Quoted Writings From Thelma's Personal Diaries

Mrs Thelma Lenore Hunter, (Steadman), Keller, May 6, 1956

This is grit and gravel picked up here and there by an old setting hen. 

  We knew many years ago, the fur profession was desperatley trying to persuade the white females to wear finger-tips of long haired monkey jackets, but they seem to be wiseing up a bit to the "signs-of-the-times and they didn't cover so good.  For the majority we had to revert back to sheep. But domestic mink farms have developed a most gorgeous silver-blue mink, that is really out of this world in fantastically beautiful workmanship when the final product is fininshed and on display!  The final, Union-made produce of the Master mechanics is representitive of domesticity in its finest aspirations of perfection and precision.  The Union label, the first thing I learned to spot when I was, seven years old, believe it or not.   My mother was also an exellent seamstress and type-setter for the Eureka in Springville, IA (she worked with the elder Charley Cash) before her marriage to my father.  Her parents were charter members of the Methodist Church, still standing, in Springville, which they helped to construct.   Mother's oldest brother Luther, being a "Master of Masonry" in that small community.  Her Father, a long-time "Odd Fellow", untill his demise.   Seven of us children were born to Mary Hannah Jones and William Lewis Hunter.   We learned that the "Home", is the alter, and all things being of the Lords' will, not ours.

We learned the meaning of the very first practical Union; The Printers' Union and label. (My oldest brother would not allow my mother to buy food or clothing without the "Union label".  He had a master-card, press feeder, apprenticed as a printers devil when he was 13 years old, in Anamosa, IA.

My mother worked with many doctor's along-side the women-fold of the Ladies Aide Society.

My oldset brother, Cloyd william Hunter, belonged to the Printers' Union here in Cedar Rapids, IA for a number of years; Press feeder at the National Printing Co. when Charley Barnes, was the manager.

There are many authentic records that identify my Mother as being of unimpeachable character thruout her lifetime and  devoted spiritual as well as physical attendence to care, tenderness and forbearance in performing her duties as a Mother, cook and housewife.

My Bachelor Uncle Nate drove a team of mules for deliveries at Gables Lumber Yard for over 25 years to buy and keep her home for all those years. Alos for our schooling, and during that time there was so much sickness and deaths in our family.

My brother Cloyd and Uncle Nate had come here first from Anamose, to rent a "modern house" for us, after they both had found employment.   My Uncle had been blind in one eye, since he had worm-spasms when he was about a year old.  Mother had taken most of the care of him so his intellect may not have been great, but he never in his life smoked or drank and was kindness personified to a fault.  Still he developed a sense of reasoning and kindness of character that made us all love them dearly.  They were of course wholey unprepared financially to cope with disease, plagues and so forth of WW1 and the depression.   And in later years had to face the fact of not ever having their own home again.

  Two years after my final Civil divorce from Clarence Clyde Steadman, (and full custody of my daughter, Wilma Leone, with alimony of 12$ a month that I never could collect.) Mr Bernard Erwin Keller and I were married, in civil ceremony, at Crown Point, Indiana.  We first met in the home, (22 room, Old Brewer''s Mansion)of Mr and Mrs Hamilton J. Armstrong, originally from Cedar Rapids, IA; or rather, we had known her here, as Mrs Josephine Cornish who with her hhusband, had started and opperated the old Jewel Cafe, Down Town, 1st Ave. and we had been going steady for a long time, and while I had my Rooming House, that is Mr Keller and I.                        Yes, we got along very well.  Neither of us had been, or were drinkers or crousers and we liked the same entertainments, that intelligent, literate people do.