My Family Story : Mum's Diary January 1-21 1941

Keeping a diary is very personal. It is some place to write your innermost thoughts and feelings where no one will see them. A diary can also be a record of your memories. I kept diaries off and on for a few years - I think I received my first diary as a Christmas present from Santa! I seemed to start off writing daily then gradually would fade out. I understand the thoughts and emotions involved. So I had to give a lot of thought to whether I should include my mother's diaries in my family history blog. Her 1941 diary is about 80 years old. I decided that the diary presents the life of an average young person in those momentous times. It also provides insight into my family. I started writing this blog to share the history that I knew about my family - I thought that there was some information I had that no one else may have known - or rather that no one alive now knew. I also wanted to include the research I did in learning some of the family information. But then as I went along, I wanted to learn what was going on with my family in relation to the world in general.

I went through the diary. I decided that if it was my diary, I might feel a little squeamish at times, but I would include it in my blog.

So, Mum, I hope you don't mind!

1941 started on a Wednesday - the temperature high was 39 degrees - the low was 28. My mother, Ellen Keohane, was 20 years old. She started the year off with this entry: "Today is the Birthday of 1941. 2:10 pm - Celebrated New Year's Eve last night - I went to the show up at the Embassy with Arthur Carroll. After the show we went to Candyland and had ice cream sodas. We left there about twelve and heard everybody greeting the new year. It was a swell night & we walked down Main St. instead of standing waiting for the bus. - Swell time. Got home about one.

"This afternoon Madeline (Vaughan) & I went for a walk, came home, had supper, & fed a piece of mince pie to Hannie. Went up to Madeline's after supper. Very exciting."

We saw earlier that Madeline Vaughan was one of my mother's best friends. Hannie we know was my mother's younger sister.

The website - http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/9837 - reports that the Embassy Theatre in Waltham:

"Opened on April 9, 1928, this was advertised as ‘Waltham’s Wonder Theatre.’ Located on Moody Street across the street from Grover Cronin, the Embassy Theatre was the city’s favorite show palace. It was closed May 7, 1972 and was torn down in October 1972."

Picture from https://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/21980.html

I found a picture of Candyland that my mother mentioned above on https://openarchives.umb.edu/digital/collection/p15774coll6/id/515. Notice the booths on the right - they are difficult to make out. Is that where my mother and Arthur Carroll sipped their ice cream sodas?

And here is a Candy Land calendar from 1946 - I found it on Ebay- https://www.ebay.com/itm/1946-CANDYLAND-SHOP-Waltham-Massachusetts-Advertising-Calendar-River-Mountain-/382483316220?_ul=IN

The lower part of the calendar says: "Candyland Shop - 'Where Friends Meet Friends' - Delicious Butter Toasted Sandwiches - Home Made Ice Cream and Purest of Candies - Tel., Waltham 3679 - Wheeler Square - Opposite High St. - 475 Moody St. - Waltham, Mass."

Candyland was located a few blocks up Moody Street from The Embassy Theatre and on the opposite side of the street. The red icon shows where it was.

Little India restaurant is located at 475 Moody Street now. I presume that this is a newer building.

Below is a listing mentioning Candyland in the 1941 Waltham Street Directory, Louis Yiatros mgr (manager) confrs (confectioners) 348 Moody (Street.)

Thursday, January 2. "Work again today and I wanted to sleep. Hazel gave us the pictures we took up at her house Monday night. Came out good.

Tonight Hannie & I went down the square, cashed my check, had a soda, went to the library & came home. How thrilling!"

I wonder who Hazel was? And where are the pictures?

Also on January 2, 1941 the Andrews sisters recorded Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. The official Andrews Sisters website reports that "During a time when teenagers were doing the jitterbug and Uncle Sam was asking young men to enlist, The Andrews Sisters were America’s most popular female singing group. Patty, the youngest sister, was a loud and energetic blond who headed the group with her confident vocals. The middle sister was Maxene, a brunette, whose harmonic range gave the impression of four voices instead of three. Finally, completing the trio was the eldest, LaVerne, a strong willed red head with a witty sense of humor and an eye for fashion ... the sisters were very active in their patriotic duty of wartime entertainment. They volunteered their free time to entertain enlisted and wounded men by singing, dancing and signing autographs. In June of 1945 they participated in an eight-week USO tour and performed for thousands of servicemen. They had been hoping to do such a tour since the war started in order to give back to the soldiers that were fighting."

Friday, January 3. "Nothing doing today - I went to Waltham tonight and walked home. Felt good even though it was misty. I met Harold and Gin up in Peggie's store & they came home with me. Showed them my pictures & gabbed for a while - Good night."

Peggie's Store is listed in the 1939 Watertown Directory down on the bottom left as a Variety Store at 315 Main Street.

315 Main Street is the red icon before Waverley Avenue - Guy's hair salon is in a newer block at 311 so 315 must have been in that area - I seem to remember that there were houses there when I was in school. Green Street where my mother was living was just a few blocks away on the opposite side of the street.

My mother mentioned Harold and Gin - I know that Gin was Virginia Robbins, one of my mother's life long friends - we talked about her in the last post. She and Harold eventually married. When I looked Harold up on www.ancestry.com, his Watertown High School yearbook entry popped up. I was surprised that he had lived on Cuba Street!! A street away from my mother! He was a handsome guy - just look at his 1938 yearbook picture - Harold is on the right:

Harold Studley - 35 Cuba Street - attended West Junior High - was in the Industrial Arts Course - wants to become a State Forester - his nickname was "Stud" - he enjoyed reading Sports Stories - "This man is freed from servile bands of hope to rise or fear to fall."

I looked up Harold on www.ancestry.com and found out his father's name was William Otis Studley. I'll post the information in chronological order so it makes some sense.

In 1910 the Studleys were living in Cohasset on Hull Street - no street numbers were given. 43 year old Arthur Studley was the head of the household. He had been married for 19 years. He was born in Massachusetts as were his parents. He was a carpenter doing odd jobs. It looks like he had a mortgage on his home. I can't make out if he was a veteran.

His 36 year old wife Cora had had 7 children - 6 were living. She and her parents were born in Vermont. William was 16, Clifford was 13, Harold was 11, Gladis was 9 - they all attended school. The other two children are Hazel who was 3, and Charles who was 2 months old.

