Thursday, March 17, 1938

St. Patrick’s Day. We went to Leo’s today had dinner & supper. Bert [Bertille] helped wash & quilt. Pap helped hitch the young mare & hauled wood up. Eggs. 15 [cents]. Bert [Bertille] took 8 doz. up. found 104 today. Beautiful afternoon, nice warm. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary had stopped here, then went around to Red Bud to see the tornado stricken area, by Vanburen’s, through in there.

Wednesday, March 16, 1938

Radio keeps reporting the news of tornadoes terrible at West end Belleville, Union School, factory, many resenditals [sic – residential]. 9 being dead & 26 injured so far; 3 blocks area; not very far from Township high school; happened about 5 o’clock. Henry & Leona & Billy [Willis] came. Bert [Bertille] went along to Walter Gregsons & looks just terrible nothing left but the house, & not a whole lot of it, porches of [sic – off] etc; but no stock or any one injured, wood sticking 3 ft. in ground across the road from his house, done more damage by downs by Red Bud Vanburen’s, Gueberts; Henry & stayed for dinner. Pap went to Smithton bought 2 pigs from Ed. Heap. $10.00. Eggs 15 [cents] found 98 today. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came Bert [Bertille] went along to Waterloo this afternoon, to see Rosie Kaestenier (nee) Mueth she died Mon. eve. from cancer; leaves a boy 11, who stays with Mueth girls in St. Louis; she has divorce from her husband he has remarried again; she is 47, laid out nice, pink dress at Quernheims funeral parlor; till Fri. morn. then to Hecker church & cemetery. Phi & Ed. are just recovering from auto accident, getting along fairly well at present. Quernheims have a funeral tomorrow afternoon to. Jac Rahn, Hy Rahn’s father 85 yrs. old; he is from Valmeyer; has an awful lot of flowers. Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came this eve; we had popcorn. Mrs. Orlet is very low.

Monday, March 14, 1938

Cloudy all day. Laut’s basement is all dug out now, ready to pour cement. Bert [Bertille] took eggs up got 15 [cents] – 8 doz. Chas. Rey from Waterloo came this morn. bought the 10 pigs, going to get them this afternoon; $7 a piece. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary stopped in, went to Phil Muertz sale, government selling him out, Perry May was sale cryer, & Steve Griffin clerk; things brought fair price, Emil came over to. Report of Rose Mueth being dead is false, nothing to it, she is living & getting better, sure some talk going around false.

Thursday, March 10, 1938

Rained again last nite. Pap sewed clover seeds or timothy rather. Quilts got finished this afternoon. Bernice came got 12 doz. eggs. @ 16 [cents]. Mailed an order to Sear’s today for spring suit etc. Major Bowes program was sure good tonite, musci [sic] etc.

Monday, March 7, 1938

We washed, ironed, patched. Pap sewed clover seed, hauled wheat to Waterloo this afternoon, 1 load from here 77 [cents], & 2 loads from Henrys 82 [cents]. top price is 84 [cents]. Bert [Bertille] took eggs to town got 14 [cents]. Lauts tearing house down today. Hoffmann from Belleville nearly all down this eve. Steve Stiffler was here this eve. on business. Sure warm.

Saturday, March 5, 1938

Rained heavy last nite; colder this afternoon & eve. Pap sewed clover seed. Eggs 14 [cents] at Mertz Bert [Bertille] took 7 doz. up & got 1/2 butter from Reheis’s make; 20 [cents]. Robert Lauts moved some of there furniture to Rennecker’s, the living room suite. getting ready to tear the old house down, to build a new one, Hoffmann from Belleville has the contract the paper says.

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.

Saturday, Feb. 26, 1938

Pap got crushing done. Uncle Fred & pap went to Waterloo A. Wiehl wanted to see Uncle on business. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary & papa went to Mrs. Stahleber’s sale this afternoon, household goods & farm implements. Percy Stav [unclear] Ave. Auto license came today & what No. so long. Eggs are down 13 [cents] today. Wm. Birkner is fixing Harry Kammlers chimney today, an awful cold northwest wind. Mrs. Whiel sale by Waterloo last Sat. things also brought good price, for conditions of the weather, cows average $100. sow & pigs $77.00 chickens $12.50 doz. paper says. Henry stopped in.

Monday, Feb. 14, 1938

Valentines Day. Colder. Pap cleaned the radiator in the Chev. this morn; afternoon went in woods. Ed. Heap came got the 3 male hogs $35; Bert [Bertille] took eggs up got 14 [cents] today. They were saying about so many accidents happening, Chas. Minneman is in E. St. Louis hospital, head is crushed, & Ed. Sauer riding with him is in Red Bud, were driving a wagon, horses both dead; wagon in pieces, coming down Hill by Buheries by Red Bud, Carter’s tie hacking truck hit them, another car of the road; crippled a few people, one by Waterloo today.

Thursday, Feb. 10, 1938

Bert [Bertille] stayed at Orlets all nite, this morn, went along to Belleville, took calf in got 10 [cents]; stopped at Orlets, Mrs. isn’t feeling good today. Fr. Joe was there to. Leona & Billy [Willis] were up quilting all day, all had dinner here; Leo & Rose went home; raining last nite & today. Shield brought 8 hogs here, pap bought from him $52.00; colder, 40. Yesterday at 12 it was 72 & this morn. 35. Our order came everything O.K. Mehrmann got 6 doz. eggs paid 14 [cents] today.