The 231163 Diaries: Samuel H. Reynolds.

That Day  This diary entry is hand written by Samuel H. Reynolds (1892-1977) found in a collection of photographs, letters, diaries, and other materials pertaining to the Quigley and Reynolds families of Bellefonte PA and Lancaster PA which is available at archive.org.  Glancing through the materials they don't seem to have been a particularly remarkable family.  Perhaps an author in their past.

We're beginning with this entry because it highlights what might be revealed as this entries are collected together.  That what seems like a seismic moment, the assassination, so often portrayed in film and television as a moment when the country and world stopped will have been for most people just something which happened in the background of what was otherwise a fairly routine day.

Mother died.

Party cloudy.  Rain. -

At N. Y.

Up at 7.35 after being up most of the night with Mary. Breakfast. Worked in apartment on accounts and dishes. Mary and I had luncheon in apartment. Worked on checks. Mostly on radio and tv about President Kennedy's death and memorial services. Paid some bills and shopped at A&P and got loaf at Delicatessen. Mary and I had dinner in apartment. Really quite nervous - anniversary of mother's death.



Except as you can see it wasn't a routine day, not really.  At the top, Reynolds has noted it was the day of his mother's death and in reading we realise its an anniversary and he's still taking it very hard so what looks like a routine day could be interpreted as someone getting on with things, keeping busy.  Most of the entries I've seen are just the incidents - this is a rare moment in which he records his emotional state.