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 1903 January 1. Wednseday, Som scimens of coulds som frost warm an nise wind SE. Harva went home, Lilly taken Martha home, Allis came with Lillie hom. i am a plowing west of the house. Lillia, Allis, an Jesey Means went to a surprise to Mrs. Chitwoods. cam back that nite. 2. Cleair an nise in the morning wind Sw but still some cloud later an the wind went N and NE got cul. i ploud west of hous, Lillie to Hardkecs for the calvs, i went round fence at noon. Lillie taken Alies home. 3. Cloudy wind NE and cold but Mr. Cobb is plowing. 4. Som frost an cold but plean later. i Albert and Lillie and Bill went to Hardwood to a diner an instalation. Fonzo an Lilie had speches rode good. 5. Sunday, Cloudy an dark wind SW and cold ice 1 1/2 inchs thick. Bob Chitwood and Louis here. 6. Cleair an nise frosty wind SW but still. Jas an Bill helped killed a beef neeted 360 lbs, hide wade 51 lbs. Herelson got it pad 5 1/2 c. got shugar. Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Chitwood here. 7. Cleain an nise still. i taken Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Chitwood a mes of beef an Jonathan a peas taken beef hide to Herelson. i fetched Mr. Grifen home. i ploud a litle in the afternoon. 8. Cleain an nise wind SW a litle high. i am plowing a litle, ice. Hank Ross came wanted the to rick. Lillie and Mrs. Brown went to Jonathans. 9. Cleair a litle frost wind Sw plesant. i haled a birel of water, Hank Ross came pade me $20.00 for the to rick. i am plowing west of house. 10. fue clouds vary litle freze wind N but plesant. Lillie gon to Walker, i am plowing west of house grond a litle hevey but plows nise. 11. Som clouds but gave way as the sun rose, groud frozen a litle but thoud. Albert plowed 1 and 1/2 acres. Wind N a litle cul all day. 12. Sunday cleair wind N an a litle cold. Binie an Bob here, Jas came went to Jonathans. Jonathan an May sick. Pine sold out on the 11th. 13. Cleair an frosty wind SW but plesant. i went to Gorge Falvens timber for wood. Jonathan a litle beter, Mary no beter. 14. Cleair an fristy wind SW blue all nite blowing some to day plesant after noon. i went to Chitwoods. 15. Cleair an frosty wind SW then NE ground thoud rods good. i to Galvens for wood got 58 cts more wood pade. 16. Cleair frsty wind SW plesant. i went to Pines. Jas finished haling corn from pines. i plowed afternoon, ground too hard in fore noon. 17. Mostly cleair som fue clouds early wind SW a litle high som frost ground frozen to hard to plow til 10. i plowed from 10 til after 5 plowed 1 1/2 ac. my ankel an sholder hurts so i see no peas. 18. was cloudy part of the night cleaird up wind N a litle cold ground frozen a litle. Albert went to plowing at 10. 19. Sunday cloudy all day but a big frost wind SW an plesant. Mrs. Cobb and Louis, Mrs. Chitwood an Aney here. Elcy came after noon, looks rane rodes good. 20. Cloudy all night camenst haling a bot half past 8 then ran an snow then snow. Wind SE the grund was coverd by noon. Albert went to school with thout his book. wind went NW got colder snode at night. 21. Cloudy wind NW sun came out at 1 snow melted som where wind did not st.... 22. Som cloud erly give way later sun shine nise snow melting nerly gon wind S. i went to Jonathans to know thay are geting. Jonathan granty??? Mary no beter. sun shines nise snow nely gon. 23. Cloud but pleant wind NE rods ruf got a litle mudy. i went to Harwood taken buter got 14 c got 16 yeard of towels. i went on to Schell City to se a bout taxes. camenst snowing a bout 3 snow got a bout 4 inch deep. 24. Cleair cul an still. i taken Albert to school went on to Sharps. sun shines nise and warm snow melting. i went to Mrs. Browns greshum sick, Mr. Pine here. 25. Cloudy wind NE a litle cold camenst snowing a bout 8 snde hard a bout 6 inche then a misti not vary cold but nise. Greeabel Bill came went to Jonathans, Mary no beter, Jonathan a litle beter. 27. Sunday a litle flling snow wind NW an vary cold. Sun not shining but sene a bout 1. Snow a bout 6 inches crusted. the coldst night cleair an still wind NE some clouds later in day. snow melted vary litle when the wind did not strack. 