January 1, 1945 (Monday)

DISAGREEABLE WEATHER RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR

Happy New Year. And a very cold, disagreeable, stormy day. Snowing and blowing and much colder to-night. Stanley and a friend Mr. Meek came this noon. Had dinner at 2 o'clock. Had beef roast, venison, buns, cabbage salad, peas, cherry pie, potatoes. Morse left for Jackson at 4 o'clock. He gave Hank $5, Henry and I $5 for Xmas gifts. Dr. Robinson made his 3rd call to see the sick cow. She isn't able to stand up yet. Had milk fever. Stanley, Alice, Shirley, Roger and Mr. Meek went to Fred Fahrnis for supper to-night.

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Edna makes note of the disagreeable weather on the first day of the new year in 1945.

The Lowell Ledger (Jan. 4, 1945) affirms her observation with a front page headline: New Year Storm Hits Wide Area Local Highways Blocked by Drifting Snow; Many Homes Snowbound. Despite the road conditions, Lowell Schools resumed session following the holidays on January 3. Two buses got stuck in drifts before picking up any students and several other buses returned to school after only making it halfway through their routes. I can only imagine the backlash on social media that would happen today if buses had been sent out in such poor conditions.

Morse paid a visit on New Year's Day and gifted his brother and his parents $5 each for Christmas. I was curious about what $5 might purchase in 1945. A quick glance at some of the advertisements in the same issue of the Lowell Ledge provided some insight. With $5 you could have purchased 102 grapefruit, or 45 loaves of bread, or six bags of coffee (3 lbs), or 40 tickets to see a movie at The Strand.

I worry about venturing out in poor weather in modern vehicles with all wheel drive and with a mobile phone in my possession. Morse headed back to Jackson without the advantage of either. Dr. Robinson came to the farm on a holiday in poor weather to attend to Henry and Edna's sick cow. Alice and Stanley and their family journeyed out to visit with friends. World War II was still raging. Bad weather was perhaps the least of their worries.