Keep a Diary

How did Mr. Hollifield remember all those decades of facts? He was a prodigious notetaker. Throughout his life, on scraps of note paper, in day books or tablets, he would record the events of the day, deaths, tragedies, the weather—anything he thought he might later want to remember.

In fact, he wrote one note advising you, me and everyone who might read it—to keep notes.

How many people now living in Forest City can even tell the year the electric lights was first flashed on the streets of Forest City?

The old man in a rocking chair, in the yard, in suit and tie, with two young grandkids. — Robert K. Moore with grandchildren (Anne, daughter of Elmer and Laura Hollifield; Bobby, son of Bill and Mary Hollifield Boger). About 1951.
Photo courtesy Christine Boger Haynes

I’ll give you not only the year, but also the month, day, hour, and the minute the lights were first flashed on the streets of the town of Forest City.

The time was 15 minutes after 4 o’clock pm and the fourth day of June in the year 1910.

Now this may not be very interesting to a great many people and may not be very important to know, but if in years to come, if someone was to ask you when or about how long there had been electric lights in Forest City, you would be glad if you could give the information.

So, write it down in a book so you can refer to it any time.

All along through my life I have jotted down a few things that I thought I might like to refer to in later years to others yet to be born. I have written down the date of the death of many citizens in the county, state and nation.

I want to say to the younger generation that if you will keep a diary of all important events and the date of the death of your friends, both rich and poor, and the date of marriages, for if you live to be old you will see the time that you will want to refer to these dates and many other things which you might make a note of.

Also find out who your grandmother was before she married and your great grandmother and know something about your family tree. There are many things that occur during your life that when you get to be old you will wish you could recall the date and the circumstances concerning it. So, jot down these things that occur while you are young and have them to refer to when you old, and pass them on to the next generation.