From cryptic entries such as these below, Days on the Family Farm was crafted. Check her for periodic updates or follow along at MayDavisDiary on Twitter.

Elmo’s neighbor, Frank Reid has a mechanical corn-picker and is helping Elmo husk corn this year.  George Picken has a new machine too. 

11-11-1929 Clear off about 9AM.  Warm.  We go Rockford.  Home by noon. F Reid & J’s man help us husk in PM.  At eve, Elmo go over with him to care for cow. 

11-12-1929  Still warm. Mostly cloudy.  Russell & Frank Reid help husk.  Geo Picken at J’s husking, but machine break twice.

11-13-1929  Rain last night & more today.  Grow colder in PM. Elmo husk in AM by hand. [Stock market hit a local low, down almost 50% from Sept high]

11-14-1929 Fred D here at eve.  Elmo husk by hand.  Cloudy but sun set clear & breeze by late PM.  No furnace fire thru day. 

11-15-1929 Froze last night, clear.  A beautiful night.  We go to Grange. Elmo pick corn in AM, we go to sale in Pecatonica in PM.

11-16-1929 Cloudy all day.  Elmo run errands in AM, pick corn in PM. We go Rockford at eve.  Joe finish husking. 

11-17-1929  (Sunday) A lovely day, warm.  We go to Whittle’s for dinner. 

11-18-1929 Cloudy all day & rain or mist much of PM.  Elmo husk corn in AM & go out in PM, but rain soon stop him.

Early November 1929, corn husking has just begun:

11-4-1929  Nice day. Elmo go Argyle for reach, then work on wagon box. Oilman detain him in PM, but he pick part load of corn.

11-5-1929 We go Rockford in AM. Stop at F Reid’s on way home & he say come to husk tomorrow.  S wind, nice & sunny.  Elmo pick corn in PM. 

11-6-1929 A lovely warm day.  No husking as F Reid go to look for cattle.  J in.  Elmo fix water system & clean out corn-crib.  Clarence hurt by husker.

11-7-1929 A fine day, frost last night. F Reid & J help husk.

11-8-1929  Cloudy early, then sunny & nice. F Reid & Joe here husking. 

11-9-1929 A lovely day. J begin to plow.  Elmo pick corn.  At eve we go Rockford.

11-10-1929 (Sunday) Rainy much of day.  Warm.  Rob & Maggie Watson call in PM.

In October 1929 the stock market is slowly drifting down as May & Elmo add to their house and put in a new bathroom. 

10-15-1929 Lovely day.  Men think water system is finished & turn on water at night.  Flood bathroom! Elmo at Cherry Valley in PM. 

10-16-1929 Lovely day. Elmo go Rockford. Work on water system when he back.  Mr Roberts to paint in AM & etc.

10-17-1929 All hustle & bustle.  Lovely weather.  Elmo take Roberts to Rockford in AM & help get them off.  At eve we go to Cherry Valley.  

10-18-1929 Warm & nice, tho some windy & grow cloudy late.  Elmo & Ed Fitch drive to Chicago for cattle between 8AM & 7:20PM.

10-19-1929 Rained trifle last night.  Partly cloudy.  Warm. Ed come.  Mabel at eve.  Annetta in.  Elmo plow. 

10-20-1929 (Sunday) Nice day, tho cooler some.  CK & J help Elmo get cattle from Perryville. In PM, we go for ride. Call at Aunt Aug.

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10-1-1929  Tractor man here & help fix tractor in AM.  About 11, Elmo get to plow.  Then men work at rye.  Thad finish carpenter work.

10-2-1929 Finish sowing rye & seed to timothy.  In PM, we go to Rockford.  Partly cloudy & some cooler.

10-3-1929  Cooler. Varnish woodwork in new room & oil floor.  Mr Roberts painted 1st coat on bathroom & dig at ditch.  Elmo helping Mat.

10-4-1929 Partly cloudy.  Men lay tile & place septic tank. Elmo go for more tile in PM. Put things into new room. Big frost last night.

10-5-1929 Nice day. Frost last night.  Men finish digging & laying tile.  Elmo also go to Capron in AM for tile. 

