Wednesday, Sept. 28, 1932

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came here, then went to Sparta Fair. Mrs. Griffin is awful sick, they took her to the Belleville hospital Sun. morning. Angela Eichenseer got operated on a growth in her nose. Papa & Rosalia went out in the woods & made a few posts. Chas. Jung egg man was here, he say he’ll take all our spring chick tomorrow morning. Henry & family where up this evening, he brought 4 barrels up to the whey place.

Saturday, Sept. 17, 1932

Papa went out to Henry’s to help vaccinate his hogs, then Henry & Mr. Hughes came along & vaccinated ours too for $4.50/20 pigs. Uncle Fred helped too, they came for the pinice [sic – picnic], they had to bring the chicken cleaned & dressed & cup, then Fr. takes them all to Belleville & gets roasted. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary had dinner chicken with us, she gave 3 to the pinic [sic]. Papa & Uncle Fred went down to the molasses factory. There was a lady selling extracts & a pan for $1.00, Aunt Mary took it. Uncle Fred had lunch with us. Spirtas junk dealer was here & looked at some old stuff; he is coming again yet; didn’t buy anything. Aunt Mary bought 25¢ chicken at the pinic [sic], Uncle Fred brought it here, then we lunched this eve, the crowd wasn’t as large this time.

Thursday, Sept. 15, 1932

We & Aunt Mary went to Belleville, & Rosalia got a red dress for $4.77 & hats 59¢. Mrs. Wm. Birkner was here a little while. Lavern Keorker was going around town selling apples $1.00 bu. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary went to the Rod & Gun Glub [sic – Club] House tonite. Mrs. Probst is celebrating her birthday there. Henry & family came up this evening, she took a basket tomatoes along home. The Farm Advisor Hughes is going to vaccinate his hogs for him Sat. morning & ours too. We sold 2 of our hams one 19¼ lbs. & 21 lbs. @ 15¢, Kolmier & Winkler of Waterloo got them. Papa got a glass of molasses this eve, at the factory, he hauled cane again this afternoon.

Monday, Sept. 12, 1932

We washed, ironed, made butter & cheese. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where at Waterloo & from there to Belleville & then up here, we ate lunch with them, liver sausage, then they went home; for Frank Birkner’s birthday tonite. Setel the butcher from Smithon [sic] was here & looked at our annimals [sic], but didn’t want any. We picked a bu. tomatoes for Leona this eve. Henry & Dan Geodelle came & got the whey.

Monday, Aug. 15, 1932

Our Chev, had a flat tie so we took Uncle Fred’s machine to church & came to late. It rained this morning. Rosalia & Bertille went along to Belleville with Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, she got a new dress. Mr. Hill was here getting signers for a petition that the post office stays in Hecker. There was a man around selling watermellons [sic] 3.5 lbs. for 25¢, he said they sold 65 at Red Bud. There was a guy here selling maytags.

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 1932

Papa took the mower out to Henry’s & got the frame wagon. Mr. Bershing was here & wanted to sell watermellons [sic], from 5¢ up to 25¢ real nice ones. Papa & Rosalia are putting up alfalfa hay this afternoon. In Ruma there was a cyclone yesterday evening, but we never heard if it did much damage. Lightening struck Tom Havey [? – unclear] mare, one what has a young colt, the Rendering Truck from Belleville got it this morning. Today is Chicken Supper & Pinic [sic] in Paderborn. We went out to Uncle Fred’s at watermellons [sic] then took them along to the pinic [sic] at Paderborn, they had a nice crowd. Mr. Jung our egg man from Red Bud bought 11 doz. eggs @ 15¢. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came here awhile, they were at Sensel’s bought a watermellon [sic] for 25¢, & they went to see Dentist Wagner at the Club House, tomorrow morn, they have to go to Belleville & get teeth fixed. It was sure hot today. Aunt Mary bought bread, flour, at the pinic [sic], 2 loaves for 5¢,  & 5¢ loaf, she bought 4.

Saturday, July 9, 1932

This morning about 12:30 or 1 o’clock every body was roused out for church bell ringing, rings over the lines of the fire at Phil Braun’s shed. It burned completely down to the ground, but saved the house & other buildings. Papa went up with a bucket, they had Smithon [sic] & New Athens fire department, got the water out of Stehefest’s pond & from the neighboring wells. It must of started by the truck, & horn kept blowing & roused Phil out, he went to the shed, broke the door in & the truck was all on flames, they couldn’t save much out of the shed, got the old Ford out & Lester Gregson’s truck. The oil barrels just shot up in the air, it looked terrible, the tin roof on & around the house saved it, & Lizzie Parkinson’s. Mrs. Rennecker came over here that while it took about 1½ to 2 hrs. It is still fire there today yet. We went to Belleville this afternoon. Steve Rennecker came over this evening. Rosalia went over to see Mrs. Hill’s flowers, she called up & said she should come over and look at them. It rained a few shower this evening. Henry was up & got some milk, he was here awhile. Josie Keller went past down to Ben Heyl’s.

Tuesday, June 28, 1932

We washed, ironed, patched. Clifford told us this morning that Mr. Gambach was found dead in the barn lying on sacks, like a stroke or something. Papa went down to Armstutz’s & got Hy’s team & mowed & cut the alfalfa hay. The New Athen’s cleaners & pressing factory where here with special prices on cleaning dresses, suits & such like all or each for 75¢ each article. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here for lunch & supper, we helped to shell peas. Clara Wagner & the kids came over awhile. George went to the town meeting, then he came over when he got back. Mr. Gambach was 59 yrs. old, he took Lysol poisoning & had the gun lying beside him when they found him on sacks in the barn, he should off told Hy. Armstutz that yesterday was the day, but they watched him pretty close on the 27, but this morning he got away with it. They took him in to Belleville, to undertaking parlor. The paper says he took corsote [sic – creosote].

Wednesday, June 22, 1932

We went to Belleville this afternoon to Miss Zimmlich sale, adminstrator [sic] sale, & everything cheap, we bought $2.50 worth stuff, 2 rockers, 3 chairs etc. & Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary bought lots goods, chairs, tables etc. They came up this evening & brought some of ours along up, then we all went out to Chris Buehler’s Iren’s birthday 10 yrs. popcorn, beer & cake where served, Henry & Frank, Birkner family, & Papenbergs & us folks.

Saturday, June 18, 1932

Papa went to Belleville this morning. Rosalia is on the sick list yesterday & today, so many people are now. Mrs. George Boll. Mr. Rettinghouse had a stroke the other day while coming home from carrying lunch, right in the yard it happened. Two connecting rods burned out in the chev. so papa left it at Barthel’s garage to get it fixed, he brought papa home. It was so hot today 95 in the shade & the oats bugs so bad. We took a drive up to Smithon [sic] & got a barrel that papa bought at Bernius sale. Ross is living on the place now, he bought it for $8.50. We stopped at Barthel’s, but the car wasn’t finished yet, we also stopped at George Burnius [? – is crossed out] to see wether [sic] he had the key. George Wagner’s family came over awhile, we had lemonade, he is shocking wheat for Chas. Wagner this year. Today is Ignatz Neff’s birthday, the Birkner bunch went, had beer, cake, wieners.