I think we talked about the Irish Riviera in a previous post. Cohasset was a desirable resort for many wealthy Boston Irish including Joseph P Kennedy and John Boyle O'Reilly, an Irish immigrant and editor of The Pilot. The red icon shows Hull Street but we don't know where on the street the Studleys lived. It looks like Hull Street is now route 228.

Then on www.ancestry.com I found a Watertown marriage registration on line #33 for April 17, 1915 for 21 year old William Otis Studley and 25 year old Lillian Jane Williams. It was the first marriage for both. William was residing at North Cohasset; Lillian resided in Watertown. William was a gardener; Lillian was a laundry employee. William was born in North Cohasset; Lillian was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

His father was Arthur; her father was William.

Harold's mother was Cora D Reynolds; Lillian's mother was Eliza J Ward.

They were married by Webster K Powell, Minister of the Gospel, Watertown, Mass.

I also found a WWI registration card for Harold's father. William Otis Studley was living at 63 Riverside St in Watertown. He was born November 2, 1893. He was a natural born citizen - he was born in Smith Place, Cohasset, Mass. He was a motor inspector for the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad at Pemberton, Mass. His wife and 1 year 9 month old child were dependent on him. He was married. He was Caucasian. He was an Infantry Private for 3 years in the State's 5th Regiment.

Page 2 reports that he was short and stout - he had blue eyes and light hair - he was not bald and had not lost any limbs or eyes. He registered at Precinct 1 in Watertown on June 5, 1917.

The red icon shows Smith Place in Cohasset - the area where William Studley was born.

The red icon below shows 65 Riverside Street - it is near the back entry for Perkins School for the Blind where I worked in the library when I was in high school and where my daughter Mairead is currently working.

The gray building is #65 Riverside Street - there are no numbers near the doors - the White House is #59 - so #63 may be located in the gray building.

The 1920 census showed the Studleys renting 15 Chisholm Ave. in Brockton. What made them move to Brockton I wonder? I can't make out how old William was supposed to be - is that a 26? He was a machine helper for a steam railroad.

His wife Lillian was 31 - she immigrated from Canada to the US in 1911. She became a naturalized citizen when she married in 1915. William and Lillian had 3 children - William O was 4 and 3/12, Lillian was 2 and 4/12, and Harold was 3 months old.

The red icon in the middle of the map is 15 Chisholm Ave.

15 Chisholm Ave is now an empty lot on a dead end street.

In 1930 the Studleys were back in Watertown - renting 30 Spring Street for $18/month. They had a radio. William was 36 - he was a machinist for the railroad. Lillian was 41. They had 8 children. The older children attended school - William 14, Lillian 12, Harold 10, Warren 8, and Lloyd 6. Three other children were at home: Leroy 4, Paul 2 11/12, and newborn Arthur.

The red icon toward the bottom right is 30 Spring Street.

Unfortunately, 30 Spring Street today is part of the CVS/Registry of Motor Vehicles parking lot.

I looked up the Studleys in the 1940 US Census for Watertown. They were at 35 Cuba Street in 1938 when Harold graduated WHS. They were still there in 1940 - the next street over from my mother on Green Street. Harold's father was on the very last line. 46 year old William Studley was paying $30/month rent, and he lived in the same house 5 years ago. He was a machinist doing railroad repairs. He was born in Massachusetts.

The names of the some of the other families on Cuba Street are familiar - especially the Tambascios at #22.

On page 2 of the 1940 Census, 51 year old Lillian Studley was born in Canada-English. She and William had 9 children from 6 to 20.

William was 24 and was a cashier in a retail grocery store.

Lillian was 22 and was unable to work.

Harold was 20 and a salesman in a grocery store.

Warren was 18. He was in school.

Lloyd was 16 and in school.

Leroy was 14 and in school.

Paul was 12 and in school.

Arthur was 10 and in school.

6 year old Olive was in school.

Again some of the other names on Cuba Street are familiar even though the census is over 80 years old - Colella, Tiberio, and especially fireman Thomas Maloney.

The red icon mid left on the map below shows 35 Cuba St where the Studleys were living in 1940 - you can see that Green Street where my mother lived is the next street over towards St. Pat's Church.

The house seems to be a duplex with #35 where the Studleys lived on the right towards Main Street - this is the same side as Donald McDonald's Funeral Home.

I also looked up Harold's WWII draft registration dated 16 October 1940. The address 35 Cuba St. was crossed out and replaced with 13 Copeland St - so at some point Harold moved. He was 21 and was born Oct 13, 1919 in Brockton, Mass. Name of person who would always know his address was his father - Mr William Otis Studley of 35 Cuba St, Watertown, Middlesex, Mass. Harold was working for the First National Stores at 995 Mass Ave, Cambridge, Middlesex, Mass.

Page 2 of the draft registration reported that Harold was of white race, 5'7" and 175 lbs. He had hazel eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion. He had no distinguishing marks.

Date of registration was October 16, 1940. The form was stamped "Local Board #155. Grant School Building. Whites Ave. Watertown - Middlesex County - Massachusetts."

13 Copeland Street is the red icon on the top left. Cuba street is on the bottom right.

# 15 and # 13 Copeland Street - #13 is the doorbell on the right.

On www.ancestry.com I found an enlistment record for Harold M Studley which I think belongs to our Harold Studley. He enlisted in the Army on 10 Feb 1942 at Fort Devens - 2 months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor - just like so many young men did after that tragedy. He was still single with no dependents.

There was also a WWII draft registration for Harold's father. William Otis Studley was living at 35 Cuba St., Watertown. He had no phone. He was 48 year old - he was born in Cohasset on November 11, 1893. The person who would always know his address was Mrs. Lillian Studley of 35 Cuba St, Watertown. Harold worked for the New York - New Haven and Hartford Railroad at South Hampton St., South Boston, Ma.

The New York New Haven Hartford Railroad eventually went bankrupt - Amtrak took over its passenger services in 1971. The red icon below shows the Amtrak Southampton yard in South Boston.

Page 2 of William Studley's WWII draft registration reports that he was white, 5'8" and 225 lbs, with hazel eyes, black/gray hair, and a light complexion. He also had a cut over his right eye. William registered 2 years after his son Harold - April 27, 1942 at the Grant School in Watertown.

I did find 2 entries for Harold Studley in Boston Street Directories - 1953 lists Harold M Studley as "appr Readville Car Shop" r(esides) Watertown. Is "appr" an apprentice?

