Lennie Eats Christmas Dinner at His Sister's Home and Celebrates at the Swede Church Several Nights In a Row

Before we finish up Lennie's Diary for the year 1898, I cannot resist posting this photo, taken approximately 1910, of Lennie and his single cylinder Thor IV motor bike. Note the dandy bike clothing. Lennie was always interested in the new inventions coming into the world at that time. He had a curiosity about many things and must have been a most interesting man and well-liked.

Sunday, December 25, 1898
Fred (Poff) staid in town. Ate dinner at Ollie's.
(Christmas Dinner was at Lennie's sister's home. Flora Olive "Ollie" Davis married Charles Schulz in August 1895. Nine months from this Christmas, their first child will be born...Lucile M. Schulz. She will be the first of three children. The second child, Leonard will be born in 1903. The third, Charlotte Olive Schulz, will be born March 1908. Sadly, Ollie dies giving birth. But the joys of those births, and the sadness of Ollie dying, are still in the future. And Christmas Dinner is an enjoyable family event, with undoubtedly, the entire Davis family...those that reside in Wakefield...in attendance.)

Monday, December 26, 1898
No School. Went skating. Went to Sweed Xmas tree.
(Lennie is possibly speaking of the Swedish Mission Church. Throughout the year he mentions attending social gatherings at various churches in town. But I believe his family may have been members of the Presbyterian Church for this is where Lennie and his future bride, Alma Matilda Gazina Kuckku, will raise their three daughters, Imogene, Marjorie, and Frances.)

Tuesday, December 27, 1898
A nice day. Helped clean house. Went to Sweed Xmas.

Wednesday, December 28, 1898
Fine day. Had a headack all day. Went hunting. Went to Sweed Xmas.

Thursday, December 29, 1898
A cold day. Blizzard in afternoon. Staid and visited Clara.

Friday, December 30, 1898
A cold day. Went to party at Mrs. Nobells.

Saturday, December 31, 1898
A nice day but cold. Went skating in afternoon. Went to party at Nanballs (sp?).

END (Lennie's word, not mine. He adds the following addendum to his 1898 diary:

I owe
Star Clothing $1.15
Rawlings Bros. $1.00
A Quimby $1.75
Ben Davis $ .50
(Ben is Lennie's brother, 8 years older than Lennie. Ben is still single, but on Christmas Eve, 1907, he will marry Anna Laura Weaver. The will have two children, Ivan and Dorothy. Ivan never marries. Dorothy marries Howard Beckenhauer and the couple will have 8 sons and one daughter.)

From family records, we deduce that Lennie had 9 siblings. Five of those siblings moved to Wakefield with the parents Josiah and Martha Jane (Crawford) Davis in about 1883.

Lennie will die in May 1946. His wife, Alma, will die in 1974. They are buried side by side along with Lennie's parents and his and Alma's youngest daughter and son-in-law, Ellis Edward and Frances Arlene (Davis) Peterson. Lennie's grandson and a granddaughter regularly visit the cemetery, placing flowers on their graves. Sometimes Jim brings his own daughter and grandchildren to visit the family gravesites in remembrance. It is a good thing to remember where you came from.

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Lennie Ranks Second in His Class and Enjoys Christmas Break

Lennie was persistent in writing his year's diary and completed in Dec 31, 1898. Today we read through December 24. Next week we will finish to the end of the year. Charles Leonard Davis will turn 18 in the spring of 1899.

Today's photo was taken about 1917. Lennie and Alma show off their three daughters as well as their wind-up Victrola. The youngest, Frances, sits on Alma's lap and is the only one of the three who will bear children.

Don't forget to come back next week to read the final entry in Lennie's Diary.

Sunday, December 11, 1898
Doctor cut Victor's middle finger off. (If you have been reading, you will remember that Victor hurt his hand December 5. The injury must have been severe.)

Monday, December 12, 1898
Received letter from Ada. Went to band practice.

Tuesday, December 13, 1898
Got up at 6 oclock. Frank Schultz came down. Art went to Omaha. I went out walking. (Frank is a brother to Ollie's husband, Charles. Frank and Charles immigrated with their mother and sisters to the United States as young teens after their father died in a work accident in Germany.)

Wednesday, December 14, 1898
Art went on to O. I went down home after supper. (Lennie has been boarding in town with Doctor Rowse. Often high schoolers did this so that during inclement weather they could get to school.)

Thursday, December 15, 1898
Stopped chemestry untill after holidays. Staid in office after supper. (Lennie's spelling is still a bit "off".)

