1908-1915 Diary of an Eldest Daughter of Kossuth County, Iowa Pioneers Working as a Seamstress Before Becoming a Wife and Mother

On offer is the diary of a rural Iowa seamstress turned wife and mother, covering the year she was 21 and the year she was 26, allowing a peek at her life as the eldest daughter of a pioneering farming family, and then her equally challenging life as a doting wife and mother. 

This diary was kept by Nola Grace (Thackrey) Mayne (1888-1926). Nola was the oldest of six children born to William Salathiel Thackrey (1864-1924) and Margaret (Hockett) Thackeray (1869-1965). The Thackreys were pioneering farmers of Swea City, Iowa. When Margaret and William settled on a farm in Grant Township, north of Swea City in 1892, Margaret was one of only three women in the entire township. The Thackreys moved slightly west to the Armstrong, Iowa area in 1913. 

Nola married Howard Dwight Mayne on Feb 18, 1913 in Martin, Minnesota. They had three children together at their home near Ledyard, Kossuth County: Laurence Dale Mayne (1913-1977), Evelyn Fay Mayne (later Rose) (1919-2014) and Deloris Fern Mayne (later Anderson) (1926-1997). Tragically Nola died of childbirth complications at age 37, one month after Deloris’ birth. Deloris and Evelyn would be raised not by Howard, but by Nola’s sister, Inez Ellen (Thackrey) Kelly (1891-1981), and her husband Frank Thomas Kelly (1888-1955). Howard would remarry twice. His son Wallace (1932-2008) was born during his second marriage. 

Nola keeps her diary from July-December, 1908, February-June, 1909 and then from November, 1914-November, 1915. 

In 1908-1909, Nola is 20-21 years old. She is living at home with her parents and siblings, working unbelievably hard both on her tasks in the household and as a seamstress hired by endless Kossuth community members. She keeps careful track of her siblings, her peers, and her neighbours activities. Some excerpts:

“Made two waists Archer and Howard Two dresses for Deva and a mother hubbard for Sarah all but putting in sleeves and braid…” [July 28, 1908].

“Mama phoned to me this eve that Grandpa Thackrey was awful sick she got a card from Jessie. I talked with Inez this evening” [Aug 17, 1908]. 

“Mr. and Mrs. and the children went away this morning. Clinton took them to the train. I churned. Moped the floor and got dinner…Cora came up in after-noon to stay with me. All four went down the bus tonight us girls all sped down home” [Aug 20, 1908].

“Morning work. Mixed the bread stiff. I churned. Meda and Clinton cleaned…ducks. Meda and I was dressing the ducks when she got a telegram that her father was dead. We baked the bread got us a bit to eat. She and the children went down to Bells. Howard came and we went down home, Papa was fishing had 14 fish. Inez walked over home we fooled around and came back…got home at eleven” [Oct 11, 1908].

“...I went home with Mrs. Powell on Fri eve, helped her paper the front room…Annie brought me home Sun morn. Art and Bell came in evening, stayed for supper. Papa broke out with small pox” [Oct 21, 1908].

“...Got it over to the school house to the basket supper. Howard, Roscoe and Ruth got it but us girls didn’t take it. Been sewing this week and helping with scrubbed the upstairs…” [Oct 22, 1908].

“The big day. The day we was guaranteed for small pox…Haent’ written in this book for a long time. Have all had the small pox. But had it light, Has been the same old thing the past four weeks. Had a Xmas dinner at home. We all got a Xmas present…Charles Kelly came home Xmas…Nothing doing now days on account of small pox” [Smallpox announcement written Nov 30, 1908 and then further writing undated, but likely January, 1909].

“I came down to Woolstock to work for Mrs. Wallen” [Jan 19, 1909].

“Went home Feb 16th for Joe and Leona’s wedding the 18th on Wednesday night at eight oclock. 68 people there” [Feb, 1909].

“I sailed for the sunny south. Joe Leona and Mr Mayne come as far as Algona, Howard came to Bancroft. I got back to Woolstock all OK. Mr. Wallen meet me at the corner store” [Feb 22, 1909].

Nola returns to her diary following her transition to independence. We meet her again when her firstborn, Laurence, is about to turn one. She records many of his milestones and paints a tremendously clear picture of the challenges of raising a baby in the early 20th century. She writes of a terrible couple weeks of illness. First Howard gets sick and the doctor thinks it is appendicitis, then baby Laurence gets sick and Nola keeps close track of his condition, calls to the doctors, treatments, support received from friends and family, and more. While Laurence likely had a simple virus, the complexity of assessing and caring for an ill infant without the benefits of today’s technology is truly remarkable. Nola’s pages of record keeping really give credence to the term “It takes a village” to raise a child. Some excerpts:

“Washed in forenoon Joes came in after noon. I helped Lenona with her dress. Laurence is 1 year old today. He can walk a few steps alone Took his first steps alone last Tues He weighs 26 pounds” [Nov 2, 1914].

“Baby had fever and Tues didn’t get any better Wed was better until noon then begins to get worse at 6-30 his fever was 104 2/10 we phoned for [Doctor] Devine but couldn’t get him so Howard went over to Bert Kellys and phoned for Mattison he got in about two hours….Roy come over and Emma and I set up with him all night…” [Jan 28, 1915].

“...Howard and I get up at 3-30 his mother is lots worse can hardly hear her breathe and breath is short and missed a breathe now and then. Keeps getting worse and passes away at 430. Howard calls his Father and Roscoe but she is gone when they get down stairs…I phone to Joes just after we call the rest. We stay till about 7 oclock. Emma comes just before we leave, faints away when she looks at her Mother we go back after breakfast I fix Joes coller [sic] on his shirt. Aunt Esther and I got to Ledyard. Howard and his father go to Bancroft with the undertaker Roscoe and Joe take the nurse to the train. I start to fix Howard’s Mother’s dress but don’t get it quite finished…Mr. And Mrs John Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Curtis sit up tonight…” [Sept 10, 1915, though it seems Nola wrote this as a summary of events of the day after the fact].

“My twenty seventh Birthday, Howard goes to Ledy and sent order to Sears, sends for dishes for my birthday. I make Baby dresses and have sick headache” [Oct 18, 1915].

This diary is interesting for many reasons. It is an in-depth exploration of rural Iowa, specifically Kossuth county, as well as a treasure trove of information about the Mayne and Thackrey farming families, both with deep roots in the region. They provide a detailed look at the role of a young woman raised in a farming family who then begins raising her own farming family. This diary would be of interest to specialists in women’s studies, Iowa, pioneering farmers, and early 20th century Americana. 

This diary measures approximately 7.5x11.5 inches.  The cloth-covered notebook contains 50 pages, filled on both sides, for a total of 100 pages completely packed with diary entries.. There are some marks on the covers and some rips on the label.  The spine is in-tact though coming loose in places. Overall Good. [NOTE: Nola does not record her name in the diary. Extensive research and context clues confirm authorship].