Sunday, Aug. 8, 1937

Went to early mass. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary stayed awhile, brought a watermelon along that they bought at Red Bud store; had real watermelon lunch, couldn’t eat half of it 28 lbs. it weighed. Ralph Wiegand stopped in & brought Rose Wedding present at tea kettle aluminum. Steve Rennecker came here awhile then went up to pinic [sic]. The Ladies Aid have there pinic [sic] today at Maniers Park; dance this eve. chicken supper. Uncle Fred & A. Mary, Leo & Rose came we ate watermelons then went to pinic [sic]; much larger crowd; quilt went to Ad. Rittmeyer’s girl, bed spread Hy Armstutz & pillow slip, I don’t know; It was awful cloudy, hot, thundering, but it didn’t rain very much, light shower this eve late.

Saturday, Aug. 7, 1937

Pap went to barber shop. Stoeckel painter is out all day. Pap went to Burksville sale; Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came Bert [Bertille] went along to Fr. Feldmann & brothers sale at Red Bud. bought box jars etc. for Rose [Rosalia] for 20¢; wasn’t much of a sale. Nic Frisch has sale to, that is over near New Athens. R. Besher & Fern Gully; family are moving on that place. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came Bert wasn’t along to Log cabin, supposed to be a wedding dance, couple from E. St. Louis, but they never came at all, Webers Bro. playing & no crowd, we came home ten o’clock.

Thursday, Aug. 5, 1937

Rained this morn; stops threshing, for those that ain’t finished yet; still quite a few machines that ain’t done yet. Chris Buehler has sale this afternoon, Starr Auction, just called over lines, all around, had no poster printed, don’t come as high, just to call on lines, Red Bud, Waterlo & all over. Evansville has Catholic Church pinic [sic] today. We went to Buehlers sale, this afternoon pretty nice crowd. Leo & Rose came eve.

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.

Tuesday, July 27, 1937

Sure cool morn’s & eve’s & so hot during the day. It is 4 yrs. today A. [Aunt] Lizzie Reheis died. Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came, brought wash along, we washed ironed, patched, made chicken dinner, Pap & Leo went to Waterloo with load wheat for Leo, $1.07 bu. then they went to area near Maeystown to look at a plow; but the fellow wouldn’t sell it any more, talked to Metzger’s about a new one. Went down & looked at C. Buehler’s, they don’t know if they want to sell it yet are [sic – or] not, talking maybe start farming again somewhere, Hy. Armstutz came & got coop 36 chicks shipped them to St. Louis.

Monday, July 26, 1937

Went out to Henry’s threshing wheat, got 725 bus. our share is 241 bus. Pap paid Geo. Schilling lumber sawing 2067 ft. @ 90¢ $22.40. Pap & Leo hauled the wheat home from out there. Dr. Miller came vaccinated our hogs $3.00 – for 8 pigs & sow – 25¢ pig. There is so much cohlera [sic] going around. Sam Krehrer [sic – Kreher] is sick & several more. Olive brought coop down going to ship 3 doz. springs tomorrow ; with Mertz. Mrs. Geodelle & Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary, Leo & Rose [Rosalia] all helped at Henrys threshing, 2 lunches & dinner. Birkners had to go to Franks threshing for supper.

Sunday, July 25, 1937

Rained this morn. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary & Leo & Rose [Rosalia] had dinner & supper here. Wm. Braun came wanted to rent wheat ground. Bert [Bertille] went along with Leo home went with them to Floraville to free dance Schmidts Orch. nice crowd & good time, came home with Wagner’s. Nice cool evening.

Thursday, July 22, 1937

Nice day. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary stopped, then went to get Lena & Wilma Birkner, threshing done at Buehler’s. Pap couldn’t go long to help Leo thresh, on account threshing here. Mrs. Mehrmann got the eggs last nite, 10 doz. @ 16¢, they have to go threshing at Skaer’s today. Hogs sure have a good price, $12.95 today. they were $13. this yr. already; everything going up. Rob. Merz & son of Waterloo painted Uncle Fred’s house & granary roof yesterday. Leona, Robert, Billy [Willis] came Bert [Bertille] went along up to Rose [Rosalia] this morn; had dinner, baked pies this morn. had threshers for lunch, got 258 bus. oats. Buehler’s threshing here, brought the lunch up this afternoon, pap had lunch with them.

Wednesday, July 21, 1937

Nice cool morning; awful wet. Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came this eve. going to thresh oats tomorrow afternoon. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stopped in, on the way home from Buehler’s threshing, going to thresh wheat here tomorrow, Klotz broke something on the machine, have to get it rejoined this eve.

Sunday, July 18, 1937

Went to 6:30 mass; going to have pinic [sic] soon. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary stayed awhile. Chas. Mueth & Jake Orlet came looked at pigs, Jake wants to buy some. Henry came up, he says he heard Schilling’s going to thresh Wm. Ganley’s & Lohrmann’s wheat first, he is going to see Geo. Schilling see what he says. Uncle Fred & A. Mary came Bert [Bertille] went along with them to Paderborn to Totsch’s free dance & what a crowd. Skaers Orc.