28. Cloudy wind SE chiley cold. i went to Nevada to see a bout my taxes a bout being sesed twist, left the mare an bugy at Duns, went an came on the Eldorado trane. 29. Cloudy an cul some flureys of snow wind NE snow did not melt eney. 30. Cleair earley a big frost cloud came up frost blue off of the trees like a snow. Bill went to Schell to se a bout tax but taken my recet had it fixed up. i sold bunce 3 calves and 4 shocks of caffer foder, calf at $46.50 cafer at $2. 31. Cleair still an nise sun shined warm an nise. Bill an Jasper haled up hay to the barn 2 gages, Liley went to se how Mary was. February 1. Cloudy wind NE but still cul an plesant. i an Albert sawed wood camenst at 3. a lite dry snow drifting. Jas stade here last night went to Jonathans this morning. 2. Sunday, cleair wind W an cold still som thin clouds came up long in the day. snow is from 2 to 6 inch deep drifts deeper. 3. Cleair still nise but cold thod a litle soth side. i went to Mrs. Browns, Chitwoods moved to Walker. 4. Cleair wind NW still an cold. i taken Albert to school went to Sharps an on to Walker. Got my watch cost $4.15. made out my papers be fore miney. 5. Cleair at 5 got cloudy a litle fine found snow so fine all most like a rane not thawing eney cold all day. Sun came out but closed up a gane. 6. Cloudy an vary dark like snwing sun came out a bout 10 still an plesant thoud som. som clouds came up later from the NE. i went to McCormacks for a lode of wood. 7. Cleair an cold stil thoud rite smart. i an Bill an Jas went Galvins timber for wood. i taken Galven a fue apples in plasemt got slopy. 8. Snode a litle fine lite snow brok away at 10 wind NW cul. Bills here, Bill taken 48 hens to Sharp got 7 c wade 154 lbs, got a due bill ofend old Marths Bile. 9. Sunday, som clouds wind NW an cule not melting eney. Elcy an Jimey came Lilie went with them to Cobbs. Albert gon to Jonathans se how Mary is. camenst snowing at 11. Jas started to St. Cleair at one a clock. 10. cold but plesant. Bills came Bill an Lilie taken chickens to Harwood had got 7c. Mary Dalton no beter, Harva came, thod a litle. 11. Cleair wind Sw a real nise day thawing. Fox here for diner. Harvay came from Jacks. Harva went to mounst for cafer corn. Lillie went as far as Jonathans to se Mary. Bill came Fonzo’s throt swelen. 12. Som clouds wind NE clouds gave way thawing after noon. Harvay an Lilllie went to Jonathans. i went to Andersons the first time then a round the fence ploud grond be gening be necked George an Bunce hunting feed. Harva gon to Bills. 13. Cloudy an cule wind NE. Gorge came want to bye som feed we did not trade. Camenst snowing at 7 pm. 14. Snode all night drifted bade wind NE. see the sun at 1 o’clock. 15. LPartly cloudy cold snow melts plesant later in the day vary still snow melting in after noon. i an Albert sawed som wood. 16. Cleair an still cul but plesant. Bill came, Lewis here. i an Bill went to se how Mary was no beter. The snow melted rite smart. i got a leter from Finley Cope he was in Indiania, Rilnods his postofice. 17. Some cloud soon an cold clouds gave way got plesant wind NE but still. snow melting rods geting slopy. i went to McCormacks for the 2nd lod of wood. Jas came back from Chances, sed Suse cut her foot. 18. Cloudy an cule wind NE then SE. Jas went on to Bills, Lillie to Jonathans. i have rhematism, the wind is vary ...... 19. Camenst snowing at 8snde hard til noon then homeny snow drifted badley wind NE nerly E, not overly cold. Parke Chitwood fetched Abbie out an stade all night snow drift big. 20. Cloudy a litle snow an homay sleat. Park went home. snow drifts hi as the gate. i an Park had to shuvel it out before he could get his horse out. 21. Cleair still an nise wind all a round snow melted fast the last day of school. A diner at teh school house. Abbie an Lillie went drove old das as far as Cunhams then went with Cobbs. Closon and Hardacer got stuck in the snow. i went to see how Mary was, Bill, Abbie and Sarah went to se Mary in the evening. Sarah an Abbie stad all night. 