Catherine Sevenau

Opener of doors, teller of tales, family scribe.

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1.37 Larry’s Diary, Aug 1949

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1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15)
Aug 1  Sold boy U.S. album and kit. Band practice consisted of talk. Band has $320 in bank. Owes Pennies $328.70. Paid them $200.
Aug 2  Had dinner at Bob and Doris’ house. Had false alarm. Whole town on street. Polishing up horn completely.
Aug 3  Had a bad cold so stayed home today. Took bath and shined shoes. Slept until 1 o’clock this afternoon. Started to use amonised mercury.
Aug 4  Rearranged half of toy counter. Warehouseman lost about $5,000 in wages from strike so far. Carleen and Claudia still at San Francisco.
Aug 5  Got two turkeys from Scott for nothing, helped pick them. Dad cut off top of pear tree because it was about to break off.
Aug 6  Sent stamps back to Jamestown N.Y. without buying any. Carleen called up from Marysville twice to tell us she would stay two extra days
Aug 7  Learned how to stop and start a car going up hill. Drove for about two hours. Had a new priest at church. Short and heavy.

Aug 8  Got sick today and threw up tacos twice. Went to band practice but came home halfway through it because I was sick
Aug 9  Carleen came back from vacation. Nellie left for two week vacation. Saw show Barkleys of Hollywood. Jim there.
Aug 10  Went to opening of Sonora theatre. Got whole new front of tile and is very modern. Tulsa played. Saw C. Stewart and D. Curnow

Aug 11  Started to check wheeldeck completely. Had typewriter fixed at Fryles. Finished polishing horn, did the bell.
Aug 12  Went to donkey baseball game and left halfway through it.
Aug 13  Got autographed picture of Eddy Arnold signed to Dad. Slammed post office box door on little finger, will lose nail
Aug 14  Saw show at the Sonora Theater A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court with Bing Crosby. Had Franciscan Priest saying Mass this morning.

Aug 15  Got thousands of records from music store in Virginia City which went bankrupt. Got up at 6 this morning.
Aug 16  Dad went to city. I got some music stands for the band, also got books, valve oil, and electric trains. Am putting out records from Virginia City. Cathy’s birthday
Aug 17  Mr. Pressy was giving a trumpet lesson to one of the Drabkin boys. Got up at 5:30 this morning. Got lots of music in.
Aug 18  Heard amature program at Sonora Theatre over the radio, 11 year old girl won $2.50, a medal, and any record she wants at Dad’s store.
Aug 19  Got all of RCA records put in stock. Today was dollar day in Sonora. Mom went to Stockton and got 2 shirts.
Aug 20  Treena worked for last day because she had company coming up. Next week there will just be two in the store.
Aug 21  Went to show and saw Sorrowful Jones with Bob Hope. Everybody except Dad and I went on a picnic at Phenix Lake.

Aug 22  Cashed in one of my War bonds and got $19.75 for it. Got it Feb 1, 1946. Got 14 pairs of sox. Took music stands to the band
Aug 23  Got pictures in at Pitt’s. 3 for $3.00. Started to put away wheldex cards, over a thousand. Got haircut. Claudia wants to collect stamps.
Aug 24  Saw show Down to the Sea in Ships at the Sonora Theatre. Good show, had Dean Stockwell. Got 13 boxes of toys from Scrag-Stone
Aug 25  Von Sava won album and needle from our store on talent show. Got toys all out on counter.
Aug 26  Saw show Wizard of Oz. Walked out to bowling alley after show. S Reidel learning how to bowl.
Aug 27  Band played at Elks baseball game. Bought a second tube of ammoniated mercury. Stockton won game.
Aug 28  Saw show Mr. Belvedere Goes to College. The college was “Clemens U” very good show. New post office is beginning to take shape.

Aug 29  Had band practice. Peschic called music junk. Got sheet music orders for L. Knowles. She’s invited to go on H. Height program
Aug 30  The C.O.P football players arrived here for training. John Muzio got married and is on honeymoon now.
Aug 31  Went to San Francisco and Sellers, Decca, Warehouseman, Dunham, Cariagan & Town were all on strike. Only had one meal, drove back in dark.

Note: photo of the downtown Sonora Theater is from The Union Democrat

to be continued…

© 2017. Catherine Sevenau.
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Comments

  1. As I read Larry’s postings, I wonder if he still reads them and wonders why certain things were important enough to note. Wonder what my teen grandkids would write in a diary if they kept one? Thanks, Larry, for reminding us of how “normal” life used to be!

    • He does not still read them. I borrowed his diary and have been filling in days he left out. I call him on occasion when I can’t read his handwriting and he always goes, “I wrote that?”

  5. I love the diaries. Makes me wish I had kept a diary growing up. I admire how industrious your brother was. Always busy with many interests. Was the Sonora Theatre where the Bank of America building is now?