The 1956 Boston Directory has the same listing.

I also found a headstone inscription for Harold's brother Warren S. Studley, Private First Class - 330rd Infantry - 83rd Division - Massachusetts - July 23 1944 - 33.

Service number #31223660 on rear - permanent cemetery St Laurent 3505 - Block F - Row 26 - Grave 33 - Cross - Creed 1 - Race 1 - Decorations BSM PH

Temporary Cemetery #3586 - Block M - Row 9 - Grave 162 - D-D number 4112 - ARM 1.

Next of Kin: Mr. William O. Studley (Father) - 35 Cuba St. Watertown, Mass.

Apparently the St. Laurent Cemetery was established temporarily as the first American cemetery in Europe. According to the website - https://www.abmc.gov/normandy:

"The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located in Colleville-sur-Mer, on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. The cemetery site, at the north end of its half mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,386 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. On the Walls of the Missing, in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial, are inscribed 1,557 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified."

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_military_cemetery_2003.JPG

So was Harold's brother Warren Studley in Europe for D Day? Did he die July 23, 1944? D Day was June 6, 1944.

Back to my mother's diary.

Saturday, January 4. "Slept until 10:30 this morning. Went in town (into Boston) this afternoon & bought a blouse."

Sunday, January 5. Madeline, Annie, Mary Blackburn, Hannie and I took pictures this afternoon in the snow & then came in & listened to the Shadow.

Jim brought Bertha down tonight & we listened to the radio, played the piano, played games, made fudge.

It is now 11:15 & time for all good little girls to be in bed so - good night."

My mother took piano lessons - did Jim? Did Aunt Hannah Keohane buy them a piano? I seem to remember that Ma had to scrounge around to pay for the piano lessons - she didn't have the money.

""The Shadow" was one of the most popular radio shows in history. The show went on the air in August of 1930.

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" "The opening lines of the "Detective Story" program captivated listeners and are instantly recognizable even today. Originally the narrator of the series of macabre tales, the eerie voice known as The Shadow became so popular to listeners that "Detective Story" was soon renamed "The Shadow," and the narrator became the star of the old-time mystery radio series, which ran until 1954.

"A figure never seen, only heard, the Shadow was an invincible crime fighter. He possessed many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. Besides his tremendous strength, he could defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code, and become invisible with his famous ability to "cloud men's minds."

"Along with his team of operatives, the Shadow battled adversaries with chilling names like The Black Master, Kings of Crime, The Five Chameleons, and, of course, The Red Menace."

http://www.warpedfactor.com/2016/05/the-shadow-on-radio.html

Here are my mother's pictures from January 5, 1941.

The first one has Hannie, Rita, and my mother with Mary Elizabeth Ryan from next door. St. Pat's Church is in the background.

Below is my mother, Madeline Vaughan, and Annie O'Callahan with Mary Elizabeth.

Hannie and Mary Blackburn with Mary Elizabeth.

Mary Blackburn with Hannie.

My mother and Madeline - are they in front of the High School? or the West Junior High School? or the library? The building looks familiar.

Madeline, my mother, and Annie.

Mary Blackburn, Annie, Hannie, and my mother.

We have met Madeline Vaughan, and Hannie is my mother's sister. Annie O'Callahan is my mother's friend, and Mary Blackburn is Hannie's friend. I remember that Annie lived on Main Street - she was related to Johnny Bertram whose wife Joanie (Marchant - of the Joe's Variety family) is still living in the same house.

So I researched www.ancestry.com for Callahans in Watertown. I found several Callahans boarding with 37 year old William Duffy's family at 29 Church Hill Street in Watertown in the 1910 US Census. William Duffy had immigrated from Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland to Boston in 1884 - he took the oath of citizenship in 1889.

He married Elizabeth Kennedy, a weaver, in Waltham in 1898 - they were both living in Waltham at that time.

So the boarders living with William and Elizabeth Duffy and their 5 children in 1910 were:

31 year old John Callahan who had immigrated in 1910 and was an alien. He was working as a laborer in a foundry.

22 year old Patrick Callahan who had immigrated in 1909, was also an alien, and worked as a laborer at a rubber factory.

20 year old Margaret Callahan who also had immigrated in 1909 - I presume she was also not a US citizen - she was working as a laborer at a manufacturing company - she was out of work for 8 weeks in 1909.

I don't know if this is our family of Callahans. Let's keep looking.

Church Hill Street has changed since I grew up - it was a small street with houses on both sides leading up to St. Pat's Grammar School and running along side it to Pleasant Street. The old St. Patrick's Church was located there as well - it was used as a hall when I was a kid. We used to have Hot Dog Days in the hall - we would go over class by class for hot dogs, potato chips, and a drink - it seemed like such a big treat then. We also saw movies there and later had gym there. The basketball teams practiced there; dances and proms were held there; Communion breakfasts took place there. Later we had fundraising dances - 50s nights, Halloween dances, St. Patrick's Day dances - pancake breakfasts to try to keep the school open. The old hall was eventually condemned and torn down - it probably should have happened a lot sooner! The Grammar School was sold and now houses offices. But those are great memories!

This picture is taken from the Pleasant Street side - you can just barely see the old St Pat's Grammar School on the right. I think the gray house may be #33, but the yellow house beside it is #31. So #29 may be the other side of #31 or may be the next yellow house seen in the picture below.

There used to be a little lane here connecting Church Hill Street with the High School - we used it for May Processions or going to and from St Pat's Church or Convent. In later years the May Procession would end at the grotto behind the convent and one girl would crown Mary.

Below is a picture looking up Church Hill St from Main Street. There used to be houses on both sides. I think it was Dave Keefe who knocked them down and built these apartments or condos. Jimmy McCarthy lived in a house on the left hand side.

Getting back to Annie O'Callahan, I found a 1914 Watertown marriage certificate for 38 year old John Callahan of Watertown marrying 29 year old Annie Millard of Cambridge - he was a laborer; she was a domestic. Both were born in Ireland. I am looking at the names of all the parents - most of the parents of the marrying parties have different names than their children!! What's up with this? It happened with William Duffy as well - did someone transcribe the records incorrectly?

