"My Horse Won - Gallant Fox!"

Ruth Kellogg, pictured in flapper garb, was not a gambler.  Neither was husband John, unless he was buying a business, a factory building or apartments to rent.  He always believed he could swing whatever it was by hard work.  He and Ruth had been married almost a year - June 1, 1929 - and were weathering the Great Depression..

However, 85 years ago Ruth did bet on the Kentucky Derby at work, which was the offices of retailer Montgomery Ward..  I wonder if it was her first bet ever.

Saturday, May 17, 1930
"Sixteen of office secretaries, (me too), bet a quarter a piece on Kentucky Derby horses ($4.00).  My horse won - Gallant Fox.  It's hard to believe.  Monday I'll get the money."

When I skimmed through this on the first reading, I thought she had bet $4.00!  Then I realized that it would have been a huge amount of money in 1930 with everyone losing jobs and cutting spending.  The 25 cents Ruth did bet made a lot more sense.

As kids in the 1940s, my brother and I had a horse race board game with a spinner that pointed to a number, determining  how many spaces your horse could travel on your turn.  There were 6 or 8 horses, all Kentucky Derby winners.  One of them was none other than Gallant Fox.

Ruth's First Granddaughter is Born in 1966

Lynn is in her crib at 4 months old in Mt. Prospect IL at the right.  In the picture below, she is just 4 days old, with new mom Diane in the living room of our apartment in NYC (Riverdale).  It was May 16, 1966, a sunny, cold day for late Spring and we had just driven home from Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan.

Ruth's diary on May 12 says, "No word yet (3 PM) from N.Y.  Am taking pills to ward off a cold and not doing much - just pot roasting beef for supper and knitting & watching TV.
     Dan phoned about 10:20 PM.  Diane had a little girl, about 6 lbs - name Lynn Meredith.  All O.K.  She went in at 9 AM.  Up at 2 AM and birth about 9:45 PM (Central time).  I phoned Beth & Ken the news."

The following day Beth (brother Ken's wife) sent flowers from both families.  On the 16th Ruth flew in to help with the cooking, washing, baby care until May 25 when she flew home again.  During the time Ruth  was with us, Dan flew into Chicago Fri night through Sun night and bought a house in Mt. Prospect.  We had made a list of what we wanted and he followed it.  The house was 3 or 4 blocks east of the 4-year-old Randhurst mall.

"I'm Kind of Worried..."

This picture of Grandma Esther Webb Kellogg Wood (John's mother), Kenny Kellogg and Ruth Meredith Kellogg was taken in Ann Arbor within a few months of the time the entry was made in her diary.

September 21, 1935 - Saturday
"I'm kind of worried, as I just heard an extra paper about Austin Maniac beating another woman today - that's about the 4th this month. First is in serious condition in hospital.

Baked a sponge cake& made lime Jell-O veg. salad for tomorrow.  Bought rolled veal roast.

John home early enough to eat good meal & I got dishes done before time to go to show.  Saw 'Orchids to You' - John Boles & Jean Muir."

Ruth probably meant to say that she read or heard about an extra edition of the newspaper concerning the "Austin Maniac."   Ruth's preparations for the following day were for her father's birthday.  Jim Meredith was turning 55 on Monday, Sept. 23.  Lottie, Jimmie and Jim went upstairs for the celebration.  At that point, the three Kelloggs were living in the flat above the Merediths.  John had bought the Sealtex business the year before and was still working very long hours, at least 6 days a week.  Because Ruth was back in a familiar neighborhood with her parents and brother, she was happy in spite of John's being gone so much.

Ruth's 3rd Granddaughter, Katherine, Born in 1970

 The top picture shows Diane and baby Katherine in Aug., 1970 at age 4 months.  We were sitting in the family room in the Mt. Prospect house.

The second picture shows a very smiley Kate at 8 months in Dec., 1970 playing with an old Playschool toy.  She was born at 6 lbs., 9 oz. on April 22, but the first time Ruth saw Kate was in Lutheran General Hospital on April 25.  Ruth had flown in earlier in April to help with Lynn and Cindy.  Lynn was 3 years, 11 months and Cindy was 2 years, 9 months.  At 63 the little ones and house were a lot for Ruth to handle, even for a short time.  Dan was going to work and also fitting in friends and other activities whenever possible.


Sat., April 25, 1970
"I saw baby Katherine Diane in hospital nursery this afternoon with eyes wide open and putting on a show for Diane & me.  Diane hadn't seen her eyes open before.  She is a cutey - very much doll-like.  Diane looks good too  Was in a pink perma-prest duo gown & robe - short.

Felt more rested today with Dan here.  I got his suit from cleaners and left one there - also bought a list of groceries he made out, at Jewel near Lutheran General Hospital.  Dan went to see Diane tonight and I put girls to bed.  He got fried chicken out for supper.  I warmed up steak and beans.

Diane had first story acceptance - $10 - in Baby Talk."

I'm not sure what the story was about!

A Big Family Birthday Party for Ruth's Granddaughter Cindy - 1968

The photo shows Cynthia Jo Pellettiere with her mom, Diane, in  Cindy's bedroom in their first house in Mt. Prospect IL. Cindy (probably 18 months) is wearing a green jumper made by Grandma Ruth Kellogg.

