Friday, Oct. 21, 1938

Bert [Bertille] baked cookies etc. Pap is finishing walks around house. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary went to Red Bud, to junk yard & she stop at Chris Buehlers; living out on farm now. Seen in paper that Mueth’s got $5,000 from auto accident that they had by Columbia, while back; they sued the guy that hit them & won, Ed got $2,000 & Phil $2500 & Bertha $200 & Josie $300. Leo & family came this eve, horse is getting along fine. Eggs still 25 [cents].

Saturday, Sept. 24, 1938

Ralph Ettling here on business. We went to Smithton, this afternoon. Bert [Bertille] got yeast from Wagner’s took 3 bottle catsup over for Firemens pinic [sic] tomorrow, wustmarket. Wittenauers cutting alalfa [sic] here today. Emil was over got step ladder, to fix his garage door. Clyde Mueth was in Belleville jail for couple days, came out this afternoon. Beautiful eve.

Tuesday, Sept. 20, 1938

Had no frost. We took 2 hogs & went to Leo’s, loaded his calf went to Belleville to Streck’s pap stayed there with baby [Marita]; he got 11 [cents] for calf 157 lb. & we got for 175 lb. $8.60 & 230 lb. $8.75 that’s yesterdays price, today markets when down again. The Young Ladies have card party in school hall tonite; open air if it isn’t to cold. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came here awhile they & Bill & Bert [Bertille] went to euchre in hall, got nothing A. [Aunt] Mary got last price package napkins. 8 points. Leo & family & pap went to Red Bud to wake at Koch’s of Mrs. Isabel Gallagher. Emil came brought a letter with Nic. Brands name on it, it came from Mrs. Ryan of Oxley Mo.; wanting information about Turstenberg family, which she is a relative; to write. The sheriff of Waterloo & Belleville was out in Hecker gathering a few boys that damaged Vera’s property Sun. nite; Clyde Mueth, Clarence Braun, Bill Braun, few others yet, did about $150.00.

Monday, Sept. 5, 1938

Labor Day. Took trip this afternoon, went to Walsh & through New Athens home, stopped at Smithton church pinic [sic], wasn’t much doing. Went to Paderborn Totsch’s Dominic Roth 28 & Annie Mueth 33. wedding dance, John Mueth & Olivia Roth the attendants; big crowd & lots of presents. Fahey twins won a prize at Red Bud pinic [sic] today, being the oldest twins there; & Clara Heck nee Hess, there being born last week. 3 lb. each one at the hospital incubator; doing fine, have to be there for 5 weeks.

Tuesday, Aug. 23, 1938

Went out to Henry’s got load oats. Had chicken dinner, made 5 gal. grape wine. Wittenauer’s cut a patch weeds of. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary’s 40 yrs. Wedding Ann. went to Ruma pinic [sic] to celebrate; left here by 3 o’clock; they went down for supper. The fire engine was called to Nic Mueth’s, field fine this afternoon at 3 o clock.

Saturday, Aug. 20, 1938

Pap went to Waterloo to see The Eddy place being sold by McDermott the heirs. Phil Mueth got it $2350.00 – 80 acres almost $30. @ acre; him & Geo. Schiling were the bidders. Went to Maeystown this eve. to see Louis Schilling had a mower for sale, sold it yesterday for $10.00, just were to late; stopped at Henry’s .

Wednesday, April 20, 1938

Raining a little. Bert [Bertille] planted house flowers, from the basement out, cut lawn etc; planted 48 sweet potatoe [sic] plants out. Roy Staufenbiel has sore foot, horse stoped [sic] on it, bruised pretty bad. Lester Gregson’s boy, Virgil has diptheria, sign up. Lester stays by Emil, he don’t go in the house. John Kessler from Alba. is here, going to start farming at Kesslers. The Mueth property that was sold last week, or rather Euler ground brought $5.50 acre, bought by Phi Mueth. Hy. Koerber stoped [sic] on business, for Uncle Fred; till about 10:30 eve.

Thursday, March 31, 1938

Went to Leo’s, washed, ironed, cleaned bedrooms etc, they sawed wood this afternoon; we had dinner & supper. Mr. Orlet is out there also; helpers sawing wood were John & Chas. Mueth, Jake Joe Krebs; finished, tomorrow saw Jake’s. Leo & his dad went to requiem high mass at Paderborn church. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary, Emil were here this eve. Walter Pour’s have a baby boy; I guess that makes family 9.

Saturday, March 26, 1938

Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came, we went in with them to Waterloo, & went out to Paderborn church, with Henry & Leona, church was full couldn’t all get in; so many priests. Fr. Joe [Orlet] had the solemn Requiem High Mass; walked to cemetery, Fr. Aydt had sermon; she [Mrs. Orlet/Leo’s mother] has a concrete vault; she was 64 yrs. old. The pallbearers were Hy, Aloys, Dominic, Andy Roth & Ray Herman, John Mueth. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary, pap went to Percy Starr’s sale this afternoon. Levi Sensel stopped in looked at horses. Pap came home with Grosse from Columbia, he bought a plow here for 25 [cents]; but didn’t take it along.

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.