Wednesday, March 16, 1938

Radio keeps reporting the news of tornadoes terrible at West end Belleville, Union School, factory, many resenditals [sic – residential]. 9 being dead & 26 injured so far; 3 blocks area; not very far from Township high school; happened about 5 o’clock. Henry & Leona & Billy [Willis] came. Bert [Bertille] went along to Walter Gregsons & looks just terrible nothing left but the house, & not a whole lot of it, porches of [sic – off] etc; but no stock or any one injured, wood sticking 3 ft. in ground across the road from his house, done more damage by downs by Red Bud Vanburen’s, Gueberts; Henry & stayed for dinner. Pap went to Smithton bought 2 pigs from Ed. Heap. $10.00. Eggs 15 [cents] found 98 today. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came Bert [Bertille] went along to Waterloo this afternoon, to see Rosie Kaestenier (nee) Mueth she died Mon. eve. from cancer; leaves a boy 11, who stays with Mueth girls in St. Louis; she has divorce from her husband he has remarried again; she is 47, laid out nice, pink dress at Quernheims funeral parlor; till Fri. morn. then to Hecker church & cemetery. Phi & Ed. are just recovering from auto accident, getting along fairly well at present. Quernheims have a funeral tomorrow afternoon to. Jac Rahn, Hy Rahn’s father 85 yrs. old; he is from Valmeyer; has an awful lot of flowers. Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came this eve; we had popcorn. Mrs. Orlet is very low.

Friday, April 24, 1936

Pap went to Red Bud; to Wm. Vogt bought a sow 165 lbs. @ 12¢ – to have pigs in a week, he delivered here. Henry came, went to Belleville & got the rest, brought Floyd home, he looks pale, hand all tied up, have to bring him back next Thurs. Mrs. Pete Matzenbacher is in the hospital at St. Louis, for cancer.

Monday, May 20, 1935

Raining again, sure terrible, no corn planted yet, its awful. Rose fixed paps shirt. Tiptown has euchre party at Burksville station tonite, was giving it for the last 2 weeks now; Farm Bureau has a meeting & movie show at Pautler’s farm tonite. Papa & Rose went out to Henry’s, he took the truck & went to Waterloo to Rahns & got a ice box for nothing, they were going to make kindling out of it, Emil came down, & helped to unload it. Eggs are 21¢. Pap got chain letter today Red Bud. Rose sent hers of 10¢ to Battermann of Carder. Ms. Qurin & Armstutz cow tester was here, but it rained so much, they didn’t go to it, coming again some other day. Mrs. Euler is in Red Bud Hospital now, was taken there since Mon; was to high at Mary’s Hospital at E. St. Louis, $1,000.00 for 1 mo; without nurse; she is awful bad, cancer of throat or jaw. Phil Mueth told that to Emil.

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 1931

Henry & Leona went to Belleville left the kids here. Mrs. Johnny Reheis died this morn. around 1 o’clock, she will be buried Fri. afternoon, she was sick for a time, had cancer. We all went to the wake this eve. stayed till about 12 o clock. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where going to stay all night. Ben Kerber a sales agent was here. Papa was in the woods this afternoon.