Tuesday, Jan. 6, 1931

Today is Epiphany.  Rosalia fried down 5 gals. bacon today.  Papa took the car up town & got air & gas ready for Belleville tomorrow.  Mr. Hill called up this evening & told us about telephone meeting next Thursday Evening at George Kammler’s.  Bertille made some mush & put blood sausage in with it & fried it for supper.  It sure was good.  This evening we cooked some beef soup for tomorrow when we come back from Belleville.

Monday, Jan. 5, 1931

We butchered 2 hogs today.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, Emil & Henry were the butchers.  They were here for dinner, & Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stayed for supper too.  It took so long to rendered the lard.  Henry & Emil left about 4 o’clock.  We made some summer sausage too.  Mr. Eichenseer went up to Belleville this morning & got the beef from Streck’s Shop, the driver forgot to call Eichenseer this morning, so he had to go in after it.  He brought it down here, & there were 3 sausages in with the beef, so we called them up & Odillo came & got them.  We had about 29-30 lbs. beef for .19¢ boneless.  Ralph Wiegand was here this morning & invited us all, Uncle Fred, Aunt Mary, Henry, to come down to their place, the old house on Sunday eve. Jan. 11.  It was in big letters in the paper today that Hecker State Bank shut it doors & all the directors, cashier names were mentioned.  They thought the bank would open again in a few days, but it hasn’t yet.  It was also in the paper that Smithton State Bank is changed to First National Bank.  Miss Gladys Hull teacher of the Upper School gave a Christmas Program & quite a few people of around here were present.  Mrs. Schemberger of Millstadt died, her husband was killed a year ago by “Patty Diesel.”

Sunday, Jan. 4, 1931

Today is Robert Probst’s birthday, they are to have a party there tonight.  George Boll’s family are going to Uncle Fred’s this afternoon.  Papa went up town a little while this morning.  Leona came up by herself this morning the kids ain’t feeling so good yet.  We all went to Uncle Fred’s & Aunt Mary’s this afternoon, George Boll’s family & Lizzie Schaefer from Texas was there too for supper.  Karl Boll has to play music over at Probst’s tonight.

Saturday, Jan. 3, 1931

Papa got crushing done this morning.  This afternoon Papa & Rosalia went out to the woods & sawed a tree down.  They stopped at Henry’s & brought our big table along back for butchering Monday.  Tonight we all went to Uncle Fred’s & Aunt Mary’s first, Henry Birkner & family were also there & then we all went to Hy. Ronenberg birthday dance.  There was an awful crowd there.  Henry Birkner & Uncle Fred & Roy Stafenbiel furnished music.  Those from here that were there were, Parkers, Pappenbergs, Rittemeyers, Probsts, Reheis, Watchel, Skaer boy played his guitar & sang three songs, one was, The Letter Edged in Black, Will You Let Me Sleep in Your Barn.  It sure was nice.  The Evansville relatives were all there too.

Friday, Jan. 2, 1931

Rosalia & Bertille went to church this morn. & Papa went out to Oscar Birkner’s.  This afternoon he went out in the woods.  Fr. Grootens & Frank Swindle were here this evening & looked at our new pigs, they said “they are sure nice.”  H.M. Hill was reporting the news to the Belleville Papers that the Hecker bank shut its doors.  I seen in the Waterloo Times that Miss Helen Keckritz & a Cowell from Red Bud had a collision & Miss Keckritz machine got on fire & was completely pushed off the road & all damaged, it happened between Red Bud & Waterloo, she & a few more friends were going to the Brickey School, when the accident happened.  I believe she has a new Whippet now.  Emmett Cowell of Red Bud, the store manager of there was fined $102 (he had no license) for buying furs of a certain kind.  Robert Basecher 19 of Red Bud & Miss Fern Gully 20 of the same place were married last week.  Dr. Fentor also of Waterloo was in a collision in E. St. Louis & Mr. & Mrs. Fenton & their niece was hurt seriously.  Henry Kessler of Hecker has just passed his 70th birthday anniversary & says he is going to withdraw from the Woodmen.

Thursday, January 1, 1931

We all went to church this morn.  Leona was here by herself this morn. because Henry & the kids have an awful cold.  Uncle Fred, Aunt Mary, Uncle Adam & Emil were all here for dinner & supper today.  Uncle Joe was here a little while this morning he brought a radio receiver here for Uncle Fred.  This evening, Leo Wittenauer, Philip, & Wm. & Creses Freund were all here & we had a six handed game of pinochle & Oh! the fun.  Bertille, Philip, Leo were partners & won every game, we played 3 games, they all left about 12 o’clock.  Fr. Grootens had a sermon this morn. – on the Hecker Bank closed.  There are people working study [?] all the time.