Thursday, April 30, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 30, 1964
Thursday, cloudy, rain at night.  Donna Hilliker was here and she and Carol spent the day with Sandy McPherson.  Clifton and David went to Herkimer to see about a job.  Wayne worked for Alton.  I sewed on Carol's pink dress and Sue's olive one.  David got up at 1 am and went toTimberland.  No prayer meeting.

Infant Adolph Hitler

Comment: And life goes on...and on this day 19 years before, in 1945, Adolph Hitler took the coward's way out and committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin..take a look:  Adolf Hitler commits suicide -- History.com This Day in History -- 4/30/1945 @HistoryChannel

Wednesday, April 29, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 29, 1964
Wednesday, cloudy, cool, strong, east wind.  I wrote to Marilyn and Dougie.  Cut out blouse and made it and started Carol's pink dress.  Louvilla had measles.  Clifton went to Grand Gorge.

Winifred, Doris Ellis, Evelyn, Ina Belle

Comment: "The only argument available with an east wind is to put on your overcoat."  James Russell Lowell..and that was pretty much true on the Hill also.  Just ran across a picture of Hubbard Road before it was paved.  The view is looking west and the Elmer Hubbard homestead can be seen in the rear right.  It reminds me of how remote the area was back then before electricity and telephones.  This road continues east to our home and I can remember playing in the dirt road in front of our house as a very young child.  The girls may have been walking to our house.....

Tuesday, April 28, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 28, 1964
Tuesday, mostly cloudy and showering. The girls and I were at Mother's for dinner.  Clifton went to Union meeting.
Comment: Life returning to normal from the trip. Grandma Bessie was always very hospitable, whipping up delicious comfort food dinners, (noon meal) at a moments notice. She also loved to play "42" as did the whole family on my mother's side and they passed that game on to the younger generation. Here Grandma Bessie playing "42" with Gerald, LaVerne and Doug, Christmas, 1974

Monday, April 27, 1964, The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 27, 1964
Monday, beautiful, warm and sunny, 60's.  I washed in am, cleaned china closet and unpacked dishes mother gave me.  Boys went to the city and Roger came home with them.  Clifton patched roof with tar.  Mother called in am about our coming over Tues.

Comment: The "Roger" must be Roger Vaughn, Howard and Lorraine's boy. Here is a portrait of them in 1980's. Dad and Mom will be in Cobleskill on Tuesday to sign up for unemployment and then will go to Richmondville to visit Grandma Bessie.

Sunday, April 26, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 26, 1964
Sunday, beautiful, sunny day, 60's.  Girls and I went to church and Sunday school.  Grandpa, Louise, Gerald, Mary Ann and Deanna here for dinner.  LaVerne, Roberta,  Lillian, Bob, Clara and Ina and Lola Weed called in afternoon.  We had refreshments.  Grandpa and Louise left at 7 for church.

Front:  Sue, Roberta, Carol
Back:  Gerald, David, LaVerne, Wayne

Comment:  Busy Sunday, I apparently survived the wedding of the previous day but I think the issue was in doubt for awhile...here is a picture from Susan from about 1964. Missing is Marilyn in CA and Doug in the Navy....

Saturday, April 25, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 25, 1964 Saturday, mostly sunny and warm, 50.  I baked in am and finished cleaning the house.  Carol went to Oneonta with Kingsley's after clothes for Sandy wedding.  Deanna Cornell came after dinner and stayed overnight with Sue.  Roger Cohn was married and Gerald was the best man.

Comment:  I do not have any pictures of Roger's wedding but here is a picture of Roger and Maureen just before our wedding.....they were married about 16 months before us....

Friday, April 24, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 24, 1964, Friday, cloudy and chilly.  I washed and hung white clothes out and rest inside.  Carol went home with Linda K.  I cleaned upstairs.  LaVerne and Roberta were here in evening.

Comment:  They have visitors just about every day...view to the house from the Spring Lot when planted with corn...here are my childhood memories of the spring lot performed by David Hubbard...click the link below to listen....
......http://hubbardfamilymusic.blogspot.com/2011/05/spring-lot-by-gerry-hubbard-david.html

Thursday, April 23, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 23, 1964
Thursday, cloudy in am, clearing in pm and 50.  I ironed all am and did some sewing in pm.  Grandpa and Louise here in evening.

Comment: Not much going on.....here is a picture of four of the five Hubbard girls of Elmer and Agnes, my aunts. Madeline is not in the picture...from left, Ina Bell, (Tiner) Evelyn, Winnie, Lorraine...probably late thirties, early forties....

Wednesday, April 22, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 22, 1964
Wednesday, cloudy and rainy, 50 high.  David and Wayne went to Cobleskill and Albany to see about Wayne getting into school there.  Got truck started.  I did some setting and a little sewing.  Wrote to Marilyn, Doug and Vera.  Grandpa and Louise were over in evening and Robert Schemerhorn.

