DIARIES OF ALBERT FONZO COPE 1894-1913 FROM HIS FARM NEAR WALKER, VERNON COUNTY, MISSOURI NOTE FROM TRANSLATER: This is typed as near as possible as it was written. I did not correct spelling although I did add periods at end of sentences and commas or dashes which were not in the original diaries. Words that I could not figure out what they were, were spelled as they were written or put in dashes or question marks. Many sentences were not completed. Loretta May 1900 January 1, 1900. 1. Cloudy an cold wind NW grond white with snow. Mr. Chitwood here they are movin to Mrs. Cramptons plase. Albert gon to school, Jasper to St. Clear, snode of an on thru the day a litle like frost vary cold. 2. Cleair an cold wind W moderate got plesant. Jonathan an Bill came. 3. Cleir an plesat wind SE then SW. i went to Walker drew out all the money i had in the bank $15.76, pade Richerson for the beef $4.35. Sarah sick with a herten in her stomach. Bill went for Dr. Nicels stated at 5, nicles came at 7. 4. Clear and plesant wind SE then SW and high. Nicls came at 11. i pade for the 2 trips $4.50. Sarah a litlel beter, it cloud up began sprinklein at 5. 5. Raning a slow rane ground mudy. i taken Albert to school. Vary stil an dark. Jonathan an Becky here. Mrs. Brown came a while and Mr. Pine. i went to Harwood for medson for Sarah. Rodes as mudy as can be. 6. vary dark all day a vary litle fine mist at times. Dicks sale. Bills folks here. Still an mudy frost all out vary damp an mudy. 7. Sunday, vary dark an still mud deep. Martha here, Jas came from St. Cleair. Aanay Chitwood an Oney Brown here. Mrs. Brown came but went home. Mr. an Mrs. Cobb came here., 8. Cloudy and dark an still in fore noon. Clouds gave way abrd, Sun came out about 1. Martha here, Sarah a litle beter. Wind E a litle South. 9. Cloudy and a litle dark wind SW warm. Chitwoods plowing. Sarah som beter, roads setling. i shaping some post to put a long Cobbs pond. Cobbs fixing his pond. John Goodman fetched 1 cow. 10. Cloudy wind N a litle cule tho not freesing a litle mist an dark. Davis Nance got 49 bushels an 44 lbs of corn. Jas hauled a lot. 11. Cloudy an dark in the morning cleared up at noon wind all a round. Nance got corn. Davis Nance got his corn one hundred bushes ose me $30.00 to pay when he seles his hogs. Jas haled 1 lode. 12. Cleir wind SW an West. 13. Mostly cleair grond frzen a litle white frost wind SE then SW and a litle high. John Sharp here, Jas fix the east side of the barn lot fence, clear all after noon. 14. Sunday clear and still no frost some fog, grond not frozen sun vary warm, Jas gon to Jonathans, Bud Brown sick. Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Chitwood came in the afternoon. 15. Clear an nise in fore noon clous later in the day. i an John Sharp went to Nevada got som whisky. i got a pare of socks. 16. Tuesday, cloudy mist in the after noon. i taken buter to Harwood, got Albert a pare over shous, due bill for the balance 80 cts. 17. Raning a cold rane wind N. i taken Albert to School. Parson bored the balences to way fethers to devide them. 18. Cloudy rane and som snow grond not frosen but vary damp and cul. Johnathen here. 19. Cloudy a spit of snow, vary damp and still. Jas camenst nocken stalks in the old medow please. i sold my teem and wagon to Jas for $145 and rented him land. 20. A big fog froze like frost melted like a rane about 9 then clear still and nise. i went to Walker. 21. a big fog went a som clouds warm an still, rods mudy. Albert gon to Cobbs, Lilly gon to Harwood to church, Bill cam sed Mary sick. Ed lingers Sla .. linched warm and still. i went to Bills. 22.1 Clear and nise still an warm. Jasper camest plowing for flax. we finished shucke the corn that was in the bar loft. Mrs. Cobb came. Som fling clouds a fue drops of rane half past 3. it has bin a warm stil nise January. 23. Clear still and nise som frost som fog. Jas plowing, plows going like spring. sun dun braken. Mrs. Brown an Mavin here. Bill came over for water. 24. Some clouds all day a litle culer wind SW. Emey and Abies here bin a speling Em went home Aaales went with me to Harwood. it taken 12 doz got 11c, taken a check for Bill. 25. Clear and cold wind NW ice 1/2 inche. us an Maten bucherd Marten 2 and we buched 1 wade 250. 