Friday, July 4, 1930

Today we can eat meat.  We are thrashing this morning again.  We had spring chicken for dinner.  We thrashed 139 bu. of wheat.  Kuhns thrashed altogether 2300 bu.  This evening we all went out to Henry’s.  Gus Geodelle and family, Conrad Geodelle and family, Miss Hilda Klube & boyfriend, Mr. Fred Lindes & mother were all there.  They played music, accordion, violin, guitar.  Today you can see all kinds of fireworks.  Papa & Rosalia fixed fences this afternoon.  There is picnic in Columbia, picnic & fish fry in Oak Grove Park, one in Belleville, and a good many other places.

Wednesday, July 2, 1930

Today is Hy. Armstutz’s birthday.  Him and Mr. Gambach tend the store.  I send a letter to the Auto Ins. Co. for the Chev. $7.18.  Kuhus started thrashing today.  Tomorrow they will be over at Ed Mengs.  Rosalia and Bertille went out to Henry’s this afternoon and took a few things along out from the store what she needed for thrashing.  This evening Papa, Rosalia, Bertille went out to Henry’s to see about thrashing.  Geodell’s family from Waterloo were also there.  We helped Leona string and cut beans for to can.  Bertille was up at church this morning.

Tuesday, July 1, 1930

Rosalia & Bertille washed today.  Papa is setting posts.  Joe Schilling thrashed 900 bu. wheat today.  Rosalia & Bertille went out to Henry’s this evening a little while.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up a little while this evening.  Rosalia clipped their necks for them.  Uncle Fred, Aunt Mary, Rosalia & Bertille went down to the cemetery to see the Gambach’s graves.  They are all decorated with flowers.  Eichenseers were also down there.  Papa was over at Ed. Mengs and then he came up to the store.  The day when Gambach brothers got buried, they say that Father Grootens was also in their church too.  On June 27 is also Steve Rennecker’s birthday, the same day the Gambach’s died.

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.

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.

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.