Sunday, Oct. 4, 1931

We went to Waterloo Church this morning.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here awhile.  I seen in the paper that Ed Parker’s have a little baby boy born last Sat.  Also Elmer Quirin’s have a little boy.  Hecker first team won 2 games, one with the All Stars.

Friday, Sept. 4, 1931

Today Rosalia is 20 yrs. old.  The bunch came & surprized [sic] her, where: Mr. & Mrs. Henry Birkner & family, Henry Brand & family, Fred Papenberg & family, Alf. & Elsa Eckert, Rosalia & Rita Braun, Clem & Elmer, Bessie Parker, Hy. Hillsheim, Odillo & Mamie Eichenseer, Christ Buehler & family, Henry Spalt, Mr. & Mrs. Steve Rennecker, Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary.  The basement was cleared & dancing begun till 12 o clock, Uncle Fred & Henry furnishing the musci [sic].  Beer, cake, where served.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here for lunch& supper.  It is also Mrs. Geodell’s birthday, they had the celebration Thurs. evening.  Fr. Grooten gets in trouble with everybody, Richert was fined $15.00 & all night in jail for having plum wine, Jack Ganley was arrested, cutting the wires on Hillsheims machine & one thing another, lots news in Hecker, in 1931.  But ain’t so claims it.

Sunday, August 16, 1931

Papa went to Smithon [sic] church this morn.  We had dinner & lunch at Uncle Fred’s here today.  Today is Robert Gregson’s first year birthday & is also Lena Mengs.  The way we heard Edgar Voges & Elva Jatho are being married at Floraville 2 o clock this afternoon & a big dance to night.  Gambach car was on fire & tires all 4 a hole cut in at 4 o’clock this morning.  Mildred was at the Freeburg home-coming, & this morn. Mrs. smelled rags burning, they looked & found the front seat of the car burning & tires all flat, but they don’t know how it happened or who did it or anything.  There was a car load of people here from New Athens they wanted to know where Ed Foster lives on the Hirst place we told them, there is a basket picnic there today.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary went to see Henry Birkner’s, little baby boy born Aug. 7, 12 lbs. they called it Glen Clem, Mrs. Louise Birkner & Clem Parker where sponsors.  Christ Buehler’s called there little girl Iona Applonia, Oscar Birkner & wife where sponsors.  There was people here from E. St. Louis & bought 5½ lbs. springs for 24¢.  Rosalia & Bertille went to church this evening, not very many there.

Thursday, July 16, 1931

Today Ed Pabst’s is threshing, papa has to go down around eleven oclock & also Eichenseers.  Edwin Reheis has a little girl since last Sat.  Rosalia & Bertille went to church this morning when Hy. Braun was getting buried.  It was a large funeral.  This afternoon we went out to Parker’s, they didn’t take it to church, they went from the house to the cemetery.  The baby was 7 mo. old.  Koch had both funerals.  Papa went to Pabst’s, he had dinner there, we got 62 bus. for our share but we are 5 short now.  So I don’t know how it will be now.  Vic & Odillo hauled it here, they where both here for lunch.

Wednesday, July 15, 1931

Leona & the kids where here for lunch this morning.  We heard that George Parker’s baby Virgil died, they had him at the hospital, had trouble with the teeth, they wouldn’t come through.  We cleaned the chicken house, papa is setting posts.  Henry went threshing today.  The machine was by Parker’s yesterday, but account of the baby died, they moved up to Kemp’s & are threshing there now, & from there to August Blackburns’s.  There was lady here this morning selling a bottle vanilla for 99¢ & a set sugar bowl & pitcher.  We washed the machine this afternoon & fixed the tire.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this evening, they told us about Pete Hoffman, from Mayestown, he was driving a wagon & fell off & broke his back, the horses ran away.  A man down by Red Bud, they didn’t know his name he was ground all to pieces through the seperator [sic].  Mr. Keonig from Columbia was here, he was the guy that was looking for the score book, ball games.  He took it along.  Henry had found that book by the school house some place.

