Bertille went to church this morning. It is also raining this morning again. This afternoon the Gambach brothers are getting buried in one hole side by side. Mrs. Gambach said they died together, they should stay together & be buried together. We all went to the funeral this afternoon, it was the largest ever had in Hecker. So many pretty flowers. They had 2 florist wagons to haul the flowers to the cemetery. It was an awful sad case. Mrs. George Gambach and Mrs. Henry Gambach & Mildred Stiffler, they just hollered & cried something terrible. The parents bought a big bouquet of flowers for each one. Mrs. Hy. Gambach bought one with “My Dear Husband” written on it. We all went to Freeburg this evening & got some steel posts. We saw the graves as we went by. It was just decorated all over with flowers. Their coffins cost $700. a piece. They was put in concrete vaults. They took the picture of them coffins when they was in the undertaking wagon. The Y.P.L. walked down in front of the hearsts all the way to the church. And also the pall bearers walked along side of the hearsts. The ball bearers for Henry were- Harry & Elmer Kammler, Mrs. Gambach’s brother, Louis & Fred Armstutz, & another fellow I didn’t know him. For Willard was, Henry Spalt, Henry Siegand, Werner Kammler, Kenneth Kemp, Flossie Kammler’s brother, Henry Emery.
Sunday, June 29, 1930
Papa & Rosalia went to first mass this morning. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary & Papa went in to Gambach’s this morning. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary was at our house for dinner today. After dinner we all went up to Eichenseer’s corner and stood around there awhile. Rosalia & Mamie & Angela & Bertille went up to see the new school. It rained this evening. There were an awful lot of people going in and out over at Gambach’s this afternoon. Grace Axley was also up here.
Saturday, June 28, 1930
We all went in to Waterloo & through Red Bud home this afternoon. Henry Kammler was to have his dance tonight but it is postponed on account of the deaths of the Gambach’s. It is in all the paper’s about the accident that happened with the 2 boys. It was just 43 years ago that George Gambach’s sister got drowned. Odillo Eichensser & Rudolph Rausch were here this evening & looking for ball grounds. Rosalia & Bertille & Mamie Eichenseer went over to see Gambach’s this evening. They sure do look nice. Mrs. George Gambach takes it awful hard & also Lela Deuker [Denker?]. She was going with Willard. There were 5 machines, florists that brought flowers.
Friday, June 27, 1930
Hecker baseball team played with Prairie boys last Sunday. Hecker won 4-11. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this afternoon. Uncle Fred helped Papa fix wire fence. We finished our dresses this afternoon. They was here for supper. Henry & Leona went to Belleville this afternoon. They left the kids here. The most terrible thing happened this afternoon about 2 o’clock. The two Gambach’s Henry & Willard died. They was trying to clean a well out. There was some gas got in the well & the water taste, so they got the fellows that put the gas tanks in the ground to come to dig it out to see if it was a leak, but they said none of them had a leak, so they don’t know how the gas got in the well. Henry went down first to get a bucketful out, and when he came out he said, that his breathe pretty near got taken away from the smell of gas. But he went down in the well again, but failed to come back up alive. Then Willard wanted to save Henry’s life, then he too was taken [in] there. Henry Emery went down, but he couldn’t stand it either. They had to pull him up with a rope & he also was unconscious. They rolled him around until he got to himself then he was alright. They sent for men from Belleville but they couldn’t do no good so they full around until they got the rope around him & then pulled him out. Willard they got out about 1/2 hour but Henry was in almost 2 hours. Henry was 32 years old. Willard was to be 27 on July 2. They took them to the undertaking parlor at Belleville by Gundlach’s and will bring them out Sat. afternoon. Mrs. George Gambach is so worried, she is some time gone all together. Uncle Fred, Papa, Aunt Mary, Rosalia all went up to see them pull him out of the well.
