Friday, May 19, 1939

Raining. Planted pumpkins & watermelons. Yesterday was clean up day for Hecker. Fritsche hauling rubbish. Wm Wiegand Jr. is very sick has lost his mind, since Wed. morn. can’t do nothing, going to take him away this afternoon to some asylum (at Anna). Mr & Mrs Bunny Miller (nee Buettner) have a baby.

Thursday, May 18, 1939

Ascension Day Holiday! Went to 6 o’clock mass. We didn’t go to confirmation at 10: 30 this morn. Bill [Klein] came, & we all went to St. Louis to J. [Josie] Kellers this afternoon left here at 1:30, got there at 3 oclock; she was ironing, we had supper there, left over there at 6 o’clock, got home 7:15. rained little this eve. thundered. Buettner is being buried this afternoon, private.

Wednesday, May 17, 1939

Cleaned, baked; patched. Pap went to Waterloo to get 25 lbs. purina feed see if we can help our chicks, from dying, they at least eat now, crapo [? – unclear] got something in them, he also attended the funeral of Miss Hattie Grosse & seen Wetzlers also, he was buried at Maeystown & she was at Waterloo church & cemetery, an awful crowd people couldn’t all get in church. Wagners has Buettner, at his parlor now. Pap got mower parts from Eichenseer & fix the mower & cut grass around place & in front of house. Cloudy this eve.

Tuesday, May 16, 1939

Cool this morn. Chicks still dying 18 this morn. Bert [Bertille] cleaned basement & scrubbed it. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary were up, working garden. Eggs 13 [cents]. Buettner was found dead at or near Douglas this morn, he shot himself in his car; was there since Mon. paper says; had 2 notes written, one to Mrs. Grosse & other lady at Belleville. Chas. Mehrmann of Belleville had a stroke & died suddenly yesterday eve. after work; his wife died 5 weeks ago from tooth extraction, he will be buried Thurs. morn. at 10:30 he turned Catholic when he married Becherer.

Monday, May 15, 1939

Had Mertz to look at our chicks, dying, terrible. Pap went to Waterloo took 11 bus. wheat along @ 71 [cents] & paid tax $270.94. Terrible thing happened last nite, Waterloo talking this morn. Gus Buettner of Waterloo shot & killed Miss Hattie Grosse & boyfriend Wetzler all of Waterloo, at a lonely spot on Boxtown road, Wetzler & girlfriend & Mr & Mrs. Mitchell were enroute to Boxtown to a dance, when Buettner crowded them of road & shot & killed the couple & didn’t harm Mitchells so far they haven’t got Buettner yet, he wanted to go with Grosse. All police are on look out for him, he was seen driving south through Boxtown after it happened at 10 o clock. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary stopped in went to Red Bud & worked there gardens today. Went to Leo’s this eve. took them plants & we got cabbage plants from her.

Wednesday, Sept. 7, 1938

Harry Witteanuer [sic] was here. Bill [Klein] came, took our car & all went to State Fair at Duquoin & people about 150 mil trip, enjoyed it wonderfully, & seen things, never have seen before, most exciting attractions were Jimmie Lynch & his 2 hr. circus of death dodgers; real dare devil, went through fire seated in his dodge. Went to Donahue’s to Ed. McDermott & Beat Friel wedding dance which took place in St. Louis; both of Washington DC big crowd, Chas Irose & girlfriend best; bride & them came 9:30. from St. Louis, received a few gifts. From reports Chris Buehler is going to move out on farm occupied by Buettner by Red Bud traded [unclear] for farm.

Sunday, June 27, 1937

Bert [Bertille] went to Mamie’s went to ballgame awhile. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came took Bert along to Breezy Hill to Simon Miller’s & Buettner Wedding dance, Dream Time Trio furnished musci [sic]; large crowd & nice time. Vic Papenberg & car from New Athens had collision at the corner, the other car passed on wrong side, damaged the truck & car, no one hurt; Joe McCarthy, deputy Marshall, was at Boxton Sat. nite; camp guys started in fighting, he wanted to part then & keep peace, fellow pulled out a revolver & shot him at the shoulder, came out below the shoulder blade, he is at home, getting along well if no blood poison will set in; pretty hard for the guy, that did the shooting he is in the pen; at present time. There is also 4 boys from Red Bud in Chester pen for stealing by Jac. Erle’s. South of Red Bud. Mr. Erle caught them in the house, stealing money out of a dresser drawer.

Sunday, June 20, 1937

Went to 6:30 mass. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary stayed awhile. Came up this afternoon, Bert [Bertille] went along to Millstadt German pinic [sic], seen St. Louis people dance a German Polka, sure was good; met a few people that we knew; came home had supper here, then went to Paderborn to Carrie’s fish fry Skaers Orch.; & what crowd, Floraville had to close down, everybody at Paderborn. Ray Neubarth & Buettner getting married at Waterloo today. Wiegands had free barn dance last nite musci [sic] by girls of Floraville, had pretty large crowd & hot.

Friday, Nov. 11, 1932

We had the first snow this morning, & awful cold; we started the fire in the furnace this morn. The Catholic Church bell rang & tolled for the death of Louis Shoenborn, he stays by John Roth, he is a sister & brother’s, he went out hunting yesterday & didn’t come back, they had taught [sic – thought] he went to Volkman’s, they called there, & he wasn’t there, & they went to look for him found him dead in the field he will be buried on Roths lot at the Hecker cemetery & also church here. Sexton from E. St. Louis stopped & got 5 doz. egg for 27¢. The winners of the turkeys at Institute last Fri were won by Arthur Kaufman, Henry Wedel, Christ Janson, William Mueller, Peter Keim, Gus. Buettner, Robert Glessner, & Oliver Ruhl. the attendance prize turkey was won by Herman Wierschem. The O’gals motor oil given by the Monroe Service Co, as registration prize was won by Fred Henke. It was in the times today that Clarence Ohlendorf of Waterloo Ill, & Miss Luella Minmean of Hecker, surprized there friends & where married last Sat. at Edwardsville Ill; the attendants were Roy Reinhold & Pearl Haller, they left for a short honeymoon, & they will make there home in Waterloo, she is the only girl of Mr. & Mrs. Chas. Minnemean & he is the only son of Mr. & Mrs. William Ohlendorf of Waterloo. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up to pick there hogs out to butcher tomorrow.