Thursday, June 11, 1931

Ed Parker has poster’s, up for his big new barn dance tonight.  We went out & the crowd that was there, some said 300, & others said 500 people upstairs, it sure was crowded.  People from all over, Evansville, Smithton, Waterloo, St. Louis, from everywhere.  There was a man here today selling fruit again, we send him off.  Papa went out to Henry’s to get a load of posts.  Eggs are still 12¢ yet.

Friday, June 5, 1931

Henry & family where here for lunch this morn. she brought him up so she could take the machine back home again, because Henry took the team home in the evening.  Rosalia & Bertille went to church this morn.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came this morn. to help with the hay, they where here for dinner & lunch, & also Henry was here.  Ed. L Parker has the announcement in the paper for a public barn dance on June 11 next Thurs., floor 34 x 60, Rheinhardt Orchestra.

Thursday, May 28, 1931

This morning we finished our truck patch for this week, then Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came & then we went to Belleville all day.  We ordered our Belleville Paper, that the lady took us through the printing shop.  We all got weighed, Aunt Mary 168 lbs., Uncle Fred 152, Papa 165, Rosalia, 149, Bertille 112.  Today is Frances Kern’s birthday.  Joseph Huber Jr. has purchased a Chrysler.  Last Thurs. night Edwin Wachtel gave a dance at the brick House.  Rev. Fr. Odillo Eichenseer off Chicago spent a day last Sat. with Anton Eichenseer,  & Sun. at Ruma he celebrated his 25th yr. priest, the relation where all present, & they had served dinner in the Hall for 200 people.  Mrs. Charles Rausch of Belleville sold her farm where Ed. Schinder lives on, a lake will be made on the farm.  Red Bud ball team played with Hecker on there grounds here, & defeated them by a score of 2 to 1.  Smithton Jr. team played Hecker Jr. team here Sun. the score was 10 to 9 in favor of Smithton.  Frances Schilling was home last Sun. visiting parents.  George Neff is on the sick list, he is my Osie’s [? last word unclear].  Ed. Parker’s barn is nearly finished now, it costs between $3 & $4,000.  John Roth sold some of his land to George Roth is son.

Tuesday, May 12, 1931

They gave beautiful prizes, Bessie Parker got the silk pillow with a slip in candy, Clarance [Clarence] Wittenauer got a bottle perfume, & many others got prizes at the show.  We went tonight again they raffled 2 blankets, Levi Gregson, & Hilda Neff were the winners.  They also sold candy, & Erma Hepp got the silk spread, Nick Helfrich, the silk hose, & many others, Rosalia got a teaspoon.  They sure do draw the crowd, there play tonight was Kitty’s Statue.  They sold out on the candy, & there was a blanket left that no one called for, so he raffled that one & Eugene Bruns winner.  Rosalia & Bertille went to church this morning.  We washed, ironed, patched, baked bread today.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary come this afternoon to work at there place, they where here for lunch & supper, then they went us, to the show.  We were by Mrs. Rennecker & got some flowers.

Friday, April 24, 1931

We all went out to Henry’s this afternoon.  Papa & Henry started building the milk house.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here but there was nobody at home.  They came back again this evening a little while before they went to Elmer Parker’s birthday dance, we where not invited, Mrs. Blackburn told them to come.  Bertille got the mail today.  In the Waterloo Times it was that Jac. Schaefers have a little baby girl.  The Misses Rose & Alice Harbough went to Mc’ellester Oklomoa [McAlester, Oklahoma] to visit there sister Elenora.  Ed Meng sold his 85 acre farm on Richland Creek last Sat.  Henry Kleber of Floraville was the buyer, at about $40. an acre.  The Hecker bank was appraised last Sat. morning, the lot & building at $1200, & fixtures $650, Albert Gardner, Emil Hartman, H.M. Hill where the appraisers.  There was Central Examination held last Sat. in Hecker Public School by Mr. McCarthy & various schools in Prairie Du Long the teachers present where, Miss Gladys Hull, Miss Hilda Wihelms.  Last Friday Mrs. Dan Mendel the barbers wife was taken to E. St. Louis to the hospital for treatment.  The John McCarthy farm was sold at Master’s sale last Sat.  Dr. N.B. Pautler Dr. for $2500.  We had lunch out at Henry’s today.