Wednesday, March 11, 1931

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this morning & then we all went into Belleville.  We got new dresses & Bertille got a pair of shoes.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were here for dinner.  He worked over at the place, & Aunt Mary started cutting out Bertille’s dress.  There was a fellow here from St. Louis & wanted to sell apples, oranges, cabbage, lettuce, sweet potatoes, but we sent him off.  Alois Havey was here & wanted to buy our walnut logs up in the woods, for 5¢ a foot & then he would take them over to St. Louis.  Rosalia & Bertille went to church this evening.

Tuesday, March 10, 1931

We washed today.  Papa went up in the woods.  He got stuck & Henry had to pull him out.  He stayed at Henry’s for dinner.  There was a man here this morning selling potatoes, early cabbage, apples, $2.25 a bu.  It is a real spring day.

Monday, March 9, 1931

We all went out to Henry’s today butchering.  Papa & Henry did it, they started about 9 o’clock & finished about 3 o’clock.  It wasn’t a very heavy hog.  Eggs are still 18¢ yet.  Walter & Aunt Lizzie were at Henry’s this morning & got 3 doz. eggs for setting.  Floyd was awful cranky today.  He has so much fever.

Sunday, March 8, 1931

It is snowing & awful cold this morn.  Papa didn’t go to church today.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were here for dinner today.  Henry was up & got medicine for Floyd, he has the measles now.  Papa paid Uncle Fred for the seed potatoes today.  2 bu for $1.80.  Today is August Blackburn’s birthday.  Fr. Grootens went down to the Evangelical Church between our masses, & before there service & preached a sermon about the bank.  They should do as he says & everything will be allright.  Fred Schaefer brought Rome Meng home this evening, he was snowed under he couldn’t hardly hold him up.  Philip & Bill Freund were here this evening & we all went to church.

Saturday, March 7, 1931

It rained nearly all night, & this morning snowing.  Today is Mrs. John McCarthy Sale.  Papa went this afternoon.  He took the Whippet, he said he see the road back there how it was, & if he couldn’t get through he would let his machine stand by Caldwell’s.  Papa heard this morning at Hecker that Ed. Gregson living along the hard road down towards Red Bud died.  Papa took Clifford along to the sale, they left the machine stand, & walked to the house, but there was no more than about 2 dozen people there, so the sale was postponed until Thurs. afternoon.  Ike Napier & Ed. Meng where there also, they left the machine stand to, by the Portland School & walked there.  Eggs are 18¢ today.

Friday, March 6, 1931

Papa went up to Jac. Neffs to see if he would grub the well out down on the farm.  He is strawing potatoes today, 8 rows we got planted.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this afternoon.  They planted potatoes on their place across the street.  It started raining so they had to stop & go home.  Rosalia & Bertille went to church this morning, & this evening.  There wasn’t many people there this evening on account of the rainy weather, so he didn’t have stations, he just had the rosary & Benediction.

Thursday, March 5, 1931

Papa is plowing & harrowing the potatoe land this morning.  Fr. Grootens was here.  He wanted to use the truck to get some straw and our brooder.  So him & Frank got it.  He has 2000 little chicks.  He also has a new DeSoto coupe.  We planted 2 bu. potatoes this morning.  Papa took the team back out to Henry’s again he is going to help him sow oats out there today.  He was there for dinner.  This afternoon Rosalia had to go out to get him.  We have to turn our eggs twice a day now in the incubator.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this afternoon.  She went to the sewing circle.  Tonight is farmers meeting at the new school hall, but none of us went.  Eggs are 18¢ today.  There was a lady here today & wanted to sell 3 flowers in a basket for 25¢.  I send her off.  She said she was selling them to support 5 small children & her father.  There was a man here wanted to take orders for strawberrie plants, & also a fellow from Waterloo & wanted to sell or advertising Skill Gas.  They sure have a time at Blackburns School this year the way Mrs. Ettling told Papa.

Wednesday, March 4, 1931

Papa is sewing clover seed this morning.  Henry was here for dinner today.  This afternoon he went home with his tractor & Rosalia had to take his machine home for him.  Papa harrowed the potatoe patch, & when he was finished, he went out & got Rosalia again.  Jac. Reheis’ wife was also at Henry’s, she got 12 doz. eggs for hatching.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this evening, they brought our seed potatoes along up.  Aunt Mary & Rosalia went to church. Mr. Tolin was buried this morning at Waterloo.  He was playing cards till 11 o’clock at night, & at 12:30 they found him breathing heavy & shortly after he died.

Tuesday, March 3, 1931

They are sewing oats today again.  George Reheis & Henry were here for dinner today.  He charged Henry $3.50 for sewing oats.  He finished just before dinner.  This afternoon Papa went to Caldwell’s sale, but didn’t buy anything, it was a pretty fair sale.  There were quite a few there from around here.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary went too.  This afternoon Philip Peiffer is being buried at Centralia, he used to live around here, it is Ben Heyl’s wife & Mrs. Cleveland’s father.  Rosalia got 17¢ today for eggs.  We set 6 hens tonight & we also got the incubator setting with 100 eggs.  Rosalia finished Bertille’s dress today.

Monday, March 2, 1931

This morning Mrs. Johnny Schilling of Waterloo is getting buried there, they found her dead.  Papa & Rosalia left early this morn. & went out to Henry’s to help him, he is going to sew oats up here today.  Papa brought the team & wagon & Rosalia, the machine [to] Henry’s with oats, & oil & Henry the tractor.  Geo. Reheis is here too helping him.  There was a car crippled one of our red hens last night so we killed the hen & are having it for dinner today.  George Reheis & Henry were here for dinner.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this afternoon.  She started fixing Bertille’s dress, like Leona’s pattern.  It is right nice.  Henry & Rosalia went out to Henry’s this afternoon after some more oats.