22. Cleair in fore noon still an nise snow melting fast cloudy after part. i an Albert went to McCormacks for a lode of wood. rods ful of water and some mud. Mary wors, Bill fetch Sarah from Jonathans. Abbie at Jonathans. Bunce pade me for calfs an 4 shocks of cafer foder an $5.00 on Geona he pade $53.50, George ows yet $15.00 23. Cloudy still an plesant wind N. snow melting clouds partley give way by noon. Jas came taken the bugie and went to Jonathans. 24. Cleair a plesant wind N but still, snow melting fast. Walter taken Becky an Abbie to Jonathans. i taken a cetch in my back at 5 o’clock. Bill an Jas put some hay in barn, taken some home. i sent for the Globe and som garde4n seeds to Rocford Ills. 25. Partly cleair still an plesant snow about all gon but drifts. my back still hurt so i can’t get out. Walter fetch beca... an mere from Jonathans. Mr. Pine here, Bills folks came, Bill taken Mary over to Jonathans. Mary wors, Abbie up thare. Bill went to Jonathans stade all night. 26. Some fue clouds wind SW warm snow nerely all gon. Wind vary chiley and damp later. Mary Dalton dide at 1 o’clock. Bills folks went home, Abbie came back here. Becky stad at Jonathans camenst raning in the night. 27. Raning lots of water an mud some scater snow drifts wind NE. my back hurts yet. Walter here, Becky at Jonathans, Abbie an Lillie wne to Jonathans, Jas went to se a bout digin the grave. i sold a steer and old Marth to Mr. Finley for $53.50. 28. Snowing the grond nerly cuvered cul but melting an frozing the same time rodes vary mudy snow all melted be fore night qit snowing a long in the day. Abbie here, Becky an Walter went to Bills, Walter lefte his halter, had to come back for it. Mr. Cobb an Jack here. My back a litle beter thoe not abel to do eney thing but water the horse. I gave Walter 50 cents, got Beck a pare over shuse 85c at Sharps. March 1903 1. Cloudy an blustry a litle snow soon went off ground cursted but thud out wind NW an cul. i am a litle beter, Abbie here, rods vary mudy, sun shined a litle in plases but shet up spt snow off an on. 2. Sunday cleair an cul wind NW thoud some gound got mudy but dride fast. Jas an Jonathan came, Abbie here, my back beter. 3. Cleair still an nise warm in the day. Albert haled som manuer, i fixed up a stall in teh barn. Mrs. Brown came stade all day. Jonathan came for the cetle, Abbie went home with him. 4. Cloudy wind NE an cul up til 1 o’clock the sun shined out the wind was cul. 5. Cleair grond frosen a big frost wind NW but plesanta. i put a head in water birel, fixed the pump, hung the meet. Lilie fetch Abbie from Jonathans. 6. Cloudy wind South W a litle chiley but litle ice. i an Albert haled a birel of water, Jas cleaning up som, Timothy seeds, Lilie an Abbie gon to Walker. 7. Cloudy a drop or to of rane. we set out turnips planted som peas and 3 rose of crapy pottatos. Frank came, Park fetch him. Frank and Abbie went to Bills, i an Albert went to McCormacks for wood, Lillie went to the Ros school to a diner the last day. Bunce pade $15.00 that George owed on the hay. 8. Cleair still an nise. i an Albert went to Walker i got 2 bushels and 1/4 of potatos and $1.10 for Anderson. i deposi 3 checks one $36, one $27.50 one $26. 9. Sunday, cloudy still an warm wind Sw. Frank an Abbie an Jas here, grond to weet to plow rods dry. 10. Cloudy looks like rane, warm wind SE a litle high. Frank gon to Walker, i an Albert planted 1 1/4 potatos, set out turnips. Sarah sode letis. Mr. Pine came stade all night. 11. Raning wind SE everything ull of water. Mr. Pine here raned all day, Jack fetched Abbiel. 12. Raning wind blue all most a herican. Mr. Pine here. rane a big rane draws very full, raned til a bout 12 then broke away. Mr. Pine here, Frank here. 13. Cleair an plesant everything start... Mr. Pine left for Harwood. Sarah, Abbie, Albert an Frank went to Cobbs. Bills folks at Cobbs, i went in the evening. 14. Cloud a fue dops of rane sun broke a way mostly clear wind SE a litle high, warm. Frank an Abbie went to Jacks. Mr. Swargan here. i an Albert fenced shocks. 