March 25, 1942 Diary

Wednesday, 84th Day - 281 Days to Follow

Written by Margie Arbuthnot

More rain and snow last night.

Cloudy part of today.

Florence, Aunt Ione and myself went to Boulder and had lunch with the girls.  Don kept the children and Dad home alone.  We got back at Don's at 3.  He brought us down then and he and Dad went to Longmont.  Have had a cold N.E. wind this P.M.  Am writing a letter to Jessie tonight.

Four Generations.
Arletta (Misner) Coe, Don Arbuthnot holding Darold and Carol Jane
and Margie (Coe) Arbuthnot.
Littleton, CO

January 24, 1942 Diary

Saturday, 24th Day - 341 Days to Follow

Written by Margie Arbuthnot

Not as warm today.

Temp at 7:30 A.M. 34 degrees.

Donnie & Duane went to Don's this P.M.

Not much thawing to day.

Temp at 8 P.M.25 degrees.

A letter from Jessie today.

Donnie and Duane Albert are brothers, grandsons of Margie and Fred Arbuthnot, sons of Una (Arbuthnot) Albert.  Both grandsons were great help to their grandparents and worked for other ranches in the area when they were older.

It was rare for the family to spend much time away from the farm for a vacation.  But Margie and Fred took a trip one time to see on of Margie's sisters.  I don't know if this family that they went to visit was Jessie Hagerman or Viola Lafferty.   In the 1940's Jessie was living near Wheatland, Wyoming.  And Viola was living in McPherson County, Kansas.  Both were younger sisters of Margie.  Either way, this looks like they had a really fun visit.  If anyone has a clue which family that Margie and Fred were visiting, I'd love to know.  

It's interesting too, to see Fred's Uncle Fred Bader in one of the photos.  Why was he traveling with them?  Somethings we will never know.

Margie & Fred Arbuthnot visit with Margie's sister.
L to R ?, Ken Arbuthnot, Coe sister, Marjorie, Margie holding baby (niece or  nephew), Fred Arbuthnot,,
in front of Margie are her children Don and Una.

Arbuthnot's visiting a Coe sister.
Enjoying some watermelon.
? holding baby, Margie, Ken Arbuthnot, ?, Fred Bader (Fred Arbuthnot's Uncle)
children in front Margie's children Don, Marjorie, Una

January 17, 1942 Diary

Saturday, 17th Day - 348 Days to Follow

written by Margie Arbuthnot

20 degrees above at 8 o'clock A.M.

Not so warm today.

The girls and children came at 9:30, left at 3:30.

Stopped at Don's 

Dad brought car by from Marjorie.

N. E. wind this P.M.

Tem[perature] at 8:30 P.M. 25 degrees.

No letter from Nora today.

Elnora "Nora" Coe Wise 

Nora was the sister of Margie's.  She was living in what is now Littleton, Colorado with her brothers and mother on a farm they were renting.  In the 1940 U.S. Census, that farm is located on Coal Mine Road in South Jefferson County, Colorado.  Sometime between 1920 and 1930, Nora had married John.  He was an engineer who worked on the construction of a dam that was a part of the Panama Cannel.

By 1940, Nora and John were no longer married and she is living with her family.  In the 1940 United States Census, it states that she is a widow, but family history said that they were divorced.  It is unclear as to what had happened.  Divorce was a shameful thing at this time, so it was common for a woman to tell a census taker that she was widowed rather than divorced.  Although, John Wise may not have been living at the time of this census.  Nora and John had no children.

I have fond memories of visiting Aunt Nora and her brothers, Uncles Fred and Floyd, in their home in Littleton.  She often had a gift for me, a few that I still cherish to this day.

Here is a copy of the 1940 U.S. Census where they are listed, living on Coal Mine Road, Jefferson County, Colorado.  In the 1940's this area was known as Montana.  This is a good example of how the census taker would often get information wrong.  The head of this household is listed as Lloyd, but his name was Floyd Coe.

Close up of the 1940 U. S. Census
Coe household with Nora Wise listed

1940 U.S. Census, Montana, Jefferson County, Colorado
Family of Coe and Wise listed.

January 4, 1942 Diary

4th Day - 361 Days to Follow

Grandmother's family had come to Colorado for her father's health.  Her parents were born in Canada, but due to some kind of banking scandal (or so we have been told), the family had to leave Canada and settled in Wisconsin.  The family acquired the land where IBM is located today.  They lived in a home on 63rd, across from where Coot Lake is today.  The walls of that home were a foot thick, making the home warm int eh winter, and cool in the summer.

L to R - Margie, Carrie Lulu, Jessie, Viola

Margie had many siblings, including sisters Eva, Carrie who went by Lulu, Nora, Jessie, Viola, and Sadie.  She had three brothers Floyd, Fred, and Billie.  By 1942 none of her family lived in Boulder County, which I'm sure, was very sad for Marjorie as she was very close to all of her family.

Here is today's entry:

Another cold morning.  23 below at 6:45 A. M.
Pump engine on the bum
Don got it fixed
Dad [her husband], Donnie, Darline and myself went to Marjorie's for a duck dinner.
Una and Duane came home with us.
Don had car trouble and late going home from chores.
This is Jessie's birthday.

Jessie Iona Coe was born in 1884 and was married to Harry Hagerman.  They lived in Wheatland, Platte County, Wyoming at this time.

Source No. 9