26. Clear and cold a big frost wind SE then SW. Jasper taken his plow to be sharpened. i went to se Mr. Chitwood, he is vary low. Bill came for milk. Lily gon to the school hous to here preachen.. 27. Partly cleair wind SW an cul then NW and turned cold. i an Sarah went to Mrs. Browns. Jas an Albert cut the wilows at the pond. 28. Sunday clear an cold wind NW an vary cold. Eley and Jesey here. 29. Cold for the wind to be SW. Bill got the last lode of wood from Parkers. i an Jas hald 4 lods of wilows wood from the pond. my arm and sholder herten me. 30. Clear an cul wind N but .... I sold Ed Mitchel 1 hog wad 300 $12.75 31. Wendsday, cleair an cold wind NW vary cold. Chitwood dide about 11. Harvey came, went to Jonathans, Lily went with him, Jas went to Harwood, the month came dry. February 1900 1. Thursday, cleair an plesant wind SW som clouds later in the day. Chitwood funerl Harvy here, Liley, Allias an Em gon to the funeral. a vary nise day. 2. Ssom fue clouds an hazy wind NE pleasant. Haravey gon home, Bill helping to mow hay in the barn. 3. Some clouds plesant, i went to Owens sale. 4. Sunday some flying clouds still warm an plesant. May came. Mr. an Mrs. Cobb here. i tapen a pane in my back. 5. Some clouds warm an nise. i am no beter. Jas went for wood. 6. Fogy dark an warm. i am no beter Jas gone for wood. 7. Ranig a slow rane some showers of an on but warm. i am no beter with my back. Jas gon to Harwood, ground thowd out. 8. Vary stormey the night some rane wind NW and hard at times turned cold some snow wind NW an cold ground fray and frozen hard. 9. Clerd up in the night still an cold some clouds this morning wind SE and cul but still ground neerly covered with snow. 10. Clear wind SE a good big frost cul but plesant mudy when thawd. Walter an Lewis fetched the cow. i am beter with my back. 11. Sunday clear a good big frost ground but thawing on top wind SW geting high. Mary sick, Bill com plowing. Jas went to Bills, Lilly came back with him. 12. Cleair an frosty early, clouds up later in the day. Jas an Lilly gon to Bills. Aney and Mrs. Chitwood here. wind shifting but plesant, it camest snowing at 5 a fine snow. 13. Tuesday the ground cuvered with snow cleair an still wind shifting all a round. Jas gon to Harwood. i set an order for sede to Rockford Ill. 14. Cloudy wind E a litle N but stil. Marten helping to saw wood. ground frozen and patches of snow turned cold at 2 wind NE. 15. Patly cloudy wind E a litle N an vary cold some litle patches of snow ground froz hard not thawing. Liley at Bills and Bill’s Lily here. Bill brout Lily home it camenst snowing at 4. Lesley Brown got 7 1/2 doz eggs. 16. Cloudy snow a litle about 4 in difted wind NW an cold cleard up at noon. Jas went to Harwood, i sent a club for the Globe. My back tuck another cetchen. 17. Clear wind mosly W an vary cold snow not melting. my back is so bad, caut the flue burnt out at 6 pm. 18. Sundy cleair wind SW very cul but plesant later snow melting. snow nerly gon off on plowed land. my back so bad i hardly can go. Ompy cam to get his hare cut. 19. Som clouds wind SE snow melting plesant and still. i am a litl beter no so as to be out yet. 20. Camenst raning at 3 a sprinkle. 21. Snowing gound nerly white wind NW an cold vary cloudy all day, though not froz much. Will Brown here for milk. 22. Clelar wind NW ground thawing geting mudy, sonw gon only the drifts, vary nise an plesant. Jas gone to Harwood, i am a litle beter went to the barn 1st time in several days. 23. Cloudy thaughing some til 3 then camenst snowing mixt with rane then all snow wind N an high. the 7 month schol out to day. 24. Cleain wind N and cold the grond coverd with snow not melting. 25. Sunday cloudy an cold wind E, boke off a bout noon wind SE an warmer. Albert drove the bute up turned him in the corn. Mod Edman’s funerl, Lily gon with Chitwood to the funerl. 