Thursday, Sept. 15, 1938

Uncle Fred walked up & got wagon & team, going to haul wood today, from the woods to his house. Bert [Bertille] started house cleaning west room upstairs, nice cool 59 [degrees] this morn on radio. Wittenauers have harrowing, everybody busy in fields now. Hall’s big circus in town tonite, on Werner Kammlers lots; have elephant, mule, 2 horses, camel, dog, monkey; seen them all when they unloaded, didn’t go to circus. Adm. 20. Emil went said it was pretty good, didn’t last very long; had no musci [sic], at all.

Wednesday, Sept. 14, 1938

Nice cool morning, after all the rain yesterday. Bert [Bertille] ironed, patched; pap. plowed orchard & harrowed it. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary were up this afternoon working across street. Hall’s big animal circus , coming to town tomorrow nite only. Adm. 20 & 10. and elphant [sic] weighing 5000 lbs. big girl jumbo. Henry & family & Leo & family. It is awful cool this eve; with light rain.

Thursday, Sept. 5, 1935

Aaron Papenberg’s 22 yr. birthday today. Leona brought Henry up & he couldn’t get the tractor started all morning, so he got Hugo Probst to fix it for him, started right away then. Papa is hauling coal 2 loads for basement & 1 nut coal for brooder stove .05¢; this morning; finished hauled 182 bus. including 12 bus. nut coal @ 5¢ the others 8½ & tax all $15.53 from the East Side coal mine at Freeburg. Henry finished plowing, took the tractor along home; had lunch, dinner. Papa hauled 2 loads wood from Pabsts – 60¢ paid for sawing. Mr. Ed Meng got a light stroke yesterday morning seated in a rocking chair, had the doctor, was better again now. Sterling circus in Waterloo this afternoon & evening porformances [sic] Adm. 25¢; We went in this evening, & crowd just picked reserved seats 10¢ extra, chairs & Boy it sure was good; flying trapeze, elephants & horse dance etc, big band, 3 different side shows at 10¢ Adm; littlest mother & baby. Wild west, 500 lbs. boy, a girl with thousand eyes & so much; a girl lyed [sic] down & elephant walked over her, Monkey, dogs & baby elephant etc.

Saturday, July 4, 1931

Today the machines go, there is Homecoming at New Athens, & Circus at Belleville.  Papa went down to see Ed. Pabst’s, this morning to see the crops there.  He bought 12 tiling from the town for 60¢.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where up this afternoon, we all had lunch there & this evening we sat on there porch, watching fireworks at New Athen’s & at George Wagner’s.  We had music & singing.  Joe Schilling finished threshing today & pulled out in the prariere [sic-prairie] are up by Paderborn.  He threshed 2214 bus, with oats & wheat.

Saturday, Sept. 27, 1930

Henry was here this morning.  Today is Leona’s birthday, she is 20 yrs. old and is going to have a celebration tonight at Breezy Hill.  Papa went to Waterloo this morning & afternoon to get the batteries for the Chevrolet.  We all went to Breezy Hill tonight.  Frank Dudenhoeffer & wife, Val Adam’s & wife & girl.  Leona received many and all kinds of presents.  There sure was a crowd there after the circus was over in town.