Thursday, June 26, 1930
Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary had breakfast with us, then Uncle Fred went home with Lester Gregson & came back up again with Roy Stavenbiel. Papa and Uncle Fred went to work at the school. Papa went on Henry’s place all day. They had dinner and also supper with us. After supper we took them home. Aunt Mary stayed all day. We dug some of our potatoes the other day. They sure are nice. Eggs are .17¢ today.
Wednesday, June 25, 1930
Today is Mrs. Mike Armstutz birthday and also Yvonne Rapp’s. We have an invitation for Rapp’s, but we ain’t going to go. Uncle Fred brought Aunt Mary up this morning then he went home again. She helped us fix our dresses. Aunt Mary & Bertille was at the store this morning and we also went upstairs by Mamie, and tried one of her dresses on, so I got mine fixed just like heres, only mine has a big collar. It got awful windy this afternoon. It started to thunder and lightnin’ and then rain. So in the evening Uncle Fred walked up here. He came here in time for supper. She [Aunt Mary] was here all day. In the evening they went down to Armstutz’s birthday. Then afterwards they stayed here all night. It rained again so much that night. Rapp’s had an awful crowd. They invited us but we didn’t go. It looked too much like rain. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary had an invitation.
Tuesday, June 24, 1930
Papa went down to Red Bud to get some lumber this morning. Hy. Armstutz is cutting oats today. Nick Schaefer is on the binder (?) and Hy. & Arthur are shocking. It was in today’s paper that Mr. & Mrs. Colonel Lindbergh have a little son born last Sunday at 3:15 p.m. They didn’t know what they was going to called it yet. Some said “Charles Augustus” and others said “Charles Morrow” in honor of the grandfather. It will be in tomorrows paper what they are going to call it. Papa is setting fence posts this afternoon. “Dick” Stahlebher & John Wertz were here at noon hour & John wanted to look at our little leghorn chick. He was going to talk to his papa about them once and would (let) us know later. He is working over at Meng’s today, hauling mist. Rosalia & Bertille went out to Henry’s this evening to water the horses. Henry & Emil are cutting oats. After supper we all went out to set posts. We had spring chicken for dinner today. It sure was good.
Monday, June 23, 1930
Papa left real early this morning & went down to Wm. A. Voges and got 10 pigs 6 for us & 4 for Henry. He unloads ours here & took Henry’s out there to him. He paid $5 a piece for them. Rosalia & Bertille washed this morning & also packed some beans. Papa & Rosalia went out to help Henry put up hay. Emil is on the sick list. Bertille stayed at home & ironed & patched. We received a greeting card today from Frank Dudenhoeffer from Detroit, Michigan. Nick Mueth were here this afternoon & Mrs. Mueth came in & invited us for their dance tonight along the hard road where Wiegands place is. I have noticed in the paper, Mr. & Mrs. Martin Karban have a little son born June 4. Mrs. Karban was formerly Lena Schilling before marriage, they live close to Paderborn. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this evening then we all went down to Nick Mueth’s dance. They served lemonade. Uncle Joe, John, Mamie, Rosie & Eddy Mueth were also there. They charged .25¢ from the men, at least some of them.
Sunday, June 22, 1930
Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, Henry’s family were all up this morning. This afternoon Papa, Rosalia & Bertille drove down to Wm. A. Voges to see about some pigs. We talked with Irene that long. She told us that Kunkelmann’s had a dance Sat. nite and that Hy. Hillsman is to have one over at Fayetteville to-night. The bunch from Hecker, 40 of them, was going over in Clarence Braun’s truck. We went out to George Schilling’s this evening & took their sacks back again. We stopped at Henry’s but nobody was at home so we came back home again. In the evening Mamie & Angela Eichenseer came down. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary went to Red Bud to Irene Buehler’s birthday. They stopped in here when they came back. Irene was 8 years old today. Today it is so hot it is 104 under porches in the shade.
Saturday, June 21, 1930
Today is longest day of the year. Rosalia took Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary home this morning. Then when she came back Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s to get some wire. After dinner we all took a sleep. Then we went to Waterloo. In the evening we went to the cemetery and cleaned that. It is so hot today, it is 80 in the shade.
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