Friday, December 16, 1898
Sent letters to Ada, Hoss, Thos. Went to Social at Rawlings.

Saturday, December 17, 1898
Staid at office all forenoon. Went to Methodist supper. 26 of us went skating in bandwagon. (Quite obviously the 26 did not skate IN the wagon...they went IN the wagon to go skating. *smile*)

Sunday, December 18, 1898
Cousin Mack and Flossie came. Went to Ollis in evening. (Went to sister Ollie's home)

Monday, December 19, 1898
Reviewed for examination. Sy Long and our folks played (music?)at home. Snowed a little.

Tuesday, December 20, 1898
Had examination in Geom., Gen. History.

Wednesday, December 21, 1898
Had examination in Civics and Literature. Went out walking with Sam & Ellis after prayer meeting.

Thursday, December 22, 1898
Had examination in Grammar, Chemistry & Latin. Went out with choir boys and girls, poped popcorn.

Friday, December 23, 1898
Got report books ranked 2. Jessie 1. Last day of school for two weeks. (In spite of Lennie's mis-spellings, he ranked second in his class. I'm sure he had an agile mind.)

Saturday, December 24, 1898
Stayed around office all day. Went to Xmas tree at Christian Church.

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Winter of 1898 - Lennie Goes Skating

The year1898 is winding down. Charles Leonard (Lennie) Davis, age 17, of Wakefield, Nebraska is still faithfully writing each day in his pocket size diary.
Today's photos feature Lennie's sister, Olive and her husband, Charles Emil Schulz. As of December 1898 they are still a young wed couple with no children. Their first baby, Lucile M Schulz, will be born September 1899 in Wakefield, Nebraska.
While Ollie's family has been in this country for generations, her husband Charles emigrated from Germany in about 1883.

Sunday, November 27, 1898
Fred Poff came in (to town). Snowed in afternoon. Ellis (Paulson) and I took girls out walking.

Monday, November 28, 1898
Cecil is mad. Will, Ellis, Sam, Ella, Mable, Jennie, Edna and I went to lake.
Tuesday, November 29, 1898
Nice day. Went to lake at night. Fred Poff staid all night.
Wednesday, November 30, 1898
Another nice day. Had examination. Sam, Ellis & I ate ??? of peanuts.
Thursday, December 1, 1898
Went skating. Ada & Clara walked in.
Friday, December 2, 1898
Prof Culver visited school. Went out with girls. Myrt & Ollie went to Allen (nearby town of Allen).
Myrtle and Olive are Lennie's older sisters. Olive (Ollie) is married to Charles Schulz. Lennie may already be acquainted with Charles' niece, Alma Kuckku who at this writing is only 5 years old. When she turns 18, she and Lennie will wed.

Lennie and Alma's wedding will be Aug. 2, 1911 at Crystal Lake in Dakota County, Nebraska. Witnesses will be William H. Kuckku (Alma's older brother) and A. R. H. Miller, Minister. Guests will include Elizabeth von Bergen, Chas. E. Schulz and wife Ollie*, Myrtle Davis, Earl Davis, Lucile Schulz, Leonard Schulz,and Vivian Schulz.
*Ooops. I named Charles' wife as Ollie.  Sadly, Ollie will die in childbirth in 1908. At the wedding will be Charles' second wife, Nellie. Charles and Nellie will have three children together, Vivian, Lorraine and Helen.  But that is still 12 years in the future when Lennie writes today's entry.
Saturday, December 3, 1898
Banked house. Went down to Art's. Boys went to show.It is possible that when Lennie says he banked the house, he is talking about placing dirt against the foundation to keep out the cold. This may be an erroneous assumption on my part...surely they would have done that earlier in the fall and would not have waited until December.
Sunday, December 4, 1898
Ada Adair went home. Sam, Ellis, Fred and I had a time.
Monday, December 5, 1898
Ate dinner at home. Victor got his hand hurt. Snowed at night.Victor's hand is injured badly. Next week Lennie notes that the Doc cut off his middle finger.

Tuesday, December 6, 1898
Ranked 3 in class. Prof. Culver gave metal (???) to school. Snowed at night.
Wednesday, December 7, 1898
A dull day. Wrote a letter to Ada. Bessie Allen ate at Drs.
Thursday, December 8, 1898
Boys went skating. Went to choire practice at Lecture room.
Friday, December 9, 1898
Entertainment at Presb Church. Went out walking. Went to Entertainment.
Saturday, December 10, 1898
Wrote letters to Boss and to F. T. (Flora Town) Went skating in bandwagon.

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