Friday, Dec. 23, 1938

Still cloudy. We got Christmas cards from Fr. Orlet, Josie Keller, Irene Helfrich, Gusta Dudenhoeffer. Shelled popcorn, cleaned etc. Christmas Program at Blackburn School this afternoon, couldn’t go to much mud & Hecker School has there to nite. Everybody welcome.

Sunday, Dec. 11, 1938

Went to Red Bud 7 o clock. Leo & family came, Marita stayed with pap, & Bert [Bertille] went along with them to Belleville to redication [sic – rededication] of St. Mary’s Parish Blessing by Bishoff [sic] & mass by Frs. Orlet, Kaiser & Hoff; beautiful church & much larger, lot of people at church; had dinner for priests. We came home, had dinner here, pap cooked. Bill [Klein] & Bert went to Henry’s this eve. playing cards; had pie cake etc.

Good Friday, April 15, 1938

Went to service at 7. & this afternoon from 1:30 stations & sermon at 3 oclock. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary were up morn. afternoon, working garden. We planted out 16 tomatoe plants. Caught 18 fish out of pond, boy! swell dinner. Berts [Bertille] work shoes came fit fine. $1. from Chicago Mail Or. Seen in Messenger. Fr. J. Orlet & St. Marys Choir, will broadcast Sun. on Messenger hour WJMV. Fr. Joe going to build the church larger & have a tower for bells; were now there outside on brick floor. $25,000 plan. Marriage license of Hy. Bruns 35 & Marcella Whitside 19 were in paper yesterday. Bert [Bertille] baked cake, for Red Bud cake sale tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 5, 1938

Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt Mary] & Bert [Bertille] went to Mrs. Griffins funeral she was 31 yrs. old. pallbearers were Noel Roscow, Gus Frisch, Wm. Harbaugh; 3 fellows from her side, from Freeburg. Had a Solemn Requeim [sic] Mass; by Aydt, Orlet, & Shoemaker, who gave her the Catholic Instructions. Fr. Aydt had a very nice sermon, church was crowded, buried her at Waterloo cemetery were the twins are also buried; 2 girls. Henry came brought the truck & got his car; got $9.25 for his calf. Steve Stiffler came this eve.

Saturday, March 26, 1938

Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came, we went in with them to Waterloo, & went out to Paderborn church, with Henry & Leona, church was full couldn’t all get in; so many priests. Fr. Joe [Orlet] had the solemn Requiem High Mass; walked to cemetery, Fr. Aydt had sermon; she [Mrs. Orlet/Leo’s mother] has a concrete vault; she was 64 yrs. old. The pallbearers were Hy, Aloys, Dominic, Andy Roth & Ray Herman, John Mueth. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary, pap went to Percy Starr’s sale this afternoon. Levi Sensel stopped in looked at horses. Pap came home with Grosse from Columbia, he bought a plow here for 25 [cents]; but didn’t take it along.

Thursday, March 24, 1938

We went to Leo’s today, washed etc. planted potatoe. Mrs. Orlet passed away at 1 o clock this morn; to be at Quernheims tonite. Robert is 12 yrs. old today. Beautiful day; had light frost this morn. was supposed to be 34. Pap went to Smithton Bank. Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came, we went along in to Quernheims, Mrs. Orlet is laid out with black dress & white collar & gray coffin, looks natural, has lot of mass cards, & 4 bouquets flowers; there were quite a few people there this eve. Fr. Joe [Orlet] prayed rosary.

Thursday, Dec. 30, 1937

Rained a little today, & Boy the roads, terrible mess. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary wanted to go to Belleville, got as far as Sphalts’s land, turned around, & went home again, couldn’t make it she said. Pierre Laut came, asked for permission to go hunting on our ground. Geo. Wagner butchering today. Rennecker & Laut helping got it from Hy. Armstutz. Sure warm, but cloudy & south wind. The mail carried Schmidt has been going around the last several days, well all week, so far with the buggy & horses; some trip, & some mud. We got Christmas card from Fr. Joe Orlet Mon. Sun starting to shine.

Thursday, June 17, 1937

Rain last nite & all morning showers. Bert [Bertille] washed few clothes & dresses, A. [Aunt] Mary’s front door curtains. Ed. Watchel & Lester Bruns both have new second hand cars. Mrs. Jake Helfrich is being buried this morn. at Paderborn, church at St. Mary’s [ed. note – should be St. Michael’s], then out to cemetery. She is Louis Mueth’s daughter, sister to Mike, John & Joe. Helfrichs have 12 children 7 boy & 5 girls. 1 girl died; pretty large family. Jake is manager carpenter for Relief Work. on the W.P.A. Project at Belleville. She was 43 yrs. ill 3 mons. taken to hospital on Mon. Fr. Orlet has charge of funeral, Fr. was sick to, had touch of pneumonia, but is better again now. Went to Waterloo 13 bus. wheat @ $1.18 best price; got paint for house, stopped at Henry’s; he is building a toilet, in ground one. Went to Wagner’s, Berniece fainted this morn, turned real blue & pale, called doctor, he says stomach trouble, she ate to green cherries yesterday; Mehrmann got the eggs @ 16¢. we had 8 dozen.

Friday, May 28, 1937

We went to Fr. Eschmann’s funeral at 9:30 the priests & relatives had dinner in Memorial Hall, they buried him at Belleville in afternoon, went through Hecker at 1:15 – 40 cars & 4 police cops; pretty large funeral but not like Fr. Stern’s; according to the size of church & parish, we stopped at Henry’s had dinner there Leona & Floyd & Billy [Willis] stayed at home; Fr. had so many bought bouquets, took them all out before mass; were also quite a few priests there, in Red Bud 87. Bishoff made sermon, also another Monsigor; he [Fr. Eschmann] looked natural, only didn’t have no glass lid, like Fr. Stern; otherwise same coffin. Querherheims [sic] in charge, we all got pictures in remembrance of both priests, he was 75 yrs. old; was born at Belleville. Uncle Fred & A. Mary were up this afternoon; working. The Catholic School children have there play this eve. the quilt was won by J. Griffin; hall was crowded Aunt Mary said; Fr. Orlet & Feonnies & Ayal. were present.

Monday, Jan. 25, 1937

Rose came down helped wash, brought theres along, had dinner here & Bert went along back, we all went in to Belleville this afternoon. Isd. stayed in by Fr. Orlets for the present till he finds a job. Beautiful day. A fellow here for something to eat. Sure terrible flood in Eastern states, everything under water; one place were just the church steeples can be seen, & sickness with it also, Cairo had 24 hrs. to move out this morn. & afternoon has 2 ft. level already, they want to dynamite the river there, all through Ohio, Kentucky, Tenn. all places, they take 600 [people] off every town they pass through in boats & place them in Churches, school houses etc. Gertie Cortner came, to see Bert awhile this evening she works by Monike.