October - December 1941 - The Calls 1935-1943

 Oct 1. Bertha had a major operation. Arthur was evidently pretty nervous about it. 

Oct 4. Mr. Torrey died at 11 last night. All his children were there. He seemed to be as well-prepared as possible in every way. A great loss to church and community and to me personally. Count them among my very best friends. 

Oct 9. "I am seventy nine today. Thelma made me a pretty birthday cake, - she is extra at decorating. The cake is fine, too. Edith gave me chocolate. Irving and son Irving gave me an American translation of the Bible, - Goodspeed's New Testament, J.M. Powis Smith O.T. I have been using Irving's copy for months." Could it be he wanted to use it himself? Lucille gave me a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens. "Have cards from Helen and Jerry, Adelle, Mrs Torrey and Mrs Bannister. "A card from Sarah says E.F. seems more forgetful every day. Later, a costume pearl pin from Clara. card from Mrs. Keitel, birthday letter from Alice P. Weaver. 

Oct 15. Edith brought a load of her school children to the potato field, where she kept track of them and picked up potatoes herself. They call school at 8:30, close at 2 P.M. with a half hours nooning. 

Thelma goes for potato pickers and drives the truck in the field. 

Oct. 24. Edith entertained the Mother's Club Party, which includes "the Fathers." Gathered flowers, roses, anemones, two lots of chrysanthemums, petunias, I think, than I ever so so late in the fall. We showed them some of my needle work and I said "I have nine grand daughters." I think they are fortunate girls." I think I am a fortunate grandmother." -- There were 28 here with a real dinner. Lone long table in living room. It looked very pretty. 

Nov 4. Election Day. No Democratic Ticket in Stafford. Home Bureau met here. Thelma had charge of a Demonstration Dinner. I helped those who wanted to make braided rugs. 

Nov. 5. Irving had business in the outskirts of Buffalo, and asked me to ride with him and Thelma. We called on Elizabeth Daniels Babbage, at their pleasant home in East Aurora. She is very sweet and her children very attractive. Edith and I went to the Episcopal Annual supper, then to the Library at Le Roy. 

Nov. 8. Took one of the chairs and the piece of needle point for Thelma to Jermyn in Batavia. We visited Arthur's folks. "Bertha seems to be getting along all right, but slowly. Helen seems prettier than ever and is a good cook and housekeeper. Jerry is fascinating."

Nov 11. Armistice Day. Again I went to Evelyn's and returned Dec. 9, four weeks from the day I left. I enjoyed the trips both ways and, as always, had a very pleasant time. They have rebuilt the old stone barn, which had been mostly torn down. It is very fine looking. I have said I thought they might have to build a new house to correspond with such an imposing barn. They are still all very much interested in the birds. Philip has been making feeding stations and suet logs for eating. And they bought a quantity of feed, 8 or 10 different ingredients, I think. Wish I had a list and the proportions. Think Philip will sell some of this. 

One day we drove 20 or 25 miles to see a couple whose interests are bound up in birds. Mr Griscon makes feeders, sells feed, she lectures in schools and before clubs. Their home looked like a summer camp. There was a pile of brush strewn along in one place for a refuge. They have everything birds need, and a great variety - of callers. Later, Mrs Griscom, with several other ladies, came to advise Evelyn, and Eve. had a nice luncheon for them. Mr and Mrs Griscom are Quakers, Prohibitionists, and she wears the white ribbon. 

We had a wonderfully fine Sea food dinner in Collegeville: - Shrimp cocktail, clam chowder, fired oyster, 2 clams in the shell, crab-tail from Egypt I think, brought frozen, fillet flounder?) Salad (crab?) fried scallops, and more common food. 

Nov 22nd was appointed Thanksgiving, but very few here observed that day, but instead the usual "last Thurs in November.," the 27th this year. Evelyn had a very fine dinner, Mr. and Mrs Ebert and Mrs. Neal as guests. 