I searched again and found a wedding registered on the same date but in Cambridge for John Callahan and Annie Millard - this time his parents were listed as Owen Callahan and Catherine Shea - Annie's parents were Henry Millard and Alice Keefe. The City of Cambridge gives the addresses but I can't make out where John is living - maybe 25 Cross Street? Annie is living at 256 Hampshire St in Cambridge. The priest is from St. Mary of the Annunciation according to his address.

The red icon above shows where St Mary of the Annunciation Church, below, is located.

There were several John Callahans in the early Watertown

Street Directories so it is difficult to know which would be our John Callahan. And there is not a street directory for every year.

There was a John O'Callahan living at 318 Main Street in 1915 - he was a laborer.

The yellow house below is #296 and # 300 Main Street on the corner of Middle Street. #318 Main Street must have been where the gas station is now. #338 Main Street is a White House on the opposite corner of Main Street and Myrtle Street

By 1917 the Watertown Street Directory lists John O'Callahan, laborer, living at 238 Main Street. I know this is our John Callahan from the address.

The 1920 US Census shows that our Callahans owned the house at 238 Main Street. 47 year old John reports that he immigrated from Ireland in 1895 and was naturalized in 1902. He was a laborer for the Town Street Department.

John's wife Annie was 36 years old; she immigrated in 1903. They had 2 children: 7 year old Alice who attended school, and 5 year old John who had not yet started school.

The Mannix family must have been renting from the Callahans. 59 year old Patrick Mannix was born in Massachusetts, but his parents were born in Ireland. He was a butcher in a slaughter house. 54 year old Catherine's parents were also born in Ireland while she was born in Massachusetts. Patrick and Catherine's children are:

26 year old Bernard and 22 year old Albert who are laborers at West Wash Company (?) - 20 year old Margaret is a saleslady in a department store - 19 year old William may be a chauffeur somewhere?

I am including both pages of the census for 238 Main Street. The Mannix family is at the bottom of the first page and top of the second page above the Callahans.

The red icon shows 238 Main St just around the corner from my mother at 6 Green St. The Callahans were living there long before the Keohanes moved to Green St.

The white house with blue trim below is 238 Main St - it is a 2 family house - I'm not sure if the Callahans lived upstairs or downstairs.

My childhood friend Alice Nelligan lived in that house on the second floor when we were kids, and I was downstairs at 4 Green St. We would be back and forth between our two houses. I think it was Mr Nelligan who was from Prince Edward Island. Mrs. Nelligan's brother Richard Rayne lived with them. I remember him being always dressed in dark clothes and smoking cigarettes. Alice's sisters - Franny and Audrey - went to St Elizabeth's Nursing School - I loved them especially Audrey who taught me to ride a bike in Saltonstall Park. I always wanted to be a nurse like them. I went to Hampton Beach with the Nelligans for a couple of summers. The ocean water up there was so cold compared to the Cape water that my ankles hurt! Mrs. Nelligan gave me a red plaid bathing suit - same as Alice's - maybe it was a hand me down from Franny and Audrey. I think I wrote home that the Nelligan's put potato chips in their tuna fish sandwiches! Imagine! Audrey had a boyfriend, Jerry O'Neil - I think he was from the south side of Watertown - I had a crush on him!

In the 1930 US Census the Callahans' house at 238 Main Street was worth $5000 - they did not have a radio. This census reports that 50 year old John immigrated in 1905 compared to 1895 in the 1920 census. There was a discrepancy with his age as well. His wife Annie's information is a little different too - she was 47 and immigrated in 1910 - in 1920 she immigrated in 1903. So you see again that information provided by individuals is not always accurate or consistent. It always helps to have some bit of family history - eg, if I didn't know where Annie O'Callahan lived on Main Street, we might not know which family was hers since there were other Callahans in Watertown.

The Callahan children were all still at home in 1930 - Alice was 17 and working in a tool factory; John was 15, and Annie was 8 - both were still in school.

The Mulcahy family was paying the Callahans $40/month rent. 40 year old Vincent is an auto mechanic.

By 1940 the Callahans were still living at 238 Main Street - the house was worth $3000. John was 64 years old - he was listed as a laborer but no place of business was listed. He worked 52 weeks in 1939 and made $1240.

Wife Annie was now 58 years old. Daughter Alice was not listed - I suppose she had married. John was 24 and was working as a clerk in a retail grocery store. 19 year old Annie was listed as a new worker.

I guess there was no one renting from the Callahans.

The 1942 Watertown Street Directory listed Annie M O'Callahan at 238 Main Street - no occupation was listed. The next listing is John (Annie) laborer with a house at 238 Main Street. Then John F O'Callahan clerk living at 238 Main St.

The last bit of information on Annie Callahan was a 1943 Watertown Street Directory that listed Annie O'Callahan as a stem maker at Raytheon rooming at 238 Main Street. No one else was listed.

Monday, January 6 "Benny & Jim gave me a ride to school tonight - I was almost the first one there. I had to walk home & I almost froze."

I wonder who Jim's friend Benny was? His daughter Kathleen does not remember hearing about him. I vaguely remember hearing about him from my mother or Hannie.

Also on January 6, 1941 President Roosevelt asked Congress to support the Lend-Lease program to support the Allies, and he also gave his Four Freedoms speech. According to www.fdrlibrary.org, "Franklin Roosevelt was elected president for an unprecedented third term in 1940 because at the time the world faced unprecedented danger, instability, and uncertainty. Much of Europe had fallen to the advancing German Army and Great Britain was barely holding its own. A great number of Americans remained committed to isolationism and the belief that the United States should continue to stay out of the war, but President Roosevelt understood Britain's need for American support and attempted to convince the American people of the gravity of the situation.

In his Annual Message to Congress (State of the Union Address) on January 6, 1941, Franklin Roosevelt presented his reasons for American involvement, making the case for continued aid to Great Britain and greater production of war industries at home. In helping Britain, President Roosevelt stated, the United States was fighting for the universal freedoms that all people possessed." These four freedoms were: the freedom of speech, the freedom of worship, the freedom from want, and the freedom from fear.

"As America entered the war these 'four freedoms' ... symbolized America's war aims and gave hope in the following years to a war-wearied people because they knew they were fighting for freedom."

I remember years ago 4 large posters - each with one Freedom written on it - hanging in Northeast Savings Bank on the corner of Church Street and Main Street - opposite the Armenian Museum. I never knew much about them at the time, but they made an impression on me. Northeast Savings Bank has gone through many transformations in the years since then - is it now Bank of America?

