Monday, March 6, 1939

Went out to Henrys butchering, killed 2. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary had been here & Red Bud, drove out there for a few mins. to see how they all were. Chester Cowell of Chester accidentally shot his wife, she is in Red Bud hospital little below the heart, went through a purse [? – unclear] & arm, right under heart.

Wednesday, April 13, 1938

Washed, ironed; cut lawn, etc. Pap went up got hair cut. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary were up, cleaning garden, she went to church, also went down to Red Bud. We went to church at Waterloo. Mrs. Wm. Ganley is pretty ill, since last nite. We set 19 hens to nite, 264 eggs. Bert [Bertille] washed Chev. Sure hot today. Lester Brown is driving a bread wagon now, new truck, 75 miles trip, delivered it to stores, down toward to Chester etc; has no work at Belleville no more. Geo Wagner hasn’t worked for nearly 2 mons. now. Bruns gets 2 1/2 [cents] loaf; sells about 400 loaves a day.

Wednesday, December 1, 1937

Bert [Bertille] went to funeral of Mr. Grahlerr to church, wasn’t so large. Pallbearers were Geo. Parker, Geo & Joe Groosheim, Joe Gregson, Nic Helfrich, Ignatz Neff. Henry & Leona went to Belleville left Billy [Willis] here. Washed this afternoon, scrubbed basement, washed kettles. Emil came but didn’t stay, we were busy. Mr. Herbert looked at horse. Emil came over, again this eve. awhile; he told us Louie Gregson was ill; Alf. Eckert upset his dodge Sun. eve. by Belleville. Otto Koch’s girl Erma is missing since Sun. nite, got the fellow down in Chester, but he didn’t talk up yet; she is from Red Bud.

Thursday, July 29, 1937

Bert [Bertille] baked cake, cooked catsup. Pap went to woods to look for sand. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came, Bert went along to Chester to the wake of Mrs. John McDermott, who passed away yesterday afternoon at 2 ‘ o clock, at Jacksonville Ill, she had been there for 2 weeks, with a nervous break down, in a private place & nurse, while the nurse was just out, she hung herself with a strap; & died; 29 yrs old; they were married will be 2 mons. on 10 of next mo; tomorrow will be taken to her home at Raddle Ill, about 12 miles from Chester, & will be buried there Sat. morn; we met her 2 sisters & brother, being there at the funeral parlor, 2 girls were all school teachers. We were there from 3 to 5:30, people came in & out; John & Ed were there. Leo & Rose came this eve. & we ate watermelons, that A. [Aunt] Mary brought from Sparta, boy what a good melon, we ate it all 22 lb. Mrs. Mehrmann got the eggs. 10 doz. @ 17¢. A fellow here wanted to sell paint. We got 19¢ for our chicks, 77 lbs. – 3 doz. shipping charges 75¢ on coop. We got a new Chicago Mail Order catalog.

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.

Friday, June 18, 1937

Uncle Fred took wheat to Waterloo she [Aunt Mary] stayed at Uncle Adams; he isn’t good at all. Pap went out Henry’s all day had dinner, helped finish his job. Was in Waterloo paper J. McDermott & Rose Korando were married at Ava by Fr. Schumacher on June 10 at 9 clock mass. she comes from near Cora was teacher in Jackson & Randolph for past several years. Jack still working at Security Hospital at Menard; wedding breakfast was at Logan Hotel Murphysboro, departed for short honeymoon were attended by cousin Grace Korando, & Chas. Irose nephew of groom; will make there home in Chester. Quite few weddings in Waterloo. Horn – Hergenroeder, attended by Al. & Walter Horn cousins of groom & Grace & Alice Axley cousins of bride & Werling & Rubemeyer. Dougherty nee Elvira Haudrich have a little baby born last week, now have two.

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 1937

Ironed. Aunt Mary is 60 yrs. old today. They came this evening & we went along to Red Bud to euchre, Uncle Fred had 9 points got apron, pap 8 & Bert 7, but didn’t get no prize; Leroy Siefert got attendance prize, magazaine [sic] table; pillow slips that were raffled were won by Mrs. Otto Huch. There is to be 200 people from Cairo brought into Red Bud tonite, in Gym. left 400 at Chester, also took train load to St. Louis they say.

Saturday, June 20, 1936

It surely was hot yesterday 104 highest at 4 P.M. We are having chicken dinner. Mrs. Gertie Irose 44 yrs. old is being buried at Chester Ill. this morn. 9 o’clock mass by Fr. Tecklenburg of Evansville, for Fr. Lemen of Chester left for Nebraska. Seen in Messenger Fr. Freund is to be assistant at Muryphsboro [sic] for 6 weeks; at present he is at Waterloo. Clarence Heberer of Mascoutaha [sic] have a baby boy born on June 11 nee Marie Fults, Bertie’s 2nd yr. school teacher.

Friday, June 19, 1936

Pap & Rose went out to Henry’s before 5 ‘o clock; had lunch & dinner & finished cutting oats now; at noon, got Emil down & he helped put the binder in the shed; has about 2 hrs. shocking to do yet. Ralph Rausch came & pd. the balance $5. on ball ground there dance was fairly well attended Sun. nite. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came we went to Chester to see Gertie Irose; she sure looks natural & good, she has been in bed for 5 mons; & was terrible sick the last 10 days. Hubert said, had a cancer; she was at the home of Schroeder Ambulance & Undertaker, they are remodeling the parlor at present time; When we got to Chester, the shift gears wouldn’t work on our car, got it repaired at Chester Cowell’s garage. Walter Gregson were down, & McDermott, Doyl’s May’s. The crops don’t look so good down there. Leo Orlet of Paderborn, stopped in while in town this evening.

Thursday, May 21, 1936

Ascenscion [sic] “Holiday” Went to Red Bud to 6’oclock mass. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came went along to Belleville with us; we got new dresses; pap went to Dr Frein’s office, should come back again next week. Beautiful day. There were a lot of people from Hecker & Paderborn at Belleville today. Fr. Aydt & Dramatic Players, & Mr. & Mrs. Joe Griffin & Pearl, 15 in all went on an outing to Fort Gage & Chester, he furnished dinner eats & drinks beer.