Two Noras: 1915 and 2023

My  paternal grandmother, Nora, was a great recorder of daily events. I have her daily notes from 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1919, 192...

Two Noras: August 17, 1914 and August 17, 2021

Nora Bauer: Monday, August 17, 1914

Anna was not at the office today. Gertrude, Clara, and I went down to Langfritz's for some stamps and had some soda. 

Nora Spitznogle: Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Typical work day (as typical as things are in a pandemic). Dan Wakefield program at Key and drinks with  Pioneer Village guys. 

I couldn't find a stand-alone ad for Langfritz Drug Store, but did find them mentioned spots as place to purchase whatever was being advertised. The store was at the corner of West Market and Front streets, so it would have been an easy walk. 

I wonder where Grandma Nora's sister Anna was? Is Clara Brill still in town? Did Nora's sister Gertrude have a job? And just as importantly, I wonder what kind of soda Grandma Nora had? 

I had a nice day. I walked to the Red Key to hear a program hosted by Indiana Humanities, featuring author's Dan Wakefield and Susan Neville. Dan had wondered how entertaining a program of watching him and Susan sit and listen to an episode of their podcast, Naptown Season One would be. I enjoyed it and it's always a pleasure to hear Dan and Susan speak. 

After the program, I was joined by some of my Pioneer Village friends, including Richard Reel and Ellsworth Christmas
I was having so much fun that I didn't take an photographs, so you'll have to settle for a photo of Ellsworth and me last week at the Fair. 

Now seems like as good of a time as any to tell one of my favorite stories. 

One of the stories in our family lore is about a date that Dad had before going out with Mom.

It was 1957 -  Dad was 21, back from the Army and was an apprentice at General Motors. His friend since first grade, Jack Richason, was working and staying on the Fairgrounds as a part of a 4-H junior leader program. Dad was moonlighting during the Fair with the Pinkertons, who gathered the money from the gates as the evening progressed - there would have been a lot of cash floating around in the pre-credit card era. 

Jack told Dad that he had a date for him, Joyce Christmas. Dad gathered her from the 4-H Girls Dorm and drove her a few blocks away to bar at 42nd and College Streets - I'm still trying to figure out the name of the bar that year - I'm getting close....

anyway...

Dad buys two beers and sits at a table with Joyce  and they're chit-chatting and Joy mentions school. Dad's getting a little nervous and asks what year she is. Joyce says that she's a sophomore and Dad's doing the math his head about her age. He asked if she was going to Purdue and she said, "no, high school." 

She was 16. 

Dad packed her back in his car and drove her back to the Fairgrounds. 

As kids we always joked that Joy Christmas could have been our mother. Fast forward 60 years and I mention that I've gotten to know a great man, Ellsworth Christmas. Dad and I are at the Fair and I introduce him to Ellsworth and Dad asks if he knows Joyce Christmas. 

Ellsworth looked shocked and said that Joyce was his little sister. And she had died in 1960. No one outside the family had brought up her name in decades. 

If you'd like to hear more about Dr. Christmas' wonderful career in the School of Agriculture and his time in Brazil click here and click here

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