1951 • Larry’s diary (age 17)
Apr 1 Saw show Bird of Paradise. Mailed letters to N.Y., S Williams and J Cavallari in truck wreck. Janice broke pelvis bone in 4 places, hurt head, leg, back
Apr 2 Mac took me to see a man about a job this summer at the powerhouse. I HOPE – Durham already has job there
Apr 3 Cleaned up room and store. Told Mrs. Cassina about spring concert on April 12. May call off senior play. New kid in big band, Bud. Last ski club meeting
Apr 4 My music teacher, Mr. Max Hagemeyer, told me he gets $250 per month as a teacher. He also works summers at Pickering Lumber Company. Brought home horn and practiced. Dwain McD. lost and Joe D. won Lions speech contest
Apr 5 Track meet here with Oakdale. Only ran 440. Didn’t place. Bought $3.16 of fruit. 4 cans and bananas and oranges, apple cider
Apr 6 H.S. Orchestra played for “Brother Goose” – Soph play. Baseball team beat Ceres in 10th inning on Butch’s homer. Foster saved the day
Apr 7 Cleaned out box of things, threw out many things. Guy from Sacramento came in store, nice fellow.
Apr 8 1st day of last quarter. Switched from beginning band to 2nd band and 1st P.E. to 6th P.E. Saw show Halls of Montezuma about Marines.
Apr 9 Went to bed at 5 o’clock in afternoon and got up at 6 o’clock in morn and took bath. Started to clean out big box on floor
Apr 10 Got application blank for San Jose State. Won baseball and tennis match from Livingston. Saw show Kim. Played tennis 1st time this year with Sara Lu
Apr 11 Played 2 solos for Venture Club card party, “Yuba” and “Tramp”. They stunk. Paul Macias didn’t show up. I was only one.
Apr 12 Mom got letter published in the Union Democrat about city council and Dad
Apr 13 Lost baseball game to Oakdale making 3 won 3 lost in Valley Oak league
Apr 14 Mom, Dad and the Hagens went to Reno for weekend of gambling. Mom lost $90 in wallet. Cleaned up basement a little. Got coins and in bottles from Tatham
Apr 15 Maudine Murphy came to store and we practiced square dancing in basement, went for 1 hr. Kept store alone all day as Mom and Dad in Reno
Apr 16 3 cars of senior students went to San Jose State and Stanford to look at schools. I was the only one who stayed down. Went into Hoover Tower at Stanford – good view. On front page of San Jose Daily
Apr 17 Went to Vallejo. Met Bonnie’s sister. Walked them to store and ate and slept there. Met Bonnie’s friends
Apr 18 Went to Vallejo J.C. with Bonnie. Sat thru English. Took bus from Vallejo to San Francisco, saw General Douglas MacArthur in his huge homecoming parade, he was recalled by President Truman from Korea.
Apr 19 Back to school. Chinese cook died. Missed track meet at Ceres. Made out activities list. Paid $151.81 to Banner for Wildcat
Apr 20 Tennis team won again 8th time. Joe D. didn’t play because of bum back. Lost baseball game to Tracy in 9th inning, Sold pop. Got announcements
Apr 21 Got coins and stamps from Tatham, got new tennis balls. Cleaned up room. Went on driving lesson to Shaws Flat with Carleen and Mom
Apr 22 Played tennis with George Pinneli. Stockton beat Sonora in baseball
Apr 23 Asked Hagemeyer about most valuable music award. Asked Mom and Dad about new or used horn. Answer was no
Apr 24 Clean up day. Hagemeyer told me not to get horn—too expensive. Square Dance rehearsal with adults in gym. Went to P.E. first day this quarter
Apr 25 Played solo for Columbia P.T.A. Band had public rehearsal for open house. Danced most of the night for Open House
Apr 26 Went to grammar school Open House. Band had 2 tubas and brass choir. Played tennis until 5:30. Found out about activities list.
Sonora Grammar School
Apr 27 Went to Livingston and saw baseball game and tennis match. Saw Ceres band concert
Apr 28 Attended C.A.S.C. conference in Modesto. I got Bob Woodford and Ruth Miller to run and Bob was elected Treasurer. Stayed at Hotel Hughston last night. Played Volleyball. Marjorie
Apr 29 Daylight savings time starts again. Moved clock up 1 hr. Cleaned out and washed store window. Got stamps from Jamestown
Apr 30 Played night tennis 1st time, 25 cents per hour. Hagemeyer gave me music mag. Got A- in history test. Collected bill from Lee Wise.
to be continued…
© 2017. Catherine Sevenau.
All rights reserved.
Larry Clemens says
Thank you for taking time to decipher my pencil notes in my little diary. I would never have made the effort to try to read my poor writing so it is interesting to recognize my forgotten teenage years. It seems I was active in sports such as tennis, track, basketball, skiing and even dancing. However, I was never very good at any sport, but at least I tried. The only thing I excelled in was music and as a result I had a good reason to attend San Jose State College even though I had no family support or scholarship help. Dad preferred that I stay in Sonora and work in the Clemens’ music store which went bankrupt the year I went away to attend college. I did get a $20 gift at Christmas, and dad paid me back all the money I loaned him for the store from my savings. When I left Sonora I had a whole new life by going to college where I worked full time to support myself while finishing college in four years.
Catherine Sevenau says
Larry and Marian, I also would not have been able to attend San Jose State if not for the generous scholarship you gifted me. Thank you. My only going the one year saved you some money though!
As per the diary Larry, your writing is actually quite good. It’s that most of it being written in pencil makes it sometimes hard to decipher. Between the two of us we’ve done a good job on it!
Jim Chatfield says
Whew, wears me out just reading all he is doing. Wish I had his energy way back then.
Louise says
I love these and wait for them
Catherine Sevenau says
We have about another year to go! Larry stopped after his first year in college, I suppose because the diary was full.
Louise says
There is something so unassuming about him, and the way you portray your family is how books should be written. He takes disappointment in stride and never crows about his victories. I love it
Catherine Sevenau says
Larry hasn’t changed. My perception of me being “outside” the family and not “in” it, perhaps helps make me a reliable narrator.