Thursday, Sept. 3, 1931

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this morn. & had dinner with us.  This afternoon Henry & family came up, he finished plowing & took the team home.  We all went to the funeral of Mrs. Rittmeyer except papa, she had a pink coffin, & dress, gold ring on & a diamond hair pin, she looked good.  Steve Rennecker was over a while.  Odillo Eichenseer came, he wanted to see our paper.  Mrs. Eichenseer came too so he had to take her to Red Bud to the doctor.  This morning Fr. Grooten’s had Mrs. Pete Watchel, Mrs. Henry Kern, Henry Rausch & Odilo Eichenseer, in Waterloo in front of Bollinger’s in the room, Pete Watchel & Rausch [crossed out by Bertille] paid the expense, as far as we know.

Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1931

It rained all morning, & this afternoon sun shine, Papa was in Hecker this morning talking with some people.  Mr. Joe Grossman, Marshall Hill’s fatherinlaw was buried at Smithon [sic] this afternoon.  The egg man was here, but we didn’t have any.  There is supposed to be a dance at Weigand’s brick house given by them, but wether [sic] it was postponed account of Rittmeyer’s death & mud roads, we never heard, we where invited, but we didn’t go.

Tuesday, September 1, 1931

We ironed & patched & scrubbed the basement, raining all day.  This afternoon Fr. Grooten’s was here & raised a howl about the cemetery, & cursed the whole family, wanted to sue for slander, & nothing to it.  Today the Schools started all over, everybody has the same teacher pretty much hired on there same place, like last year.  It rained all night.

Monday, August 31, 1931

We canned saurkraut, [sic] 8 qts from 2 gallons.  We washed this morning, started about 10 o clock, because it looked so like rain.  This afternoon we went out to Aunt Mary’s helped with the peaches.  We had lunch & supper there.  Henry & Leona came there too & left the kids there, while they went to Belleville.  She took a basket of peaches along from her, they also got a bu. from Ralph Collier’s at Waterloo, for 50¢.  This evening Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stopped here, they went down to see Adam Eckert he is in bed, with Rhuematism [sic] since Sat a week, it started, he had to crawl in the house, it is so in his legs.  It was in the paper that Anton Buehler left Mon. for Mascoutah, where he will be the guest of Chas. Mueth’s family.

Sunday, August 30, 1931

We all went to the pinic [sic] about 2:30.  Had supper there, then went home & done the feeding & went back again, the Skaer’s boys played until 10 o clock.  We met Irvin & Jake from St. Louis, there.  The quilts were raffled to Mrs. Adolph Spalt, & to her sisters from St. Louis.  In the bleuey [sic] stand they gave a 32 piece dinner set, it was won by Leo Cortner.  Mrs. Adolph Rittmeyer died about 4 o clock this evening, her father died also on a pinic [sic] serveral [sic] years ago.  Mr. Jake Mueth [ed. note: “Jake Mueth” is crossed out] of Belleville died, & Mr. Grossman of Smithon, [sic] Marshal Hill’s fatherinlaw was found dead in bed this morning.

Saturday, August 29, 1931

Papa & Henry got crushing done this morning.  Henry is plowing with the team today, he was here for dinner.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up then we all went to Waterloo to the place where Mrs. Horine has things for sale.  Uncle Fred bought a stove there for 25¢, a Wilson heater.  Then we went to Mrs. Mary Rippen sale, met Louis Schilling my school teacher.  The sale was by are on the otherside of Burksville & St. Joe.

Friday, August 28, 1931

Henry finished plowing with the tractor this afternoon up here, he had lunch then left for home & left the team & wagon here.  Rosalia dyed her dress wine colored & washed the green one.  Adolph Rittmeyer’s wife is awful bad sick, she has rhemutaism [sic] of the heart & diabetes, they also have a nurse there.  Mrs. Ben Rausch is on the sick list.  Hecker’s ball players had a lucky day last Sun, the first team played at New Athens scored 6 to 3.  The Juniors played Smithon [sic] here & scored 10 to 9, Hecker winning both games.  William Birkner is erecting a furnace in his dwelling.  This week is State Fair at Springfield, quite a few from here attended.  The Hecker Public School will open on Sept 1, Greg McCarthy teacher.  The Misses Frances, Martha Schilling returned home Aug. 20 after an extended tour through the northwestern states.  John Eschman of Waterloo passed away suddenly Wed morning Aug. 26 at 1 o’clock.

Thursday, August 27, 1931

Papa went after his pig from Ganley’s, he also went to see Martin Doyle’s.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary had lunch here with us, then we all went to the sale, Bertille rode along with them in there car, to 2 miles from Evansville, Schulin’s sale the people that got shot that time.  Aunt Mary bought a few articles, butter dish, glasses, bowl, table scarf, & bed spread, it all brought a nice price, just everything was sold so much.  Alfred Eckert & Clarence Wagner, was here & sold us one chances of the quilts for the picnic.  Hy. Armstutz & Liddie Birkner’s husband Ralph where here & got 3 doz eggs from us, she & him are out at Armstutz’s cooking peach butter today, he has vacation, yesterday they where at Springfield fair.  Mrs. Val Fritsche called up & said that grandpa was witness when Mr. made his will so papa has to go to Belleville on the 15 Sept. to tell wether it is his handwriting.  This evening we all went to Christ Buehler’s, Cletus birthday, we gave them 5¢ candy, Frank’s family & Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where there.

Wednesday, August 26, 1931

We washed, ironed, patched, Rosalia went out to Henry’s to get papa he took Henry’s team back.  Then he went up to see Uncle Adam, then they went up to Barthel’s, Papa had a talk with Nic Schaefer, about the cemetery.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where up this afternoon to plant rose bushes.  Papa went out to see Wm. Ganley, he bought a pig from him for $6.00.  Tonight is a public dance at Wiegand’s brick house.

Tuesday, August 25, 1931

Our company had breakfast , & stay a little while then left for Ben Neff’s.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where also over here.  Henry was here for lunch this morning.  He was also here for dinner, lunch supper.  Ed Pautler the oil man was here too, he brought Henry some oil up here.  I seen in the paper that Joe Mueth & that married Ben Neff’s daughter Minnie have a little baby girl born last Friday, it is the first born.  Frances Eichenseer’s wife of Belleville is under going medical attention at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.  Clarence Wiegand’s wife of near Smithon [sic] is also at the hospital, they also have a little baby girl, first child.  George Neff is sick with the dropsy, has changed doctors, 3 one already, he is by Osies now.  The way they say everything was free last night, played euchre free, ice cream & soda, & dancing all free.  We went down to the cemetery this evening, it just looks awful there, they started yesterday, today they never plowed they just took the tombstones & rocks & haul them out, some of them back of the house.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary was there too, we took the rose bushes what was left on the grave along home, but only 2 we got.