Gertrude Evadean Groff Handy

  Diary

  1928

In 1928 it seemed rather lonely after mother Handy and Harold and uncle Delos Timmerman had moved to Inghams Mills. I was glad when mother Groff was well enough to come over to visit us. I was always happy and relieved when she came over. I worried about Keith R. as he cried a lot and I hadn’t had any experience with children. It kept me busy taking care of him and getting the meals ready on time. Our hired man, Dan Cromer, was cross if he came into the house and meals weren’t immediately put on the table. The doctor decided Keith R. was not getting enough to eat. After Dr. Feldstein increased the amount to be given to Keith, the baby was happy and grew rapidly.

In June uncle Delos Timmerman was taken to the Herkimer Memorial Hospital for an appendicitis operation. After 3 weeks he died following a stroke of paralysis on Mon. morning, July 2, 1928. On Thursday a brief service was held at the Lull Funeral home and then the funeral service was held at the Youkers Bush church at 2 P. M. The Rev. Philip Luther, pastor of the Herkimer Lutheran church and supply pastor of the C. Creek Evangelic Lutheran church, officiated. Burial was at the Youkers Bush graveyard.

Keith R. grew fast and was a happy boy. He was grown-up and large for his age, as you can see from the photograph (to the left) of him, taken in Oct. when he was 22 months old.

When we found out late in the fall that mother Handy did not want to sell the farm to us, Herbert started looking for a suitable farm to buy. After looking at a few places, he decided to buy the Edward Moyer farm at R. D., Fort Plain. It was then a very busy time for both mother Handy & Harold and us to get ready to move by the end of the year. Mother Handy hired Raymond Christman to work the farm for her.