Thursday, Aug. 17, 1939

Went to Leo’s took peaches along for her. she [Rosalia] got 23 qts., not has 46 if they don’t spoil. Pap went to Kleins look at heifers; didn’t buy yet; we had to go home by way of Schoenborn’s, also stoped [sic], seen Mr. Schoenborn who has been paralysed [sic] for couple years; oiling the road. Raining this eve. pretty nice for quite awhile. Mary Schaefer was buried at Hecker cemetery yesterday morn; Aunt to Jac Schaefer where she made her house, old lady.

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 1938

Bert [Bertille] varnished front room floor. Went out to Henrys we washed quilts, had beer yet & cake; had chicken dinner. Mrs. Lena Zoller died this morn. is at Koch’s Parlor at Red Bud till Fri. afternoon funeral here at Hecker church & cemetery. 56 yrs.

Wednesday, Aug. 24, 1938

Another hot day, last two days it reached 100 [degrees] at 4 p.m. Wittenauers cutting weeds; here with the mowers. Hy Sauer 88 the old wagon maker died at the home of his daughter Mrs. Chas. Minmaman will be buried this afternoon from Dashner’s funeral parlor, to Hecker Village cemetery. The Dougherty twins were called by James Joseph – Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Haudrich sponsors, & girl Doris Lorretta, a lady of St. Louis & Celeste Haudrich of Paderborn. The German Band played at no. yesterday for Uncle [Fred] & Aunts [Mary] Wed. Anni. Bert [Bertille] send in. Walter Stahl’s Jr. have baby girl born hospital at Belleville about 2 week ago. We cut lawn this eve; then went out to see Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary once.

Saturday, July 9, 1938

Pap went to Red Bud to the funeral of Mrs. Cowell 81 yrs. to be buried in Hecker cemetery. Mrs. Rapp’s mother. Bert [Bertille] canned 2 qt. peaches. Schriebers was here twice trying to trade cars, he would give $164. for Chev. on a new 1938, & we could keep Whip. We went to Millsdadt [sic – Millstadt] this afternoon.

Friday, Oct. 30, 1936

Beautiful day. Bill Fritsche look & fix our furnace. Pap went up in woods, got load corn fodder. Frank Kroll wanted to see him, about lots at cemetery, so he had to go out there. Henry Schaefer of Waterloo died, to be buried tomorrow, at Hecker cemetery. Fr. Aydt to have mass at Waterloo at 10′ o clock then out to cemetery, there is 3 funeral masses at Waterloo, 2 are Stackels, one being Hy. Emery’s father in law, & Schaefer. Joe Gregson & Lester bought 2 acres of land from Wil. Harbaugh, $800.00, going to operate & build a filling station, it is already staked of. We went to Belleville this afternoon, pap went to dentist again.

Monday, Oct. 26, 1936

We washed. Pap went out to Henry’s & Uncle Adam’s. We went to Mr. Geo. Hepp funeral this afternoon, in Dec. he would be 103 yrs. old. grandchildren pallbearers, large funeral, the weather was ugly & cold; couldn’t all get in church, that was at the Round Prairie Church & Cemetery. Mr. Nic Cortner Sr. died will be buried tomorrow afternoon, Hecker cemetery. Isadore Cowell of Red Bud was buried last Sat. afternoon there & Mr. Ernst Frick of Belleville died, & will also be buried tomorrow afternoon.

Wednesday, July 15, 1936

Still no rain & hot. Papa buried over 200 fish this morn. Most threshing machines finished yesterday, Schilling’s & Frischkorns did. Clifford Stahleheber & family is here at Meng’s, there all nite, the baby is sick had 106 fever yesterday eve; the Dr. Eckert was over several times, Clifford goes up & down noisy as ever. Bert went to town, & Clara Wagner said baby died at 4:30, she was there with it all nite, till it died; Meng Undertaker from Freeburg has charge of the funeral which will be tomorrow afternoon from Ment’s to Hecker cemetery, Rev. Hosto coming to the house, it was just 4 mons. old, had 2 teeth, & the heat was the cause of the death, Peggy Jean is its name. Papa buried 504 fish that died all today, altogether we buried 534 terrible how they lay around dead. Cooler this evening & little rain, not hardly enough to settle the dust. We went over to Meng’s to see the baby, looks awful cute, laid out so pretty, hands folded; so nice, quite a few came & went. Mrs. Joe Schilling is pretty sick again so they say.

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 1933

We are cooking catsup, fixing fence. Robert Rettinghouse funeral is this afternoon, they have him at John Lipperts service at the house, then to the Hecker cemetery, papa & Bertille walked down to the cemetery & rode home with Uncle Fred; it was a very large funeral, singers at the grave; it took 10 mins till they all got through Hecker. He has 3 children Clarence 28, George 23, Viola 14. The pall bearers where all cousins, Elmer Rettinghouse, Louis Armstutz, Oscar & Rob Lippert, 2 Weber boys.

Tuesday, August 1, 1933

Papa & Rosalia went to Belleville, papa got 2 pair shoes in the afternoon, papa got shipstuff at Red Bud. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, they moved there furniture on the north side in there house now, getting ready for Mrs. Vogel & her daughter, school teacher, ate lunch at Aunt Mary’s. Mr. John Rettinghouse died will be buried Aug. 3, Hecker church & cemetery.

Monday, May 8, 1933

Henry came here, & we went along with him to Hershel [sic – Herschel] Blackburns funeral, to church & cemetery, we didn’t go out to the house, we thought the roads would be bad, but they said the roads are good; it was a very large funeral, & very sad one. The pall bearers where Grover Cleveland, Buddy Napier, Elmer Papenberg, Dilbert Mueth, Henry Sensel, Alfred Eckert; all boys of 14. Henry was here for lunch. We drove out to Ronnerberg’s looked at the corn there; it is Reheis. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up to work in there garden, planted cabbage plants out, came over here for supper, brought chicken along. Josie Gregson birthday.

 

[editor’s note: Herschel Blackburn was born in 1919. He died just shy of his 14th birthday; hence the reason why Bertille mentions that all his pallbearers were 14.]