Comment: Not sure what "setting" is, might have to do with plants...here is a picture of Grandpa and Louise just after they got married....he looks trim and fit and he must be in his mid seventies. I wonder how much effort and frustration are represented by the three simple words, "Got truck started"....probably not that simple a task after sitting all winter....

Tuesday, April 21, 1964 The Frances Hubbard

April 21, 1964
Tuesday, cloudy and cool.  The boys, Clifton and I went over to mother's for dinner and did shopping in Cobleskill and got Carol cloth for a dress and myself a blouse and Sue a wrap around skirt which she didn't like.

View To The Tower From The "Cross Road"

Comment: And that's that....

Monday, April 20,1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 20,1964
Monday, rainy and chilly, 32 high.  Snow in the am, ground white but thawed off in pm.  I washed and hung clothes upstairs and did more unpacking.  Girls went to school.  Telephone installed in pm.

View To The West In Front Of The House

Comment: Settling in, bet they missed the California weather.....

Sunday, April 19, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 19, 1964
Sunday, cloudy, rain at night, girls and I went to church and Sunday school.  Gerald, LaVerne and Roberta were here for dinner and we went down there for supper.  Boys were out with our car and they (LaVerne and Roberta) brought us home.

Comment:  Things getting back to normal, I do not remember the day.....too bad....the boys back on the prowl....View To South Mountain.....from the tower...

Saturday, April 18, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 18, 1964 
Saturday, came up here 8:30 and started to unpack and clean up.  I went to store after tape etc. for broken water pipe and groceries.   Girls stayed here, we got water working 3:30.  LaVerne and Roberta and boys came, finished cleaning kitchen, etc. and got supper.  Bob (Segeritz, Earl's step-son)  stopped in evening and he took us over to Earl's, we drove his car back.

Comment:  Not sure what's going on with the cars, the damned old house just sits there and breaks down....still, probably good to be home among the mountains....

Friday, April 17, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 17, 1964
Friday, lovely, warm day.  Left motel and crossed Delaware Memorial Bridge 8 am, ate breakfast 9:30 Howard Johnson on Thruway.  Left there 10 am, NY thruway at 11 am, reached Lavern's at 1:45 pm.  Clifton, Carol went to Middleburgh with LaVerne's car to see Ina Belle but missed her by 15 minutes. Saw Evelyn, Earl and Lillian.  Boys brought car up and unloaded it.  We stayed at LaVerne's over night.

Comment:  Made it..another 500 mile day.....not sure where Ina Belle was going, here is a picture of Ina Belle, Marilyn and Grandpa Elmer when they visited Marilyn in 1957.....




View Larger Map

Thursday, April 16, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 16, 1964
Thursday, lovely, warm day.  Left motel in Little Creek 6:20 and dropped Doug off at base 6:45 am and headed for Hampton Tunnel.  Fredericksburg at 10:30 and Clifton and David signed up for unemployment after we ate breakfast.  Spent afternoon touring Washington D.C.
Comment:  Early start, not sure how they signed up for unemployment, maybe by phone or mail.  They did about 200 miles......

View Larger Map

Wednesday, April 15, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaires

April 15, 1964
Wednesday, warm, nice day.  Left Hot Springs N.C.  Still in Cumberland Mountains.  Very curvy and hilly into Asheville with big trucks. Ate breakfast in Mockeville,  North Carolina at 9 am.  Called Doug in Suffolk, Virginia.  Roads wet into Norfolk,  reached there 4 pm and met Doug at  4:30 at the Greyhound bus terminal.  Found motel in Little Creek and ate supper.
Comment:  Made it to the East Coast...about 440 miles today


View Larger Map

Tuesday, April 14, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 14, 1964
Tuesday, left Forrest City, Ark. 6:30 am.  Crossed Mississippi River 7:30 into Memphis Tennessee. Ate breakfast at 10 am in Lexington, Tennessee, nice little place.  Nashville at 12:30, came through Cumberland Mountains.  Nice country but road bad, narrow, curved and hilly.  Ate supper 7:30 at New Port, Tennessee.  Stayed in Hot Springs NC and called and made plans to meet Doug next day.
Comment: Another 500 mile plus day. When possible, the family would travel to meet us at the military bases where we were stationed. The visited me at Fort Devens, Mass before I went to Monterey and I remember visiting LaVerne at his Nike Site somewhere in New England...you may have to zoom out to see the whole trip....

View Larger Map

Monday, April 13, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 13, 1964
Monday, clean, beautiful day, 60's. Left Sayre 6:30, ate breakfast in Oklahoma City at 8:30. Green and trees leaving out.  East Oklahoma like N.Y.  Oklahoma nice. Saw oil wells in suburbs and all around.  Arkansas at 1 pm, saw miles of fish hatcheries east of Little Rock.  Stayed at Forrest City.  Called LaVerne and they said Glenn's funeral was that pm.  Tried to get Doug but couldn't.
Comment: 550 miles, long day....here is what the wife of one of Glenn's best friends, Charlotte's brother Neil, said about the funeral...