Tuesday, January 7. "Madeline & I went to the show up at the Paramount & saw "Hullabaloo" & "The Letter." They were both good."

The Paramount Theatre in Newton Corner was opened in 1922 and seated over 1200 guests. Apparently from comments that I have read, it was quite opulent for a movie theater. I remember seeing Young Frankenstein there on a date with Jerry O'Connor of Reading in the 1970s - I had met him in Bermuda on college break. At that time the Paramount was past its peak. It was demolished in the 1980s.

Older picture of Newton Corner long before the Mass Pike tore it apart. The Paramount would have been to the left.

According to IMDb (Internet Movie Database), Hullabaloo was a 1940 musical comedy. "In this musical, former vaudevillian Frank Merriweather (Frank Morgan - who also played the Wizard of Oz) manages to get a job on a radio show, doing all 20 voices in a program about a Martian invasion. But his act is so convincing, it starts a panic and gets him fired. Meanwhile, Frank's three ex-wives show up with their grown children and try to set him up for marriage. Frank bonds with daughter Laura (Virginia Grey) and somehow gets his radio show back. Still, he must figure out how to keep an important sponsor on board."

Wilkapedia reports that The Letter is a 1940 American crime melodrama directed by William Wyler, and starring Bette Davis ... The screenplay is based on the 1927 play of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham derived from his own short story ... The story was inspired by a real life scandal involving the wife of the headmaster of a school in Kuala Lumpur (capital of Malaysia) who was convicted in a murder trial after shooting dead a male friend in April 1911. She was eventually pardoned.

Wednesday, January 8. "I went to the Military Ball at the West Newton Armory with Arthur Carroll. It was formal - I wore a blue taffeta gown. He brought me a corsage of red roses. We had a swell time at the dance & he introduced me to a lot of his friends. We went in a taxi and afterwards we went to the Waldorf & took a taxi home."

So who was this Arthur Carroll? When I checked yearbooks on the Watertown Free Public Library website for 1936-1939, I found a couple of Carroll girls, but I couldn't find Arthur listed. I also couldn't find any Watertown census records for him on www.ancestry.com.

But on www.ancestry.com, I did find an Arthur Carroll in the 1936 Newton High School Yearbook - he is the 4th down on the right. The yearbook blurb states "Arthur Carroll, 170 Cherry Street, West Newton. 'I am as solemn as a judge.' Hacker, Academic, Warren." Nice looking fellow if this is him.

The red icon below shows 170 Cherry Street in West Newton.

This is the house where Arthur Carroll lived in 1936.

I went back and checked for other records on www.ancestry.com.

I found 36 year old John A Carroll renting 170 Cherry Street in West Newton in the 1920 US Census. He and his parents were born in Massachusetts. He is working as an automobile painter. His wife is 30 year old Gertrude Carroll - she was born in Massachusetts but her father was born in Canada and her mother was born in Ireland. They have one child - 1 1/2 year old Arthur. And I think it is Arthur's grandmother, 62 year old widow Catherine Carroll, who is also living at 170 Cherry Street. She was born in Massachusetts but her parents were born in Ireland.

The 1930 Census shows that the family is renting 170 Cherry Street in West Newton for $35/month, and they have a radio. Arthur is now 11 - Paul is 8 - they both attend school. Dorothy is 10 months old. I presume these are Arthur's brother and sister - all three are listed as "relative" instead of son or daughter - rather odd!

I couldn't find the Carrolls in the 1940 US Census, but I did find a 1940 Newton Street Directory. Gertrude was listed as the widow of John A Carroll with a house at 170 Cherry Street, West Newton. (The 1938 Newtown Street Directory listed John A Carroll dying November 21, 1936 - before Arthur's high school graduation.)

Harry F was listed as a carrier for the West Newton Post Office - he has a house at 167 Cherry Street, West Newton - I don't know if he is related to Arthur but included him because he lives so close.

J Arthur Carroll is listed as living at 170 Cherry Street, West Newton - no occupation is listed. The same for his brother Paul F Carroll - he is listed at 170 Cherry Street but has no listed occupation.

I also found notes but not a record about an enlistment in the infantry. It is for Arthur J Carroll - white - single, without dependents. Rank is a Sergeant. He was born in 1918 in Massachusetts and is a US citizen. He resides in Middlesex, Massachusetts and has completed 4 years of high school. He enlisted 16 Jan 1941 in West Newton, Massachusetts. His service number is 20101355. Branch of service is Infantry. Component: National Guard (Officers, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men) Source: National Guard. Height: 67 inches. Weight: 155.

This information sounds like it would fit the Arthur Carroll from the yearbook, so did he join the Infantry from the National Guard? Is that how it worked?

West Newton Armory, 1135 Washington Street where the military ball was held - it was built 1910-1912 to house the Massachusetts National Guard.

The 1934 Newton Directory below lists Waldorf System Inc, 257 Washington Street N. (N stands for Newton including Nonantum or North Village.) This must be where Arthur took my mother after the military ball.

The website - https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/before-dunkin-new-england-had-the-waldorf-lunch-system/ - provided some information re Waldorf's:

The Waldorf Lunch System emerged in 1904 as one of the earliest chain lunch rooms. It was a time when all kinds of quick lunch spots emerged: lunch wagons, coffee-and-cake saloons and temperance spas. Schrafft’s, an offshoot of the Charlestown, Mass., candy company, started a lunch room in Boston in 1898 as an outlet for its candy.

Waldorf Lunch was different. Its founder, Henry Kelsey conceived of standardized restaurants serving volumes of reliable food at good prices in clean, white-tiled lunch rooms.

Marketing emphasized its reliability. A 1922 ad said, “There’ll be good, fresh coffee at the Waldorf Lunch today. It’s always the same.”

Henry Kelsey founded the first Waldorf Lunch in 1904 in Springfield, Mass. He named it after the Waldorf Hotel in New York City – according to lore, on the suggestion of a passerby as he prepared to open. He served coffee, donuts, sandwiches, soups and basic meals.

In New England, hungry diners could find 29 Waldorf Lunch restaurants in Boston. Providence had 10 Waldorf Lunches by 1916. They also sprang up in Pawtucket and the Massachusetts cities of Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Salem, Springfield, Waltham and Worcester. Manchester, N.H., had at least one, and so did Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury in Connecticut.

