DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Adelia M. Hoyt memoir and photographs

Transcribe
Translate

Page 50

50 UNFOLDING YEARS

It was about this time that I renewed my acquaintance with Hattie Rowell. Because she later played such an important part in my life I wish to devote a few lines to her here and now. I first met her some years before when I was visiting at my sister Mary's. Hattie was a young girl then whose parents lived in the country; and she was boarding with my sister and attending high school. I believe we were mutually attracted to each other. After we moved to Des Moines, the Rowell's decided to leave the harm and build a house in University Placee. This they did and again Hattie and I were thrown together and our liking increased to a lifelong friendship. Although ten years my junior and differing in many ways yet we found much in common, and I was able to help Hattie with her school work while in return she gave me many pleasant hours in going places. There were also Jennie Hancher, Alice Allison and the Grinelle girls, Gene and Julia; with these and a few others we formed a little group of congenial souls.
Hattie soon had a young man attending her. This was Ira j. Hoff a teacher of Penmanship at Drake. She brought him to see me and in course of time they became engaged. Hattie was generous in this as in all else and willingly shared her young man's time with me -- and soon Ira too was among my lifelong friends. We had much in common. We both loved books and the great out-of-doors! We three walked and drove together and spent long summer days in the woods where I learned to know birds and flowers as never before. In winter we attended lectures at Drake or more frequently spent a quiet evening at my home reading some new or favorite book. In this way we enjoyed "Beside the Bonnie Briar Bush" and "The Doctor's Story", by Ian MacLaren; and other books new in those days. With the other girls of our crowd we sometimes had all day excursions and picnics in the country, or we filled the Rowell "Surrey" and took long country rides. Sometimes there were other young men along or trailing on their bicycles. I believe Ira was happiest when he was the only man in the crowd of girls -- at least he was always at home on such occasions.

Saving...

50 UNFOLDING YEARS It was about this time that I renewed my acquaintance with Hattie Rowell. Because she later played such an important part in my life I wish to devote a few lines to her here and now. I first met her some years before when I was visiting at my sister Mary's. Hattie was a young girl then whose parents lived in the country; and she was boarding with my sister and attending high school. I believe we were mutually attracted to each other. After we moved to Des Moines, the Rowell's decided to leave the harm and build a house in University Placee. This they did and again Hattie and I were thrown together and our liking increased to a lifelong friendship. Although ten years my junior and differing in many ways yet we found much in common, and I was able to help Hattie with her school work while in return she gave me many pleasant hours in going places. There were also Jennie Hancher, Alice Allison and the Grinelle girls, Gene and Julia; with these and a few others we formed a little group of congenial souls. Hattie soon had a young man attending her. This was Ira j. Hoff a teacher of Penmanship at Drake. She brought him to see me and in course of time they became engaged. Hattie was generous in this as in all else and willingly shared her young man's time with me -- and soon Ira too was among my lifelong friends. We had much in common. We both loved books and the great out-of-doors! We three walked and drove together and spent long summer days in the woods where I learned to know birds and flowers as never before. In winter we attended lectures at Drake or more frequently spent a quiet evening at my home reading some new or favorite book. In this way we enjoyed "Beside the Bonnie Briar Bush" and "The Doctor's Story", by Ian MacLaren; and other books new in those days. With the other girls of our crowd we sometimes had all day excursions and picnics in the country, or we filled the Rowell "Surrey" and took long country rides. Sometimes there were other young men along or trailing on their bicycles. I believe Ira was happiest when he was the only man in the crowd of girls -- at least he was always at home on such occasions.