Missouri Memories

Henry S. Caulfield (1873-1966), Papers, 1878-1966

Folder 71 contains the 1929 diary of Fannie Delano Caulfield, wife of Governor Henry Caulfield. Henry, a lawyer and former U.S. Representative, served as governor of Missouri from 1929-1933. Fannie, the daughter of William and Mathilda Kroeger Delano, married Caulfield on October 2, 1902, and they would have four children: John, Elizabeth, Jane, and Frances. She died in 1961. The family moved into the Governor's Mansion on January 14, 1929.

June 5-June 8, 1929

June 5 (con'd): Helen Hilch was here Sun aft & left Mon morn. It is sweet to see girl hood friends. She is white haired but other wise unchanged.

June 6 Wed. Henry made the address at Westminster College Fulton today - Pleasant Trip - This afternoon old Cuba friends stopped & we had tea & sandwiches on the lawn overlooking our wonderful river. Mr. & Mrs. Barnett and Mrs. Glasser & Mildred. Our place is lovely.

June 8 Fri The flood waters have been coming down the Missouri for the past few daysand gradually across on the bottom lands a bayou has been forming until now the long & narrow strip of water is separated from the river only by a little (narrow) line of green. It is a placid lake reflecting the scattered trees & in contrast with the swift river current. Up and down stream the little town is more picturesque with dots of lakes around it & the thin church tower above it. Some ways my life is like fairy land

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Things I want come so easily. This morning as I stepped on a few feet of grass going to the summer house for breakfast I said to West "We ought to have a couple of stepping stones at the front of the porch, the dew is so heavy." This afternoon I passed the porch steps & the stones were imbedded in the grass. Four old cisterns are by the porch, remants of the "before water works" period. Henry lifted a cover & we looked down into the deep cistern. The tops of them were loose and a large child could lift them. Mother was troubled & felt them dangerous, as they were. So I called Raymond and told him to have the iron welded & padlocks put on. This afternoon I have the keys in my desk and the cisterns are locked up and safe. It is so easy here to do things. It seems unreal after the effort it has always been to get things acomplished. Now I have only to see a thing needs mending & say I want it fixed & and it is fixed. "The Gov. is like a little king" said the Japanese Ambassador & some times I think it applys to me. I hope I do not let it spoil me for regular life.

Well- I'm going to enjoy it all I can-