Friday, May 19, 1939

Raining. Planted pumpkins & watermelons. Yesterday was clean up day for Hecker. Fritsche hauling rubbish. Wm Wiegand Jr. is very sick has lost his mind, since Wed. morn. can’t do nothing, going to take him away this afternoon to some asylum (at Anna). Mr & Mrs Bunny Miller (nee Buettner) have a baby.

Thursday, July 29, 1937

Bert [Bertille] baked cake, cooked catsup. Pap went to woods to look for sand. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came, Bert went along to Chester to the wake of Mrs. John McDermott, who passed away yesterday afternoon at 2 ‘ o clock, at Jacksonville Ill, she had been there for 2 weeks, with a nervous break down, in a private place & nurse, while the nurse was just out, she hung herself with a strap; & died; 29 yrs old; they were married will be 2 mons. on 10 of next mo; tomorrow will be taken to her home at Raddle Ill, about 12 miles from Chester, & will be buried there Sat. morn; we met her 2 sisters & brother, being there at the funeral parlor, 2 girls were all school teachers. We were there from 3 to 5:30, people came in & out; John & Ed were there. Leo & Rose came this eve. & we ate watermelons, that A. [Aunt] Mary brought from Sparta, boy what a good melon, we ate it all 22 lb. Mrs. Mehrmann got the eggs. 10 doz. @ 17¢. A fellow here wanted to sell paint. We got 19¢ for our chicks, 77 lbs. – 3 doz. shipping charges 75¢ on coop. We got a new Chicago Mail Order catalog.

Thursday, June 18, 1936

We all went out to Henry’s again all day came home for supper. Rose took the boys in to Waterloo to instructions. The Bonus Bonds are being paid out now. Mrs. Martin Gertie Irone McDermott died will be buried Sat. morn. at Chester, they telephoned left us know; the girls are all dead now, she has to [sic – two] children, girl & boy; her husband is insane. Mrs. Renneker was here, told us that McDermott telephoned to us to tell us.

Tuesday, Dec. 13, 1932

Cleaned chicken houses, put clean straw in. Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s got wheat & oats. We baked Christmas cookies this afternoon. Klotz’s, Fritsche’s, Boll’s, Buehler’s are all butchering today, Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary had to help Christ. nice day. Fr. Grooten’s is very ill, some said he was out of mind.

Friday, Jan. 8, 1932

Papa took Jac. Neff along & they went out to Henrys butchered his heifer, papa brought 54 lbs. along & Neff took 13 lbs. This afternoon papa took Neff along up to the woods, him & Paul want to make wood up there, so papa showed him where to make it at.

Aunt Mary was saying yesterday had Barbarba [sic-Barbara] Meuth was awful bad sick, she was out of her mind, they where going to take her away, she got that way since Sun. nite. they took her to Anna.