Tuesday, Dec. 25, 1934

Christmas Day. Went to 5 o clock mass at Waterloo, Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stayed awhile before high mass here at 9 o clock. We went out to Henry’s, had dinner. Walter Reheis also came. Henry had to take the chains of off his car, gave him 2 cigars, then went to Belleville to see Hilda, was coming out by 3:30 again. The roads are terrible, & weather is too, gloomy, hasey [sic] & cloudy, raining. Received a Christmas Greeting from Miss Freund of 906 Rusell Ave. St. Louis yesterday. We didn’t go to the program at the Evangical [sic] Church, because rain.

Monday, Dec. 24, 1934

Baked bread, put up the tree. We went to Waterloo this afternoon. Henry & family came this evening, Santa brought lot of presents; but he didn’t appear in person, he was at Wagner’s; Rosalia got prayer book, Berti bedroom slippers, pap also; from Henry & Leona.

Saturday, Dec. 22, 1934

Fehrenz was here asked wether [sic] Uncle Fred still had his grind stone, they drove out there. The road men are taking the rest of the snow today. Put up our Christmas bells.

Friday, Dec. 21, 1934

Leona brought the teacher & pupils of Blackburn School up for the Christmas program at the Hecker School, Rosalia & Berti went to, it was real nice, Stana came too. We went to Belleville this afternoon. Eggs 26¢ today. Received a Christmas greeting from Josie Keller today. Papenberg boy’s got a red fox; hunting season.

Thursday, Dec. 20, 1934

Cleaned front room. Rose baked oatmeal cookies. Henry & Leona went to Belleville left Billy [Willis] here. Eggs 24¢ here. Mr. Eugene Metzger 34 of Floraville shot & killed himself at the home of his sister Mrs. Freida Gerhard, 2 miles south of Floraville; funeral to be held Sat. afternoon, from Millstadt chapel to Floraville Cemetery; he wasn’t married, was sickly & unemployed in St. Louis for 2 yrs. The streets are awful icey [sic] at present; cars pass with chains, several big trucks were stuck up at Belleville Henry had said. Hecker people were shopping there today, Weigands, Klotz’s, Watchels, Lauts etc. The children of the Catholic School is having there Christmas program tonight at the hall, everybody invited Adm. 10¢. Mr. George Hepp celebrated his 101 yr. birthday last Friday, but is confined to his bed, suffering from a stroke recently. Mr. Henry Kessler left for Birmingham Ala. were he will spent Christmas with his sons there. The paper says more snow. & 20 degrees tonight.

Sunday, Dec. 16, 1934

Went to mass at Red Bud. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stayed awhile. Mr. Henry Meng came last night & paid his hogs 381 lbs. at $6.30, brought the hook this morning. We went out to Uncle Fred’s, had supper; got a cedar tree for Christmas. Red Bud Sewing Circle is out soliciting for pillow slips or cash for a euchre to be held after Christmas. Some men of Hecker Holy Name Society, are going around for collection’s to build a double brick garage for Fr. Aydts car, he keeps it by Eichenseer’s.

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.

Monday, Dec. 25, 1933

Went to 5 oclock mass; went out to Henry’s for mutton dinner, played cards. Geodells & Birkners were also there. Santa brought the boys all kind of things. Mamie & Clarence came down, then we went up to see her tree, & then went down to the Evangical [sic] Church, to the program, it was nice, wasn’t near the crowd there like last year. It started in snowing about 6’o clock this evening. Oh Boy & did it snow, everything white, drifts, Oh! a real Christmas Day.

Thursday, Dec. 21, 1933

Papa went out in the woods, this morn & afternoon. We ironed, & patched, got things ready for Christmas. Bill was at Henry’s today, killing sheep, I guess. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stoped [sic] here on there way down to Chris Buehlers at Red Bud. Bertille mailed Christmas cards & then went to Eliza Boll’s on business. Eggs are 15¢ at Eichenseers today. The Catholic School children are having a little program, this evening to surprise Fr. Aydt on his 1st Anniversary here, the parishoners [sic] should also attend. The way it reads in the paper, Eugene Bruns & Adale Weber must be married, cause it say Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Bruns, attended a birthday party at Millstadt.

Sunday, Dec. 25, 1932

Henry went along to Red Bud church, Leona stayed here with the kids & got breakfast ready. We went out there for dinner chicken stuffed; played cards in the afternoon. It is so nice warm today. Clarence Wagner came down this evening. Rosalia & Bertille went up to Eichenseer’s, Mamie showed us her Christmas tree, with electric lights on, then we went down to the program in the Evangical [sic] Church, it was right nice, they had songs, diagloues [sic – dialogues], speeches, the church was packed, some had to stand in the back.