Thursday, May 12, 1938

Cloudy this morn. Pap went to Shields look at pigs. bought 3 – $5 a piece. Raining nearly all day. Bert [Bertille] went to Red Bud mass; stayed till 11 o’clock. Leona went down this afternoon. We went up to Leo’s, cleaning, had supper there. Bert [Bertille] went long down with Leo, to Red Bud stayed all nite. Geo. Wiegands have baby at Belleville hospital. The rooms are all filled in Red Bud Hospital now.

Friday, April 29, 1938

Worked garden, cut lawn etc. Harry Wittenauer is plowing, getting ready to plant corn here. Pap went to Waterloo with 19 bu. wheat @ 67 [cents] top price 75 [cents] Eggs 16 [cents]. Pap went to H. Wittenauer’s got 3 pigs $14.00. School pinic [sic] at Blackburn’s today, last day school this year. A lady here selling garments. Seen in Waterloo paper that Geo. Haudrich bought the farm right west of town from Mathilda Lippert & husband of Belleville; Armin Geodelle is now living there. Mr. & Mrs. Jermome AuBuchon of Muryphsboro [sic – Murphysboro] have a baby boy, paper reads; Red Bud.

Wednesday, March 16, 1938

Radio keeps reporting the news of tornadoes terrible at West end Belleville, Union School, factory, many resenditals [sic – residential]. 9 being dead & 26 injured so far; 3 blocks area; not very far from Township high school; happened about 5 o’clock. Henry & Leona & Billy [Willis] came. Bert [Bertille] went along to Walter Gregsons & looks just terrible nothing left but the house, & not a whole lot of it, porches of [sic – off] etc; but no stock or any one injured, wood sticking 3 ft. in ground across the road from his house, done more damage by downs by Red Bud Vanburen’s, Gueberts; Henry & stayed for dinner. Pap went to Smithton bought 2 pigs from Ed. Heap. $10.00. Eggs 15 [cents] found 98 today. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came Bert [Bertille] went along to Waterloo this afternoon, to see Rosie Kaestenier (nee) Mueth she died Mon. eve. from cancer; leaves a boy 11, who stays with Mueth girls in St. Louis; she has divorce from her husband he has remarried again; she is 47, laid out nice, pink dress at Quernheims funeral parlor; till Fri. morn. then to Hecker church & cemetery. Phi & Ed. are just recovering from auto accident, getting along fairly well at present. Quernheims have a funeral tomorrow afternoon to. Jac Rahn, Hy Rahn’s father 85 yrs. old; he is from Valmeyer; has an awful lot of flowers. Leo & Rose [Rosalia] came this eve; we had popcorn. Mrs. Orlet is very low.

Monday, March 14, 1938

Cloudy all day. Laut’s basement is all dug out now, ready to pour cement. Bert [Bertille] took eggs up got 15 [cents] – 8 doz. Chas. Rey from Waterloo came this morn. bought the 10 pigs, going to get them this afternoon; $7 a piece. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary stopped in, went to Phil Muertz sale, government selling him out, Perry May was sale cryer, & Steve Griffin clerk; things brought fair price, Emil came over to. Report of Rose Mueth being dead is false, nothing to it, she is living & getting better, sure some talk going around false.

Wednesday, March 9, 1938

Raining again. Pap went to barber; Joe Freund & guy here looked at pigs, to high price they said. Chas. Wagner was here, quilting for fire co. – put in 2 quilts this morn; 1 a marked of & the other fan quilt. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came here & Bert [Bertille] went to fire house, quilting this afternoon. Emil was over awhile. Chas. Helfrich got oats & potatoes today. Started in to dig basement at Lauts; only 2 carpenters & Karl Boll & Geo. Parker with team; its a contract job; Emil don’t even get chance to work there; suppose to be $1400 house including furnace.

Friday, March 4, 1938

Cold this morn. but beautiful this afternoon, 60 [degrees]. Leo came, twice, went to doctor for cough medicine for Rosalia, she has an awful bad cough; he wasn’t home this morn. when he was down, had to come again at noon; was at Monroe Probsts, who has also pretty bad cold. Bill Vogt stopped in looked at our pigs. Here at Hecker church they have lenten devotion on Wed. eve. & Fri. afternoon.

Wednesday, March 2, 1938

Ash. [Wednesday] Went to mass, received ashes. Harry Wittenauer brought the harness back; bought the collar for 75 [cents]. Nic Schaefer came looked at the pigs. Pap got load wood with the wagon, Ed. Meng came over looked at horses & pigs. Raining, thunder tonite.

Monday, Feb. 28, 1938

Washed ironed. Pap went to Smithton to Ed. Heap. traded pigs & 2 bu. potatoes $30 boath [sic – unclear]] for 2 horses from him, brought them this afternoon. Pap went to H. Wittenauer bought 10 shoats from him. Went out helping U. [Uncle] Fred saw wood at 2 o clock had supper there. Leo & Rose [Rosalia] & Henry & family came here this eve; they were up at Orlets, & they were down here so came here.

Saturday, Feb. 26, 1938

Pap got crushing done. Uncle Fred & pap went to Waterloo A. Wiehl wanted to see Uncle on business. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary & papa went to Mrs. Stahleber’s sale this afternoon, household goods & farm implements. Percy Stav [unclear] Ave. Auto license came today & what No. so long. Eggs are down 13 [cents] today. Wm. Birkner is fixing Harry Kammlers chimney today, an awful cold northwest wind. Mrs. Whiel sale by Waterloo last Sat. things also brought good price, for conditions of the weather, cows average $100. sow & pigs $77.00 chickens $12.50 doz. paper says. Henry stopped in.

Tuesday, Feb. 15, 1937

Patched & quilted. Pap went over to Emil’s went along with him to Ed. Heap’s sale at Smithton, lot of people there but things didn’t sell; Bill Vogt had some pigs there to, but took them back home again; Vogt bought them back.