Thursday, Dec. 21, 1933

Papa went out in the woods, this morn & afternoon. We ironed, & patched, got things ready for Christmas. Bill was at Henry’s today, killing sheep, I guess. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stoped [sic] here on there way down to Chris Buehlers at Red Bud. Bertille mailed Christmas cards & then went to Eliza Boll’s on business. Eggs are 15¢ at Eichenseers today. The Catholic School children are having a little program, this evening to surprise Fr. Aydt on his 1st Anniversary here, the parishoners [sic] should also attend. The way it reads in the paper, Eugene Bruns & Adale Weber must be married, cause it say Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Bruns, attended a birthday party at Millstadt.

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1933

Mr. Hill was around gathering news. George Wagner’s birthday was yesterday & Bernice today. They also had a program at the Public School last nite. There was a lady here selling “German Cleaner.” Mr. Ed. Weber, & Louis Armstutz was around get signers for the fire protection in Hecker, 10¢ mo.; they are going to use the fire engine, have 6 active members; Papa paid up for 1 year starting Jan. Leona send the bread along up with Helfrich today. We washed; fried in bacon & sausage; nice day. We find 2 doz. egg a day.

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 1933

It rained all nite & morning, we went to Belleville sold $7.00 meat, lard; exchange pork sausage for oranges, apples, pecans, from L. Dehn. We baked cookies, strung popcorn, made balls.

Monday, Dec. 18, 1933

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came helped butcher 195 lb. hog; had lunch, dinner, finished butchering at 2 o clock; scrubbed the basement. Went out & got a tree, then went to Aunt Marys played pinochle, awhile. Fr. Aydt, has a big tree, light, outside.

Sunday, Dec. 17, 1933

It rained last nite, heavy nearly all nite. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, came over this afternoon, & played 5 hand pinochle.

Saturday, Dec. 16, 1933

Papa got hair cut; him & Rosalia went out to Henry’s got a load oats. Baked Oatmeal cookies & pie this morning. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up, we all went to Red Bud to Mass. Jake Mauer’s sale, large attendance, papa bought rope & things, it was late till they started the household goods, we left afterwards. Buel Rascow was sale cryer, & John Schumacher, clerk; Mrs. Mauer is going to move to the city & her 2 daughters that are not married, will live with her, Bertha & Stella; everything brought a fair prize for bring cash sale. Mrs. Lizze Peiffer, 53 yrs. of age died last Tues. evening & buried this afternoon at Millstadt Cemetery she was Lizzie Hollerbach; married Chas. Peiffer, have 1 son & 2 daughters. Mr. Elmer Rittmeyer 32 & Miss Edna Rieso 19 are being married at Smithon [sic] Church by Rev. Hoste [? – unclear] at 3 oclock, wearing white dress & veil. Mr. Al Rittmeyer & Alice Mantle are the attendants & Miss Mabel Rieso Maid of honor & Aaron Papenberg groomsmen; one wearing peach, & the other green, with slippers to match; they will live in St. Louis, where the groom is employed, a private reception is held in Daabs Club house this evening for, invited several hundred guests. Santa Claus was in Hecker, Mertz store from 3 o clocks on.

Friday, Dec. 15, 1933

Papa went out to Nic Shaefer’s, took him long up to Henry’s, looked at the hog, traded to him for 4 pigs. Mr. Schaefer came this afternoon & pap & him went out & got him. Henry took the sausage to Waterloo, Mrs. Cleveland, stayed there with the boy’s, cause Willis has a cold. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up, we quilted, & Uncle Fred clean garden; we baked cookies this morn, hauled water in the cistern from Uncle well. Pap went to see Greenever’s clocking corn on Hepp’s land, they sell it at 35¢ bu. Ad. Rittmeyer intened [sic] buying from him. The Eliza. Ganley heirs are selling the place on Jan. 6, public.

Thursday, Dec. 14, 1933

Went butchering at Henry’s, had lunch, dinner, finished about 2:30. Helfrich hauled corn again. Mr. George Hepp is 100 yrs. old today, & healthy & strong; him & Henry Hepp, his son, keep house together. This evening about 9′ o clock we got telephone, fire at Henry’s, so we all got up & hurried out, George Wagner, went along, but they had it out already, the road men burned stump pile, in the field,  & high wind from the south, blew, a spark, & burned up some lumber, & chicken coops, behind the toilet, Al. Geodell, Emil, Al Cleveland, G. Henkel, Ed. Schieder, all where there, then they out the fire out, the stumps.  Henry was in bed; & got up to shut the door over in the kitchen, & seen the fire, so they called for help, right away; it could of been lots worse, then what it was, hadn’t been for him being up.

Wednesday, Dec. 13, 1933

We washed, hung in the basement, cloudy & rainy out today. Pap took the chev to Ed. Neff’s got brakes thigten [sic – tighten] for 35¢. Fried down bacon & sausage. Eggs are only 19¢ here. Helfrich hauled corn. We went out to Uncle Freds, sugar cured meat, & played pinochle.

Tuesday, Dec. 12, 1933

We went to Bellville [sic] sold $6.00 meat & sausage, & 8 doz. egg 30¢. Didn’t sell everything. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, got there sausage & grease; & payed for there hog. $3.35, top price. Today Emil is 50 yrs. old. We made tops for our cushions. It is awful cold today. Harry Wittenauer, is selling beef around, town. The men what are working on the relief fund, at the road, in Lords Corner, start at 8 oclock, quit at 2:30 get, 50¢ hr. $3.00 for 6 hrs. work, there is Pete Watchel, Georg Wagner, Robert Laut, George Boll, Walter Hecke, Hy. Emery, & a good many othere, Geo. Lorgberg is the boss. they started on Dec. 6 working.