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!

Monday, April 22, 2019

December 28 - 31, 1970


Monday, December 28, 1970

I did a little washing. Went down to Betty’s. We moved the desk down. I gave it to Carmen and Kim. Betty cleaned her house up and put away Christmas things etc. She went to town.



Tuesday, December 29, 1970

I did a dite of cooking, down to Betty’s a little while. Billie and I went down to Westbrook and got Jeff. He came up to stay till Thursday. Es and Billie rode down with us.



Wednesday, December 30, 1970 Bill 62 today

A nice sunny day, on the windy side. I got my hair set. I had it done at Janet Brill Lawrence. She did a very good job. Carmen and Kim went and got theirs. They look so much better. In p.m. I went to Betty’s and stayed with kids while she did her shopping. Es was there too. Esther got stuck in snow. Es and I called at Susan’s.



Thursday, December 31, 1970

A beautiful day. I did regular work. Got Jeff and my breakfast, washed windows and clothes. Cleaned up the house. Fern, Lloyd called a minute. Susan at Betty’s today. Late in p.m. Carmen came up to stay all night. Bless her, she likes to come up here so well. She watched TV and did some coloring. Dorothea came for Jeff about suppertime.





The first year of the 70’s gone. During January and February not too many bad storms. Dorothea and Dave got their house finished up. It is like a brand-new one. We sat out shrubbery. Betty had a busy summer at her place. It looked nice there all summer. Kennard and Delores got moved into their new home this year. Susan and Vince made a long visit to Betty’s this past year from February 12 to March 17. She has family problems. She is very upset. Carmen joined Brownies. The new Lake Region High School opened this past year. Es and Billie visited this year. About a month later they brought Susan up here bag and baggage. She and baby left Tom. They went home and sold their home and moved to Maine to live. They bought a lot of land of Aunt Ava’s and a brand-new trailer of Twin Town Trailer at Oxford (Hayward Luck). They like their new home and enjoy it. Aunt Ava was in hospital in spring. She hasn’t been too well this year. Robert also in hospital with pneumonia. Kim in hospital for her catheterization test. Carmen home sick with bad cold and mumps. And in hospital twice. Kim began her Humpty Dumpty school.

 Billie raised to nice beef but no pig, first time he hasn’t  raise pigs for as long as I can remember. Fern has had trouble with her feet swelling. Bill got his shoulder hurt at work and has been bothered some during the year. Walt took a course in engineering at Augusta this past year. Also his family visited him and Betty, later his father came to live with them. They made a lot of improvements in the barn and a nice apartment for him in the barn. Zak has a skin problem. Summer air, he wasn’t so bad. A new road was completed from Bridgton corners. The Cumberland House torn down. Aunt Ava found dead in her bed December 7 by Esther and Betty. Betty and Walt bought a brand-new car and deep-freeze. Bill bought Walt’s father’s car, 1966 Valiant, brand-new condition. We also bought a new colored TV. Had nice Christmas. Susan had another boy born November 22. Christopher Lewis Rager.

"Cousin" William Douglas Walker - 2nd cousin to Nanny. Taken in his camper where he had a milk testing lab.













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