The red icon toward the bottom left, which would be Waldorf's, shows a location in Newton Corner which was taken for the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The picture below gives an idea of what the Waldorf looked like.

Thursday, January 9. "Went to school for the first time since before Christmas. Met Arthur Carroll afterward. He knew I was going to school & came up & met me. We had a soda in Whitney's & came home."

I tried finding Whitney's in the 1939 Watertown Street Directory but it was not listed. I did find a Confectioner - Edward L Whitney - at 1-3 Main Street in the 1942 Watertown Directory.

Below is a Google map street view of 1-3 Main Street in Watertown where Whitney's used to be at the corner of Main and Mount Auburn Streets - #1 was where HR Block is and #3 is where the chiropractic center is - so Whitney's must have been a good size shop.

Friday, January 10. "Hannie & I went to a basketball game & dance. The game was swell but St. Pat's lost. I danced with Roger & Archie Hayes. Thrill, thrill. We went down to Mom's & had sodas after."

I didn't find any Archie Hayes on www.ancestry.com in the census, street directories, or WWII draft registrations. I'm not sure if Roger was Roger Hayes, but I didn't find anything for him either.

I did find a listing for Mom's Donut Shoppe at 65 Main Street in Watertown.

Mom's Donut Shoppe was located on Main Street where the Armenian Museum is now. The red awning in the picture below has 65 Main Street written on it. I was into this museum only once. I had worked as a visiting nurse in East Watertown in 1979/80 and visited many Armenian patients. One of my co-workers was Armenian, and she gave me a book about the Armenian Genocide - it was devastating. When the museum opened, I had to visit. Talking about it makes me want to go back.

Saturday, January 11. "Dentist - Ow-w-w. Hannie washed the floor & I waxed it and then we made some fudge."

I wonder how they made fudge? When I was young, we followed the direction on the Hershey Cocoa box. We loved the remains in the sauce pan and would scrap it clean.

Also on January 11, Adolf Hitler ordered forces to be prepared to enter North Africa to assist the Italian effort, marking the establishment of the Afrika Korps.

Sunday, January 12. "Madeline & I went up to Mary Kavanaugh's. Talked all afternoon and then had a soda in Whitneys.

Sunday night about 7:34 Arthur Carroll came. He stayed till about 8:30 & then I walked down to the bus with him because he had to be back in the Armory at 9:15.

Went up to Peggie's & met Hannie & Annie.

Annie had all her top teeth out."

So I looked up Kavanaughs in the 1940 US Census on www.ancestry.com and found one family in Watertown who owned a house at 9 Patten Street that was worth $3500. 52 year old James Kavanaugh immigrated from Northern Ireland. The family lived in the same house in 1935. James was an operator for the street railway and made $2000 in 1939 - he had no other income. His 52 year old wife Agnes was also from Northern Ireland. Their daughter Mary was 19 and had completed 4 years of high school - she was not looking for work as she was attending school. 47 year old Annie Brown - James Kavanaugh's sister-in-law - also was born in Northern Ireland, lived in the same house in 1935, and was a waitress in a private school - she made $500 in 1939.

I'm not sure if this was our Mary Kavanaugh in the 1940 census - I couldn't find her in a Watertown High School year book. But there was a listing in the 1942 Watertown Street Directory for Mary E Kavanaugh, clerk, living at 9 Patten Street. There was also a listing for James (Agnes) Kavanaugh - he was an operator for the Boston Elevated Railway - they lived at 9 Patten Street also.

Does 9 Patten Street sound familiar to you? We recently saw Madeline Vaughan's brother Herbert moving there. It is the red icon toward the bottom - Patten St runs from Mt Auburn Street to Arsenal Street.

The white house in the middle is #9.

We saw that at some point after 1942 Herbert Vaughan had moved to 9 Patten Street - he was still listed on Edenfield Ave in the 1942 Watertown Street Directory. So what is up with Herbert and the Kavanaughs?

Monday, January 13. "Work - School."

Tuesday, January 14. "Boy was it cold this morning. I almost froze going to work. It was below zero. Went up to Madeline's tonight for a while, came home, wrote a letter to Eddie."

Who is this Eddie that my mother is writing to? Eddie Storer who we saw enlisted in the Navy in 1940?

Wednesday, January 15. "Arthur Carrol came down & we went to the show & saw two swell pictures. We stood on the steps and gabbed until Hannie came in. It was his last night home so he told me he'd write, etc. He left Thurs. morning with the National Guard for Camp Edwards. He asked me to write to him. I didn't commit myself.

"He calls me Ellie. Swell time."

Why didn't my mother commit herself to write to Arthur Carroll - this guy she went to a military ball with and who is in the National Guard? She is writing to Eddie - why not to Arthur?

Wikipedia explains that "The National Guard is part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force. It is a military reserve force composed of National Guard military members or units of each state and the territories of Guam, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, for a total of 54 separate organizations ... The majority of National Guard soldiers and airmen hold a civilian job full-time while serving part-time as a National Guard member."

The history of Camp Edwards is interesting - partly because my aunt Hannie was a telephone operator there during WWII - partly because I am living on the Cape. It is on the National Guard website - https://www.massnationalguard.org/index.php/history/camp-edwards-history.html.

"The history of Massachusetts National Guard training on Upper Cape Cod extends back to 1908, when Soldiers conducted weekend and annual training in the woods to the south and west of the present-day Massachusetts Military Reservation. In 1931, the adjutant general of Massachusetts appointed a board of six Army National Guard officers to find a new campsite, as Camp Devens was deemed too small for required training. In 1933, Cape Cod was initially identified as a viable area for the new camp, to mixed reaction from the local communities. Feasibility assessments, and letters for and against the proposed military reservation, continued to be presented to the commonwealth and the War Department through April 1935, when then Gov. James Curley signed a bill to appropriate funds for the purchase of a campsite and to establish a Military Reservation Commission. In September of that year, the War Department approved acquisition (purchase or lease) of up to 200,000 acres of land on Cape Cod for military training.

"As early as the summer of 1936, Massachusetts National Guard units began formal training at the new camp, setting up large tent camps just north of the proposed cantonment area. The troops at that time were generally poorly equipped, often wearing World War I uniforms and using wooden guns or Enfield rifles for training exercises ...

