Book 02, Diary of J.P. D’Ooge from 1887 October to 1890 June

Title

Book 02, Diary of J.P. D’Ooge from 1887 October to 1890 June

Creator

Electa Jane (Jennie) Pease D'Ooge

Description

The diary of Jennie Pease D’Ooge dated from October 1887 to June 1890 chronicles the D'Ooge family's increasingly busy homelife, social engagements, and activities in the community, as well as the career of Jennie's husband, Benjamin L. D'Ooge, a professor of Greek and Latin at Michigan State Normal School in Ypsilanti. In July 1888, they move from Ellis Street to a rented house at 423 Ballard Street. The couple's first daughter, Ida Joanna, is joined by a second, Helen Irene, in May 1889. The diary records the children's milestones and daily occurrences, especially the phrases and mannerisms of little Ida that Jennie finds funny. Ida's "baby talk" provides a glimpse of the D'Ooges' parenting styles and values. Jennie regularly suffers from "bilious headaches," has a number of dental visits, and experiences pain after weaning Ida and again when beginning to breastfeed Helen, the children are occasionally afflicted with stomachaches or sore throats, and "La Grippe" briefly sweeps through the family during the 1889-1890 influenza pandemic, but overall the family is in good health.

Ben publishes Colloquia Latina in 1888. He and Jennie appear to be gaining financial stability. They purchase real estate in Detroit and Grand Rapids, in addition to investments in Minneapolis and Sault Ste. Marie, and in June 1890 buy land on Normal Street on Ypsilanti, where they hope one day to build a home. Jennie sews some clothing for herself and her daughters, but more often she hires a seamstress or orders custom garments from a dressmaker in Pennsylvania. Jennie is again assisted by a live-in nurse during and after childbirth. The family employs a series of young women, including Phebe Crownover from the Industrial Home for Girls in Adrian, to help with housework and childcare. They adopt a kitten, followed by a puppy, whom they name Rab.

Outside of the house, the D'Ooges are heavily involved with the First Congregational Church of Ypsilanti. Jennie is elected secretary and treasurer of the Ladies' Aid Society and president of the Young Woman's Missionary Society, teaches the Sunday School infant class, and participates in the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor (YPSCE), Home Missionary Society, and Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). Ben steps down from his role as president of the Young People's Missionary Society (YPMS) but continues as deacon and becomes superintendent of the Sunday School. Both are also active in academic and arts organizations in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. She is a member of the Sappho Club, a music appreciation and performance group, and the Ladies' Literary Club in Ypsilanti, and he participates in University of Michigan alumni events and goes to Schoolmaster's Club in Ann Arbor.

Jennie and Ben spend time with their siblings, parents, and extended family in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids. They visit Detroit to shop or conduct business. Their summers are spent at a shared cottage in Charlevoix, where they boat, fish, and relax outdoors. In August 1889, a sailboat capsizes in Lake Michigan with Ben and his niece, Jennie Utterwick, aboard. They are rescued, but it is a frightening experience. Jen Utterwick dies of tuberculosis in December.

Date Span

1887 October to 1890 June

Subject

Ann Arbor (Mich.); Art and recreation; Baking; Books and reading; Breastfeeding; Charlevoix (Mich.); Child rearing; Childbirth; Childhood; Children; Choral music; Church entertainments; Clothing and dress; College teachers; Community and college; Congregational churches; Cooking; Dentistry; Diaries; Dinners and dining; Discipline of children; Dutch Americans; Etiquette; Extended families; Families; Family recreation; Fatherhood; Female friendship; First Congregational Church (Ypsilanti, Mich.); Food; Friendship; Gifts; Girls; Grand Rapids (Mich.); Grippe; Home economics; Homeopathy; Horse-drawn vehicles; House cleaning; Household employees; Infants; Influenza; Interior decoration; Language acquisition; Laundry; Manners and customs; Marriage; Medicine; Michigan State Normal School; Michigan, Lake; Missions; Motherhood; Music; Musical recreation; Neighborliness; Outdoor recreation; Pandemics; Parenthood; Parenting; Parents; Play; Pregnancy; Railroad travel; Recreation; Sewing; Shopping; Social life and customs; Societies and clubs; Sunday schools; Theater; Toilet training; Universities and colleges -- Faculty; University of Michigan; University towns; University women; Weaning of infants; Women in missionary work; Young families; Ypsilanti (Mich.)

Collection Location

Box 2

Cataloger

Alexis Braun Marks, Katie Delahoyde, Luis Pena

Relation

04.JD

Rights

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the owner, Eastern Michigan University Archives (lib_archives@emich.edu).

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the owner, Eastern Michigan University Archives (lib_archives@emich.edu).

