Tuesday, Sept. 29, 1936

Raining again nearly all day. Baxmeyer, fellow from the bottoms, were all here on business. Rose & Berti went to Kammler’s funeral this afternoon, to church. Ladies Aid Choir sang, the pall bearers were all nephews, Harry & Werner Kammler, Julius Rausch, Roy Klotz, Jerome Meng, Hugo Probst; rather large funeral for the conditions of the weather. He was 80 yrs. old & died suddenly at 2 o clock Sun. morn. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came this evening thought Eichenseers Wedding was.

Thursday, June 4, 1936

We clipped old hens wings. Aunt Mary shoes from Chicago Mail Or. & were to small had to send them back today. We had beef soup dinner. We ate 3 springs already, sure good, we got 111 old hens. There is Church pinic [sic] at Dupo today, were we got chances to win a V8 Ford; but I guess we won’t win anyway. Mr. Geo. Homringhausen gets buried this afternoon. Rose & Bert went to the funeral, down to Red Bud only to Dashner’s, he looks natural awful large funeral, Pall Bearers were, 4 fellows of Waterloo, J. Schmidt, L. Zimmer, Metzer, Friederich, Schuette & guy of Red Bud; Rev. Brink had the services at the undertaker parlor, & also at Round Prairie Church & Cemetery; he was 55 yrs. old, had a copper coffin & vault. This evening there was some fellows ran around our hours, one was H. Davis of Belleville, he should of brought a boy along, that he picked up on the road, & kid got away from him, Elmer Kammler came here, he had the kids shoes, what he dropped, in alalfa [sic] field.

Saturday, Nov. 18, 1933

Mrs. James Ganley is getting buried, be at Hecker 9 o clock, Catholic church. We went out to the house, Rosalia & Bertie prayed the rosary. The funeral was rather large, had nice bouquet of flowers. Nefphews [sic] acted as pall bearers; were, Willie & Philip Frend, Willie & Jonny Ganley, & Jimmie Brauch. Fr. H. H. Aydt had a very nice sermon. She was the first to be traveled on hard roads, first funeral & her sister Mrs. Brauch, she was the first one on hard road from Waterloo out to cemetery, the people had to walk out, couldn’t drive on it yet at that time. Mr. Jake Mauer of Red Bud age 72 died with a stroke last Mon. evening was buried Thurs. morn. at Red Bud. Uncle Fred is 59 yrs. old. We went out this evening, quite a crowd, Christ Buehler family, Henry Birkners family, Henry Brand family, Ignatz Neff & family, Adam Eckerts family, Willie Birkner’s family, Frank Birkner family, Oscar Birkners family. Cake, & lemonade where served. Pinochle & lotto were played; attendance prize was a plate, Mrs. Christ Buehler, received it, prizes were given to the highest lotto players; crowd left 11 o clock.

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 1933

We are cooking catsup, fixing fence. Robert Rettinghouse funeral is this afternoon, they have him at John Lipperts service at the house, then to the Hecker cemetery, papa & Bertille walked down to the cemetery & rode home with Uncle Fred; it was a very large funeral, singers at the grave; it took 10 mins till they all got through Hecker. He has 3 children Clarence 28, George 23, Viola 14. The pall bearers where all cousins, Elmer Rettinghouse, Louis Armstutz, Oscar & Rob Lippert, 2 Weber boys.

Monday, May 8, 1933

Henry came here, & we went along with him to Hershel [sic – Herschel] Blackburns funeral, to church & cemetery, we didn’t go out to the house, we thought the roads would be bad, but they said the roads are good; it was a very large funeral, & very sad one. The pall bearers where Grover Cleveland, Buddy Napier, Elmer Papenberg, Dilbert Mueth, Henry Sensel, Alfred Eckert; all boys of 14. Henry was here for lunch. We drove out to Ronnerberg’s looked at the corn there; it is Reheis. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up to work in there garden, planted cabbage plants out, came over here for supper, brought chicken along. Josie Gregson birthday.

 

[editor’s note: Herschel Blackburn was born in 1919. He died just shy of his 14th birthday; hence the reason why Bertille mentions that all his pallbearers were 14.]

Saturday, Jan. 21, 1933

We all went to church, to Mrs. Mueth’s funeral; & rain some thing awful it just poured down; make it awful bad. Papa & Rosalia went along to the cemetery. The church was packed, some standing. The pall bearers where, Joe & George Schilling, Tom Haney [?], Wm. Ganley, Phil Braun, Geo. Parker. Fr. Adyt made a nice sermon; people where here from St. Louis, Waterloo, Smithon [sic], Red Bud & from all over. We went to Joe Wacthel’s this eve, played 5 hand pinochle, 4 games; & raining & dark. Papa went to the annual telephone meeting at Griffin, this afternoon, they came down a 25 on quaterely [sic] dues, it is now 75¢ every 3 mons. the drop tax is still the same $4.00 a yr. Papa had a talk with Al. Geodelle. They say the roads are pretty good for all the rain we had.