Hi Charlotte,

"Neil and I both went to school with Glen Taylor.

Glen was our best man when we got married.

We also went to his funeral and the cemetery.

It was heartbreaking to see what his poor girlfriend Patsy Bouck went through at the grave site.

I remember someone taking a red rose from the spray that was on the casket and giving it to Patsy.

Patsy and Glenn had gone together since high school.

Glen didn't want to get married because he said Patsy would get stuck with all of the bills from his kidney failure.

Don't know if his mother is still alive or not."


It was a sad affair that I remember well..Here is Glenn's high school graduation picture..if he does not look like a movie star, I don't know who does.... Evelyn, Glenn's mother, died March 8, 2005, 90 years old.  She was the last survivor of the eight children of Elmer and Agnes Hubbard.  Here are some pictures of her and her family:  http://gerryhubbard.blogspot.com/2011/02/february-24-1963-frances-hubbard.html

View Larger Map

Sunday, April 12, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 12, 1964
Sunday, windy drive, in dust storm all day.  Left Grants N.M. 7:15, made Albuquerque N.M. ate breakfast in a lovely place ( Pancake House). East hilly, rocky, then evergreens, lower elevation greener.  Stayed in Sayre Oklahoma, dust storm worse.

Comment:  They did some "trucking", about 500 miles in a dust storm.....Woody Guthrie chronicled the hardships of the migrant workers and small farmers during the dust Bowl era ...here is the Wicki article about him and his songs:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl_Ballads




View Larger Map

Saturday, April 11, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 11, 1964
Cool in am at Seligman, Arizona, left at 7:15 am. 5265 elevation, saw 6 deer, low, round evergreens, 6000 elevation, tall pines and patches of snow.  Ate breakfast in Williams, went to Grand Canyon, beautiful.  Reached Flagstaff 1 pm, beautiful country, all day through Arizona and New Mexico, saw meteor crater, cost us $5.25.  Miles and miles of plateau and prairie with red cliffs.  Stayed in Grants N.M. all night. Called Marilyn, Ronnie and Anita were eating supper with them.  We took a lot of pictures.  Glenn died 3 am.
Comment: I wonder where those pictures are, don't think I ever saw them...Meteor Crater would cost $38.65 in today's money and that's why she mentioned it.
Glenn Taylor died at 22 a three am and for many of us who knew him Scott Fitzgerald's statement applied to the situation and brought on a "real dark night of the soul: "In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o’clock in the morning, day after day." 
 The Taylor family had already suffered a child's death:  A son, David, was born in 1954 and died in 1955, a "blue baby" with a congenital heart defect.  Evelyn would see more tragedy in her life as her husband Clifford would die in 1968 of diabetes and her daughter Bonnie would die of cancer in 1998.  She had the great misfortune of seeing her husband and three of her four children die..


Here are some of my memories of Glenn Taylor, he really was a gorgeous kid and great guy.......http://hubbardfamilymusic.blogspot.com/search?q=last+ride


Here is the map for this leg of their journey:

View Larger Map

Friday, April 10, 1964, Heading Home, Ticket, Dean In Tears, The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 10, 1964
Friday, beautiful day, warm we left M's at 8 am.  Dean said "I hate to let them go", and cried as hard as he could.  Went to Escondido and San Bernidino, got a ticket for driving over 50 with a trailer.  Reached Barstow at noon.  Gas 43 cents, crossed Colorado river and left California at 3:30 pm. desert and semi-desert.  Stayed overnight at Seligman Arizona.
Comment: Heading home:
View Larger Map

Thursday, April 9, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 9, 1964
Thursday, beautiful, warm day.  Clifton went to Escondido in am and had 2 front tires put on the car.  We packed and Marilyn helped.  We went there for dinner and supper.  Ronnie, Anita and 2 children, Henry and Veda Cooper were to Marilyn's in the evening,they brought ice cream and cake and coffee.  We all stayed overnight with Marilyn and Jim.
Comment: Last night in Ramona....Marilyn and her family about that time.....

Wednesday, April 8, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 8, 1964
Wednesday, Federal Tax came.  Beautiful day, 78.  Kids all home, we were at Marilyn's for dinner.  Marilyn the girls and I went down street and bought gifts for back home.  Mrs Walter and Liz were here in pm and showed me how to make a sweater.  Marilyn went to Escondido with Anita in the pm and kids stayed here.  Clifton and Wayne worked at chicken house in pm.  Boys went to San Diego in pm and Clifton finished chicken house.  I did a big wash in am and started to pack.  Liz and Kathy here for supper.  Carol went to a party for her at Cindy Morrisons 4:30 to 6:30.

