I found this personal record in the Historical Society of Bloomington, Illinois. The man who beat his wife on the previous page was the ancestor of the woman who wrote this journal entry. The Historical Society of Bloomington, IL hold 14 diaries under the name Jennie Buttolph Rayburn beginning in 1924 and end in 1942. No one in my family knew of my great grandmother’s work until I found it during my genealogical research.
Starting with a familial event, weather, a discussion of her activities, summary of letters exchanged, then something unique about the family, finally closing with something about going to bed. On November 26, 1937 J.B.R. talks about the baby, Cynthia. This is my mother at six weeks old. I can’t explain to anyone who reads this how “cool” it was to find these journals. Talking about this genealogical history gives me the opportunity to share this joy.