Sunday, July 16, 1939

Went to mass. Raining all morning. Bill [Klein] & Bert [Bertille] went to Ellis Grove & to Gross Peach Orchard got some peaches, they are related to Bill; we also went to Fort Gage. Ed Brand & wife & Joe Gregson came a little while to say Hello; they were all at Emils today; going to leave for Ab. [Alabama] tomorrow evening, going to Levi again this eve. tomorrow to Heyls Bus. then to Waterloo & home again, drove from Alba. [Alabama] to Waterloo in day 680 mi. trip. Susie Gal of Hills is playing at Floraville tonite.

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1935

We all went up in the woods, took dinner along, but it started in to rain, came home at 12’o clock, rained all afternoon. Berti baked cookies; & we put quilts together; have the “Goose Track” all set together & border on; now started the stitched one. Bernice Wagner came, selling chances on a turkey to be raffled out on Dec 24. at the Public School House, we took 1, 10¢ each kid has 20 chances to sell – 3 – 25¢. Pierre Laut was also here, but we can’t take chances from all of them. Mr. Geo Dehn of Ellis Grove died at 3:20 this afternoon, he was ailing for quite awhile, had 3 pralatic [sic – paralytic] strokes. Mrs Rennecker’s brother.

Sunday, Oct. 2, 1932

Perry May has shooting match today. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came here awhile after church. Louis Armstutz & Elmer Rettinghouse came here to look at our cow. This afternoon we & Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary left about 1 o clock went to Red Bud, Ruma, Evansville, Ellis Grove, Springdale Park, Chester, drove to the Southern Illinois Penitrary [sic], but couldn’t go through it, only the restroom, see ferns & furs & such like, everything is so nice there. Papa was talking to Snitz Nollau. Then we went to what they call a Menard, where there are about 400 criminals there, walked up 165 steps & down again, to see them, they where out taking exercise & sun baths, seen there laundry, & there yards where the prisoners work; all the rocks got ready to crush; it sure is a beautiful scene. The Miss. River so close, especially went [sic-when] you are so high up you can see the river such a far distance, then we drove up around the river up the big hill,  then back into Chester again, then back home, it was sure a nice drive we covered about 70 miles was home again 5 o clock. We had supper at Uncle Freds. Henry & family came up we all went over by Aunt Marys, across the street. There is rosary devotion at Red Bud, but we couldn’t go, Henry was up they took a 3 gal. crock of bacon along home 38 lb. with crock. There was a bunch 19 from Hecker went over to Walter Deffabaugh in St. Louis on a visit in Clarence Wittenauers truck.

Sunday, November 1, 1931

We went to church at Waterloo this morn. Henry & family came up for dinner, he went around taking orders, to sell his beef. About 2’oclock they went home. Vic Eichenseer, & Mr. & Mrs. Aug. Stamm from Ellis Grove where here, he wants to buy land, they wanted to go Uncle Freds, we called them they didn’t answer, so from here they went to Freeburg to look at some. We drove to Stringtown, Burksville, St. Joe out to a place where they have all White Rock chickens, we are going to get brooster from there. This evening we drove out to Uncle Fred’s but they weren’t at home. Lizzie Boll had her birthday celebration today it is on the Nov. 3, about 22 where present, they had a big dinner of duck & roast pork.

Tuesday, June 3, 1930

Rosalia & Bertille washed today and also ironed.  Papa fixed some gates this morning and this afternoon.  Johnny came and said that Father Grootens said “he should come up and work at the new school today.”  So he went up this afternoon.  Mrs. Rennecker was over a little while this morning, one of our chickens got over there so she brought it back again.  Her brother Valentine Dehn drowned in the river Monday evening.  Him and another fellow were trying out a new boat, he was at Belleville Monday and got himself a $160 motor boat.  And Monday night him and another fellow went boat riding and they both drowned.  His partner they found right away, but they didn’t find him until this morning about 5 o’clock.  All the children went down there yesterday afternoon.  He is now down at Ellis Grove by his sister Annie.  They intend bringing him up to Red Bud in Dasher’s undertaking parlor until Friday afternoon 2 o’clock.  Later on Mr. Dehn had intended to take a 700 mile trip down the river to Arkansas.