We visited Mrs. Hankins. "She says she is much better. She cannot work much as her hand is bad. She was sitting in a chair and seemed to have everything an invalid could have, fruit, books, papers. A young girl waited on her, She looks very nice. She wants to get into a different hospital. They pay $ 12.00 a week for her." Evelyn sews for her, and washed and irons. "They will have to pay $ 1500.00 to get her into the one she wants to go to. "Evelyn says she never knew Frank to do a dishonest or dishonorable deed. He is fine to the children, I think, and seems to want to do everything to make his mother secure."

We were invited out to tea twice. Mrs. Boswell is a professor's wife. "They are very pleasant and have no end of lovely things and antiques, fine books, flower. People seem to think a lot of Evelyn everywhere."

"To celebrate my going away "Evelyn had "a tea on the 8th, with ladies I have met and liked, Mrs. Neal, Mrs. Rasmussen, - Boswell, - Heiges another lady - and a Miss Beth Burhans who makes lovely things from silver. It was very pleasant. 

Have made a rug of blanket samples for Elizabeth. 

Have read The Keys of the Kingdom, the story of a saintly Scotch priest, The Saratoga Trunk, The Bird in a Tree, The Eagle's Gather, and a lot else. Evelyn  makes a point of having many new books here when I come. 

Dec. 14. Edith took some Epworth League members to a meeting at night. It was very icy, and she drove very carefully, but a car skidded into hers, doing considerable damage. The driver freely admitted his fault, but had no property, and she had to pay quite - a large bill for repairs, besides the inconvenience of going without her car while repairs were made. I believe a law went into effect on Jan. 1, 1942, that would have prevented driving without insurance. 

Wed Dec. 24. "Eileen came on train about noon. Edith set up the tree she had at school, and Irving's folks came over and had their presents from us. The children seemed happy. It is Herbert's birthday, he is thirteen. He recently fixed a shelf - for books - under my bed side table, and another outside my window to feed birds. 

We went to Robert's for Christmas Day. 

Sat. 27. "Alden and family came to-night. Carolyn Elizabeth is a pretty, darling baby "about six months old." Edith repeated her school exercises at the Episcopal Church Christmas Exercises. It seemed to be well received. 

Tues 30 "Alden and Eileen had a party to-night, the old "Jay Class" of which Irving was the former teacher. All of them married, Eileen says, but herself and Phyllis Morgan."

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Patty's notes on this entry

This is the last entry in the Memories in Elizabeth Coe Call's handwriting. There are a few pages of newspaper clippings glued into the book after the manuscript ends. 

Bertha - Bertha May Hotchkiss (1882-1946) daughter of Horatio Nelson Hotchkiss (1855-1938) and Carrie Adell VanName (1861-1944). She married Charles Arthur Call in 1909

Arthur - Charles Arthur Call (1885-1962) son of Charles Joslin Call (1859-1939) and Elizabeth Ann Coe (1862-1956). He married Bertha May Hotchkiss in 1909

Mr Torrey - George Horace Torrey (1866-1941) son of Hamilton H. Torrey (1823-1903) and Delila (1828-1888). He married first Jennie M Hurd (1868-1925), and second Anna Lane Tregea (1868-1949). 

Thelma - Thelma Louise Keitel, daughter of Herbert Philip Keitel (1879-1957) and Mary R Fancher (1885-1980). She married Irving Joslyn Call 

Edith - Edith Alberta Call (1889-1989) daughter of Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe. She was the widow of Malvern Smith Jones (1884-1937). 

Irving -  Irving Joslyn Call (1900-1995), son of Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe. He married Thelma Louise Keitel. 

son Irving - Irving Fancher Call, son of Irving Joslyn Call and Thelma Louise Keitel

Goodspeed's New Testament, J.M Powis Smith - In 1931, John Merlin Powis Smith oversaw the editing of  The Bible: An American Translation & The Old Testament. In 1923, Edgar J. Goodspeed published The New Testament: An American Translation. He was one of the scholars involved in the publication of The Bible: An American Translation,  which became known as Goodspeed's Bible. 

Lucille - Lucille Alice Hale (1893-1996), daughter of Frank Herbert Hale (1860-1942) and Amanda Carpenter Reynolds (1864-1919), She married Robert Vincent Call

Helen - Helen Elizabeth Call (1910-1997), daughter of Charles Arthur Call and Bertha May Hotchkiss. She married Robert Wilson Johnson in 1931. 