Abstract

Ainsworth, Irene R. Blodgett, 1845-1924; Angell family; Angell, Fannie Cary Cooley, 1857-1934; Angell, James Burrill, 1829-1916; Angell, Sarah Swope Caswell, 1831-1903; Ballou, James Madison, 1816-1888; Barbour family; Barbour, Cora Titus, 1854-1932; Barbour, Florus A., 1856-1926; Bellows, Charles Fitz Roy, 1832-1907; Bellows, Julia E. Walter, 1833-1924; Boucher, Ida Joanna D'Ooge, 1887-1973; Brooks, Kate Glover, 1867-1955; Cheever family; Clark family; Clark, Helen M. Innes, 1844-1927; Clark, John H., 1835-1903; Codington, Anna V. Springsteen, 1844-?; Codington, Edward W., 1841-1910; Cooley family; Cooley, Mary Beatrice, 1873-1944; Cooley, Mary Elizabeth Horton, 1830-1890; Cooley, Thomas McIntyre, 1824-1898; Cowell, Annie F. Sester, 1851-1921; Cowell, Edward R. E., 1845-?; D'Ooge family; D'Ooge, Benjamin L. (Benjamin Leonard), 1860-1940; D'Ooge, Electa Jane "Jennie" Pease, 1857-1937; D'Ooge, Martin Luther, 1839-1915; D’Ooge, Mary Worcester, 1849-1946; Daily, Helen Irene D'Ooge, 1889-1977; Deuel, Obil 1808-1891; Fairfield, Emily Frances Fairchild, 1822-1914; Fairfield, Miner Wynn, 1823-1901; Fraser, Archibald, 1844-1906; Frieze, Henry Simmons, 1817-1889; George, Sarah Wadhams, 1847-1928; Gibson, John Jefferson, 1851-1902; Gibson, Mary "May" Clark, 1862-1946; Glover, Nancy J. Kishlar, 1835-1920; Goodison, John, 1834-1892; Hattstaedt, Kate May (Kittie or Kitty) Castle, 1855-1961; Hay family; Hay, Jennie Feazell, 1850-?; Hay, William, 1844-1915; Hazlewood, Jennie Johanna Quintus, 1854-1923; Holmes, Eliza, 1852-1937; Holmes, George, 1852-1932; Jones, Amy E., 1838-1902; Jones, Elisha, 1832-1888; Lambert, Maria B. Griffin, 1833-1896; Lodeman family; Lodeman, Augustus, 1840-1902; Lodeman, Franziska, 1842-?; Long, Phebe M. Crownover, 1869-1896; Lovell, Almira ("Allie"), 1864-?; Mahon family; McLaughlin, Andrew C., 1861-1947; McLaughlin, Lois T. (Lois Thompson), 1863-1941; McMahon, Lois A., 1851-1898; Moore, Laura E. Whitley, 1865-1947; Morwick, James, 1807-1891; Morwick, Minerva E. Pease Codington, 1813-1883; Muir, Helen B., 1853-1930; Owen, Anna Foote, 1847-1945; Parkhouse, Flora Cattermole, 1867-1945; Pease (Frederic H.) family; Pease (Galusha Jackson) family; Pease, Abbie Hunter, 1865-1953; Pease, Frederic H., 1839-1909; Pease, Galusha Jackson, 1815-1894; Pease, Ida Irene, 1854-1924; Putnam family; Quintus family; Quintus, Catherine W. Souffrouw, 1824-1903; Quintus, Jacob, 1821 or 1822-1906; Quintus, John C., 1856-1921; Quintus, Nellie A. Nellis, 1862-?; Shattuck, Charlotte C. "Lottie", 1870-1950; Sill family; Sill, John Mayhelm Barry, 1831-1901; Sill, Sally Beaumont, 1833-1903; Stanley, Jane C. Mahon, 1862-1940; Stannard, Mae E. Lambert, 1864-?); Stannard, William L., 1859-1929; Strong family; Strong, Edwin A., 1834-1920; Strong, Frances P. "Fanny", 1868-1944; Strong, Harriet Pomeroy, 1835-1888; Strong, Lillie M., 1863-1948; Switzer, Eva A., 1855-1933; Touchstone, Ruth Hay, 1887-1968; Utterwick family; Utterwick, Eleanor D’Ooge (“Nellie”), 1840-1928; Utterwick, Henry, 1840-1928; Utterwick, Johanna M. ("Jennie"), 1870-1889; Utterwick, Katherine ("Kate"), 1868-?; Vandewalker, Nina C., 1857-1934; Verdier family; Verdier, Frank Lawrence, 1879-1956; Verdier, John A.S., 1838-1911; Verdier, John Walter, 1873-1952; Verdier, Leonard D'Ooge, 1877-1962; Verdier, Maria Joanna D’Ooge, 1846-1913; Verdier, Martin D'Ooge, 1881-1956; Vroman, Ruth Bullock, 1849-1900; Watling, Eunice Wright, 1842-1922; Watling, John Andrews, 1839-1919; Weeks, Willis A., 1852-1892; Westerhoff, Jennie D’Ooge, 1850-1934; Whipple, Charlotte A. Pease, 1819-1896; Worden, Minerva E. Faxon, 1842-1906