Gails, they gut got home from picking cherries we brought Kids home with us & they came later & we had picnic out on lawn. Ivard did hambergers on grill. We got ready & went to Caldwell to Fire works.

Thurs, July 5.  Ray went to work at 9:30 to 1:, it was supposed to be his day off. He came home & got ready & I took him up to Chapin's & he had his Senior Pictures taken & I went to bank drew out my $300. Secrete account at Home Federal & mailed it to Idaho Savings in Boise, get 5% Int. there.

Fri, July 6.  Gene got home from Sacramento.

Sat, July 7.  Gene picked cherries with Gail & Dean tended Kids. Gail, Lynda & Kids brought Dean home at 5: & Gene changed, took his suit case & went with them to Nyssa to stay overnite. We ate on lawn.

Sun, July 8.  Ivard, Jerry, & Dean took Ray to work at D.Q. on their way to priesthood. Ivard came home & got Dale & Jackie & they all went to sunday school & fast meeting.

Mon, July 9.  Annie & Budd came & stayed all nite. Ivard went to work at 3:30, left at 3:15 & right after Annie & Budd drove in from Salt Lake. We all ate supper out on lawn then Jerry took Ray & Dean to Mutual & Gail took the rest of us for a ride clear around lake & out & saw our old place & watched a plane dusting. They went to bed before Ivard got home.

Tues, July 10.  We got up & had breakfast & at 9: Annie & Bud left for Morris's up in Oregon. We stoped to Gails a few min. They finished picking cherries today so Gene came home with us, stoped in town & got a leather record case for Ray's birthday & pr. pants for Jerry to give him, 3 white shirts & 2 pr. socks for Kids to give him. Dean with with Smalls for his examination for Scout Camp.

Wed, July 11.  Got letter from Kay he is changed back to Lima & is District President & Traveling Supervising Elder. Ray was 17 today. He worked from 9:30 to 6:

Thurs, July 12.  I took Jackie to Primary, Dale rode his bike. Ray went & got her & took his picture proof's back & ordered his Senior pictures.

Fri, July 13.  I feel awful. Gail brought pick-up home & Lynda & Kids came & got him. Him & Gene got on at Nyssa Sugar Factory.

Sat, July 14.  Jerry went & worked until 1: then worked on his talk & him & Dean went ward teaching in afternoon. Ivard came home & went to bed. He had to go back to Boise to work at 3:30. Jerry went & bought us a hamberger & milk Shake for supper.

Sun, July 15.  Jerry & Ray got up & went to work at Dairy Q. from 10: to 5: Ivard & Dean went to Priesthood. Dale & Jackie had bath & got ready and Ivard came & got them & they all went to Sunday S. I made macaroni salad & cooked min. steaks & we ate when they got home. Jerry came home from work & got ready & went to Marshing to speak with Dr. Daines (High C.) after he had to speak in Fire Side in Caldwell.

Mon, July 16.  Dean went to Camp Billy Rice for week.

Tues, July 17.  Sent Dean a birthday Card up to Camp. Jerry & Ray went to Road show & Ivard & I took Dale and Jackie up to see the opening Rodeo Parade.

Wed, July 18.  Got letter from Kay. sent letter to Mother - Kay - Claudia and Lyle. We cut off Diplomatic Relations with Peru this morning, Military has taken over the government, I'm worried sick. We went up to watch the Parade after supper.

Thurs, July 19.  Jerry went to Scout Camp. Dean was 13 today.  Jerry didn't work today, took rest of week off. Jerry left, in our car, at 2:30 for Camp Billy Rice to stay rest of week with Scouts & bring them home. Ivard & I & Jackie went over to Gails a little while & brought Debbie home to stay a couple of days.

Fri, July 20.  Ivard came home from Boise & went to bed. Ray worked from 9:30 to 6: & went to Rodeo. We went up & Parked at Rail Road Shack & watched Parade, got icecream cones for Kids.

Sat, July 21.  Gail moved back to Nyssa. Jerry & Dean came from Scout camp at 7:30.

Sun, July 22.  Ray didn't have to work today. Him & Jerry & Dean went to Priesthood & Sunday School, Ray came & took Kids to Sunday school. Gail, Lynda & Kids, Gene & Schulthies Kid came at 3: & ate, they are all moved with todays load.

Mon, July 23.  Jerry, Ray, Dean & Dale went to Mutual, it was road show & icecream social for 24th.

Tues, July 24.  Jerry & Ray went to Stake dance for 24th.

Wed, July 25.  I don't feel good, just laid around most of day. Ivard took Dale to play ball at 4:30. They won. Jerry & Ray stayed home tonite. Ray went up & bought us all a cold drink.

Thurs, July 26.  Ivard got ready & took Jackie to Primary while I showered & got ready & at 10: Jerry came home from work & we took him to Boise for Job interview, traveling Salesman, he didn't want it. I cashed Gene's Ins. policy in hes had since he was a month old. He has a 11,000. policy now.

Sat, July 28.  Went to Utah. At 5: Ivard & I, Dean Dale & Jackie left for Mothers. stoped in Burley and had summer & gased up at 9: We got to Mothers at 1: A.M. & woke Mother up. Kids slept in back of Bernieces Station wagon & we went to bed & talked for a long time.

Sun, July 29.  We got up & ate & I spent most of the day copying genelogy, got 11 new pedigree charts. Ivard & Dean went to Priesthood & Dean, Dale & Jackie went to sunday school. Berniece had us all over to her place for dinner. We all went to church, some missionary farewell, mob. No one even spoke to us or they didn't introduce us to any one. Kids slept on lawn.

Mon, July 30.  Jerry bought a brand new car. Just messed around all day, thought we were going to take Kids swimming in Lake, they've never been in Salt water but Bernieces Kids can never do any thing & we ended up doing nothing, don't even visit. I wanted to go to Salt Lake & get some genelogy from Leila Anderson but we never got around to it, Thats what I came for. We had dinner over to Bernieces had lunch supper at Mas & went over to Bernieces & played Scrabble with Kids. Came over & went to bed at 10:30 went to sleep with mother lecturing us on letting Jackie stay up so late ect.

Tues, July 31.  Helped mother fix breakfast. Ivard took all the big boys & went to Toeele to bowl. I sat around, got in argument with Ma over religion & had to bawl. About 1: we had a big Turkey dinner over to Berniece's. We sat for hr. trying to get mother to come home with us. left Grantsville at 3: & went to Irvins store & saw him a few min & I went & saw Ruth then we went up to Ruth & Rays & had supper & they all went with us to Lagoon. Had lot of fun going on all the rides, 10-cent day (KSL).