Friday, June 1, 1934

We cleaned chicken houses & sprayed with coal oil, got load oats. Mr. Ralph Wiegand & Luella Bruns were sponsors last Sun morn. at Smithon [sic] after services for George Kuhn Jr. son, called it Ralph George, she was Emily Wiegand. We baked 2 cherry pies. In the Waterloo paper, it is that Richard Crowe, Uncle Matt boy, went 8 yrs. to the Catholic School, without missing a day or tardy. Lawrence, infant son of Ed. Berge, was operated on in St. Mary’s hospital, & reports, he is now at home & improving nicely. The transfer of Ida Mueller to Fred Faust is in today. Ida Sommers place. Rev. Eschman is taking treatments in St. Mary’s Hospital. Fred Henke had misfortune of having 2 ribs cracked last Sat. on a fall on a runaway team. There is a truck & put up a tent on the city lot, here & is having moving picture show, for 3 nights, & vaudville [sic], Adm. 20¢. The Farm Bureau is having free movie at Pautlers farm tonite. Berti was at Eliza Boll’s got 25 plants of sweet potatoes for Uncle Fred; they came up to plant them out this eve.

Thursday, May 24, 1934

Looks like rain. Henry’s birthday 30 yrs. old. & 6 Wedding Anniv. We went out, took tomatoe [sic] plants along, Cleveland’s, Gus & Dan Geodell’s families were present, cake was served. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this afternoon, planted 104 sweet potatoe [sic] plants, from Boll. The Catholic School children are having there play & program tonite. Adm. 25¢. Eggs 11¢. It Rained a little this morn.

Monday, May 21, 1934

Mixed concrete this morning. Rennecker came over awhile, they are going to New Athens. Mrs. is on sick list. Rose & Berti went to Red Bud, got chick mash, big picnic there this afternoon, parade, 1 o’clock, merchants are all closed, also schools, it is the Evangical [sic] Church, having dinner & supper. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came this afternoon; her & Rosalia went out to Boll’s this evening got sweet potatoe [sic] plants, 78, they have 200 ordered, we helped to plant them up here. Clara Wagner was over a while, a man around selling house remedies. Rob Mertz & Skaer started putting the roof on this morning 8 o clock – 5; they didn’t finish. Cyril Eichenseer had his nose cracked this morning, hit by baseball up at school; he has it all plastered now. Eggs 11¢ now.

Saturday, April 28, 1934

Papa & Rose went out on the farm cleaned, graniery [sic]. Awful nice day. It froze ice last nite again. Some of the Hecker firemen put up a tank for water at George Wagner’s yesterday afternoon. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came he helped papa staked the ground of for the shed, they had lunch & dinner here, Karl Boll came to tell pap, Ettling was going to come to see him next Sun. We went to Waterloo to Pautler’s Hall, to a birthday dance, musci [sic] by Moonlighters, but wasn’t much going on there, so then we drove down to Oak Grove to Pat May birthday dance, & a crowd there. Oh my & all feeling Happy.

Sunday, Jan. 28, 1934

Went to Red Bud, took Helfrich’s along. We gave Miss Siebold a glass plate for euchre prize; for Tues. evening. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came; & Josie Keller awhile, then she left went to Ben Heyl’s, Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary went across the street & had dinner, then came over in the afternoon. Aunt Mary, Rose & Bert went to Mrs. Stauenfbiel & Zita’s & got 2 dress patterns, then we went up to Lizzie Boll’s awhile ordered cooked cheese from Talbots on the Floraville line, 5 lbs. Josie wants to take 3 with here, & we take 1 lb. & Aunt Mary 1 lb. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary had supper here. It is awful windy, & cold, freezing right along. Yesterday we could go out side with out a coat, & today just opposite.

