Friday, Sept. 2, 1938

Went to Belleville with 2 hogs 405 lbs. $8.70. Pap cut corn got 16 shocks cut. Bert [Bertille] made 3 qts mince meat & canned tomatoes jars are filled now. We went to see Emil Schaefer by Foster Pond, had advertised pigs for sale; but they were already sold. A shower was given Miss Loretta Biffar at her home last Sun. of her approaching marriage to Joe Schaefer who works near E. St. Louis; was given by Anna Weinhoff – Joe’s sister who lives 3 mi. west of Waterloo.

Saturday, April 2, 1938

Cold with frost. 34 this morn. Bert [Bertille] made fire in furnace again. Horn’s household goods to be sold at public auction this afternoon the house & lots were sold to Ted Eichenseer $400. last week. Mrs. Hy. Rehling of Waterloo has sale also this afternoon & Ross in Smithton to. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came Bert went along to Smithton to sale but it was nothing, mostly implements etc; then we went to Rehling’s by 2 1/2 mile west of Foster Pond; A. [Aunt] Mary bought box shallot onions for 5 [cents], had so much things to sell. Bert [Bertille] took 10 doz. eggs to town, got 14 [cents]. Mrs. Joe Griffin passed away this afternoon, she has just been home from the hospital about week, but was feeling well; died suddenly this afternoon. It is to be pretty cold tonite, with a killing frost; lowest to be 30.

Thursday, Feb. 11, 1937

Got load oats over. Steve Rennecker came over while a fellow here from Shiloh selling seed corn, one from Columbia looked at horses; a man begging for something to eat, etc. Eggs 20¢. Sure beautiful day, but muddy & sloppey [sic]. Louis Birkner is very low. Sheriff got Clif Stahelber & Buss, Weirsheim boy, put them in jail for stealing wrenches, dynamite from Wolfs Rock Quarry near Foster Pond, the way we heard it is also in the paper, stole in on Dec. 16; was going to put them in reform School but it is filled, so Buss & Stahelber got 30 day in jail at Waterloo, & Weirsheim got 10 da. in Waterloo paper that way.

Friday, Jan. 29, 1937

Bert cleaned, baked bread etc. Eggs only 19¢ now; Bert got the mail, not much news, Mr. & Mrs. Jake Schaefer of near Foster Pond have a baby boy, born at St. Mary’s Hospital last Thurs. nite; Mr. & Mrs. Ray Schmidt & son Linus [? – unclear] of Waterloo returned home from Red Bud’s Hospital Sat. were all 3 had pneumonia, boy was taken back there again still has throat ailments, paper says. Mrs. Joe Watchel gave me the wedding present for Rosalia, they couldn’t go to the wedding, Delmar was sick with grippe. She [Rosalia] got set silver ware from Uncle Ed, knives & forks, spoons, teaspoons, butter knives, sure beautiful set, sent by mail.

Saturday, July 18, 1936

Pap & Rose went out to Henry’s got feed for crushing. A lady here wanted to know were [sic] Clarence Braun lives. Mr. Hoffmann Chev. dealer was out at Uncle Fred’s then came here, so far they haven’t made no bargain. Papa went out to see Uncle about it. This afternoon he went to Waterloo then to a Mueller sale by Foster Pond. It is pretty warm again today. Mr. Jake Friedrich of near Waterloo had a sun stroke Thurs; & isn’t well yet. There was an awful hail storm, west from here, one of Henry’s corn field is striped [sic], lying all ways they say, looks awful; worse yet closer by Waterloo. There is a free dance at Floraville at Keim’s tonite.

Sunday, May 24, 1936

Henry’s birthday 32 yrs. We went to Red Bud 6 o’clock mass. The Bishop comes there at 10:30, we didn’t go down for confirmation, there was a class of 22 children & 7 adults. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, Josie Keller were here all day, dinner supper, she was out at Aunt Mary’s all nite last nite; came about 9 o clock. Omer & we went to Foster Pond to free birthday dance tonite.

Sunday, April 12, 1936

Easter. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, Henry & family all had dinner & supper here, rabbit laid 16 eggs. Rain this morning, & that means 7 Sun. rain. Jim & Dick, Roy [unclear], Pete played at Foster Pond tonite. There is also a free dance at Paderborn, Totsch’s Hall; Skaers music.

Sunday, March 15, 1936

Beautiful day, we wore spring hats, & coats. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stopped a short while, after church, she wanted to get the Sun. paper, but Mertz had no more there. Mrs. Jerome Cortner was taken to Belleville hospital in an ambulance last nite; she got a hemmorhage [sic], took the baby to Nic Cortners, they had been visiting Ben Neffs she felt sick, & went home at 8 o clock, not long after took her to the hospital, she worked hard yesterday yet. Olive Laut came got 1 lb. butter, there going to plant potatoes out at Boll’s today. Omer Schilling brought our clover seed, this afternoon. We went to Foster Pond to see a certain party, then went to see Davis, to Belleville, looked at cows. Rose went to Joe Griffin’s to see about radio batteries.

Thursday, Nov. 28, 1935

Thanksgiving. Rose & Berti went to Red Bud to mass. We all went to Waterloo & then to see Lee Jeffrey at Foster Pond to look at pigs. They have Turkey & chicken dinner & supper at the School Hall, today. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came down awhile; so many people there they say from all over. Dances all over tonite, double birthday at Pautlers Weinhoff’s, & free wedding dance at Oak Grove, & a wedding dance at Donahue’s. Snowed a little today.

Thursday, May 30, 1935

Decoration Day also Ascension Holiday. We went to Waterloo to mass. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were here awhile. We went to Waterloo to School pinic [sic]; took our dinner along, seen the parade, lot of children. went out to the cemetery, seen Aunt Lizzies grave, flowers on it now, there & went to see Ed. Mavers by Foster Pond; came back for pinic [sic] again, free danceing [sic] all afternoon, Moonlight Orch. This evening at 7:30 they have donkey softball at Pautler Park, that is to be good playing ball on donkeys. Adm. 10 & 25¢; dance at 9 when the ball game is over, trained donkey 13 came from Colorado on at truck. We went to see Perry May awhile, & then went to the free dance given at Oak Grove by Nite Owl Orch. of Red Bud nice crowd. Free oranges & lemonade were given away at the pinic [sic].