I remember, many years ago, my dad pulling out a little, dog-eared red diary that had belonged to my grandmother, and reading a handful of her daily entries to my brothers and me. Those updates were filled with the day-to-day details of the life of a housewife in a small town – cooking, cleaning, gardening, “visiting” – all captured in the bright, no-nonsense voice of Grandma. I loved hearing about how often she did laundry and baked bread; I was fascinated with the everyday things she thought were important enough to write down, almost every day, for five years. When, years later, I took the diary home and started reading it more carefully, I realized there were bigger stories captured in its pages. The birth of her fourth child, Fred. The death of her parents and Grandpa’s mother. The building of a new house. Stories of annual trips to Colorado, and glimpses into the lives of family members I would know many years later. The start of World War II. The stories of local Japanese farmers being sent to relocation camps. Her prominent role as the coach’s wife in a community whose social life, to a large extent, revolved around the local high school. My dad’s childhood (and my aunts’ and uncle’s, and some of his cousins’ too…).
At some point, I thought it would be a good idea to transcribe the diary so everyone in the family could read it. Then it seemed like it wasn’t the same when it wasn’t in her handwriting, so I scanned in all the pages. Then, the stories my dad told me about the events in the diary seemed like an essential part of the story, so I started to capture those, too. Many, many months later, I decided to call it ‘done’, and here it is: Grandma’s little red diary, ready to share.
The diary itself, and the stories that accompany it, are included here, under the “Diary” tab. You can view it there or download it. Or, if you still believe in the magic of a “real” book, you can order a printed copy.
If you have comments or questions, post them here. I’d love to hear what you think. If you have questions, I’m sure we can convince my dad, or Jeanne, or Louise, or any of the other members of that generation to explain things for the rest of us. And, if you have anything to add – pictures, anecdotes, etc. – post them as a comment, or send them along to me (shirleybunger@mac.com) and I’ll include them.
Enjoy!
– shirley
Val Bunger's diary: 1939-1943 