26. Som clouds wind NE an damp, ground geting mudy. Anay Chitwood here, Mrs. Chitwood Biney and Bob stopin groing from Cobb. Albert went to Cobbs from riting school without learn 27. Wind bleu hard in the night camenst snowing about 5 in the morning snowed til 9 was about 4 inches, then rane, som hale of an on the balanse of the day. 28. Snowing an difting wind blue hard all night from the N an NW som snow drift high as the fence. Sun came out a part of the time the wind was cold all day. Park Chitwood stop in he was looking for there pigs. March 1900 1. Mostly cleair a big frost wind SE then SW vary still snot drifts vary deep some plases 4 feet, clouds all gone by 10. snow melting. Jas went to Harwood for flour an cole oil. 2. Clear an still wind NW but plesant snow melting some clouds later in the day. Jas went to Walker to get stove pipe for Marten, he moved to day. 3. Mostly cloudy wind SE snow not melting much. 4. Sunday cloudy snow melting fast draws runing, som water coming in the ponds. i went to see John Sharpe it was awful mudy. 5. Ranig snow going fast all gon but the big drifts mudy, draws runing ful for the first time in months. 6. Raned an flod til 1 oclock the wind went to NW an cleared off. cold ground frose some drift of snow. Albert started to the riting school. i went to se Sharp, he was beter. Mrs. Chitwood here. 7. Some clouds only ground frozen cleared up in the nise still. i went an looked at a pig Mrs. Chitwood wanted to sel, did not by it. Mrs. Brown pade the $50. 8. Clear an plesant wind SE but still. i went to Eleths the 1st time i had sede them. Jonathan came. 9. Cloudy a mist sun came out at 11. Park Chitwood working sawing wood. i fexed the fence at the toe?? 10. Cleain a good big frost wind SW a litle high. finished soing gras sede. Park worked to day. pleasant. 11. Clear an warm as a sumer day still an nise. i an Albert went to se Sharp he was beter. 12. Monday, clear an nise warm still. Jas an Vernon Potter haling hay to the barn. Bills Johnsen dide, we planted som potatos ground worked nise. Orcha moved to Martens house. 13. Cleair wind NE plesant. i an Albert went to Walker got Albert a pare of shoes $1.35, taken 22 dozen eggs got 1/2 bushel of potatos. 14. Som clouds wind NE a litle cul. Made some garden, Bill and Jas finish haling hay, taken a lode to Bills. 15. Cold wind NW an cold. I burnt east draw, hurt my eye. 16. Clear wind cold NW. i an Jas went to Walker got flax sede 7 bushesl pade $9.50, got 1/2 bushel clover sede $2.50 an 3 bushel of timothy sed $4.50, 2 sacks 30 c flour 100 lbs $1.90, one bushel of potatoes 70 at Duns. 17. Cleain wind SE an cule an damp. i went with Plumer to Walker. 18. Sunday cleair an plesant wind SW. John Chitwood, Bob Mitchel had a croop, i Lily an Albert went to Jonathans. 19. Som clouds fue drops rane soom then clear wind NW.. we planted a roe of peas got 1 bushes of potato of Dalton., 20. Clear wind NW cule ground frozen. Cunham cam to se about flax, Jim Davis got one lode of corn 29 2/3 bushils $8.94. Jas finished braken the flat ground. 21. Some clouds but still an nise. ground frozen a bit frost. we planted som potatos. i gave Bill $5.00 22. Som clouds wind SW. i sode some clover seds. Archa boy worked, Cunham and Fryback to toe. 23. Som fue clouds plesant an stil. i an Lily went to Walker taken 22 doz eggs got 8 1/12 c. raned a shower. 24. Som clouds plesant we moved the cafes, corn finish, soing clover sede. raned a good shower. 25. Sunday, dark fogy an cloudy raned a sprinkle soon then cleared up wind N a litle cul but plesant. Jonathan came. Bills folks and Chancy came in the evening. 26. Cleair some front. Chance went home, Jasper harring for flax. 27. Mostly clear wind SW a litle high. Jas sowing flax sede. Harave an Cha hoing, Ben Pacoen came here last night went on home this morning. we planting potatos an planted 2 rows. 28. Som clouds wind went to the NW turned cule. Jas sode Timothy sede, Harvey Archey howed til noon. i pade him $1.10. i an Albert went to Walker got 1/4 bushel flax sede 17 lbs Timothy 2 lbs clover, i sent Abbie $5.00 29. Cleain a rite smart frost wind NW. Jas got sore throat. i an Albert hoing for corn east of barn, Sarah gon to Cobbs. i set a hen under the starway on 16 eggs. 30. i went to Walker got a peas made for pump, got a sack flour and 5 c sope. 31. Som frost nise and still. i worked all day on the pump before it go. i Mrs. Brown $1 dollar April 1900 1. Sunday wind SW an high cleair a litle cule. i have sore throat an headack regular lagrif, not abel to set up much. Jonathan an Becky brout Martha to go to Nevada. i was not abel to go. 2. Mostly cleair an nise. i no beter. Martha went back home. Jas went an got Bills planter then planted som garden beans. 