May 1917


1 May 1917 • Tuesday

Dot and Brent and Rye and Jennie Hyde and daughter Romania were my callers. I went over to the office and looked up some of my papers and Belle was with me at night. [p. 121] {p. 123}

2 May 1917 • Wednesday

My callers today were Brent Lizzie Crismon and Maria Dougall I went as usual to the office and I wrote a letter to my daughter Mell from whom we have not heard for some time In the evening in company with Amy & Richard I went to a party given for Sister Louie Felt of the Primary at Mrs [Frances Kingsbury] Thomassen’s home. Clarissa bro’t me back. It was a very fine party. Belle was here with me [p. 122] {p. 124}

3 May 1917 • Thursday

The regular board meeting to day began at 2 o’clock and I was excused and went away at 3 to Susan Wells birth day dinner. There were only a few at the dinner but members of the family called afterward we had a very pleasant afternoon. [H.] Wells Culmer and his wife1 bro’t me home in their auto. Ort’s & May [Wells Whitney]’s boy Wendell [W. Whitney] enlisted to day. [p. 123] {p. 125}

4 May 1917 • Friday

I went to the office rather late not having felt very well this morning. The sisters are all preparing to go out to the different conferences. When I came back to the hotel Annie came and shortly after Belle from the temple Belle is not at all well. In the evening Annie & I went down to the mezzanine and watched the High School boys and girls dance. Abram & David were there. Annie read to me from the magazines and the “News” until quite late. [p. 124] {p. 126}

5 May 1917 • Saturday

The morning is very lovely. I took a nice bath after breakfast and then we went over to the office for a while. Clarissa, Sister Fox & Miss Beezly [Clarissa Beesley] were there to confer about our work for the National Council. Julia Michaelson [Bond Michelsen] came to see me. She is very low spirited & sick. Clarissa & I went up to the President’s office to get advice on this war work. Ellis Shipp came in for a call, she is contemplating a trip to Canada to teach a class in nursing. Belle came up in evening and stayed all night. [p. 125] {p. 127}

6 May 1917 • Sunday

This is Fast Sunday. Belle and I went over to the Temple fast meeting. There was a lovely spirit and I quite enjoyed it. After lunch with Belle at the hotel I went up to the 18th Ward meeting after which Zannie [Rosannah Cannon] Irvine invited me over to her home to dinner We had a fine dinner and then a long auto ride down thro’ the fields. & they brought me back through <at> the evening. Brent Rye Dougall and her little grandson Justin Bergstrom were here. Belle stayed [p. 126] {p. 128}

7 May 1917 • Monday

Belle went down home quite early and Annie came up in afternoon and stayed at night. We went out for a walk and for the first tine since my illness I went into the book store. [p. 127] {p. 129}

8 May 1917 • Tuesday

Annie went down home in the morning to bake her bread and attend to things at home and Louise came up and stayed with me. Her mother came back in the evening and Rich came up. When Louise came home she found Sister [Mary Croxall] Andrew very sick. Belle was not well enough to come up and her knee is very bad. [p. 128] {p. 130}

9 May 1917 • Wednesday

Belle could not go to the temple but came up at evening and stayed with me. Jno. Q. came in for Annie and they went away to the theatre.

Maria Y. Dougall and her daughter <Clara> were in this afternoon. Belle is quite lame. [p. 129] {p. 131}

10 May 1917 • Thursday

The day was rather quiet. We did not held our usual board meeting and Ida & Sister Nibley were a committee on badges. I want to adopt the sheaf of wheat.

Em came up and bro’t her baby. In the evening I went down and sat in the lobby with Rye. Belle has a very lame knee and is not at all well. [p. 130] {p. 132}

11 May 1917 • Friday

When Belle went home after the temple I was alone for quite a while before Annie came. When she came we had dinner and in the evening we went down to the lobby. We read the papers and Ida Dusenbury and her daughter were here in the evening. They went to the theatre after which Ida started on a trip to Millard Co. for the Relief Society. Ida felt that she had been imposed upon about the badge design but I think we will have what we want. [p. 131] {p. 133}

12 May 1917 • Saturday

I went quite early in the morning to the Bishop’s building to a meeting with Clarissa and sister Fox. Annie went down to the bank and to do some errands There was a heavy rain. Cavendis came down from Hyrum this morning and came in to see me He had lunch here with me and his mother. Sister Ann Groesbeck & Maria Dougall were here in the evening Horace Whitney came to invite me to speak at the Sunday School. Belle came up in the evening and stayed at night. [p. 132] {p. 134}

