Newlyweds Are Busy (But One Is "Fussy") in 1929

Pictured: John and Ruth Kellogg honeymoon in Detroit and Ann Arbor (June,1929) after their wedding in Chicago.  Ruth is wearing her flapper-style cloche, coat and dress.

Saturday, Aug. 10, 1929 - "I hated to get up this morning.  Too tired.  I was busy finishing up work in the office this morning.

This afternoon I baked a pineapple upside down cake and ironed some clothes.  After the dishes were all washed, John and I got ready & went to Rose Roberts' home where we met her husband for the first time.  We had supper right away & then all of us did dishes & then played bridge.  Had good time.  They are so nice.  Home 12:00."

In one of Ruth's diaries - perhaps in the 1930s - she mentions that Rose Roberts "is getting a divorce."  Ruth and John were both working on Saturday morning for Montgomery Ward, so a 5 1/2 day work week.

Sunday, Aug. 12, 1929 - "Read paper before I did anything else after getting up.  I was on the run and had John busy too until about an hour before Fullers came at 4:00.  Papa called up this morning and told me to stop fussing so much.

Fullers, especially Mabel, were very appreciative and we all enjoyed ourselves.  The meal was good too.  There wasn't a thing that Mabel hadn't seen, but she was good company while I was preparing meal.  They had all gone by 8:30."    The "fussing" may be something Mama (Lottie) mentioned to Papa and had him pass on to Ruth.  She and Ruth were very close - only 19 years apart in age.  I'd think the fussing was part of adjusting to marriage while working, taking care of the apartment, entertaining friends.  These diary entries were not in Pieces of a Life.

Ruth is Busy with Friends, Family, Clubs in 1964

Ruth is shown feeding Philip Alan Kellogg here in late 1960.  She was helping with his younger brother, baby Roger Winslow Kellogg, at the time of the diary entries in 1964.

Ruth (57) and John (64) had just returned from 7 weeks in Florida when the diary entries were written.  They were still living in Oak Park where Ruth was involved with many First Baptist Church activities and other friends as well.  She was also the guiding hand for her mother and brother, who lived 2 miles away in Chicago - and helped Ken and his family in Westchester.  Diane and Dan Pellettiere were living in NYC.

Monday, Feb. 24, 1964 - "Letter from Diane with Beth Israel Hospital return address.  We phoned her tonight.  She's to be there a week and home a week.  Sounded good.  Went to Mom's for a few hours and forgot to bring my plants home!"    I think I had a bladder or kidney infection when I was at Beth Israel.  Lottie Meredith was 77 by then.

Friday, March 13, 1964 - "Letter from Diane asking if her room is available when they come in for first 2 weeks of July.  Of course we are writing right back that it is and always has been.  She is leaving 'sleeve' question to me - so I'll try to satisfy her with a small sleeve in dress.

Advised Mom to take tranquilizers to calm down.  Flat still not rented as of A.M."  Ruth also mentioned helping with the church circle meeting in the Colonial Dining Room that day.  I had asked Mom to make me a dress a week or two earlier - which is what the sleeve query is about.  Lottie Meredith had a small 2-bedroom flat above their 3-flat on Iowa St.  That caused a lot of stress on Lottie and son Jimmie, but provided some income.  I am surprised about the tranquilizers.  Both Jimmie and Beth were probably taking them.  Lottie's husband, Jim, had died about 20 years earlier.

Friday, May 16, 1964  - "Beth phoned - was depressed - so I drove out and brought Roger back for the nite.  (Philip was napping.)  Roger coming down with a cold.  He settled down by 9:30 for the night."   In skimming through the 1964 diary, I saw many entries about taking one or both of Ken's little boys for a day or two.  Beth was having a rocky time in those years.  Her own mother, Vera Tharp, a dietician, was most likely still working and was not from the Chicago area, so Beth called on Ruth for help.

Ruth Meredith Kellogg Turns 24 in 1930

The photo shows Ruth in 1930 wearing a black fox stole John had given her for her birthday.  They had been married one year in June.  
Saturday, July 5, 1930 - "I'm 24 years old today.  Folks gave me hose -- also rec'd 3 birthday cards.  Made a big bowl of potato salad.  More varnishing & polishing.  Went to show with folks & had ice cream at Walgreen's."

On June 25 Ruth and John had moved from 4705 Byron in Chicago to 5841 W. Superior St.  The "varnishing and polishing" is in their new apartment.  Ruth's parents, Lottie and Jim Meredith, helped too.  They did not live far from Ruth and John.  The unpacking and getting settled went on for several days.

The Great Depression was in full swing, but John and Ruth still had jobs in July.  Ruth bounced from one job to another at Montgomery
Ward as the sales dropped and people were fired.  She must have been well thought of because it would have been easy to fire her when a job she was in was eliminated.

Tuesday, July 8, 1930 - "Very tiring day.  John brought a mirror and end table home without consulting me!  He was late too!  Started to eat without him.  Took hot bath."

John is the kind of guy who wants to get things done right away - very industrious.  To him, it doesn't make a lot of difference which mirror or end table is picked, just that the task is done while Ruth would be concerned with the color, style, etc.  Neither the picture nor the diary entries are in Pieces of a Life,