15. Thunder at 5 rand a hard showr some hale, brok a way by 10 wind SW an NW a litle cul. i an Albert went Sam McCormacks for a lode of wood. 16. Sunday Cleair wind NW an cold. Jas here. 17. Cleair wind NW an cold grond frozen hard 1 inch thick. Hava came for seed corn got singel bed ful. 18. Cleair wind SE vary chiley grond frozen but thowin. Harva gone home. i an Albert went to Harwood got a pare of pants, a pair of shous, an 2 pares of shuse and 2 pair of stockings for Albert. a picter man stoped in. 19. Cloudy wind S a litle chiley. i an Albert haled 2 lods of wood from McCormacks, Jonathan went for col, stoped for diner, got som turnips. Lillie went to Walker with eggs 11cts. 20. Raning at 6 a slow cold rane wind SE. George Horning got 1/2 bushel of appels 25c. 21. Raning, Frank and Abbie came from Clene. Vary misty an muda. Frank an Abbie came to Harwood last nite, came here this morning. 22. Cloudy but braken a way at 7 wind NE. Frank an Abbie here. 23. Sunday cloudy still an plesant. Mrs. Cobbs and Louis here. Frank an Abbie cam from Jonathans. i went for them. Emey cam with Abbie. 24. Raned a shour at 5 cloudy. Frank gon to Welses on the river. Marvin came up Eme here, still an warm. 25. Partly cloudy still an warm. i an Albert went to Nevada got swete potatos 50c irish potatos $1.50, saks whisky 1/2 galen from Mrs. Baneg for Jonathan. 26. Raned a big rane at 1 cleair warm wind SW. Allis here Bills folks here, lilie taken Alis home, Marth came. 27. Cleair warm an still. i taken Martha home, Jonathan, Pinery, Frank went to Fair Haven, Abbie went to Bills. 28. Cloudy warm wind NW plent. Bill taken Frank an Abbie to the trane, Greer camenst work at 55 day. i beded swete potatos, Bunce pade for the foder, Lillie gon for Mabel. 29. Cloudy wind N raned a sprinkle. i an Albert went an hauled out som old hay, stuf off of the meder. i stoped at hom..... Charley Geer qit work tha went sest. Camenst to rane a sprinkle a bout 11 camest snoing a bout 2 snowed til 6 the grond cuverd. 30. Sunday cleair wind W an cul snow going fast nerely all gon by 10 snow all gon looks vary stormy. 31. Clear grond froze cule all day wind NW rodes dring fast. April 1. Mostly cleair cul int he morning. i went to Eldorado to mill. Albert haled maneuer in garden. 2. Cloudy but plesant wind SE. i an Albert went to McCormack for the last lode of wood. som mud in plases. Sarah went to Jonathans he is sick. i hierd May to work a month at $15 dolers. i an Albert ploud 4 rounds ground wet, ploud for flax. 3. Thundered and raned in the night. Raining this morning, raned til noon. Wind went NE turned cold. Jonathan sold his horse.(could have been house but think it is horse) Albert went to Jonathans for Sarah. 4. Cloudy cleard up in the evening still an warm. i an Albert went to Rodericks an thn to Cobbs to se Richerd. We cut heds off of a shock caffer corn. Anderson got a shock of Cafer corn foder. 5. Cloudy warm an still. i an Albert ploud a round the dow, ground vary wet, wind got high. i an Albert went to Harwood. 6. Mostly cloudy sun shone som warm wind N. Jas came from Jack here, Lillie went to Bills last eving to go to church today. 7. Som clouds broke a way later in day. May camenst work, i went to Harwood to the shop cul Albert hared for flax, May trimed in orched. Dave May camenst work by the month at $15.00 a month. Had off the 6th of May pade $15. Camenst another month 9th of May. 8. Cloudy wind SE a good big frist, May plowing ground very wet. in worked in the stalls. 10. Cleair warm an still, May plowing, got cloudy at night raned a sprinkle. 11. Mostly cleair nise and still. May plowing, Blacky found a calf. We planted som potatos and sweat corn. 12. Mostly cloudy still an warm. May plowing, we drove a fue post, hared some, planted potatos. Albert planted sede oinons. 13. Sunday, cloudy a litle cul wind E. Mr. an Mrs. Dun came stade all day. 14. A mist of rane soon qite cloudy a litle cule wind E. May plowing, i finished haring goos bererys. 15. Clered up last night but cloudy this morning a lutle cul wind SE. May plowing for flax, cloudy at night. 16. Mostly cleair soon cloudy up later in the day a litle cul but plesant. May finished plowing for flax. i an Albert planted potatoes in barn lot and put up corn planter. I went to Mrs. Browns she pade me $5 bored money 75 for the paper, raned a hard shour at 4. 