13 May 1917 • Sunday

This is Mother’s day. Horace Whitney came in the morning and took me up to the 18th ward Sunday School. to speak. Belle & I had dinner together then I went to the tabernacle. Lyman came for me and took me down to Em’s to dinner. We had a very pleasant afternoon. Daniel <& Winifred> sent me white carnations, and Annie a bunch of pink roses. Belle staid here all day and all her children came to see her Lyman brought me back to the hotel at evening. Belle was with me at night. [p. 133] {p. 135}

14 May 1917 • Monday

Went over to office and stayed quite a long time. While I was away Emma W. Pyper, Ada [Croxall] Cannon Katie Kraft & Lutie [Thatcher] Lynch called on me. I am sorry to have missed them.

The Granite stake conference was held in the Richard’s ward and I was there all day returned quite tired but had a good time. [p. 134] {p. 136}

15 May 1917 • Tuesday

Annie’s Katharine stayed last night and left this morning for school. It is her birthday she is twenty years old. I spent a good part of the day at the office at three o’clock Annie & I went to a meeting of the Congressional Union2 on the Mezzanine floor and after Mrs Jenkins took us a nice ride in her auto. Annie and I had dinner together and she & Jno. Q. went to the theatre Belle came about eight and stayed at night. We held a committee meeting this forenoon [p. 135] {p. 137}

16 May 1917 • Wednesday

In the afternoon I went down to the 31st <2nd> ward to speak to the Religion Class and bear my testimony The room was full of boys and girls and they were very attentive. Aunt Julina has returned from California and was in here Rye, Miss L. [Lottie] L. Willard (an artists) & Kate Wells Mrs Orvenda Whitbeck [Ovanda Witbeck] Kearns and Belle Taylor Copening were callers. Belle was here [p. 136] {p. 138}

17 May 1917 • Thursday

To day Jode’s wife Mamie had a baby boy3 born. She is safely over the ordeal. We had an interesting meeting of the Board and attended to a great deal of business. We adopted an emblem in the shape of a pin with a sheaf of wheat for the society.4 The members are very busy now attending conferences. Dr. Middleton called on me to day. Mrs Margaret [Mitchell] Caine is home & came in to see me Brent & Rye Dougall were also here Belle was with me at night. [p. 137] {p. 139}

18 May 1917 • Friday

Had a day to my self in the Hotel room. Did not go over to office all day was quite tired and not at all well because of my cold. Amy sent over the nurse’s certificates for me to sign. June and Cavendish called Mrs Emma Rice Neidig, Pres of the Fraternal Brotherhood has been in the city she is a relative of the Well’s. Spent part of evening down in lobby. Rye came in and stayed quite late Annie came up in afternoon and <brot over from the office nurse certificates> [p. 138] {p. 140}

19 May 1917 • Saturday

Yesterday evening I signed 35 certificates for the nurses who will graduate on Wednesday evening Rye came in this morning. Annie read the paper it is full of war news. Sister Emily Y. [Young] Clawson came to see me I was so pleased. Dr Roberts called this morning and later Annie & I went over to the office for a little while. A young woman with out any place to go came in and Annie took her out for lunch then sent her down to Em’s. She was very forlorn. I am not very well to day. Belle at night [p. 139] {p. 141}

20 May 1917 • Sunday

I went to the Tabernacle in the afternoon. Mr Vincent of Spokane Wash [Washington], a relative of Daisie [Dunford Allen]’s called and went with me. It was a very stormy day Belle was with me all day and Dot & Will came down. Rye came in as usual. She is very lovely and quite attentive. Mrs Stephen [Sina Nielson] Chipman of American Fork came in. She wants me to attend the Alpine Stake conf on June 3rd

Belle at night. [p. 140] {p. 142}

21 May 1917 • Monday

At nine this morning I left the Hotel with Annie, sisters Julina Smith Sarah J. Cannon & Dr Penrose for Midvale to attend the R.S. conference of the Jordan Stake. There were many people there & I met lots of old friends. We had a splendid conference all of the sisters spoke The music was particularly good. I spoke for thirty minutes mostly telling of the early days in the valley. In the evening Annie & I walked over to Hattie Youngs and made a call. Her sister Libbie [Elizabeth Hooper] Dunbar had just arrived from Cal. [California] and we quite enjoyed our call. Annie at night [p. 141] {p. 143}

22 May 1917 • Tuesday

Annie prepared my breakfast and lunch and left just before 12 for Garfield where she went to attend a R.S. meeting. I went over to the office in the afternoon and Belle came up to stay at night.

