Wednesday, July 11, 1934

Went out threshing again, had them for lunch, carried it out, & had dinner & lunch again, then left for Levi Ganley’s. Papa & Rosalia were hauling wheat all day, taking it home in chicken house. Henry threshed 1085 bus. wheat, we got 361 bus.; one of his fields average 24 bus. to an acre. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary had to leave & go threshing by Henry & Oscar Birkner. It got awful cloudy & rained a little, in Jacksonville, Ill: there was an awful Tornado $75,000 damage. & in Smithon [sic] it was pretty bad, trees all torned [sic] to pieces, houses over roofs off. It looked awful black in the north. Eggs were 9¢ but now up to 11.

Friday, June 8, 1934

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came this afternoon had lunch here, we all went out to the cemetery, cleaned lots there. M.C. Lutz manager of the Waterloo Coal & Supply had $73 stolen last Sat, while he was at Country Club Opening; they have no clue so far. Chas. McDermott spent a few day with home folks, he is now at Palos Park, Ill. Kevin McCarthy a camp boy, spent Sun with home folks; he is in Willow Springs, Ill. taking training for the reforestation camp; Mike McCarthy son Dr. Scott of Mo. is now in business with Dr. N.B. Pautler of Waterloo. Rose & Bert went to Waterloo with a load wheat, 7 bus. got 87¢, sack flour, soft wheat $3.15, went to J. Horn, got a new hub cap put on Whippet.

Saturday, June 24, 1933

Papa got crushing done this morn. Osie Neff was telling him that Bruns are all sick but one, got tyhoid [sic – thyphoid] fever. Roy Gregson of Red Bud had his machine stolen. George Schilling is going to start in threshing Mon, if it don’t rain. There is a big street dance in Chester, Ill. tonite. Miss Frances Schilling is taking her habit today & in two years [words crossed out]; Odillo Eichenseer has to take Mr. & Mrs. Joe Schilling there going to leave today. Misses Martha Schilling & Helen Kectriz left yesterday also for Indiana to take in the performance. Fr. Aydt, is going today to, to be there for tomorrow, & then go to the Worlds Fair; George Wagner & family came over this evening. A lady got 5 doz. eggs 8½¢ & selling fruit jars & bonnets.

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 1933

Rosalia & Bertille went to Red Bud to church, to see the wedding of Herman Geossling & Adelia Wagner, it was a low mass, no boquets [sic – bouquets]. Mr. Slyvester Kaubreck & Frieda Wedel where best; the bride wore, royal blue dress with lace sleeves, & white hat & black shoes, the brides maid wore dark red dress & head band, the men wore dark blue business suits. There where no relation from his side at church, a few of heres where there. Papa went out on business this afternoon, & to Waterloo to get his watch repaired. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary camed up this afternoon, to get a check cashed from Henry’s but they didn’t send it near all, so she wants papa to write a letter to John Hempe at Carrollton Ill.

Friday, Feb. 3, 1933

Rosalia & Bertille went to church this morning. Robert Laut was here & bought that little spring chicken 2 lbs. 25¢. It is a pretty nice day. Bertille got the mail. Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s, he wants to take the fence out along the road. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary wasn’t at the wake last night, Jerome Cortner had invited them to a birthday party some place; so they are going to the wake tonite. Joe Sommer’s the barber have another little baby girl born Jan. 29 at St. Clement’s Hospital at Red Bud. Joe is giving a free haircut to the one that selects the right name to be given to the child. Mr. Erwin Eichelmann, son of Mr. & Mrs. Eichelmann & Mrs. Olga Hauptfleisch of Columbia were quitely [sic] married at Springfield Ill. on Wed. Jan. 25. They are making there home with the groom’s parents, east of Waterloo. Walter Monike of Lords Corner motored to Prairie Du Rocher last Wed. evening & received 3 prize on playing violin. John Hepp who has been down for the past 3 weeks with kidney trouble is reported about in the same condition. Mrs. Walter Hecke is employed as nurse. Wm. Laut is no better, he is troubled with Rheumatism. There was a man here wanted to sell the St. Louis Globe & one here wanted boarding place, he is the constructor for building the bridge west of Hecker, he says, going to start next Mon. & wanted a room. Rosalia & Bertille went to see Angela Eichenseer this evening, it was also Mrs. Vic birthday, Clarence Wittenauer was also there, we played pinochle, papa came over & got us when the store was closed.

Wednesday, February 1, 1933

Rosalia & Bertille went out to Uncle Freds remodeled dresses, had dinner & lunch. Bertille baked lemon pie there. We heard the Accidentals, Chas Hill & them played over the radio at noon hr; they had a good many tunes requested from all over, some from Waterloo, Sly Miller was one having his birthday today, they advertised the dance what he is giving at Brezzy [sic] Hill tonite. Mr. & Mrs. H. M. Hill & John Horn, from Hecker, & some from St. Louis, East St. Louis, Mo, different parts of Illinois, it was nice. Papa took dinner along & went out in the woods. Adolph Spalt’s had a pond digging frolic yesterday. Dr. Irwin died & will be buried Fri. morning. Mr. & Mrs. Wm. Grohmann christened there baby girl Lucille Mildred last Sunday. Mr. August Ettling’s mother died at Smithon [sic]. There is quite a few people that is on the sick list at present. It is in the paper that a $25,000 suit was brought against Mr. & Mrs. Julius Armbruster of Smithon [sic] by Dominick Klein, for slander, saying that Klein’s owend [sic] a couple farms, then go out begging from people, or state.

Friday, August 28, 1931

Henry finished plowing with the tractor this afternoon up here, he had lunch then left for home & left the team & wagon here.  Rosalia dyed her dress wine colored & washed the green one.  Adolph Rittmeyer’s wife is awful bad sick, she has rhemutaism [sic] of the heart & diabetes, they also have a nurse there.  Mrs. Ben Rausch is on the sick list.  Hecker’s ball players had a lucky day last Sun, the first team played at New Athens scored 6 to 3.  The Juniors played Smithon [sic] here & scored 10 to 9, Hecker winning both games.  William Birkner is erecting a furnace in his dwelling.  This week is State Fair at Springfield, quite a few from here attended.  The Hecker Public School will open on Sept 1, Greg McCarthy teacher.  The Misses Frances, Martha Schilling returned home Aug. 20 after an extended tour through the northwestern states.  John Eschman of Waterloo passed away suddenly Wed morning Aug. 26 at 1 o’clock.