“Isabelle very kindly rode the tractor again all afternoon, so she wouldn’t have to stook. Sweet soul!“ Tuesday, August 22, 1944
19 Sat. Got up late. I sure was sleepy. Did the usual work. I waxed kitchen floor. Mom & Wilma picked cucumbers at Mr. Loki’s while Isabelle went up & cleaned the church. Dad clipped caraganas all morn. Mom & we girls went to town this afternoon. Saw “Private Hargrove” at the theatre. Did my hair up this evening, Wrote in my diary, etc. this evening. Bed about 9.30.
20 Sun. Dad, Isabelle & Shirley went fishing with John from 8.45 to 1.15. Didn’t catch any. Wilma & I got water. Read papers. Dad was the only man at church. Good attendance. Mrs. Jim Clark sang. Nice solo. We all went over to Freemans after church. Home at six. Mrs. F. doesn’t look a bit good. Everybody is worried. Mrs. Carpenter & Mrs . Duncan came this evening. Went to bed in decent time.
21 Mon. Isabelle & Dad cut barley. Mom did the washing. I did usual work & made a batch of cookies. Was up at 20 to seven. Shirley & I picked up & raked most of the clippings from the west caraganas. Wilma & I stooked barley all afternoon, doing the back swath. Mom & Shirley brought out a lunch before going to town at three. Stutts came up this evening. Doris & I looked at the cataglogue. They stayed until then. I went right to bed.
22 Tues. Up at seven. Wilma & I finished the outside swath & did some more. Isabelle very kindly rode the tractor again all afternoon, so she wouldn’t have to stook. Sweet soul! They did oats. John & Doris cut too. Our binder was broken a while. Wilma & I started stooking the back swath. It was terrible. Green & heavy. Hot afternoon. Mom & Shirley brought out lunch. Went to bed in decent time.
23 Wed. Isabelle & Wilma stooked some more on the back swath of oats. I ran the tractor this morn. Stutts came up. We finished cutting the big piece & did most of the little one. We were stuck twice, & had trouble with our binder, Mom came down & got Wilma & Isabelle as she had to go right over to Freemans. Mrs. Freeman has to go to Rochester. Dad went to Harry’s to combine. Wilma stayed here with Shirley. Isabelle & she finished the oat swath & did some more barley. Mom went to town with Freemans.
24 Thurs. Dad & Isabelle finished cutting the oats then he went combining & she came over & helped. Wilma & I stooked. We took out lunch this afternoon. Finished stooking the barley before five, then came in. Isabelle cleaned out the brooder & I finished cleaning around the brooder. Hauled away with tractor.
25 Fri. Slept in, because it rained in the night. Dad took we three girls all to town to get us new school shoes. Isabelle & I got ours but Wilma couldn’t get any. We got home about one. Started stooking 35 acres of oats. Mr. Stutt helped us. And we really got a lot done. Harry came down & got us, took the men to the school.
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These are the diaries of a seventeen-year-old teenager from a farm near Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Her name is Lorraine. She eventually was a church organist in Colgate. In 1944 she was the piano player for a dance band in Weyburn. In these days before school busses she, and her sisters, each had to move from the farm into town to attend school for Grades 11 & 12. This is the darkest time in World War II. Weyburn hosted an airbase for BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan). In other words, the town is filled with eligible young airmen from all over the world …
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