Sister Nibley and Jennie Hyde called also Brent. [p. 142] {p. 144}

23 May 1917 • Wednesday

Mrs Kolmetz came to arrange about a raffle of pictures for Miss Willard Dot was with me all the afternoon and she and Sep spent the evening with Belle while I went over to the nurses graduating exercises I gave away the diplomas. Maria and Zina were in in the afternoon and Ida Dusenbury was here also I had dinner sent up for us. Amy came to talk about the exercises. Every thing went off nicely Sister Jennings presided. [p. 143] {p. 145}

24 May 1917 • Thursday

This afternoon we held a meeting of the board the rooms are all fixed now and we have a beautiful new carpet on the reception room. Aunt Bathsheba [Wilson Bigler Smith]’s picture has been taken up to the 4th floor After my meeting I went up to Aunt Camilla’s birthday party she was 70 yrs old.5 Mrs [Leila Merrill] Allen came back with me to the hotel Ida Dusenbury had dinner with me in my room at hotel. Belle was here at night. [p. 144] {p. 146}

25 May 1917 • Friday

There are many startling things all the time and the news is almost impossible to read, it affects me very much. Miss Lucy Van Cott came in to day to talk about a scholarship for the U of U. A number of the sisters leave tonight for stake conf. among them Amy & Ida. There was a terriffic thunderstorm this afternoon and made Annie rather late getting up here. Belle had hard work getting a car but after supper went down home. We read until about One o’clock. Annie stayed. [p. 145] {p. 147}

26 May 1917 • Saturday

This morning I had several callers first Rye then Zina Card who bro’t me a beautiful bunch of white lilacs from her mother’s garden. Mrs Mame C. [Mary Clawson] Beatie came in on a R.S. call and stayed quite a while. Lewis Granger telephoned for Annie to meet him. He is in some financial trouble and wanted her to intercede for him. She did & was successful, in getting <the> time delayed The day is very stormy. Cavendish called he leaves Monday morning for work at Cornish. He went first to register for draft under the new law. Margaret Caine at night. [p. 146] {p. 148}

27 May 1917 • Sunday

Margaret Caine and I went to the Tabernacle then came back to Hotel and had dinner together Had no callers. Mrs Caine stayed with me again at night. [p. 147] {p. 149}

28 May 1917 • Monday

Margaret went away quite early and I went over to the office, where I stayed until quite late in the afternoon I had some callers and attended to some mail, then came over to the room. Annie was rather late getting here and it was very lonesome She bro’t a good book and read until nearly one o’clock I had the ear ache and did not sleep very well, also was troubled in my throat. [p. 148] {p. 150}

29 May 1917 • Tuesday

It literally poured with rain this afternoon. At four I went with Clarissa & Julina by appointment to the Pres. office to talk about our uniting with the Red Cross. I sent a check for $15.00 to Edna W. Sloan for the scholarship given in my name at the U. of U. the Wells boys & Edna made up the amount. to $50.00. Carol [Croxall] Cannon came to get a manuscript about her mother6 which Annie had written. Lizzie [Elizabeth Liddell] Felt came. She had been to the temple to get a blessing. Her eyes are very badly affected. Rye came in a few minutes [p. 149] {p. 151}

30 May 1917 • Wednesday

This is Decoration Day and at 11 o’clock there was a fine parade of the troops from Ft Douglas. and the National Gaurd Annie & I went down stairs to see the parade and Aunt Martha [Telle] Cannon came along and asked us to take a ride. We went through City Creek along the new boulevarde and around the Capitol and up through Federal Heights to Ft Douglas. We saw many people that we knew & we had a very lovely ride. Kate [Howard] Brockbank, Elizabeth [Brockbank] Meyer & Mr Arnold7 called on mother Lyman, Em & baby called. Daniel called quite early, Annie stayed all day and Belle came up at night [p. 150] {p. 152}

31 May 1917 • Thursday

Remained in bed this forenoon to rest Rye came in for awhile. At 3 o’clock we held our regular board meeting. There was almost a full attendance. Kate Wells, Dot Claire Dougall [Bergstrom] Mrs Scott and Emily Clawson all came to call also the house keeper Mrs M. A. Mickle came in. Kate brought me some flowers. Belle stayed at night [p. 151] {p. 153}

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May 1917, The Diaries of Emmeline B. Wells, accessed March 28, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/emmeline-b-wells/1910s/1917/1917-05