When Kenneth and Margaret started dating she once commented about a girl that she thought was pretty, to which Kenneth remarked that the girl's neck was dirty. The next time he saw Margaret her neck was red: she had washed it to the point of…
The Mortensons moved to Wheaton and bought two lots with the intention to build. The house ended up costing much more than initially planned, and following the death of A.D., Adelle struggled financially with the expenses on the house. She eventually…
Margaret remembers the Wright family who lived next to the Mortensons. The two families were not friends but good neighbors, She remembers the Wrights' house as often dirty. Mr. Wright became a fine professor of chemistry at Wheaton.
Margaret's senior year was not a good one: Kenneth was away, dad was ill, so life wasn't fun anymore. Kenneth and Margaret wrote letters quite often. Margaret tried in vain to turn Kenneth on to poetry. Margaret remembers the commencement events and…
The Mortensons' cottage in Stony Lake was built in the summer of 1922. Margaret reads a letter from her father about the building of the cottage and his hope to get back to work after his first stroke.
Margaret's father went back to work after some ten months of interruption for illness. He was the Curtis Publishing Company's credit manager. The company had very high standards and a lot of strain was involved in A.D.'s position there.
Margaret reads two December 1924 letters from Kenneth about her father's illness and him stopping working again. She describes her father as very melancholic and unable to sleep or work, though he was able to get around.
Margaret reads a memo from her father about the sale of their house at 2400 Harrison St., Evanston. It was a comfortable house, well-maintained and clean.
Margaret tells again of Rufus Park, who took her father on an evangelistic tour in 1925. The goal was to reach with the Gospel people who were living in out-of-the-way places.
Margaret reads letters from her mother about building a house and selling it for profit. One letter mentions the people she trusted for the buying of a lot and the building of the house. It turned out that she entrusted her resources and her projects…
Margaret reads from her journal about learning that she had been elected as freshman class patron. She tells about her first duty--to chaperon freshman outings.
Margaret tells about her mother Adelle trying to start a Café (it was very hard to find a place to eat in Wheaton). But the owner of the bakery where she wanted to do it would not spend the money needed, so Adelle gave up the idea.
Miss. Torrey arranged with Margaret's mother to spend the day at her home because she lived too far from the college. This was good for Adelle to enjoy some company, especially after the death of her husband.
Margaret tells about Miss Torrey, a brilliant but eccentric Bible teacher at Wheaton College. She had very acute hearing--she once heard the whispering conversation of two boys in the back of her classroom who were discussing the affairs they were…
Adelle and the girls went for dinner on New Year's day. They stayed for a concert and then went on to call on the McShanes. Mr. McShane revealed to Adelle the plans for Balanchard Hall and other renovation projects.
Margaret recalls the coming of J. O. Buswell to the presidency at Wheaton College, replacing interim President Welsh who wanted to keep the position. She tells how Buswell's involvement in College Church split the congregation. Buswell himself was…
Margaret tells about her mother writing her about the completion of the Pierce Chapel, which did not have a balcony at the time. She remembers the building of the church and its beginnings.