Wednesday, Dec. 27, 1939

Bert [Bertille] washed, ironed. Snowing a little this afternoon. Eggs here 17 [cents] at Eichenseers. Catholic congregation at Smithton have card party in Turner Hall for public tonite. Radio reported earthquake in some places, causes death of many lives, & towns destroyed today. Made ice cream this eve. Bill [Klein] came & Bert went along to Smithton to card party, had 6 points each, out of 10 games; got glass bake dish & cake plate, sure had nice prizes.

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 1939

Washed, ironed. Eichenseer boys hauled in 2 loads coal. Pap went out on business trip this afternoon. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came went to euchre in School Hall given by the Holy Name Society. Bill [Klein] & Bert [Bertille] went to Paderborn euchre there, & also Millsdadt [sic] has a card party tonite, all in same nite. Cortner boys bought a new V-8 traded in 1937 chev.

Thursday, Oct. 26, 1939

Raining a little. Bill [Klein] stoped [sic] in, he was out selling car. Schwab came this afternoon, had to work a little on Whip. yet. wasn’t working just right. Fellows here from St. Louis, wanted to weather strip our house, would cost $115.00 for every window & door. & $35 for living room & kitchen. Holy Name Society of Red Bud have card party tonite. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came & Bill we all went to Red Bud to euchre, pap didn’t go. Bill had 12 points got 6 glasses. not much prizes. We gave pk. potatoes, wasn’t up for euchre prize.

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 1939

Washed, ironed, patched. Pap went in woods also went to Wm. Ganleys bought 6 pigs from him $30. & that is pd. on Int. Wittenauers were shocking corn a load for us yesterday & harrowing today. Hitler made speech today over radio. The Hecker Ladies Sodality giving a card party in hall tonite.

Wednesday, February 1, 1939

Warm, & started raining this eve. windy all day. Bert [Bertille] washed, hung it in basement, ironed baked pies. Young Ladies have card party in hall tonite, its raining. Eggs keep going down every day; 1/2 [cents] now are 14 [cents] here.

Wednesday, Jan. 18, 1939

Cloudy. Leo & family came down, we had chicken soup dinner; he helped pap fix fence, got 2 sows from here, took them there with Whip.; on trade for heifer from Leo, brought that home here; they did the work while home, had supper here, stayed awhile, quilted this eve. Steve Renneker came, paid for his hog $[unclear] @ $7.75. Bill [Klein] came & Bert [Bertille] went to Paderborn to Euchre party, had 8 points got table cloth & Bill had 7 got can pineapple, quite a crowd present, had a dance after, musci [sic] by Jac. Schoenborn. Henry came to get black & [unclear]. Mary Grossheim was found dead in bed this morn. hadn’t been ill at all, will be 62 in May, buried Sat. morn.

Wednesday, Jan. 11, 1939

Papa went out to Henry’s farming clover seed. Cloudy this afternoon, turned chickens out today & eggs today are 15 [cents] sure dropped within the last week, because of warm weather. Bill [Klein] came & Bert [Bertille] went along to Floraville to card party given by Church members, & what a crowd, never seen nothing like it before all tables filled & all bingo players, we played bingo, got nothing.

Tuesday, Sept. 20, 1938

Had no frost. We took 2 hogs & went to Leo’s, loaded his calf went to Belleville to Streck’s pap stayed there with baby [Marita]; he got 11 [cents] for calf 157 lb. & we got for 175 lb. $8.60 & 230 lb. $8.75 that’s yesterdays price, today markets when down again. The Young Ladies have card party in school hall tonite; open air if it isn’t to cold. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came here awhile they & Bill & Bert [Bertille] went to euchre in hall, got nothing A. [Aunt] Mary got last price package napkins. 8 points. Leo & family & pap went to Red Bud to wake at Koch’s of Mrs. Isabel Gallagher. Emil came brought a letter with Nic. Brands name on it, it came from Mrs. Ryan of Oxley Mo.; wanting information about Turstenberg family, which she is a relative; to write. The sheriff of Waterloo & Belleville was out in Hecker gathering a few boys that damaged Vera’s property Sun. nite; Clyde Mueth, Clarence Braun, Bill Braun, few others yet, did about $150.00.

Wednesday, April 27, 1938

Windy, not as hot. Bert [Bertille] sewed lettuce etc. Baked cream pie. Euchre & card party at Paderborn tonite; Bert [Bertille] went got dish, playing bluey had 2 games; Hy Kettler played for dance, not very much, no crowd. Elmer Parker, & Vincent Klein, have a birthday dance at Kammler’s tonight; Jake Schoenborn played Adm. 25 [cents] pretty good crowd. Rained a little this eve. Awful dust storm this afternoon. Mr. & Mrs. Perry May were here this eve; till 11:30. The Wedding that was here at Hecker, by Fr. Aydt last Tues morn, was Walter Kunkel & Brauch girl. Joe daughter, both of Tipton, never were published, are anything, May said that. Harry Wittenauer was here this afternoon; on business.

Thursday, April 21, 1938

Nice day, warm. Cooked kettle soap. Pap went to Waterloo, with 20 bus. wheat @ 72 [cents], yesterday he got 68 [cents]. Price is 75 [cents]; he stopped at Henry’s also. Mrs. Cleveland was there to. Floyd is to get 1 lb. coffee on the Old Judge program by Susie. 3 persons on same song, policeman Song. I didn’t hear it on radio. Otto Geodelle of St. Louis, formerly of Waterloo, is in hospital, shot himself in head, but didn’t kill him, is in hospital. Pap went to see Hy. Feurer; about the signing of corn program. then he went to see Fred Weber by Smithton, about pigs. The Ladies Aid have a card party at Kammler’s tonite; Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came. Bert [Bertille] went along to euchre. Bert [Bertille] got first prize 11 points out of 14 games. got a straw rug, beautiful. Uncle [Fred] had 7 got box cocoa & A. [Aunt] Mary had 7 got napkins; not much of a crowd 7 tables euchre 3 or 4 pinochle, & bluey quite a few; not much at all.