Iowa History
An IAGenWeb Special Project
The Journals of Emma Troutman Boylan
© 2023 Linda Hoopes [Offsite link above]
315 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite 750
Decatur, GA 30030
Emma was Linda Hoopes' great-grandmother, a middle-aged mother and wife in rural Iowa who started keeping a journal. "It is a fascinating account of daily life from the late 1920s through the early 1950s. Losing everything in the Great Depression, moving to Oregon and finally to Pennsylvania, their story is a lens into history that touches on farm life, travel, food, faith, fashion, and family."
1927 - 1933 | 1934 - 1940 | 1941 - 1944
| #168 Jan 1941 | Philadelphia attractions, trip to DC, home recording, and Bobbie's 2nd birthday |
| #169 Feb 1941 | Visiting Bob and Ruth; two long weeks in the hospital |
| #170 Mar 1941 | Traveling back to Iowa, family visits, and lots more chickens |
| #171 Apr 1941 | Wallpaper, Easter, candy, Jello salad, Bob's recital and birthday |
| #172 May 1941 | Bob's graduation, planting popcorn, sewing, and war speeches |
| #173 Jun 1941 | War, lots of strawberries, loads of chickens, Tell in pain, and K's summer school |
| #174 Jul 1941 | Inspirational reading, fun with Bobbie, ocarina, and Tell in the corn |
| #175 Aug 1941 | Canning, surprise trip to Media with a stop at Katharine's, off to New Hampshire |
| #176 Aug 1941 Cont'd | Road trip and vacation in New Hampshire, big day in Boston, and back to Media |
| #177 Sep 1941 | Keeping up with Bobbie, trip to NY, and a little homesick |
| #178 Oct 1941 | Back to Iowa, John Boylan's death, selling chickens, and new teeth |
| #179 Nov 1941 | A big change! Selling everything, road trip to Media, and settling in. |
| #180 Dec 1941 | The U.S. enters the war; getting settled in Media; celebrating Christmas |
| #181 Jan 1942 | Rationing, music, a trip to Princeton, and the first blackout |
| #182 Feb 1942 | Music and life in Media, more war, and a short trip to Washington |
| #183 Mar 1942 | A busy life with two musicians and a three-year-old! And canned butter. |
| #184 Apr 1942 | Tell gets a job, Easter lamb cake, badminton, and Valley Forge |
| #185 May 1942 | Rationing, bicycles, and a great-grandchild |
| #186 Jun 1942 | World War II, farmer's market, and bicycling culottes |
| #187 Jul 1942 | Summer suits, gas rationing, lemonade, and concerts |
| #188 Aug 1942 | Bicycle, sugar rationing, co-operatives, and local excursions |
| #189 Sep 1942 | Bike riding, letters to soldiers, hats, shoes, and snake oil |
| #190 Oct 1942 | Carroms, sewing, time with Bobbie, and Gerald enlists |
| #191 Nov 1942 | Roller skates, mittens, and the Thanksgiving parade (and the war, of course) |
| #192 Dec 1942 | Christmas shopping, hats, war bonds, and Bobbie's first performance |
| #193 Jan 1943 | Rationing, Ice Follies, smallpox vaccination, and Bobbie turns four |
| #194 Feb 1943 | Vaccine aches, shoe rationing, buttonholes, and Will's death |
| #195 Special Feature | Will Boylan; The life of a poet, teacher, and beloved family and community member |
| #196 Mar 1943 | Meat from Iowa, international affairs, air raid drills, and music |
| #197 Apr 1943 | Extra meat, new shoes, summer underwear, and an exciting announcement! |
| #198 May 1943 | A second job for Emma, sewing, gardening, and Bob goes to work |
| #199 Jun 1943 | Work, work, work; black markets; new clothes |
| #200 Jul 1943 | Stockings, cabulance trip to DC, a new job, and blackberry jelly |
| #201 Aug 1943 | Nursing, crochet tablecloth, Japanese-American visitor, trip to the Jersey Shore |
| #202 Sep 1943 | Beach time in New Jersey, Tell and Bob start new jobs, Bobbie begins school |
| #203 Oct-Nov 1943 | Winding down the year and getting ready for Ruth's baby. |
| #204 Dec 1943 | David is born, more trouble for Gerald, chicken pox, and a flu epidemic |
| #205 Jan-Feb 1944 | Bobbie turns 5, glimpses of wartime, and family letters |
| #206 Mar-Apr 1944 | Bob's physical, cigarettes, movies, and "My Old Mandolin" |
| #207 May-Jun 1944 | Missionaries, community housing, D-Day, the circus, and Peggy's wedding |
| #208 Jul-Aug 1944 | Ruth plays the organ, a few summer trips, and moving into an apartment |
| #209 Sep-Oct 1944 | Big storm, walnut lamp, frosted creams, and the Morning Cheer Center |
| #210 Nov-Dec 1944 | Presidential election, lots of daily life, Dave's first birthday and baptism |
Copyright © 1996
The IAGenWeb Project
IAGenWeb Terms, Conditions & Disclaimer