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.

Wednesday, April 8, 1936

Pap & Rose took load wheat to Waterloo got .80¢ bu. Pap helped Henry bring the mare up to Meng’s today. We cooked 2 kettles soap, cleaned yard, strawed potatoes. A man here selling Latex for sores, to wrap around just like rubber. Odil Eichenseer & Illinois Light & Power Man was here, pap signed up for a metoer [sic – meter]; he says there will be electric lights in Hecker by May 15, be nice. We went to Lent Devotion tonite at Red Bud. Mrs. Rennecker finished her 2 quilts for Manier’s. In Georgia from the tornado there was a man & wife & 11 children found all dead, were buried in a single row 35×7 ft.