10-6-1929 (Sunday) Bright early, warmer.  We ride to Harvard, then thru Marengo, Belvidere, and on to Rockford for lunch. Call at Fitch’s. 

10-7-1929 Nice day, sun warm, wind cool. We go to Starr’s for potato digger. Elmo clean off patch and dig potatoes. Get about 20 bu. 

10-8-1929 40o above at 6AM.  Nice day.  Men cut & shock corn at “20.” Our pigs have been sick & dying for sometime. 

10-9-1929  Men work on water system, Elmo go Rockford most of day.  We clean sitting room.  Cloudy & a few sprinkles before dinner. 

10-10-1929 Dark, misty, chilly. Elmo hunt up vaccination instruments & men vaccinate 5 pigs.  Then work on water system.  Except Elmo go to sale near Pecatonica in PM.  Still have lots of grapes. Brought in much honey, 50 lbs.

At the end of September of 1929, May and Elmo are putting in a modern bathroom. The fixtures are delivered just in time for May's 56th birthday.

9-21-1929 Nice, warmer day.  Elmo work on building with Thad.  Mr Roberts come at noon & dig hole for septic tank in PM.

9-22-1929 (Sunday) A fine day.  Elmo go to Belvidere in AM.  Call at Asa’s. Florence & Ed here to dinner & supper. 

9-23-1929 Warmer.  Fine day.  Thad & Elmo work on building. Mr Roberts dig some more early & then plow at “10” for rye. 

9-24-1929 A lovely morn, but grow cloudy & rain. Elmo & Thad work on building half-day. Elmo plow in PM & confer with plumber. 

9-25-1929 Rained last night.  Lovely day.  Thad work till 3:45, Elmo until noon on house.  Then Elmo go for septic tank and later out to plow.  Plumbers bring fixtures. [May’s b’day]

9-26-1929 Slightly cooler.  Grow cloudy in PM. Thad and 2 plumbers here.  Elmo work on house, and run errands. 

9-27-1929 Warm, lovely day.  Thad & Elmo work on house, plumbers 2/3 rds day.  Marian, Minnie Samuelson, & Miss Marsh here.

9-28-1929 Sun out few min in AM.  Light rain. Thad & Elmo work in bathroom & closet.  Plumbers finish early AM.  Grange picnic at Rock Cut.

9-29-1929 (Sunday) Rain last night, gently thru day. We call at Starr’s, then to Whittle’s & they gone, stop at Kleckner’s on way home.

9-30-1929 A nice cool day. 56o in AM.  Some clouds. Elmo try all day to start tractor & go for parts, but it not go.  Thad work here. 

In the fall of 1929, not long before the stock market crash, May and Elmo are getting some work done on their house.

9-10-1929  Cool, windy. Mr. Reid paper 2 upstairs bedrooms. Elmo dig part of sink drain ditch.

9-11-1929 Nice day, warmer.  Mr Reid paper & paint hall & stairway & paint NE room floor. Thad Davis work additions to SW corner of house.  Elmo works with Thad except when he have to go for silo filler engine repairs & help men get out the machine.

9-12-1929 Cool & cloud up early, sprinkle few times thru day.  Thad & Elmo work on house additions. 

9-13-1929 Rain a little and tho sun out, cloudy most of day.  We all go Rockford in AM.  Elmo go for sewer tile in PM.

9-14-1929 Nice, cool day.  Elmo go Rockford on thresher machine business. Mr Roberts come late PM.  Mrs H Carlson call in PM. 

9-15-1929 (Sunday) Warmer, but windy. We drive to Kirkland & call at Starr’s.  Then go to see carpenters & for ride near to Durand.

9-16-1929 Rain before light & more thru AM.  Mr Roberts paint spare room, beat carpet & he & Elmo work on storeroom a little. 

9-17-1929 Thad come little late & after Elmo come from Perryville & Cherry Valley, etc, they work on building. Cold W wind. 

9-18-1929 Light frost last night.  Thad here and he & Elmo work on room till little after noon, then Thad to Belvidere bridge dedication. 

9-19-1929 Elmo & Thad work on building.  We finish cleaning upstairs. Starr in for timothy seed in PM.  Grow cloudy.  Cold.