Thursday, March 17, 1938

St. Patrick’s Day. We went to Leo’s today had dinner & supper. Bert [Bertille] helped wash & quilt. Pap helped hitch the young mare & hauled wood up. Eggs. 15 [cents]. Bert [Bertille] took 8 doz. up. found 104 today. Beautiful afternoon, nice warm. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary had stopped here, then went around to Red Bud to see the tornado stricken area, by Vanburen’s, through in there.

Wednesday, March 16, 1938

Radio keeps reporting the news of tornadoes terrible at West end Belleville, Union School, factory, many resenditals [sic – residential]. 9 being dead & 26 injured so far; 3 blocks area; not very far from Township high school; happened about 5 o’clock. Henry & Leona & Billy [Willis] came. Bert [Bertille] went along to Walter Gregsons & looks just terrible nothing left but the house, & not a whole lot of it, porches of [sic – off] etc; but no stock or any one injured, wood sticking 3 ft. in ground across the road from his house, done more damage by downs by Red Bud Vanburen’s, Gueberts; Henry & stayed for dinner. Pap went to Smithton bought 2 pigs from Ed. Heap. $10.00. Eggs 15 [cents] found 98 today. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came Bert [Bertille] went along to Waterloo this afternoon, to see Rosie Kaestenier (nee) Mueth she died Mon. eve. from cancer; leaves a boy 11, who stays with Mueth girls in St. Louis; she has divorce from her husband he has remarried again; she is 47, laid out nice, pink dress at Quernheims funeral parlor; till Fri. morn. then to Hecker church & cemetery. Phi & Ed. are just recovering from auto accident, getting along fairly well at present. Quernheims have a funeral tomorrow afternoon to. Jac Rahn, Hy Rahn’s father 85 yrs. old; he is from Valmeyer; has an awful lot of flowers. Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came this eve; we had popcorn. Mrs. Orlet is very low.

Tuesday, March 15, 1938

So dark & cloudy this morn & raining heavy. Bert [Bertille] washed, ironed curtains; This afternoon at 3 o clock, had such a heavy hail storm, for about 1/2 hr. or longer; & down by Walter Gregsons, terrible cyclone went through, blew part of the house & barn in, they say, lot of people from town here, went to see it. Its Kaufman’s at Waterloo, he just build it up last fall. new home. Pap went to Smithton, bank & to see Ed. Heap; came home before the hail.

Saturday, March 12, 1938

Beautiful day. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came, pap went along to Kessler’s sale; such a crowd; fair price. We went out to Henry’s celebrating Floyd’s birthday which is tomorrow; 9 yrs. old, grandpa [Anton] gave him a nickle [sic] for playing accordion, we had pie & cake. Wulher [? – unclear] the ex pres. of Belleville bank, his picture was in paper; also Louis Kaiser’s girl – 6 yrs.

Friday, March 11, 1938

Bert [Bertille] started cleaning house, 1 room upstairs. We sprayed trees this morn. Walter Wittenauer was here on business. Pap went to see Chas. Helfrich. Joe Griffin had twins born dead at Belleville hospital last nite.

Thursday, March 10, 1938

Rained again last nite. Pap sewed clover seeds or timothy rather. Quilts got finished this afternoon. Bernice came got 12 doz. eggs. @ 16 [cents]. Mailed an order to Sear’s today for spring suit etc. Major Bowes program was sure good tonite, musci [sic] etc.

Wednesday, March 9, 1938

Raining again. Pap went to barber; Joe Freund & guy here looked at pigs, to high price they said. Chas. Wagner was here, quilting for fire co. – put in 2 quilts this morn; 1 a marked of & the other fan quilt. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came here & Bert [Bertille] went to fire house, quilting this afternoon. Emil was over awhile. Chas. Helfrich got oats & potatoes today. Started in to dig basement at Lauts; only 2 carpenters & Karl Boll & Geo. Parker with team; its a contract job; Emil don’t even get chance to work there; suppose to be $1400 house including furnace.

Monday, March 7, 1938

We washed, ironed, patched. Pap sewed clover seed, hauled wheat to Waterloo this afternoon, 1 load from here 77 [cents], & 2 loads from Henrys 82 [cents]. top price is 84 [cents]. Bert [Bertille] took eggs to town got 14 [cents]. Lauts tearing house down today. Hoffmann from Belleville nearly all down this eve. Steve Stiffler was here this eve. on business. Sure warm.

Saturday, March 5, 1938

Rained heavy last nite; colder this afternoon & eve. Pap sewed clover seed. Eggs 14 [cents] at Mertz Bert [Bertille] took 7 doz. up & got 1/2 butter from Reheis’s make; 20 [cents]. Robert Lauts moved some of there furniture to Rennecker’s, the living room suite. getting ready to tear the old house down, to build a new one, Hoffmann from Belleville has the contract the paper says.

Thursday, March 3, 1938

Pap went up in woods this afternoon, brought load wood along home. Mehrmann got 8 doz. eggs. 14 [cents]. H. Birkner was here selling seeds. Bert [Bertille] bought cabbage. Jenning of Milsdadt [sic] road was here looking at horses; There sure has been an awful rain & floods at Los Angeles Cali. for last 4 das. raining heavy, terrible storms, so many killed & missing.