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[Identification of item], [box #, folder #], Jessie Stoutamyer Diary, 1905, 1911, SC 0059, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
Donated by Don L. Brown of Staunton, Virginia in August 2016.
The donor acquired the diary at an estate sale in Churchville, Virginia in the early 1990s. According to the donor, the last resident of that estate was Vivian Stoutamyer.
Jessie Jackson Stoutamyer was born November 12, 1892 in Lone Fountain, Virginia, a small community in Augusta County. She was one of eight children – George Eakle (1874-1911), J. S. (1878- before 1900), William E. (1881-1923), Sue Ella (1885-1976), Guy C. (1887-1963), Daisy (1890-1960), and Roy Samuel (1897-1969) – born to Andrew J. (1847-1925) and Sarah "Lula" Carlton Stoutamyer (1854-1929). Stoutamyer was unmarried and according to the 1940 census was living with her brother Roy, also unmarried. She passed away March 2, 1986 and is buried at Green Hill Cemetery in Churchville, Virginia.
The Jessie Stoutamyer Diary, 1905, 1911, consists of one bound, and primitively hand-stitched, diary kept by 18-year-old Augusta County native, Jessie Jackson Stoutamyer. The pages are irregular and appear to be used paper bags. The presence of an address stamp on a few pages indicates that at least some of the bags originated from a business at 20 West Main St. in Staunton. The diary spans January 1 through August 30, 1911, with a final entry mentioning her brother George's death on October 11, 1911. Stoutamyer's entries chronicle her daily activities and family news with frequent mentions of her siblings. She describes doing chores on the family farm (sawing wood, planting garden, and milking cows), keeping house (quilting, washing, cooking), and the comings and goings of her siblings and neighbors. Stoutamyer's final entry describes the passing of her eldest brother: "George died October 11th 1911 and was buried the 12 on my dead sisters birthday. I would like to be a million miles away from here." The sister referenced in this entry is likely "J. S.," the two-year-old daughter of Andrew and Lula Stoutamyer who is listed on the 1880 census. She is not listed on any further censuses.
Also included is a separate sheet on which Stoutamyer transcribed "The Yellow Rose of Texas." An inscription is located on page two of the transcript. It reads: "Writon [sic] by Jessie Stoutamyer, Lone Fountain, Va., June the 12, 1905." While Stoutamyer was clearly literate, her frequent misspelling of simple words (stoar instead of store) and incorrect use of homophonous words (male instead of mail) indicate limited schooling.
The diary and "The Yellow Rose of Texas" transcript are housed in one letter folder.