Saturday, Jan. 15, 1938

Pap went in woods, came home for dinner, & went back again this afternoon. A fellow here this morn; wanted some thing to eat. Mrs. Aggie Ratz Doyle was operated for appendix last week at Belleville hospital; & Mrs. Wilbur Heyl was opperated [sic] for appendix also at St. Mary’s Hospital in E. St. Louis. There is a show at Waterloo put on by Nobbe’s, advertising John Deere; implements etc, starting at 9 this morn. serving dinner & movie pictures, etc. Adm. free tickets. Henry & family came this eve. we went along with them to Uncle F. [Fred]

Sunday, July 7, 1935

Went to Red Bud. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were here for dinner, lunch & supper. Rose & Berti went with them to Waterloo this afternoon, to the band concert of 250 muscians [sic], & crowd, they spelled Waterloo in letters, & then played Star’s “Bangled Banner.” We stopped at Henry’s on our way home, & Walter & Hilda were there & pap & Riechmann & Bornppole of Okawville brought the mare & colt out; This evening we all went to Waterloo to Pautler’s pavillion to a free dance. Carle & Schumacher playing & was pretty good. Aggie Doyle youngest daughter of Martin’s was married to Lyle Ratz of Red Bud several weeks ago published once at Tipton; & Tolin & Rahn were married since June 8 they say. Red Bud congregation going to give ice cream social on Aug. 6.

Tuesday, July 2, 1935

Henry & papa went to Red Bud to see Ratz. Baked cookies canned 5½ qts beets & 1 can beans; had chicken dinner. There was a car went by just like a train, from Hollywood; Motion Picture Studio. was very pretty. an airplane flew south west real low this morn. Papa went out to help Henry cut oats again, the Whip. stopped coming home on the other side of town, he called for Rose to come, pull him in now it works again. had lunch out there. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up, she & Berti went over to Minnies Staufenbiels, tried her dress; they had lunch here, & she went back over there again. Celestine Neff is working for Mrs. Mertz taking care of the baby Mrs. she is help out in the store, when the mail comes in.

Sunday, May 12, 1935

Went to Red Bud, the preist [sic] gave the young boys & girls a real lecture sermon, because the boy’s aren’t behaving, AC Buchon L. Ratz & Hartmann were all put in jail this week. It rained, thunder lightened [sic], awful this afternoon, about 3 o’clock. Lena Meng went screaming up the street, said lightening had struck there barn, & on fire she couldn’t get central to answer, had to walk up town, but the fire department couldn’t save it anymore only the house & other building. they protected; looked terrible, burned completely to the ground, good wagon, corn, hay, 3 horses & colt, Werner Kammler’s mare & colt, Bert Tomphsons jack, & horse, one they saved; people that came, in & out; came from all over. Clifford came this evening, he is working by Waterloo now $25 mo. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up, & we all went to the fish fry & dance, given by Fire Co. at Manier’s; very large crowd, & the park was muddy, they hauled 2 loads saw dust, around the bar, lot a people got stuck; one guy was front wheels, all way down; park is all a mess with deep tracks; We came home, about 12:30 & started in raining, windy again, papa wanted to go over to Meng’s again, so we went as far as Rennecker, they said was no use going over, so we stayed there a little. the fire engine came again & put water on again, put it all out; we came back, went to bed was about 2:30.

Thursday, Dec. 27, 1934

Ironed this morning. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were here awhile, he went to Red Bud, with wheat, 92¢. We went out to Henry’s this afternoon, went with his car to E. St. Louis, to Bond Ave. Floyd went along to & Henry drove. We all went to Red Bud, to the pillow slip euchre, but didn’t win any, I had 9 points, still didn’t win, 51 prizes; pillow slips, attendance prize was won by Mr. Ratz. Dr. Paulter son Paul won pillow slips, that were raffled out; the crowd wasn’t so large. There is a euchre in Hecker, also Catholics.

Tuesday, July 31, 1934

Schilling’s machine finished up threshing yesterday. The paper is just full of the people who died from the heat last week, awful hot weather, always 100-112 everyday, but now it is nice again, cool, it was just to hot, everything dried up. The St. Johns Catholic Church of Red Bud is having a Ice cream Social this evening & pinic there; we gave pair pillow cases. Henry & family came up this morning, pap & went along with them looking at horses again, down at Ames; all had dinner & supper here. Rob [aka Robert] & Bill [aka Willis/Willie] stayed here. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came this afternoon, & then him, Henry & pap, went to Red Bud to look at Ratz’s horses, but didn’t buy any yet; they stayed for supper too. It rained, thundered tonight. Harold & Cyril Eichenseer was caught in our watermelon patch tonite, papa laid the law out to them, didn’t do no good, so he reported it to the old folks; watermelons are disappearing.

Sunday, May 27, 1934

Rosalia & Berti went to Red Bud church, had 8th grade graduation, during Mass. 4 girls, Catherine May, Evelyn Bendict, Rita Roscow, Mary Iva AuBuchon; all dressed in white, carring [sic] flowers, 2 flower girls. 6 boys, Cletus Helfrich, Ratz, Roscow, Hartmann. Thirtheen [sic] made there solmmen [sic] coummioun [sic] in Hecker, this morning. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stoped [sic] awhile after church, went home, came back this afternoon, went to Red Bud to band convention, 200 muscians [sic], 10 band. Steve Rennecker came over awhile; we walked up to see Mamie, but she had a date with Clem Parker, se we came home again, the 4 h club girls are giving a dance in Kammler’s Hall, Holloywood [sic] Orch. Belleville playing Adm. 25¢.

Sunday, May 28, 1933

We went to Red Bud, & to Ratz’s looked at a horse. Henry & family where up for dinner, & supper. Papa, Henry & boys went to Prairie Du Rocher to looked at horse & colt. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary went down to the bridge, & from there came here, had supper, then went home came back again & went to the play in St. Augustine’s Hall school children, gave one Adm. 35¢. We went over to Wagner’s awhile, Rob & Olive Laut came too. Ed Schilling & Mary Furnace where published for the first time in Red Bud, & Waterloo. Miss Frieda Keim, Pete Keim’s daughter & Oscar Jatho, ran of to Belleville & where married last Thurs. afternoon by the squire, he had been going to instructions. Hecker ball team played Floraville at Hecker & won 23 to 3 in favor of Hecker, they won every game so far this season.

Thursday, May 25, 1933

We went to Red Bud to 6 o clock mass. The water is still high at the Round Prairie creek yet. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where heres then they went to Belleville & we went down to Ratz’s, at Red Bud, to Prairie du Rocher, to McBride, the trader there; then to Laurent & looked at his house; then drove to Evansville looked at high water. The bell tolled yesterday morning for Wm. Laut, & he will be buried tomorrow afternoon. Miss Elnore Volkman & Wunderlich where married at Evansville church last Tues. It rained this afternoon.

Thursday, Nov. 26, 1931

Thanksgiving. We went out butchering at Uncle Fred’s today. Him & Papa went over to Chris. Buehler’s to get the hogs, 2 of them for 5¢ lb. Rosalia & Bert took his machine & went out. Oscar Birkners family where also there. We had the first snow this yr. & hard, rain this eve, & colder. We had lunch & dinner there at Aunt Mary’s. The way we heard Clarence Hepp & Lillian Thouevenot where married today & also a couple down at Red Bud, a Ratz girl & Bogard from Belleville.