Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
February 1887

Milwaukee County Police Department

These diaries are a mixture of work and family affairs of William Bramwell Sizer. William was on the Milwaukee Police Department and a member of the Sherman Street Methodist Episcopal Church, later transferring their membership to Kingsley Methodist Episcopal Church and died in 1916. The diaries give a pretty good view of life in the years involved. The diaries were given to me for presentation on this site by family members see contributors page.

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FEBRUARY 1887

2-1-1887
Split wood & chored. PM- I took Minnie & Walter up to Karkers & then borrowed K's Cutter & went to Jakes. Got home at dark & went to K's after Minnie. They made me stay to supper & we got home at 9:30 o'c. Snowing & blowing from the east.

2-2-1887
Walter went to Grandma's today. Snowing all the forenoon. Minnie & I went to Saukville & I did some trading. We took Bon & K's Cutter & came up the river. I took the cutter home home & then K & Pa & Jimmie & Will Mc. & I shoveled the road from the Grainry to the cross roasd. Our hens laid 13 eggs today. Henry Grady's little girl died this morn.

2-3-1887
Cut down some trees in the woods this forenoon & did chores the rest of the day. Also banked up the straw stable.

2-4-1887
Cold this morn. Ther. 10 below at day light. Pa helped me haul down the trees I cut yesterday. Laura came home today & said that Jaske & Henry went to West Bend to see the Horse Doctor. They left her school at 9 AM & got back at 2 PM. Jimmie & the girls went to Port in the eve. I rode over to Jakes & walked back. H. Grady's girl was buried today. There were 21 teams in the procession.

2-5-1887
Weather moderate. I cut fire wood. Filed my bick saw. Pa helped me saw a while. Laura was here to dinner & Walter went home with her. I churned in the eve & cut Jimmies hair.

2-6-1887
Rained & turned to sleet. We staid at home all day. Eva & Alice came over in the eve. At 6:30 Henry Laubenstein & his sister came here to spend the eve. We went over & had a sing & then came back & visited awhile. They went home at 10:15 o'clock.

2-7-1887
Raining today all day. Worked for a while on the incubator. Went to Saukville in the eve. Jimmie let my cows out & cleaned the stable. Thawing tonight. Walter doesn't feel good.

2-8-1887
Rained a little this morn. Cleared up & stopped thawing. Wind blew some. I cut down some trees for wood & did the chores.

2-9-1887
Clear & fine this morn. Jake came & we sawed firewood all day. At noon we worked out an evener for Pa & he trimmed some trees for us.

2-10-1887
Helped Pa get out a tree for a crotch. I took my rifle along & shot a red squirrel. Commenced raining about noon. I got Nell & hauled down three loads of wood from the woods. Commenced snowing early in the eve.

2-11-1887
Snowing very hard & blowing a gale this morn. Growing colder toward eve.

2-12-1887
10 deg. below zero this morn. I split wood & chored all day. Eva came over in the PM & sayed all eve.

2-13-1887
Eva stayed all night last night. Our folks went to Port. We went to Laubensteins in the morn. & to Geo's. in the PM. Geo. brougjht us as far as Balbachs & we walked the rest of the way. Stopped to get Walter & stayed till 8 o'c.

2-14-1887
Raining some this morn. Went to the fair. Sold two Roosters. Took 5 bags of feed to the Mill & got 64 lbs, of Bran for the chickens. Met Supt. Reich. He spoke for the Board while working in this part of the country. Reich came back before dark.

2-15-1887
Commencec laying up eggs for the incubator. Henry & family came at 10 o'c. & at noon Geo. & part of his family arrived. They wanted to come while the ice was good. Weather warmer. thawing some. I went to Saukville after my feed. Met Ev. coming from school. Asked her to ride down with me. which she did. Reichert & I went over to hear Ev. play.

2-16-1887
Haled down some wood from the woods. Split some. Hauled a load for Pa & chored. Colder today. Ev came in this morn & spoke with Reichert. They went to Port this eve. Pas & Ma went to Jakes. Ev came here to supper.

2-17-1887
Wind East & south. Hauled in some straw from the stack. Commenced raining at 1 o'c. Pa got a jag of wet straw for bedding. Rained very hard all PM & eve.

2-18-1887
Raining some this forenoon. Growing colder towrad night & snowing some. I got Jasons tools & worked at my incubator nursery. Reichert didn't get back last night. Geo's. Willie came tonight to stay over Sunday. We looked for Reichert tonight but he didn't come.

2-19-1887
Split wood all the forenoon. Afternoon - We got Karkers cutter & went to Port. I got two shoes set in Bon'd hind feet. We got home before dark. Sold some butter & canned fruit. Also some eggs. Willie staid with Jimmie.

2-20-1887
We went to church. There were 10 of us in one load. We drove Bon & Nell. Tjhe preacher rode with us. Nonnie & Ellen Race came for him. We staid over to our folks for dinner.

2-21-1887
Pa helped me haul in straw. I got it all in. Lutfring sent word for Pa & I to come down & see him about School Dist. Biz.

2-22-1887
We went to the Farmers Institue to day at Cedarburg. We left Walter with his Grandma. Laura, Alice & Ev went along. We staid till after the evening session. Got home at 11:30 PM tired out.

2-23-1887
Pa & I got K's Cutter & went to the Institute again today. I drove Bon. The Insitutue was largely attended by ladies & gents. I was benefited by going.

2-24-1887
Straightened up this forenoon. Hauled 4 loads of horse manure down to the river lot. Went to H. Schultz's to spend the eve. Got home at 11:30.

2-25-1887
I was taken sick during the night & was sick all day. Minnie did the chores in the morn. I got out after dinner & did the evening.

2-26-1887
Walter sick this morn. Weather stormy. Rain & Snow. Storming very hard this morn. Snowed & drifted all day. Jason came here in the eve.

2-27-1887
Clear & cold. Still blowing. I went over to Jakes to preaching in the PM. Got back after dark. Walter staid with Grandma while I was gone.

2-28-1887
Drew 3 loads of manure to the river lot.

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