Margaret reads from her diary about her decision to take a bath every day, hot summer days when she played softball, her practice of violin, and her mom's return from the hospital.
Margaret's favorite doll was Daisy, the name it had when she got it. It was made by the company where her father worked. The company published three different advertising journals, and Margaret owned the journal in which Daisy was first advertised.…
Margaret's earliest memory is of no significance but quite vivid. She recalls that at eighteen months old she was standing at a door looking in, with a window to her left, and before the window was a table with a red-check cloth on it. She was…
Margaret reads a letter to her mother in which she describes her work in the library and what she earned. She tells of her expenses and asks her mother to pray for her so that she would earn more.
Within six months Margaret's family moved to Evanston and she continued Kindergarten there. There she had her first "disgrace" in school: she couldn't say the days of the week, unlike everybody else in her class
By February 1905 the Mortensons had moved to 1642 Washington Ave., Racine. Margaret and Kenneth visited the area and discovered that Washington Avenue was largely commercial. but 1642 was still there. That house is where Evangeline was born.
A.D. took a job in Chicago for additional income to support his family. He later found a house in Evanston and the family was able to move to the city. In 1969 Margaret and Kenneth visited the house and photographed it.
At the end of the winter the Mortensons found it difficult to continue to stay in Somers, especially for A.D. to be going back and forth in the cold weather, so before the fall they moved to Racine, Wisconsin, and they stayed at 1741 Villa St. In…
The Mortensons moved and took over a boarding house on Dempster St. That was when Margaret started kindergarten, and she remembers walking across a railroad track to school. Her sister Evangeline was adorable and everyone liked her, including the…
Margaret tells about her family's road trip to Michigan in the summer of 1923. Three tires blew up during the trip. They had to spend the night at the Gales home, the family of Alex, who used to date Margaret. He tried to reconnect with Margaret, but…
Another habit of the Mortenson family was family visits. They visited Grandmother often and many other members of the extended families. They visited people on both sides if the family.
Margaret tells the story of her family attending a Methodist summer camp. She wandered into a dining tent at the camp and, without her parents knowing it, had a meal. They had to pay for the meal, which they thought was too expensive and so Margaret…
Margaret remembers her second grade with Miss Stevens, and her favorite song back then, "Marching Through Georgia." They always had music lesson; it was just part of life
Margaret reads the first letter she received from Kenneth, wishing her Merry Christmas. It was a very brief note, written on "the most beautiful letter paper" Margaret ever had in her whole life.
Margaret recalls her first kindergarten project, a turkey cut out of paper and colored, and a sailboat cut out and put on a piece of paper. She also gives the names of her school teachers from kindergarten to eighth grade, and remembers one who was…
Margaret tells about her friendship with Lois McShane and the group of close friends that formed around them. She recalls their parties and other get-togethers/events. Some of the boys in the group dated Margaret.
Margaret's grandfather died in June 1907, at the age of seventy-one. Adelle and the two girls attended the funeral. The total expense of internment was $ 144.25
Margaret was introduced to sports in fourth grade, especially softball. She learned to play volleyball in fifth or sixth grade. In seventh grade she began playing tennis.
Margaret continues reading from her diary about the club of twelve boys and twelve girls, skating, getting angry at a tall boy who threw ice cream to Evangeline, and other things that happened at school.
Margaret reads a letter to her mother telling her about Kenneth's parents' visit, the poor health of Kenneth's mother, and her struggle with the weather in Princeton. She writes about Ned Stonehouse, a bright young man at Princeton seminary. When Ned…
Margaret wrote to her mother about a book by Arthur Judson Brown. He was expressing his point of view, and there were many differences in opinion, especially between men and women. They discussed with other missionaries about getting into the field.
Margaret's grandmother died before she was born, but she has one memory of her grandfather Estberg. He came one day while she was playing with other kids and he stood behind her, a very tall man dressed in black. His image is mixed up with that of…
Margaret remembers living in her neighborhood of children. There seemed to be children in every family. It might have been a community of middle aged couples.
Margaret was called by several names. Kenneth always called her Margaret, but Adelle called her Peggy of even Peggotty, which she tended to use in her letters to Margaret.