3. looks smoky very still an nise. Frank Means got 2 bushel sede corn. i am a litle beter. Jas camenst planting corn east of barn, a fue drops of rane at nite. i sent Becky $1 in a leter. 4. Some clouds wind SE an cul. Jas plaanting corn, Albert ploughed in garden, i am som beter. 5. Som clouds wind SE warm. Jas got dun planting corn east of barn. i fixed fence. Martha came, Lilia planting onion seds, ground vary dry. 6. Mostly cleair warm an nise. i went with Martha to Nevada to see Dr. Amerman about her arm, he puncerd it. i got Jonathan 50 sweatpotatos, myself 35 cts worth. we got back at 7. 7. som clouds warm an nise. i went with Albert finish soing some gras. i have lagrif not abel to set up all day. Mrs. Brown got 12 doz eggs to set. 8. Raning a slow rane still broke away, raned another shor in afternoon. cout 1/2 birel water. 9. Clear warm an nise. i am feling wors. Albert haled manere, we planted 2 rose potatos, made a hot bed wind SE an high cloud shoud up NW thundered. 10. raning raned nerly allnight some hale wind went N then blue hard. i send by male $5 to Suse, i am no beter, raned nerly all day slow with fine hale. 11. a litle snow wind N an E an cold. Sun cam out about noon some clouds yet. 12. cloud clere up then clouds agane wind NW an cule a litle frost. Jas ploud the rode down to the corner. 13. Cleair a good big frost wind SW moderated. Jas finish braken west, went to Haring. i an Albert went to Walker got a teketal an coffee pot, got a leter from Mr. Porter, Chances child Cora had brook it leg. i got a sack of flour of Dunn. 14. Som cloud wind SE damp. Jas haring bed for sweet potatoes. i was sick all night feel bad yet. 15. Cloudy wind SE pleasant only a litle cule later. i am not well have a head ach. Lily an Albert gon to Bills. raned a shower raned a litle at night. 16. Some clouds all day raned a sprinkle wind SE warm. i fixed some fence, Albert haled chaf out of driv way Jas planted corn for Bill, camenst in west pece. 17. Cloudy an a litle wind SW a litle high had a big rane som hale last night. We rote to Mrs. Porter, Beck an Abbie. 18. Mostly cleair cleared up some. Gras sede about sode then wind NW. 19. Som clouds still an nise. i went to Walker maled a leter to Abbie, got a sack flour, Dunn pade me the balance of the Ed Mitchel get 5 sacks of flour coming yet. Mrs. Cobbs an Louis here, Oney an Biney an Bob here. 20. Cloudy an warm an still. i made a stall in the calf shead. Jas planting corn, got dun at 5 pm an taken the planter home. i an Albert went to Bills, Mary an Lily in bed, raned a fue drops. 21. Cloudy wind SW Jas went to ST Clair, sawed the calf horns off. Camenst raning a slow rane at 10. Bill came we got John and Park and trimed the bull. 22. Showry all fore noon but still. i went to Walker for Abbie. She came 23. Raned slow all night raned harde this morning at 7, broke away about noon. i went to Scotts came by Jonathans, Alis came home with me. 24. Mostly clear an warm. i an Albert went to Walker, i got a well chane cost $1.20. 25. some clouds a sprinkle wind SE warm. Jasper finished haling corn to Finley 245 bushels. 26. Som clouds wind SE and SW warm. Jasper gon to plow for Bill. Old man More came, i an Albert worked at the water milion patch. i plated water milions 1 row at pond. 27. Some clouds still an warm. Abbie an Sarah went to Jonathans, sen Albert sot some ??? 28. Som clouds a drop or so of rane still an warm. i an Albert went to Johnathan for Sarah an Abbie. i stuck the peas the planted 9 rose of potato. 29. Sunday, mostly cleair still an warm. Abbie an Lilly went to Church. Mary is sick, Sarah went with Bill home, Bill taken Anay Chitwood home. 30. Som clouds wind NE cule. i went to Bills for Sarah. Bills folks beter. we worked in the garden planted 2 rose of corn, 2 of potatos, set out 2 rose of cabegs, 1 of maa...... i went to Walker taken eggs an buter taken a due bill $1.51. i drew out of the Walker Bank $40. May 1900 1. Mostly cleair an still an warm. we worked in garden. i went to Walker drew out $40, i loned Mr. Cobb $40. 2. Som clouds wind SW norm. i an Albert worked in the garden then at pach at the ??? 3. Cule wind NE. I taken Abbie to Mr. Grays. 4. Mostly cleair, wind SW an high.. i an John Sharp went to Nevada got some serets. i got a well wheel. 