"Between 1935 and 1940, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the federal government, primarily using Works Project Administration funds, constructed 63 buildings and two, 500-foot wide turf runways at Otis Field.

"The initial construction effort at the Massachusetts Military Reservation represented the largest WPA project in the state, employing more than 600 workmen. By early 1938, the basic structure of the cantonment area was laid out and commemorative names were assigned for most major roads and landscape features. In July 1938, then Gov. Charles Hurley dedicated Camp Edwards, naming it in honor of Maj. Gen. Clarence Edwards, former commander of the 26th "Yankee" Division. Otis Field was named after 1st Lt. Frank J Otis, 26th 'Yankee' Division Aviation, killed while on a cross-country flight.

"In 1940, the U.S. Army leased Camp Edwards and undertook a major World War II mobilization construction program.

"Much of the construction effort was completed under the command of Maj. Thomas Waters of the 68th Regiment, the first commander of Camp Edwards. The Walsh Construction Company of New York was contracted to construct the initial 1,300 buildings in the cantonment area - with the goal being to provide housing and facilities for 30,000 men by January of 1941 when the 26th 'Yankee' Division was scheduled to enter Camp Edwards to start a year of training.

"A railroad spur was built at Sagamore and a constant procession of trucks transporting material to the building site began. (The railroad track is still there.) The peak of construction occurred in November 1940, with 18,343 employees working three shifts, a weekly payroll in excess of one million dollars, and completion of 30 buildings a day. The project was completed in a mere 125 days between September 1940 and January 1941, and served as the national prototype for other camps built using the 700 series drawings.

"In January 1941, the 26th "Yankee" Division, comprised almost entirely of Massachusetts National Guardsmen, was federalized for a year of service and entered Camp Edwards as the first Soldiers to train at the camp proper and live in the new barracks. In February and March 1941, selectees from New York and across New England filled in the ranks of the division, bringing the cantonment area close to its capacity of 30,000 Soldiers."

"Between April and November of 1941, the 26th Division left Camp Edwards to participate in the Carolina Maneuvers and the Coastal Patrol, while other National Guard and Army Divisions came to train at Camp Edwards. The 26th Division returned to Camp Edwards on December 6, 1941, with the expectation of completing their year of service within the month. The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the subsequent declaration of war by the United States, resulted in extension of federal service for all of the Division through 1944."

So if Arthur Carroll's National Guard Unit was part of the Yankee Division that explains why he was federalized and headed for Camp Edwards. Thus his enlistment on January 16, 1941. The 26th Infantry Division or the Yankee Division was an infantry division of the US Army and was based in Boston. He must have gone to that Carolina Maneuvers and Coastal Patrol in April. Then in December his enlistment was extended I guess to 1944.

Enfield rifles were made in Enfield, England in the 1850s. There were newer models and newer guns in 1936 when National Guard training started at Camp Edwards which is why it states above that the Guard was ill equipped using wooden and Enfield guns. I remember that these guns were considered outdated when the Irish were fighting the British for their freedom back after the Easter Uprising in 1916. The website -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYbfUufa350 - shows how to load and shoot an Enfield rifle.

I found another entry for Arthur Carroll on www.ancestry.com - it sounds like our Arthur. It is a notation - not a record of his discharge from the Army. He was admitted to an Army hospital in September 1944 for a hand grenade fragment in his shoulder that he received in the line of duty - he was treated with penicillin therapy - then discharged in November 1944. He served for 3 years and 7 months.

I also found a WWII draft registration for Arthur.

Arthur John Carroll lived at 170 Cherry Street in West Newton. He was 27 years old - he was born July 20, 1918 in Waltham. He is a US citizen. Mrs. Charles J Brooks of 170 Cherry Street, West Newton will always know his address. No employer is listed,

Page 2 of the WWII draft registration reports that Arthur was white, 5'7" - 155 lbs - blue eyes -brown hair - light complexion - small circular scar on right side of head - shrapnel wound right shoulder. He registered at Local Board No. 112, Newton, Mass on September 14, 1945.

The last entry I have for Arthur Carroll is from the 1957 Newton Street directory - he is listed as Arthur J Carroll 170 Cherry Street, West Newton - no occupation listed. I wonder if my mother ever saw him after his discharge from the Army?

Thursday, January 16. "Skipped school. Hannie & I went down the square."

Also on January 16, 1941, the War Department announced the creation of the Army Air Corps 99th Pursuit Squadron – the nation’s first African American flying unit.

According to the website - https://www.archivesfoundation.org/documents/tuskegee-airmen/ -

"The 99th Pursuit Squadron trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama, where there was an airfield and a civilian pilot training program. Soon, “Tuskegee Airmen” became the nickname for the World War II Army Air Forces units that were made up predominantly of African American pilots and maintenance crews.

"From 1941 to 1946, hundreds of African Americans successfully trained as pilots at the Tuskegee Institute, serving with distinction throughout the war. They flew 1578 combat missions and earned three Distinguished Unit Citations, at least one Silver Star, and 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses. However, they were fighting for freedom on two fronts: against Nazism in Europe and against discrimination at home in the United States.

"From the beginning of the war, African Americans serving in the Armed Forces were segregated into all-black units and limited in the types of positions they could hold. To allow for the creation of the 99th Pursuit Squadron and similar units, Congress had passed legislation in 1939 expanding the Army Air Corps (the precursor to today’s Air Force). Among the act’s provisions was the creation of training programs located at historically black colleges to prepare African Americans for Air Corps service. It wasn’t until after the war that President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 in 1948, leading to the desegregation of the United States military.

"On March 29, 2007, these pilots received the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush for their commitment and service to the nation."

Friday, January 17. "It is now 2 am. I just got home from a dance at the Hovey Memorial. I had a swell time. I danced with John Hayden & two other fellows. I went with Harriet and Eleanor. Harriet made quite a bit with some kid & he asked us if we'd like a ride home. A boy offered to take me home after that, but I thought I'd better stick by Harriet.

"Swell time.

"P.S. We got a a T stamped on our hand with purple ink. It was supposed to be a check - to prevent people from crashing."

