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.

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 1932

It is freezing, cold. We started the furnace fire again this morning, didn’t have none all week because it was so nice & warm. Fr. Grootens was taken to the hospital last Friday, suffering from a nervous break down. Frank was also sick, he stays up at Belleville with the Becthloffts, the house isn’t finished yet.

Sunday, May 29, 1932

We went to Waterloo Church, papa wanted to see Rob. Merz. about tin roof, this afternoon him & his family came out for awhile. Mrs. Rennecker has lot of company today, she is 60 yrs. old. We went out to Uncle Fred’s this evening. She & Lonie where at the cemetery for service this afternoon, so many strange people where there. He made a nice sermon & everything looks nice. The priest that was to make the sermon had a nervous breakdown.

Thursday, Sept. 10, 1931

Mrs. William Braun, nee Schilling will be buried today, leaving the house at 8:30, church at 9, then to the cemetery.  She was 35 yrs. old & has 7 children living & 4 dead.  Henry & Leona, Aunt Mary, Rosalia & Bertille all went to the funeral it was a large one, we went to the house, church, cemetery.  Fr. Janssen of Smithon [sic] had the ceremony, he had a wedding in the home first, Frank Kroll got married.  Fr. Grooten is awful bad sick with nervous breakdown.  Papa took care of the kids this morn.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here for dinner.  All the Schillings where out today, Jonny, Sam, Gabriel, Martin, Joe, & George, all at the funeral, Degenhardts, Natz, Mosbacher 1 daughters.

Uncle Fred & Papa went to help Roy Staunfbiel get his father’s coping from the cemetery this afternoon.  Mrs. Stauenfbiel was here to see if she could get a ride home from Belleville on the 15 of Sept.  She & papa have to go in to be witness on Val. Fristche’s will, to snigfy [sic] there writing.  The egg man was here again from St. Louis, but we didn’t have any.  Henry & family where up this evening, he paid his threshing bill.

Thursday, Oct. 23, 1930

Today it is a year that we moved up in our new house, but we didn’t have such weather then, like it is today.  Bertille was at church this morning.  There were some people here this afternoon & wanted to buy some eggs, but they wanted all white ones & that we didn’t have, so from here they went down to Braun’s.  We were invited to a dance out at Ettling’s tonight, it is a birthday party, but we didn’t go.  Eggs are .27¢ today.  Mrs. Anna Lutz is awful sick at present, she has a nervous break down.  Papers were given out this evening for Gambach’s Sale.  Starts Saturday.  Merchandise, shoes, hardward, clothing, this is closing out sale.