Floridians Ruth and John were visiting us to enjoy and help with Cindy's first birthday party (July 13). Ruth's diary entry is not in Pieces of a Life, nor is the picture.

Sunday, July 14, 1968
"A hot day.  I fixed deviled eggs while Diane arranged the buffet table this A.M.  Lynn wouldn't nap so had to be amused somewhat while Cindy slept.  I phoned Mom & arranged to get them at 3 P.M.  

It was bedlam here after Vi's Schnauzer dog arrived on the scene.  Then, even though they put the dog downstairs behind gate, Lynn hung on Dan & Diane, so it was very hard for them to handle food end of the party.  The crying was bad & D & D very nervous.  We couldn't do anything to relieve them.  All the P. family was here and we had 4 tables in yard.  I took (finished) one roll of movies with some help from Marie & John's daughter, Debbie.  Vi & I did up dishes before they had to leave for another party about 8."

My recollection is a little different.  I was walking in and out of the kitchen with food, drinks often - and on one trip, saw that Cindy was crawling on the grass under the tables, chasing the dog, Hughie.  Before I could get to her, Hughie had finally had enough - turned around and snapped at Cindy - but did not bite.  Everyone saw it and that's when Hughie was "jailed" behind the gate.

The "Mom" that Ruth refers to is her mother, Lottie Meredith, age 81.  Ruth picked up brother Jim (age 57) and her mother, who had moved to Mt. Prospect, living there briefly before moving on to Florida near the Kelloggs. Lynn was 2 years and 2 months old.  The house didn't have air conditioning, so was very uncomfortable in that hot summer.  We did have it put in later that year.

Ruth's World in 1990

Sept. 8, 1990  
A SURPRISE GIFT (the diary from Amparo)

"So - I start using it NOW - the date of receiving.  Amparo here to keep me company now & then.  She decides & comes for a few days at a time - it's up to her.  As I don't have a car anymore, it's a nice interval when Amparo comes & we go out to eat a meal 'here and there'."

Amparo is Ruth's daughter-in-law Nellie's mother, 7 years younger than Ruth.  Nellie would figure out when Amparo would go to spend time with Ruth as a companion and paid her for doing this part-time job about half of each week. It was a way to keep Ruth in her apartment a little longer.  That would change soon.

There's also a note inside the diary that says, "Dear Ruth,  Happy Birthday   Love, Amparo"

Ruth's birthday was July 5.  Perhaps Ruth set the diary aside when Amparo gave it to her and began to use it in September.  She only wrote about 15 times, starting on Sept. 8 and ending Nov. 5.  These were small pages with a writing area of 3 1/4 by 3 3/4 inches.

Ruth's gradual withdrawal into dementia started years before in the late 1970s or early 1980s.  John passed away in January, 1987 at the age of 87.  By the fall of 1990 when she was 84, Ruth was still living in Horizon House on the Causeway between Clearwater and Clearwater Beach, FL.  She and John had moved there in 1966 when it was a new building.  They had 2 bedrooms, 3 baths and a den with a couch that could be a bed.  So there was room for visitors like the Pellettieres.

The photo is earlier, from 1979.  You can see that Ruth (73) and John (80) had been playing tennis with Dan (age 43).  The missing player, Diane, took the picture.  I'm sure that our 3 girls, Lynn, Cindy and Kate, were at the pool or beach nearby, but not in the picture!  Neither the diary entry nor picture is in Pieces of a Life.

The Kelloggs Travel to Ann Arbor and Buffalo in 1940

 The pictures show John, Diane (4) and Ken (9) standing by the Lincoln Zephyr in Lancaster NY and Ruth standing in front of the car, probably on the bridge between the US and Canada near Niagara Falls.

On Friday, Aug. 16, Ruth, Ken and Diane took the "streamlined Mercury train" to Ann Arbor to visit John's mother, Esther, and his step-father, G.A. (Guy Ashford Wood Sr.).  John joined them by car on Wed., Aug. 21, bringing gifts.  One was a GE Iron for half-sister Sara Jane, who had just surprised the family by marrying Ellis Tobey when her parents were out of town.  The others were an automatic toaster for G.A. and a juicer for his mother.  Maybe anniversary gifts?

On Aug. 23, the Kelloggs took off for Niagara Falls and Burlington Beach, Ontario.  They drove to Grand Island, where Esther Webb Kellogg Wood had grown up on a farm and where John spent part of every summer as a boy.  Esther was the granddaughter of Potato Famine Irish.  Many of her relatives lived on Grand Island.

Saturday, August 24, 1940 - Went on
The Kelloggs also saw the Falls from the American side and went into Buffalo to stay over night at the Graystone Hotel.  John had grown up in Lancaster and Buffalo. Before leaving, they drove by the home owned by John's much-older half-brother, George Kellogg. They didn't stop, I'm sure, nor make any attempt to see George and his family.

Blood isn't always thicker than water.   John felt early in his life that his Scottish-English Kellogg relatives looked down upon Charles Kellogg's young second wife, Esther, because she was Irish.  Perhaps John thought that he and sister Dorothy were regarded as a step below the other Kelloggs.