1.63 Larry’s Diary, Aug 1951

1951 • Larry’s diary (age 17)
Aug 1  Ate at clubhouse 1st time in two weeks had both lunch and dinner. Slept and practiced in afternoon
Aug 2  Sent letter to Mrs. Crookshank about Bonnie. Sent letter to Mr. Wisler about scholarship to Idaho
Aug 3  Went home and got glasses from Dr. Grosso and got car back to Moccasin. Gave boys trumpet lesson
Aug 4  Went home at noon with car. Worked in store all day ordered film, washed windows, swept up. Saw shows My Friend and Copper Canyon. 2nd time Ima went
Aug 5  Went to Modesto J.C. with Don Grant. He got trailer for next year. Saw Doris Day in Lullaby of Broadway
Aug 6  Missed Tuolumne County Band practice and slept overnight at Pinecrest in Don Grant’s car. Saw show I’d Climb the Highest Mountain in outdoor theater
Aug 7  Went to Strawberry for breakfast then to Dodge Ridge. Refuse, wood, tree branches all over slope

Aug 8  Slept till four o’clock. Learning to transpose from sight from trumpet to bass. Practiced “Old Smokey” in trumpet music
Aug 9  Ed Glasscock got back from 3 week vacation. Borrowed $10 from Ken to send in for freshman camp
Aug 10  Still on night shift. Girl cut back of her foot badly at pool, cut 2 tendons in shower. Swimming lessons being given
Aug 11  Came into town and got car so I could ride into town tomorrow morning. Washed windows and worked in store
Aug 12  Went to Strawberry and played in Tuolumne County Band for the Elks picnic, about 300 or 400 people there, Lots of food. Pressey drove me back to Moccasin
Aug 13  Day off. Saw show Only the Valiant about army fighting the Indians. Saw Mr. Hagemeyer and wife
Aug 14  Day off. Went to Angels Camp alone and saw show Street Corner, abortion show. Got 2 books for $2.00

Aug 15  Bob Durham didn’t show up for work this morning from his 4 days off in San Francisco. Said he was going to find a job and go to J.C.
Aug 16  Paid Ken back $10.00. Cut foot at plunge on the heel. Practiced horn. Carleen and 3 girl friends drove with me to Moccasin
Aug 17  Florence bawled me out for eating too much, HAH. Don Grant went off to boot camp. Barbara Miles is going to get married.

Barbara Miles

Aug 18  Had electrical storms down below powerhouse acted up, generators started spinning on Ken’s shift
Aug 19  Had short change, played with bunch of kids at the pool. Ken got back from days off with Durhams gal.
Aug 20  Hitchhiked to town in morning, brought Dad’s car back for day shift. Took car back to Sonora for Tuolumne County Band practice and it wasn’t held. Took horn back to Wilkie and Sara’s home
Aug 21  Went Square dancing 2nd time. Left early and went to river with Ken and Roy. Played pinball machine

Aug 22  Carleen and Joyce came over and got car and I argued for Carleen to pick me up and take me to championship game in Escalon. She didn’t show up. Ken and I waited. No horn.

Carleen & Joyce Green 1951

Aug 23  Sonora All-Stars won sectional championship in Escalon, now to Napa. Walked from cut off into Jamestown at night
Aug 24  Got San Jose catalogue. Mr. Wisler sent me word that I could have a scholarship if I went to College of Idaho but I am now all set to go to San Jose State College
Aug 25  Bob Durham gave me his car for night without me even asking. Went square dancing and then to River Lodge and pin ball. Elaine is going to work there
Aug 26  Alan didn’t want to go to Jackson so we didn’t go.
Aug 27  Am going to work tomorrow night for Bob on night shift. My day off. Dad came over and got me after I got off work, called up Hogan
Aug 28  Bob Durham and Hazel got married at 11:46 this morn. Only a few there 6 or 8. I only one outside of family. Corky best man. Bob moved out of dorm. Went swimming after

Aug 29  Got check #5 for $159.38, $127.48 clear. Durham back to work on night shift. Went all the way to Angels Camp and no band practice
Aug 30  Took girls from Modesto to show. Ken in front seat with 1, me in back with 2. Carol and Jane Ferrie and cousin, in bed by 2, was up at 3:30
Aug 31  Went to State Fair with Stagman and Jake in Chevrolet convertible. Saw Rafael Mendez play, Jerry Colona in stage show. State Fair band played

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Barbara and Larry

Larry’s first girlfriend was Barbara Miles, the prettiest girl in his class. Smitten by her since the eighth grade, he walked her home after school, but hadn’t the nerve to take her on a date. In high school, he finally worked up enough courage and invited her to the prom. Mom and Dad were proud of how “all grown up” he looked in his new suit. But no one had told my brother how dates worked; he expected to meet Barbara at the dance and she was expecting him to pick her up at her home. She never came. He was by himself all evening bewildered why she wasn’t there and she waited home all evening wondering where he was. He never told Mom and Dad that she never arrived and that he was at the dance all by himself. He was too ashamed to ever talk to Barbara about it, and she never brought it up either. She married a sailor when she graduated.

to be continued …

© 2017. Catherine Sevenau.
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