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.

Saturday, May 23, 1936

Henry & Rob. Grover making hay, had dinner here. Mrs. C. Guebert has sale & Hubers have a sale this afternoon; nice day. Mary Mathews has birthday dance at Kammlers tonite, Ed. Mueth has one at New Athens, Brun’s boys, playing One at Log Cabin, by Red Bud Webers Orch. Lipperts has barn dance. Mrs. L. Sauer has Pautlers, Rythmn [sic] Kings. Och; so many tonite. It is Gertie Cortner’s birthday today. We went Mary’s dance here nice crowd, good time. Henry broke the axle on his wagon by Geo. Parkers going home with load hay, took 2 loads home.

Sunday, April 26, 1936

Nice day. Porter Braun Chev. sales agent was here and pap went along to Uncle Freds; Wm. C. Voges was here wanted to buy oats but said 40¢ bu. was to much. Austin McDermott, comitteman [sic] on the A.A.A. project was here yesterday evening; getting the people to sign. Pap & Uncle Fred went to Belleville then to New Athens, Chev. Dealers; & we Aunt Mary went out to Henry’s to see Floyd he is sitting up now; drawing pictures. We went to Oak Grove tonite to J. Cody’s farewell dance, free, big crowd present; he is going to start farming on his place again & Joseph of Bursksville is coming at Oak Grove, going to have opening dance May 10, they say. Chas. Guebert south of Hecker, died this morn; blood poisoining [sic], just since Easter Sun. will be buried Tues. afternoon, Round Prairie Cemetery, he was middle aged.

Monday, Dec. 30, 1935

We washed, ironed. Papa went to town, mailed New Year cards for Aunt Mary. Joe Watchel’s butchering today. John Kaltwasser was nearly frozen stiff the other day, he is pretty old & lives by himself, didn’t have no fire, nothing to eat. Geo. Wagner came borrowed our scale to weigh some saussage [sic]. Mr. Chas Guebert & son came looked at our mare, but it is to small.