Saturday, June 17, 1939

Went to Orlet’s; they finished cutting last nite & shocked this morn. Bert [Bertille] baked coffee cake with dewberries, & canned 2 qts. Went to Waterloo church this afternoon. Wittenauers started cutting wheat here. Mrs. Rob. Groom (Kate Birkner) is being buried this afternoon at Belleville, she died on operation table. Sure is hot, & oats bugs terrible. Louis Cawell is giving a barn dance in the new barn tonite. Susie Gal of Hills is appearing at Log Cabin with “Sons of Ozarks.”

Monday, July 1, 1935

Reception at Ruma today. Boy! the oats bugs are awful. We washed, ironed. Henry finished cutting oats, here, had lunch & dinner. Emil came & shocked this afternoon, had lunch. It rained so heavy out at Henry’s, they had to quite [quit] cutting, so papa & Rose came home, it never rained at all here, a few drops, sure was funny, papa helped to shock. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were up this evening, they were at Buehler’s. Oliver Ruhl was here for signing of corn & hog contracts. There is 3¢ tax now after today; is 1¢ 2¢ & 3¢ on things you buy; here at Eichenseers to now. Mrs. Gambach, Stiffler’s & Ralph Raush left for California this morning. Ray Wittenauer’s now working in Mertz store on Ralph’s place.

Saturday, June 18, 1932

Papa went to Belleville this morning. Rosalia is on the sick list yesterday & today, so many people are now. Mrs. George Boll. Mr. Rettinghouse had a stroke the other day while coming home from carrying lunch, right in the yard it happened. Two connecting rods burned out in the chev. so papa left it at Barthel’s garage to get it fixed, he brought papa home. It was so hot today 95 in the shade & the oats bugs so bad. We took a drive up to Smithon [sic] & got a barrel that papa bought at Bernius sale. Ross is living on the place now, he bought it for $8.50. We stopped at Barthel’s, but the car wasn’t finished yet, we also stopped at George Burnius [? – is crossed out] to see wether [sic] he had the key. George Wagner’s family came over awhile, we had lemonade, he is shocking wheat for Chas. Wagner this year. Today is Ignatz Neff’s birthday, the Birkner bunch went, had beer, cake, wieners.

Sunday, June 5, 1932

We went to Red Bud. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here awhile & then went home. They made there Solemn Holy Coummioun [sic – Communion] but the children where to make there private also, but didn’t know it well enough, so it was set of. It is so hot 90 in shade & oats bugs are so bad. Robert Merz & family where here this morn, but he was to late for business. People here from St. Louis bought 17 doz. eggs @ 10¢. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this evening to stay in Hecker over nite & work in the garden tomorrow. Clifford said the motor cop caught a car by John Braun’s for reckless driving, the cop had a whistle like an ambulance. There was a big parade in Belleville today, Americian [sic] Legion Convention.