Wednesday, July 19, 1939

Raining all day, no threshing, some threshed yesterday afternoon. Parker’s & Frank Birkner’s. Awful lot of wind last nite; several trees limbs broken off. Al. Heyl stopped in, wanting to sell life insurance & fellow here selling magazines. Bill [Klein] came this eve.

Friday, Jan. 14, 1938

Pap went up in woods, came home for dinner & went up again this afternoon. Geo. Wagner came over to get eggs we didn’t have none to sell, only got 1 doz. Some people here from Smithton selling beef, didn’t buy none. Berneice brought 5 [cents] over for eggs for Mehrmann, they were 21 [cents] last week he said. Mr. & Mrs. Arch. Whiel have baby born born Jan. 10 – St. Mary Hospital, now have boy & girl. Mr. & Mrs. Frank Hoffmann of Tipton have a baby boy born Jan. 9 also at St. Mary’s Hospital; have a boy & girl now.

Thursday, Feb. 11, 1937

Got load oats over. Steve Rennecker came over while a fellow here from Shiloh selling seed corn, one from Columbia looked at horses; a man begging for something to eat, etc. Eggs 20¢. Sure beautiful day, but muddy & sloppey [sic]. Louis Birkner is very low. Sheriff got Clif Stahelber & Buss, Weirsheim boy, put them in jail for stealing wrenches, dynamite from Wolfs Rock Quarry near Foster Pond, the way we heard it is also in the paper, stole in on Dec. 16; was going to put them in reform School but it is filled, so Buss & Stahelber got 30 day in jail at Waterloo, & Weirsheim got 10 da. in Waterloo paper that way.

Thursday, Feb. 6, 1936

Pap went to Waterloo, got flour & egg mash, Rosalia went along out to Henry’s, took the wash along & put it away. Billy [Willis] & Robert has the mumps now. Berti cleaned dining room, washed & ironed curtains. The Umbrella man & a fellow selling broom holders were here; S. Renneker got 1 qt. milk. Eggs 23¢ today. Warmer; radio says snow.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 1935

We cleaned front & bedroom today, little cloudy & rainy. Schwarz from Mound Ill was here selling apples we took 2 bus. 75¢. winesaps Roman Beautys & 1 bu. twigs 65¢, half for Leona. Uncle Ret’s [?] birthday. Al Gauen came & got 2 hams 24½ lbs. 35¢ & ½ bu. sweet potatoes 50¢. Berti baked molasses cookies. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary went to Belleville to Breautigams funeral from Gunlack chapel to cemetery. Papa used mullin leaves this evening for the first time.

Friday, Feb. 15, 1935

Eggs are now 26¢ again. Uncle Fred walked up, & got a few things from the store. A guy here wanted to sell toilet articles; One here yesterday selling vanilla.

Friday, Jan. 25, 1935

The old guy what sharpenes [sic], etc is back in town again, was here today, papa gave the cross cut saw to sharpen for 35¢. A guy here wanted to sell auto paint, $2.00 box. Bernice Wagner got 1 doz eggs. Roy Staufenbiel had there little baby girl christened last Sun, called it Pearl Louisa, Mr. Joe & Pearl Griffin as sponsors. Mr. & Mrs. Leo Wittenauer of St. Louis have a baby girl. The Frantz Baker truck of New Athens, Edgar Wittenauer in charge had an accident on the Baldwin road, & damaged somewhat.

Saturday, Nov. 10, 1934

Papa & Rosalia went out, got a load wheat & got it crushed. Henry & family went to Waterloo sell the rest of the beef. Our hogs were out, George Wagner told us about it. A guy around selling household articles, we didn’t buy anything; we canned 2 qts beef, made soup rest for roast, awful warm today again. Lena Meng was over wanted some beef for tomorrow, but we had none here either. Dances everywhere again tonite, at Brezzy Hill a electric radio is given as attendance prize, Moonlighters playing. Adm. 25¢. Herb. Bertram was the lucky one. Hunting season opens today.

Saturday, Oct. 13, 1934

Henry came finished sewing wheat this afternoon. Emil didn’t help today, papa sewed. Henry had lunch, dinner. Mr. Sheriff Gauen got another ham 12 lb. & ½ bu. sweet potatoes. A guy here to sell Skill gas stoves, working for the Utility Co. of Waterloo. Harry Wittenauer got bu. sweet potatoes $1.00. this morning. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were to Red Bud brought 2 sacks hog along for us. Henry & family came, kids stayed here & they went to Belleville to the stores are open till 8 o clock. Papa got crushing done. Mr. George Schilling left last Sat. for an extended trip in the East to Fort Wayne Indiana. Bill Refescheinder of Waterloo is celebrating his birthday at Pautler’s tonite. Adm. gent 25¢ ladies free. Moonlighters [playing]. Elmer Matthews has one in Foster Pond tonight. Mr. & Mrs. Rennecker, & boarder Mr. Smith went out this evening.

Wednesday, Oct. 3, 1934

Cooked kettle soap. A man here wanted to clean cess pools. Fournie bros. here wanted to know if Uncle Fred still had his spring harrow for sale yet, they went out there. Henry & Leona came up he broke a piece on his harrow. Papa hauled wood. Henry came got the rest of the hay. We went out to Uncle Fred’s took them along to Paderborn euchre; Pap & Bert each got pillow cases, 10 points the rest got nothing had 7 points; played 14 games & dance after musci [sic] by Rheinhardt’s; nice prizes, quilt was raffled to a Smith from Waterloo; large crowd there.