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Along Life's Way
Three Diaries –
Three Goals
By Lois E. Wilson
I am fortunate to have three pocket-sized, family diaries from the
past. Each page covers two days of a year, has a space to record the
day’s weather, and several lines on which to write memories and events.
The oldest diary is from 1901 and was kept by my grandfather who lived
near North Star, Ohio. The last pages for the year are a monthly
ledger. For 1901, his total income from farming activities was less
than $1300 dollars. His entries are matter-of-fact. On January 7th, is
this terse entry: “Weather: Fair—Our third, a boy, was born. Went to
town & did chores.” Although he never mentions it in the diary, the
boy was named Orville. He became my father. When he was small, he told
his mother,” There are three things I have to do: grow up, get
baptized, and get married.”
Orville graduated from Ansonia H.S. then attended Ansonia and West
Alexandria Normal schools to earn enough credits to teach at the
elementary level. In the second diary, he recorded his activities for
the year 1922. By that time he had been baptized and was teaching
Sunday School and 5th grade at Lanier Elementary. Free time was spent
working for his father and other farmers. After three years, he entered
Manchester College.
In his diary of 1925, entries show he was working on his third goal. He
dated several Manchester coeds. He states that getting a wife was not
easy. His 1917 Ford with a detachable pickup truck body didn’t have
much pick-up or appeal. One day, he saw a brunette in the college
library. She was drawing a fish. He felt this might be “the girl.” He
was smitten and later said, “It was the first case of a fish catching a
man since the whale caught Noah.” He was shy and worried that she might
be taller. Exiting a building, he managed to get on the same step she
was on; he decided her height was just right. In fact, they were both
5’7”. He learned she was from Somerset, Indiana. He arranged to have a
friend introduce them. His May 21st entry says, “Had a date with
Josephine K. Some girl.”
They went to musicals and campus events. That summer, he ran the
college post office for $4 a week; she taught kindergarten across the
hall. He offered his help and did clean-up tasks in her classroom. At a
church conference at Winona Lake, he bought them each a small souvenir
canoe oar. While on a boat ride, he hinted, “Maybe someday we can cross
our paddles.”
The middle of summer, he took her to meet his parents. His father told
him, “You’d better cinch that.” Orville convinced her to marry him.
They borrowed $350 from the bank. Two hundred dollars was used to pay
off college loans; the rest was for their wedding. They were married on
August 15th and returned to college for the 1925-26 school year. He
finished his B.A. degree; she finished her 2-year teacher-training
certificate. They crossed their paddles; Orville had accomplished his
three goals.
At their 50th wedding anniversary celebration, they shared their
philosophy on life. It is a combination of various quotes: “Plan your
work; work your plan. Work as if you would live one hundred years; pray
as if you would die tomorrow.” Orville and Josephine, bless
them—together forever.
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