Comment:  Getting ready to return to the hill......this is their rental house in California.

Tuesday, April 7, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 7, 1964
Tuesday, 73, lovely day and really warm.  I ironed nearly all day.  Wayne and David and Clifton worked on Jim's chicken house.  They went to Escondido in pm.  Took heifer down and sold her.  Jim's were here for supper.  Marilyn had a shower for Onida and the children stayed here in the evening.  21 at shower.
Comment: Selling the livestock in preparation for leaving, I think...here is my Grandfather Elmer feeding his chickens on his farm on Hubbard Hill. In the forties, I'm guessing, looking east toward my father's farm about a mile further east. This picture reminds me of one of my favorite poems:

William Carlos Williams:

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens

Monday, April 6. 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 6. 1964
Monday, 60's, lovely day. I washed in am. Wrote to Dougie and LaVerne's and told them we were coming home.  Clifton and David worked on Jim's chicken house and went over there for dinner.  We came back here at 3 pm.  I read most of "A Monk Tries Again" in the evening.  Wayne's last day of school in Ramona.
Comment: Nothing on Google about the book Mom was reading...sounds like they have a time established for leaving California.....

Sunday, April 5, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 5, 1964
Sunday, 56, cloudy and cool.  Went to church and Sunday school. Sue didn't go; she didn't feel good.  Jim's here for supper.  Rick and Benthly and brothers and Cindy Morenson here in pm.  They and Carol walked to park and they went to church with us at night.  Marilyn and I called on Vaeda a minute.
Comment: And on this day, Douglas MacArthur, US general (Pacific theater-WW II), dies at 84.  Called Dugout Doug by the GI's, he took on Harry Truman and was fired for insubordination but still, was a helluva guy, but not necessarily in a good way all the time.    Take a look.....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthur

Saturday, April 4, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 4, 1964
Saturday, partly cloudy, 60's cooler toward night.  Clifton, Sue, and I went over to Marilyn's in am.  Sue and I went downtown and did some shopping.  Marilyn and Jim and the kids over here at about 4 pm.  Carol and Sue went over there and babysat while they went to a farewell party.

Comment: Hmm..Kinda typical day. This was the week the Beatles dominated American music. It's hard to overestimate the musical effect of the Beatles during that time: "In an achievement unlikely to ever be equaled, for the week of 4 April 1964, The Beatles occupied the top five positions of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In all, they had 12 places on the US chart.

The chart placings were as follows, with the respective record labels in brackets:

• 1: Can't Buy Me Love (Capitol)
• 2: Twist And Shout (Tollie)
• 3: She Loves You (Swan)
• 4: I Want To Hold Your Hand (Capitol)
• 5: Please Please Me (Vee Jay)
• 31: Saw Her Standing There (Capitol)
• 41: From Me To You (Vee Jay)
• 46: Do You Want To Know A Secret (Vee Jay)
• 58: All My Loving (Capitol)
• 65: You Can't Do That (Capitol)
• 68: Roll Over Beethoven (Capitol)
• 79: Thank You Girl (Vee Jay)

Friday, April 3 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 3 1964
Friday, mostly cloudy and cool.  Dean and Patty were here. I washed in am.  Clifton and David went to San Diego to see about salesman jobs.  Marilyn and Marna over toward night and picked up the kids.  Avon lady came to the door.

Comment: While drawing unemployment, Dad and David also have to continue to look for jobs. Here is more than you ever want to know about the Avon lady....It really is quite a company and one of the first that allowed women the opportunity to work outside the home..many firsts for women...take a look
wonder if Mom bought anything??
http://www.avoncompany.com/aboutavon/history/index.html

Thursday, April 2, 1964 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

April 2, 1964
Thursday, mostly cloudy and cool.  I cleaned up the house, went to Escondido in the afternoon and grocery shopped.  Marilyn and Jim are here for supper.  Dean stayed overnight as Marilyn worked from 10 pm to 6 am.  I wrote to Mother, Dougie, Gerald, and Evelyn Bailey.  $150 unemployment check came.

Comment: The check does not sound like a lot but: $150 in 1964 has a relative wage of $1,743.94 paid to a Production Worker today.

Wednesday, April 1, 1964

April 1, 1964
Wednesday, still cloudy and showers.  We went to L.A. in am, ate lunch there, went to Long Beach to Union office, drove down Rt 101 and alternate 101 along back,  beautiful along there.  Very flat from long beach down a ways then were Mountains close to the sea and homes built on top of them, saw hundreds of oil wells near Huntington.  Got back 5 pm ate supper with Marilyn and Jim.

Comment: Another road trip. I remember riding a bus along that same route to get to San Diego from Monterey and return.....Dad looking for work out of the LA operating engineers office....