The website - https://www.hoveyplayers.com/our-history - explains that:

"Hamblin Levi Hovey was born June 17, 1838. When six months old, his father died, and with his mother he went to East Ware, MA to live with her parents. He lived there with them until he was ten years old, when his mother married Mr. Emerson, and with her he removed to Gilmanton, N.H., where he lived until he was fifteen. He then went to live with his Uncle Daniel Gove Currier in Waltham, Mass., where he attended the high school. He became a clerk in his uncle’s retail clothing store and subsequently with Bean & Clayton and later with H. W. Smith, Dock Square, in Boston ...

"In 1861 he enlisted in Company M., of the First regiment of Massachusetts cavalry, and went with the regiment to Hilton Head, S.C. When he returned to Waltham in October 1867, he entered the office of J. W. Parmenter, coal, wood and brick dealer.

He married Harriet Adelaide, daughter of his employer Jonas Willis Parmenter and Harriet (Kingsbury) Parmenter June 3, 1868, in Waltham. He died suddenly, May 12, 1904.

In 1935, the Parmenter family commissioned several buildings. Two were named in honor of Hamblin Hovey. One was a 1300 seat auditorium christened the Hovey Memorial Building. The second was Hovey Hall, a smaller dance hall. Hovey Hall is long gone. The Hall consisted of a fully functional stage, a flat orchestra area which could accommodate 25 large round tables or 500 auditorium style seats. The orchestra was surrounded on three sides by a balcony seating an additional 750 or more seats. The orchestra was often used for performance and as an arena for boxing events."

My Mike used to go to wrestling matches at Hovey Memorial in the 1990s.

Have we talked about Eleanor Hayden before? I found a 1930 US census record for a Hayden family living at 626 Arsenal Street in Watertown. They were paying $30/month rent, and they had a radio. 41 year old John J Hayden was a machinist at the US Arsenal. His father was from Ireland; his mother was from Canada. His wife Mary was 37 - both her parents were born in Ireland. John and Mary had 3 children - 10 year old John T and 8 year old Eleanor were going to school - M Claire was just 2.

626 Arsenal Street is the red icon near Arlington Street and across from the Arsenal.

626 Arsenal Street is now the home of Sarris Auto Sales and Service. I think my son Dan bought his first car here.

In the 1935 Watertown Street Directory the Haydens were living at 15 Green Street - John is a machinist.

The red icon shows Green Street where both Eleanor Hayden and my mother lived - Eleanor at #15 and my mother across the street at #6. No wonder they were friends!

The Green house on the left is #19 Green St. The house on the right is #7 on the left side and #5 on the right side. So I am not sure which was #15 - maybe the buildings were re-numbered. I don't know if it was Perkins School for the Blind or another non-profit that used these 2 houses as group homes when I was living down the street on Main Street.

In 1940 the Haydens owned their home at 127 Fayette Street in Watertown. The house was worth $3500. Unfortunately, Mary was listed as the head of the family - she was a 47 year old widow. She had completed high school. John was now 20 - he completed high school - he was a manager in a bank and made $623 in 1939. 18 year old Eleanor finished high school and was working as a typist for - does that say motion picture equipment? 12 year old Claire and 6 year old Margo (? sp) are in school. The family lived in Watertown in 1935 but not in this house - we just saw that the 1935 Watertown Street Directory had them living at 15 Green Street.

The red icon shows 127 Fayette Street - about 2 blocks away from Green Street across Main Street.

127 Fayette Street is the house behind the tree unfortunately.

Another view of the house.

We talked earlier about Mary Courtney and her niece Pauline Alarie who lived on Main Street. I think Pauline's half brother Dave Alarie and his wife Ruthie were living in this house when I moved to the Cape about 12 years ago.

I found a WWII draft registration for Eleanor's brother John who danced with my mother in Hovey Memorial Hall.

John Francis Hayden was living at 127 Fayette Street in Watertown. His telephone number was Wat 3299. He was 21 years old and was born in Cambridge on Mar 14, 1920. He was a bank clerk. Mrs Mary E Hayden of 127 Fayette St, Watertown would always know his address. John's employer was the Second National Bank, 111 Franklin St, Boston. A notation on the top of the card states "Cert of Service 2/25/46."

Page 2 of the draft registration reports that John was white, 5'7" and 135 lbs. He had blue eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion with no distinguishing marks. He registered July 1, 1941 at Local Board #155 at the Administration Building in Watertown.

There is also a notation for John Hayden's Army enlistment but no record. He was white, single with dependents - probably his mother and sisters? His rank was a private. He was born in 1920 in Massachusetts. He was an American citizen living in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He had completed 1 year of college and was working as a bookkeeper or cashier except not as a bank cashier. He enlisted 6 Jan 1943 in Boston. His service number was 31270129. It states Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA. Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men.) Source: Civil Life. Height 67 inches; Weight 132 lbs.

I wish there were pictures with these draft registrations and enlistments. I'd like to see who my mother was dancing with! And I wonder if she wrote to him?

Saturday, January 18. "Nothing doing."

Sunday, January 19. "Virginia Robbins' birthday. Madeline & I went up to Gin's this afternoon. I came home & Hannie & I went into Roxbury. Two silly boys were on the bus & we almost died laughing at them. We went to Cronins first (note: this was Aunt Catherine's) & then to Aunt Mary's. It was freezing coming home. We went into about six doorways on the way home. Three boys in a car were trying to pick us up. We finally got home safe."

(My mother and Hannie used to take public transportation into Roxbury to visit the aunts.)

Monday, January 20. "Work again today. It was freezing this morning but Bob gave gave me a ride up. Boy was I glad.

I went to night school tonight. It was still cold but I ran half way so I didn't mind as much.

Came home with Eleanor, Violet and another girl. We went into Mom's & had hot chocolate & doughnuts. It was swell. I forgot my scarf & had to go back after it. One of the fellows said 'You'd forget your head if it wasn't tied on.' I would too."

I wonder who this Bob was who gave my mother a drive to work? Bob Comeau? And who was Violet?

Also on January 20, 1941 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated for his 3rd term. It was the first time any US president had been elected for more than two terms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_inauguration_of_Franklin_D._Roosevelt#/media/File:FDR-Third-Inaugural-1941.jpg

https://fdr.blogs.archives.gov/2017/01/19/fdrs-four-historic-inaugurations/

Tuesday, January 21. "Madeline, Virginia & I went to the show down the square. It was good but some old man sitting beside me kept mumbling in my ear. It drove us all crazy so we had to change our seats. Other than that we enjoyed it.

We had sodas in Piccolo's afterwards."