Jerry - Jeremy Robert Johnson, son of Robert Wilson Johnson and Helen Elizabeth Call

Mrs Torrey - Anna Lane Tregea (1868-1949), daughter of  Thomas E. Tregea (1840-1903) and Lydia Martha Sawdey (1840-1927). She married George Horace Torrey. 

Sarah - Sarah Frances Ward (1856-1942), daughter of Charles Kendall Ward (1819-1898) and Laura Caroline Davenport (1822-1876). She married Ezra Frank Coe in 1883. 

E.F. - Ezra Frank Coe (1835-1942), son of Albert Coe (1827-1907) and Deborah Prentice (1833-1910). He married Sarah Frances Ward in 1883. 

Clara - Clara Addie Coe (1864-1950), daughter of Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice. She married James Daniel McEwen in 1890. 

Mrs Keitel - Mary R Fancher (1885-1980), wife of Herbert Philip Keitel (1879-1957) and mother of Thelma Louise Keitel

Alice P Weaver - Alice Louise Pratt (1872-1950), daughter of Peabody W Pratt (1838-1874) and Josephine E Crocker (1843-1927), She was the widow of Cartter Weaver (1871-1924).

nine grand daughters - Helen Elizabeth Call (1910-1997), Marion Alberta Call (1911-2000), Eileen Evelyn Jones (1915-2000), Marie Charlotte Call (1920-2013), Edith Adelle Call (1921-2006), Elizabeth Ann Call (1922-2012), Evelyn Hale Call (1924-2016), Elizabeth Ann Hankins (1929-2020) and Louisa Ann Call (1931-1975).

Elizabeth Daniels Babbage - Flora Elizabeth Daniels (1908-1999), daughter of Walter Scott Daniels (1863-1918) and Elizabeth Alberta Call (1862-1929). She married Lyman Clark Babbage (1905-1980). 

Jeryman - Thomas Jerymn was an upholsterer in Batavia, New York from about 1929 through at last 1944. 

Evelyn - Evelyn Clara Call (1895-1962), daughter of Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe. She married Francis William Hankins (1897-1983)

Philip - Philip Charles Hankins (1931-2006), son of Francis William Hankins and Evelyn Clara Call

Mrs Hankins - Mary Jane Kellam (1874-1944), daughter of John Ross Kellam (1830-1903) and Frances Maria Shafer (1846-1924). She married William Lucas Hankins (1872-1930). 

Frank - Francis William Hankins, son of William Lucas Hankins and Mary Jane Kellam. He married Evelyn Clara Call. 

Elizabeth - Elizabeth Ann Hankins (1929-2020), daughter of Francis William Hankins and Evelyn Clara Call. She married Richard Carl Wolgast (1923-2012)

The Keys of the Kingdom - The Keys of the Kingdom by A.J. Cronin was published in 1941. 

The Saratoga Trunk - Saratoga Trunk by Edna Ferber was published in 1941. 

Eileen - Eileen Evelyn Jones (1919-2015), daughter of  Malvern Smith Jones and Edith Alberta Call. She married James Gordon Lye (1916-2000). 

Herbert - Herbert Joslin Call, son of Irving Joslyn Call and Thelma Louise Keitel

Robert's  - Robert Vincent Call (1892-1961), son of Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe. He married Lucille Alice Hale.

Alden and family - Alden Malvern Jones (1915-2010), son of Malvern Smith Jones and Edith Alberta Call. He married Marie Elizabeth Bennett. 

Carolyn Elizabeth - Carolyn Elizabeth Jones (1941-1997), daughter of Alden Malvern Jones and Marie Elizabeth Bennett

Phyllis Morgan - Phyllis A. Morgan (1918 - 1974), daughter of Fred Burr Morgan (1888-1957) and Jennie E Metzler (1887-1918).  From at least 1920-1940, she lived with her Uncle Percy Mortimer and his wife, her aunt Effie Metzler.  

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