5. Som clouds warm. i got a handel for the pump. i then went to Harwood came back by Scotts feched the mare to Jack. 6. Sunday cloudy wind high SW a lite shour of rane about 6. i went to Jonathans. Mrs. Cone Swargan, Albert an Lilia went to Chitwoods. 7. Som clouds a fue drop of rane. i worked at the orched fence so i could turn the calf in. Wind SW an high. The wether dry and winda up til now. 16. Ranig wind NE.. i sold Finly a calf wade 55 $20.47. i an Abbia went to Chances, raned, we got there about 7. Cloudy an rany til Sadury night, went to Buds hills the 18th. 18. cloud a mist an cul came to hads the 19th. 20. Cleard up. i an Abbie came home. November 1900 16. The boys got back from OK (Oklahoma). 22. Chancey and Suse came over for Afls. 23. Suse an Chance went to Bills. 26. Suse and Chancey went home. The 5 of November 1900 Lilly came home. 21. I got Ira Short to go to Elrado (Eldorado) for flour and brand got 1000 flour, 500 strat at 75 a sack and 500 patent at 85 c the hole cam to $18.55c. Gave Ira Short $1.00 to go to Eldorado to go on his det. 23. Dark misty day cule. 24. Dark misty cule day. 25. Frank an Gerage Gray came state til Monday. 26. A big frost ground froze. 27. Cloudy, Richerdson fetched 51 lb of beef came to $3.60c pade. i went to Walker sent a draft for $6.60 to the Continentel Co at Cachaga drue out of the Walker Bank $20. 28. Clear an plesant 29. Mrs. Chitwood, Aney Bineyag, Bob here. Mrs. Sharp besed at Harwood. i went the rods was aful mudy. Other m--ical camenst shucken corn at noon for Jasper 31 Cleair som frost Jas got dun east of barn, camenst in the west pece shuck corn. December 1900 1. A big frost i turned in the East pece of ..... i went to Harwood with John Sharp 2. Sunday Frank here, went to Mr. Grays on his way home. Mrs. Cobb an Louis Mabis Swargan, Bill’s folks, Jonathan and Becky here. 3. Jasper an Ather gethered corn. vary damp raned a mist an snde a litle. 4. Clerd up plesent. i went up to Finlys to se a bout my seling ster. sold mi steer to Finley for $58.00. 5. Taken the steer to Finley then went to St. Cleair, taken Stele Stella) home. 6. Cule an cloudy camenst raning at 2. i left Chacey’s at 11 eat diner at Nickels, starte home at 2 pm, got home at nine, it raned til 5, rods very bad in plases. 8. i went to Frybacks to se about hogs. 9. Sunday cleain an cold an still wind N. 10. Cold but nise. i went to Milers to sea bout some hogs. Lily went to Walker Jasper got dun shucken corn. 11. Cleair an nise wind a litle high SW. Ather Merical went home. Sarah wnet to Jonathans, i turned in the west stalks. 12. Vary fogy an a mist cleard up in the day. Sarah cam home from Jonathans. i ploud the garden. 13. Fogy an a mist of rane dak. 15. Dark and a mist of rane. i fixed som fence then went to Harwood. 16. Vary an cloudy a litle mist look like snow wind Soth vary chily. 17. i went to Fribacks to se a bout hogs. Becky and Bills Thompson came. 18. i Jas an Bill Thompson went to Fribacks for hogs, got 3, wade 871 lbs. Bill Thompson an Clay Broon helped to bucher the hogs will com to $39.15. 19. i went to Walker drue out of the Walker Bank $50.00. Got a sosage ginder cost $1.50 pade Fribak $39.20. 20. i an Albert went to Nevada got a sute $6.50 boots $1.25 goves 25 21. Mostle clear wind high SW. 22. Plesant in fore noon rane in after noon. i an Albert went to Grays in afternoon, turned cold, Gray sick a litle beter. Mrs. Gray a litle beter. 23. Cule cloudy wind NW and cold. i an Albert came back from Grays, came by Bills, Fonzo sore throt. 24. i went with John Sharp to Mr. Mores. 25. i an Sarah went to Sharps to a diner, then to Bills, Sarah stade at Bills. Cloudy in for noon clods brken in aft noon, wind still but SW. 26. Lily went for Sarah to Bills. i rote to Mariann Lewis. i sold redys calf to Steward for $15.00 27. raned of an all day a cold rane. me muved the heafers, wind SW then NW. 28. cleard up but cold wind NW. 29. Som clouds clear at nigh, i an Albert sod wood. 30. Sunday clouded up in the morning wind SW. 31. a sprinkl of snow vary cold cleard up an got warmer wind NW. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives Loretta May (© 1997 Loretta May) USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. 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