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.

Thursday, March 18, 1937

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, pap went along in to Belleville, to attend Mrs. Kate Buehlers funeral from Reumer’s [Funeral Home] to Ruma Church, at 9 o’clock; there were 8 cars from Belleville. Pallbearers from Ruma Congregation, pretty large funeral quite a few people of around here went down to Ruma. She was keeping house for an Ins. [Insurance] Man at Belleville, the children all had to come in there this afternoon & get her clothes & things at that place. Lena Meng came over to see Uncle Fred on business. Pap took the team, went after load of posts. Eppinger was here again but pap didn’t want to sell it today, he has a sore leg, limbs. Mrs. Staufenbiels said today that Alice Brand in California was going to buy land & house on it  & more. Miss Stella Roscow is visiting down at California now, at Kern’s, she is going by Alice.

Monday, July 1, 1935

Reception at Ruma today. Boy! the oats bugs are awful. We washed, ironed. Henry finished cutting oats, here, had lunch & dinner. Emil came & shocked this afternoon, had lunch. It rained so heavy out at Henry’s, they had to quite [quit] cutting, so papa & Rose came home, it never rained at all here, a few drops, sure was funny, papa helped to shock. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were up this evening, they were at Buehler’s. Oliver Ruhl was here for signing of corn & hog contracts. There is 3¢ tax now after today; is 1¢ 2¢ & 3¢ on things you buy; here at Eichenseers to now. Mrs. Gambach, Stiffler’s & Ralph Raush left for California this morning. Ray Wittenauer’s now working in Mertz store on Ralph’s place.

Tuesday, Feb. 26, 1935

Ironed, patched, finished “Goose track” quilt, to give to Red Bud parish, just the top. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where up him & papa went to Red Bud, & Waterloo on business. We are making patches for a cushion. Wrote Alice Brand of 1509½ Bellevine Ave. California, Los Angeles, this morning on business regarding the right of piece land, from hard road, joining our ground; if she wants to sell it. Mertz paying 18½ for eggs.

Thursday, Sept. 6, 1934

We made pear preserves canned 2½ pickles. Raining this morning Delmar Watchel’s birthday 3 yr. There is 4 kids going to Blackburn School so far, Robert, 3 yr. & Floyd & Wilkerson, Scrivener, on Pautlers place rides down, with the teacher every day, she brings them all home; Mrs. Kruse is the teacher, lived at Burksville. Mrs. Alice Brand & Lucille left from California Sun. & arrived in Waterloo at 11 o’clock Tues. night, were Kenneth Kemp got them, that is were they are making there home & then go around, see all the folks; was by Uncle Adam’s today.

Friday, June 2, 1933

We baked bread. Papa & Rosalia went to Belleville took chickens & eggs along, eggs 8¢ chickens 14¢. Papa went out to Uncle Fred’s, with a horse trader Baur of Belleville, made no trade though. Papa & Rosalia went to Waterloo load of wheat, it is 73¢ today. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came picked & stoned the rest of the cherries today. Bertille helped & had lunch there. Mr. & Mrs. Jim Beese, Doris Breutigam & Jero Collins, a grand nephew to Uncle Fred stoped [sic] short while with them, he came from California, stay awhile to visit relatives around here in this country, he hitch hiked it here to Belleville. Seen in the paper, Louis Goessling & family moved from Waterloo to Nashville Ill, where he has a position working on a road. It was in the Belleville paper that Alivra Jatho & Leslie Siebert to wed Sat. afternoon 2:30, & Clemens Mudds & Estella Miller where married at 7, o clock mass at the cathedral; both of New Athens, Ill.

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 1932

We went to Belleville with 46 doz. eggs this morning, sold some at 16¢ & 14 & 12¢. Bert Tomphson was here at noon. Miss Armenia Pinkel 30 of Waterloo was killed Sunday afternoon in an automobile accident & her parents Mr. & Mrs. Armin Pinkel retired store keeper was badly injured, but will recover, they where going to Long Beach California to spent sometime with the daughter there, on about 2 mon’s visit, the car ran of the road at Yuma Arizonia [sic – Arizona]. That is what the Belleville paper says.

Saturday, June 20, 1931

Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s again today.  She has to do the work & watch the kids, Leona has to drive the tractor again.  They was there for lunch, dinner, lunch.  I seen in the paper that Miss Ursula Havey is going to school at Carbondale.  That Judge Scheinder got married to Mrs. Bacblecher, they went for a honey moon trip to Calif. Colrado [sic], & a few other places.  Mr. Neheaus the conctrator [sic] from Red Bud & also the Millner’s Husband died & was buried last Sun. at Steelville Ill.  Tonight Harry Kammler is giving a dance again.  Werner is on the sick list now.  This morning I baked 4 pies, 2 cherries & 2 dewberries.  There where a good many cars in town tonight & also driving through.

Monday, May 11, 1931

Yesterday morning Henry Volkmann & wife while going home from church with the buggy met with a accident, there was a car coming from both directions, & the one drove to close & took the wheel off the buggy, it is just funny no one was hurt, & the buggy is altogether in a wreck, it happened almost in front Kuhn’s house, they settled it right there.  Bertille went to church this morning.  Papa & Rosalia went up in the woods.  Bertille went up to the school hall to see the play or rather moving picture show, given by the Cathestists [catechists] of New Mexico & Calif, Texas, it was good.  Tonight they will be in Paderborn.  The weather is sure funny, it rains, then the sun shines, real April & May Showers.  Harold Dueker is in St. Mary’s Elizabeth Hospital for appendix.  Rosalia & Bertille went up to Mamie’s took her along & then went to the show, the crowd increases every night, instead of giving the blanket away tonight, he is going to give 2 tomorrow night.  Vic. Eichenseer took his medicine & improved a lot.  Eggs are 12¢.

Monday, December 1, 1930

Bertille was at church this morning.  Papa & Rosalia went to Belleville again today with the eggs.  Last week they took Mrs. Owen Fahey & Mrs. Rose Crook to the hospital in Red Bud.  Mrs. Fahey is to get operated on appendix & Mrs. Albert Crook has heart & kidney trouble.  There was no funeral in the Hecker Catholic Church during 1930 church year.  There was a man here at noon and wanted to sell some rugs & 3 fur coats, but you had to make your price on them, we didn’t take any it looked kind of suspicious, like it might of been stolen goods, the man was from California, and has intended to go to Canada & Montreal.  There were 2 men in the car.  Papa & Rosalia sold 18 doz. eggs for .40¢ a doz. to some customers in Belleville.  Ed Meng was over a little while & took a look at our hogs.  He wanted to know if Henry still had his for sale, so Bertille called out to Henry’s & found out.  Papa went over to Meng’s & told him & also took his post hole digger back again.  The paper says 20 above zero tonight.