Saturday, Jan. 27, 1934

Bertille went to Willie Birkners, took cake up there. It was in yesterday’s paper that Mrs. Francis Eichenseer of Belleville was granted a divorce from her husband Francis, & he will have to pay $30. mo. alimony, to support her & child. Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s & papa went to the woods. Mrs. George Boll’s birthday today. We all went to George Wagners played 1 cards, 5 hand & 4 pinochle, Bertille had 800 kings, partner Rosalia had 100 aces, melted 10, 40 in 4 hand game; cake was served.

Friday, Jan. 26, 1934

Pap went to Hecker. Vic Eichenseer came & fixed our pump at the straw shed. the E. W. A. roadworkers started again today, only work 15 hrs. week. Seven were fired, & 4 new ones put on, they are Chas. Helfrich, Hy. Brown, Philip Jatho, Osie Neff put on, & those fired, where Robert Laut, Hecker & 2 guys from Waterloo. Meyer’s, Hy. Emery, Bill Sensel. Rosalia went after the mail. Pierre Laut was here yesterday evening, said we could come & help quilt this afternoon; Rosalia went; Mrs. Rennecker, Mrs. George Kammler were the quilters for today. It is sun burst quilt they had lunch. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up awhile this afternoon. We had cooked cheese from Mertz store, lb. Adam Eckert’s butter; all was good. This evening we went out to Uncle Freds, Aunt Mary’s 57 birthday, cake & orangeade was served to the following: Mrs. Oscar Birkners family, Frank Birkner’s family, Christ Buehler’s family, Wm. Birkner’s family, Miss Josie Keller, Pinochle & lotto was played by the kids, got prizes; Frieda got attendance prize again. Miss Josie spent the day by Lizzie Boll’s.

Saturday, Jan. 13, 1934

We finished our quilt took it out of the frame. Berti went to Lizzie Boll’s got the bread. Papa went down to Red Bud, took orders for beef. We went to Robert Lauts played 6 hand pinochle, had cake, & wine. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary went to New Athens see John.

Tuesday, Jan. 9, 1934

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, came here awhile, then we all went to Wilfried [sic] Eichenseer’s funeral, he was 16 will be 17 in June, his pallbearers were, Loraine & Ray Wittenauer, Lee Gregson, Paul Wittenauer, Joe & Paul Parker. It was an awful large funeral, nice flowers. Father made an awful nice sermon, the church was crowded, some standing. Henry & Albert Cleveland, stop in awhile. Bertille went to Lizzie Boll’s got the bread. Some men, around selling apples, we didn’t take none, ironed & patched.

Saturday, Jan. 6, 1934

Papa got things from town this morning. The Ganley place gets sold this afternoon at 3 o clock; at Public Sale. Carlise Morrison, auctioneer. Uncle Fred & papa went over, quite a few people there, the home place, brought, $3,000, 100 acres, $30.00 @ acre. Emily bought that, & the other 40 acres brought $775.00 George Schilling bought it. We & Aunt Mary stayed by Henry’s so long, they walked from there in; the roads were little muddy. Wilfried Eichenseer, Vic’s oldest boy, nearly 16 yrs, was acciendtally [sic] shot, & died this afternoon at 2 o’clock; out by George Boll’s lane, he was out at Papenberg’s to go hunting, report is he fell off wagon & his gun, shot him, Cyril, Harold, Clarence & Wilfred went out hunting, out to Papenbergs, by Parker’s they went across the field, & went they got to Boll’s lane, Papenberg’s boy’s came out with the wagon, got a hog from there, & they stop & talked, Wilfred jumped on the wagon, & sat with the gun towards him, & he was going to get off, he sliped [sic] & the gun went of, hitting him under the arm, in one of the arteries that leads to the heart, & he bleed to death, he had a vest on with 36 bullets in it, some of them went off to, they say it, is sure lucky that none of the rest got hurt. Wagner & Herman of Waterloo have charge of it. Eichenseers brought the body in on the truck, when [unclear] & doctor wasn’t there either. He got a new suit from the store for Christmas & a wrist watch from his grandpa, for helping around in the store. Wilfred was the first to died in Ant Eichenseer family in 41 years.