The blog posts below are taken from my grandmother's diaries. Althea Green Smith Crook was lovingly referred to as Nanny to her immediate family ~ thus her diaries are called Nanny's Diaries.

Nanny wrote in her diaries when she remembered to - mostly in the evening. There will be some years in which she didn't keep diaries and there will also be some days/weeks in her yearly diaries in which she skipped or forgot to write in them. For the most part, these are her words - written as she wrote them. There will be typos, forgotten punctuation, and other grammatical errors - but I am rewriting these as my Nanny originally wrote them.

As with all old handwriting, there are some entries that I can't quite make out - and these entries will be followed with a (?) to signify that this may or may not be correct or I can't figure out what she is trying to write.

Thank you Nanny for leaving us 50 years worth of memories! We miss you!

Sunday, April 21, 2019

December 25 - 27, 1970 Christmas



New bike for Carmen (Nice boots)

A train from Aunt Fern














A suit from Aunt Dorothea

Nanny is holding Chris Rager


Friday, December 25, 1970

Well it cleared off in the sky and the sun shone. But after the awful blizzard of yesterday, a mess. Billie and I went down to Betty and Walt’s. Fern and Lloyd came. Bill had to work. Dorothea and family couldn't make it till almost noon. We saw them open up the gifts. They all had a lot of nice gifts and a lot. We had dinner. Had Turkey with stuffing, gravy, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnip, onions, shell beans, celery, relish. Rolls, dark bread, cranberry sauce, ice cream, chocolate roll cake made by Dorothea, chocolate pie, pecan pie, date filled and lemon sponge. Christmas cookies, candy, fruit, corn balls, fudge etc. etc. etc. Fern, Lloyd, Dorothea, David, Jeff, Bill, Billie and me and Pa, Walt’s dad, there for dinner. Deming’s called in PM and had lunch. After supper Betty, Walt’s and I cleaned their tree out etc. Dorothea, David and I called at Fern and Lloyd’s. Kids get tired by were happy. Carmen got bike. Bill worked all night last night. I got a brand-new desk, toaster and dresses.



Saturday, December 26, 1970

 A pretty good day in p.m., cloudy and snowy in a.m. Bill had to work all day. Billie and I cleaned up the house, took Christmas tree out. Es, Cliff and Billie called. Billie done some shoveling. Cliff hit a car when he drove out into road from our driveway. It was Ken Whitney. They came in and filled out papers etc. Cold and windy in PM. Billie Deming here for supper. Tom went back home to Ohio today.



Sunday, December 27, 1970

A very nice day, not too cold, up in the 30s. Bill worked in a.m. Billie gone with Lawrence. Walt and kids called. Hauled them up on a sled. Ilan and Randy called. I did regular work. I got two gifts from Lil, apron and night gown.



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