Monday, Jan. 3, 1938

Went out butchering at Henry’s had dinner. Oliver Ruhel was here, working on agricultural problems. Nice day.

Friday, Aug. 27, 1937

Berniece brought the egg basket over, Mehrmann got 10 doz. eggs. @ 18¢. Cooking catsup, perserves [sic] made coffee cake. Canned 3 qts tomatoes & 3 peaches yesterday. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came cut lawn, puled [sic] 2 gals. peaches for her. Ruhl came measured land. Mrs. Martin Karban came this eve. wanted peaches, but we didn’t have any picked past then & to dark to pick.

Tuesday, May 26, 1936

Beautiful day, warm. We baked bread & cherry coffee cake, we picked about ½ gal. cherries; some are green yet, birds help themselves also; so we might get a few more yet. Eggs are 16¢ now. We sent a book ticket to Dupo, that we received from there, for the benefit of Sacred Heart Church there; on a Ford V.8 .25¢ or 5 chances for $1. Henry was up at Meng’s; with the mares.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were up this afternoon, him & Rosalia took 18 bus. wheat to Waterloo got 87¢. Mrs. Renneker has a coffee demonstration at her place this afternoon, Mrs. A. Braun & Erna, Alma & Katie Klotz, Lena Meng, Clara Wagner, Mrs. Hugo Probst; lady doing the work, also Olive Laut is there. Clara Wagner came here & invited us to come to her place on today a week, June 2, she is going to have it, she won a dish, now by giving it at her place also, she gets a pyrex set. We planted the rest of sweet potatoe [sic] plants out, got the row & filled, 360 plants. Send for tennis shoes for Aunt Mary. Mr. Will Rhul & daughter was here, he looked at the rake, but said he couldn’t use it, also talked about the signing of Clover contracts this year.

Monday, April 27, 1936

Rained a little. Candler got load hay $8.00. Oliver Ruhl wheat ground measurer was here. A guy from Mo. selling & renewing the Extension Magazine for $3.00 Catholic paper & we took it again for another year, & also got a prayer book along. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were up, worked his lot with the mare; we plowed a patch & planted in bu. potatoes, & made sweet potatoes rows. We washed, ironed. Eggs 17¢. The Chev. Agent from New Athens was here.

Monday, July 1, 1935

Reception at Ruma today. Boy! the oats bugs are awful. We washed, ironed. Henry finished cutting oats, here, had lunch & dinner. Emil came & shocked this afternoon, had lunch. It rained so heavy out at Henry’s, they had to quite [quit] cutting, so papa & Rose came home, it never rained at all here, a few drops, sure was funny, papa helped to shock. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were up this evening, they were at Buehler’s. Oliver Ruhl was here for signing of corn & hog contracts. There is 3¢ tax now after today; is 1¢ 2¢ & 3¢ on things you buy; here at Eichenseers to now. Mrs. Gambach, Stiffler’s & Ralph Raush left for California this morning. Ray Wittenauer’s now working in Mertz store on Ralph’s place.

Thursday, March 9, 1933

Papa went to Red Bud to get butter milk for our chicks. Ike Napier & Karl Boll came & got the hog this morn, it weighed 309 lbs. at 4.50¢ lb. Steve Rennecker came over this afternoon, the ladies of the Evangical [sic] church have meeting George Kammler’s. Mr. Philip Ruhl 79 years of age died & will be buried this afternoon at New Athens.

Sunday, Dec. 18, 1932

Wm. Kraemer of St. Louis died & will be buried Mon. morning at Round Prairie, he was formily [sic] a native here. Miss Marjorie Rausch, Julius Raush’s daughter won the beauty queen last Sat. night, at the Farm Bureau dance. last year, Miss Myrtle Ruhl won, Marjorie was selected first out of 6. Second Marie Kolmer. We bought 20 lbs. beef at 11¢ & grinding free at Strecks yesterday; they took us all through the place, where its hanging, kitchen, smoke rooms, its nice there but cool in there. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary was here for dinner, she bought a soup bone & pap cooked the soup, he wasn’t feeling very good, so he stayed home. Rosalia & Bertille went to church. We played cards this afternoon. George Roever came to look at a pig’s, he wants to buy some.

Friday, Nov. 11, 1932

We had the first snow this morning, & awful cold; we started the fire in the furnace this morn. The Catholic Church bell rang & tolled for the death of Louis Shoenborn, he stays by John Roth, he is a sister & brother’s, he went out hunting yesterday & didn’t come back, they had taught [sic – thought] he went to Volkman’s, they called there, & he wasn’t there, & they went to look for him found him dead in the field he will be buried on Roths lot at the Hecker cemetery & also church here. Sexton from E. St. Louis stopped & got 5 doz. egg for 27¢. The winners of the turkeys at Institute last Fri were won by Arthur Kaufman, Henry Wedel, Christ Janson, William Mueller, Peter Keim, Gus. Buettner, Robert Glessner, & Oliver Ruhl. the attendance prize turkey was won by Herman Wierschem. The O’gals motor oil given by the Monroe Service Co, as registration prize was won by Fred Henke. It was in the times today that Clarence Ohlendorf of Waterloo Ill, & Miss Luella Minmean of Hecker, surprized there friends & where married last Sat. at Edwardsville Ill; the attendants were Roy Reinhold & Pearl Haller, they left for a short honeymoon, & they will make there home in Waterloo, she is the only girl of Mr. & Mrs. Chas. Minnemean & he is the only son of Mr. & Mrs. William Ohlendorf of Waterloo. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up to pick there hogs out to butcher tomorrow.

Monday, July 6, 1931

Today is wash, iron, patching day.  It is awful warm again this afternoon.  About 4 o’clock this afternoon there was an awful smoke east from here, it was Ruhils place, the smoke-house & pasture, Mrs. Ruhl had fire out side & it got away & burned the smoke-house nearly all down, that is the place from Joe Gregson’s South.  As far as we know the house wasn’t damaged.

Wednesday, Feb. 4, 1931

Papa went out to the cemetery this morning, because they are going to start to plow it over today.  But we don’t want it done to our lots.  Rosalia fried down sausage this morn.  There wasn’t anybody at the cemetery today.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up & then we went over to clean their place.  They were here for dinner.  We were just washing dinner dishes when all at once, we heard there was fire at Mrs. Deukers house.  So we all ran down there & fire was a blazing, the house burned to the ground & the shed & barn would of went too if they hadn’t called the Smithton Fire Apartment [Department].  The water was to scared or’s they could have saved the house.  They saved all the furniture down stairs, their clothing was all up stairs, that they couldn’t save.  Mrs. Ruhl just about went wild about it.  They stored all their stuff in Kammler’s Hall for the evening.  They were here this afternoon & looked at Aunt Mary & Uncle Fred’s place, it suited them allright but the rent was to high.  They went down to Barthel’s house, but the chimneys were condemned, so they couldn’t get in there.  Deukers was going to call Harold out & then talk it over with them.  Tonight they went to Walter Parrot in Red Bud.  Olivia Gregson & baby was here this afternoon while Lester helped to move the furniture.  This evening Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, Henry & Leona & kids were all here.  The kids stayed at home with Papa, & the rest of us went to the dance down at Wiegand’s House.  Herzog gave it.  Bill Freund & Creses took Rosalia & Bertille along there.  It was a crowd there from all over.  They said there was about 500 people at the fire today.  Bill & Philip Freund was there too.  They were working at Ganleys.