Thursday, Nov. 23, 1939

Thanksgiving Day. Leo & family came had dinner & supper here, he plowed potatoe ground. Rose [Rosalia] & Bert [Bertille] went to Red Bud to Wedding mass of Marcella Gregson & Leslie Heyl; very pretty wedding, bride had long train white Satin dress with short veil & her attendants 2 sisters, one in rust & green with veils & wreath to match dresses; Walter gave her away & best man were Robert Heyl & Cletus Gregson; during the ceremony a terrible earthquake, roared just shook the church, people all went out, for a few mins, some places it was awful bad. Jerome Cortner house Chimney was cracked & did damage several other places; some plaster fell in Red Bud church, Gregson & Heyl had wedding dance at Log Cabin & Jerome Schilling & Elizabeth Shields had there wedding dance at Pautlers. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came here, then they went to Waterloo to dance, there is also one at Brezzy Hill tonite. Bill [Klein] came this eve. The Thanksgiving & Turkey dinner was a big run out of Turkey had to served pork sausage, had fed 600 at 2′ o clock – turkey was all; had awful crowd.

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 1938

Holiday. Went to Leo’s, Pap put there meat away, Bert [Bertille] went along to church with them, to wedding mass. Aloys Roth & Gertie Cortner; best was Hy. Roth & Viola Cortner. Gertie was dressed all white satin & lace set in, veil long. L. Kaiser flower girl, in white carring [sic] basket flowers; Viola with a red dress, silver slippers; had Ford garage men’s Dealers car. We had dinner by Leo’s. Chris Buehler got a hide here that Henry brought up yesterday, he butchered beef yesterday. Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came took Bert [Bertille] along to Wedding dance at Daab’s, large crowd & lot presents received. Jac Schoeneborn, Ron Schilling, Laf. Geodelle furnished music, we also stopped in Smithton at Orlets. Mrs. is sitting up, but is weak.

Thursday, Nov. 25, 1937

Thanksgiving Day. Bert [Bertille] went up to church for awhile to Wedding mass of Oliver Qurin’s & Edith Klinkchardt, all white dress with train & long veil. Grohmans flower girl; & Viola Qurin, blue dress & Dorthy Klinkhardt rust colored dress, long acted as bridesmaids & Quintian Klinkhardt, 2 brother & Eugene Neff friend as best man. Bert [Bertille] went to wedding dance at Kammler’s, large crowd & received many presents, Schoenborn Och; served sandwiches & cake. We went to 10 o clock mass at Red Bud, 75 Diamond Jubiliee, Bishop was met here in Hecker. 32 priests had dinner there 3 turkeys. Went to Paderborn this afternoon to see Connor’s & F. Schilling. Sure beautiful weather these days, nice warm.

Wednesday, Nov. 27, 1935

Cloudy & raining a little. Berti went up to church. Wedding mass of Clarence Braun & Verna Stiehl, she turned Catholic, single ring ceremony, bride wore dark blue, blouses & skirt, coat, & hat shoes; white crystahemums [sic], & bridesmaid Marie Braun wore the same only tan color; yellow flowers, Hugo Ray was best man; wedding dance at Kammler’s tonite, we went, had nice time; cake, Schmidts Orch.; of Herb & 2 sons, 2 Braun Wms. girls, & Edgar Wittenauer. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came bought 2 roasters here, 9 lbs. @ 15¢; cleaned & dressed them ready for tomorrow. Pap & Rose hauled bad old wheat to Waterloo got 91¢, lot is 96¢ today. Mr. & Mrs. Ed Brand of Alalabama [sic] visited us this afternoon, had supper here. Henry & family came this evening. Mamie came down then we went to the dance together. Bert Thompson was here to see Henry; so much company. Henry received a letter from Barrenphol’s lawyer on account of the colt business, he wants $25.00 if paid in short time. Oscar Birkner’s have a baby girl born yesterday evening, also Armin Geodelle’s have a baby girl. Otto Horn, suit agent at Waterloo, also Justice of peace 38 yrs. old was killed in an auto accident in town on Tues; Archie Wiehl was the one that had collision with him, on Fourth St. Libory  he was thrown out of car, & never regained conscience; both cars turned over, & completely wrecked; they say; it is terrible, had left his home about ½ hour before it happened; John Hieken was with Horn at the time, but not hurt bad.

Wednesday, Oct. 16, 1935

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, she Rose & Berti went to the Wedding mass 9’oclock, quite a few people there. Wittenauer, Eichenseer, Ethel Pour flower girl in pink, & Bud Eichenseer ring bearer; then Mamie as maid of honor, in pink dress, hat & shoes, flowers, then Mary Wittenauer bridesmaid in all green outfit, then the bride in white with veil, in the arm of her father Vic; the groom & his attendants Ray Wittenauer & Odillo as Usher, all enter in sanctuary; had wedding supper for about 50 relatives; this evening gave the dance at Kammlers Hall to friends, served cake, had 400 pieces cake cut, they said; no slipper sold nor collection. Baseball club presented them with a baby blanket, as a present we gave them a berry set; the hall was crowded, & she received many presents, Moonlight Orch; march through hall first, then danced; all different couples. going to move to St. Louis, where he is employed as coal & ice hauler. Clara Wagner came got her hair set. Papa hauled load wood. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came this evening for the dance.

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 1935

Pap & Rose went out to Henry’s again, had lunches & dinner, work ground corn. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, she & Bert went to the Wedding mass of Joe Griffin & Tillie Hafley; the bride was dressed all in white & veil, tail dragging along, the flower girl, Steve Griffin’s, dressed in pink carring [sic] basket flowers came first, then the bridesmaid a friend teacher of her’s, with yellow dress trimmed with brown velvet, with shoes, hat, gloves to match, yellow roses, then the bride all white, the groom & Albert & brother best man, with dark blue suits, came in through sanctuary; the bride & groom kneel together in the sanctuary, & best [man] down below the communion railing; quite a few people in church. Bert went to Liz Boll’s got telephone batteries 50¢. Ettling was here, nobody home, Uncle Fred send him out to Henry’s, were he seen dad there paid Inter. & $100 of principle. Holiday in city, big parade, & pinic [sic] Legion, a float went by here up & down, Little Egypt, Southern Ill. 5 division, cop in front & in back, protecting & giving it right way on hard road.