17. Dark foga we dove post til 9 then hared. May sode flax sede, clered up nise. 18. Clear a litle cul but nise. May finished sowing flax seed went to harwing in. Lillie taken seder to Bills went on to Walker. i an Albert planted a roe of water milens E of barn. 19. Clear warm still an nise wind NE plesant. May finished haring in flax sede at noon., Camenst cultivaten for corn North side of East of the hous for corn, Suse, Mabel, Cora an the baby came. i burnt off the dow over in the medow, Albert plowed the garden. 20. Sunday,m wind S an high warm. Suse an children here. Jas went to look at som hay Jack hade. Elcey an Jesey here. Jack, Jonathan and Bills folks came, Mrs. Swargan fetch Martha 17 got wade i wade 138. 21. Com clouds gave way as sun came up wind SW an high. Albert taken Martha to Sangans, Sus an the children started home. i gave Sus all the corn she could hall, May plowing. 22. Cloudy wind Sw an high raned hard a bout 10 broke away. i an Albert went to Walker, got 5c wire to go round the ketle, som lim for Martha, May plowing. 23. Cleair an cul wind N but still. Albert haring with old das cultivating, May plowing. 24. Cloudy wind SW raned at 10 til 1. May went to Walker started at 2. Cobbs boys got the sheler fetched it home helping to get it in mashe my fingers, Sam cow found a calf. 25. Som clouds wind Sw aful high. Albert an May finished haring the east peas for corn, May plowing inwest pease, we camest planting corn after noon, raned haled wind blue harde at 2. Dave an Albert sawed som wood, shoury all the evening, wind blue hard til 9 blue affel hard. 26. Cleair a litle cul wind N a litle W. May planting corn, Lillie an Albert go to Harwood for Albert to practice for memoral. 27. A litle cul som cloud rane a shour a bout noon. Lillie an Albert gon to Jonathans to go to Mt. Vernen to church. Jasper here, camenst raning an haling at 10 pm, the bigist ran and hale as large as burd eggs. Daws and ponds run over. 27. Cloudy ground vary wet but warm. Sun came out. May an Albert sawed some wood then drove post and sharpened. Bill came to se a bout paster. 28. Mostly cleair an plesant we moved the hay to the barn. Dave planted corn after noon, Fonzo and Erl taken brush off the orcherd, Albert hellped after dine. Yogin came to for rode tax pade 69 cts. 30. A litle mist wind NE looks vary rany cleared up. May finished planting the east peas, i Albert an May taken the planter home. May planting for the boys this after noon. i an Albert came home, Alle an Lil got to Jonathans, came back. May 1. Som cloud a spinkl at 10 wind SW an high. Dave (May) camenst cultivate up the winter broken west of house. Albert ploud up the cofer west of pen for penuts and pop corn. Ale here. 2. Cloudy a sprinkle of rane at 9 pm. Cloud went raound north cleree up wind SE warm. Alea here but goin home. Dave cultivating in west pece, Albert haroing with dase, i sheled dead corn, Sarah complany. 3. Som clouds warm wind SW a litle high, Dave finished cultivating went to baken. i got a fisdh wade 12 pounds, pade 60c. i an Albert went to Harwood. 4. Sunday, some clouds all day a sprinkle. Bill fetched his colt to Andersons. Paster Rankens came with him. Jase here, the dichman cam down. 5. Raned til 9. i an Albert went to Walker to have my papers fixed. i got a hoe 48 a duble shover $2.50 at Bucks. Dave ploud some a big rane aat 2. 6. Raning everery thing ful of water. Dave loaf. Cloudy til late in day then clered up. i an Albert sawed som wood. 7. Cleair cul in morning warm in the day. 8. Mostly cleair an nise an still. l Dave came back this morning, plowed til 11 got done, went to haring after noon. His month up today. i set out 77 potato slips. 9. Cleair still an nise. Dave haring. 10. Cleair an nise, Dave planting corn west pece. 11. Sunday, cloudy an cul. THIS ENDS THIS YEAR AS FAR AS I CAN FIND AT THE PRESENT ALBERT COPE DIARIES JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH APRIL, PART OF MAY 1903, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or their legal representative, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------