Saturday, Dec. 16, 1933

Papa got hair cut; him & Rosalia went out to Henry’s got a load oats. Baked Oatmeal cookies & pie this morning. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up, we all went to Red Bud to Mass. Jake Mauer’s sale, large attendance, papa bought rope & things, it was late till they started the household goods, we left afterwards. Buel Rascow was sale cryer, & John Schumacher, clerk; Mrs. Mauer is going to move to the city & her 2 daughters that are not married, will live with her, Bertha & Stella; everything brought a fair prize for bring cash sale. Mrs. Lizze Peiffer, 53 yrs. of age died last Tues. evening & buried this afternoon at Millstadt Cemetery she was Lizzie Hollerbach; married Chas. Peiffer, have 1 son & 2 daughters. Mr. Elmer Rittmeyer 32 & Miss Edna Rieso 19 are being married at Smithon [sic] Church by Rev. Hoste [? – unclear] at 3 oclock, wearing white dress & veil. Mr. Al Rittmeyer & Alice Mantle are the attendants & Miss Mabel Rieso Maid of honor & Aaron Papenberg groomsmen; one wearing peach, & the other green, with slippers to match; they will live in St. Louis, where the groom is employed, a private reception is held in Daabs Club house this evening for, invited several hundred guests. Santa Claus was in Hecker, Mertz store from 3 o clocks on.

Friday, Dec. 15, 1933

Papa went out to Nic Shaefer’s, took him long up to Henry’s, looked at the hog, traded to him for 4 pigs. Mr. Schaefer came this afternoon & pap & him went out & got him. Henry took the sausage to Waterloo, Mrs. Cleveland, stayed there with the boy’s, cause Willis has a cold. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up, we quilted, & Uncle Fred clean garden; we baked cookies this morn, hauled water in the cistern from Uncle well. Pap went to see Greenever’s clocking corn on Hepp’s land, they sell it at 35¢ bu. Ad. Rittmeyer intened [sic] buying from him. The Eliza. Ganley heirs are selling the place on Jan. 6, public.

Monday, Nov. 27, 1933

We washed, ironed; nice day. George Wagner & Steve Rennecker where over got George hog; 235 lb. it weighed. Papa went out to Henry’s, then to Waterloo, to see about the culpirts [sic]. He took the chev, to Eichenseer’s got glycerin 6 qts. put in $2.50. Miss Edna Rieso was tendered a miscellanous [sic] shower last Wed. nite at the home of Mrs. Lena Rittmeyer in Bellville [sic], she is to become his bride on Dec. 16, Mr. Elmer Rittmeyer. Twenty guests where there. The play that was last night, is going to be again tonite.

Sunday, Aug. 27, 1933

We went out to Uncle Freds for dinner & supper. Mrs. Authur [sic – Arthur] Roscow came along from church up here, she went to see Mrs. Stauenfbiel; they came here awhile after we got home. Henry came up & got our truck to haul hogs to the market tomorrow. Miss Josie Keller & Miss Kuhn where here this evening for supper. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came to; had watermelon lunch, they left about 9:30, then the alarm ring came of Ald. Rittmeyer’s house was on fire, went over to Wagner’s, papa & George went out; everything was ablase [sic], summer kitchen & house, burned to the ground, & all that was in it, they where up at Belleville, so all they have left is what is on there backs 1 car, Smithon [sic] fire department came but no good, no water no where’s. Mr & Mrs. H. M. Hill observed there golden Wedding Anniversary today, which will be Aug. 30 Wed; all the children, grandchildren where present, lot of musci [sic] furnished.

Thursday, July 27, 1933

Papa went out with the Doctor to see Aunt Lizzie this morn. Aunt Mary & Uncle Fred when out this afternoon. They oiled the streets again this Morning. Aunt Lizzie she was 58 yrs. 3 mo. 19 days died at 10 mins, after 12 today, they didn’t have no priest, Aunt Mary got to late, also Jac, got to later. Mr. Rittmeyer was here selling brushes. Mrs. Rennecker came over. Henry went over to Reheis this evening; but they didn’t have her home yet, not till tomorrow.

[editor’s note: Beginning of this entry is believed to have been written by Rosalia]

Wednesday, Oct. 5, 1932

Bertille went up to Dentist Isslehardt, & got her tooth fixed, relieved the pain, & come back next Wed. morning. Henry Birkner & his wife came too, he got a tooth pulled. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came & we went to Belleville this afternoon, Rosalia got a coat $9.90, they stayed had a little supper, they bought a liver saussage [sic] at Braun’s, 15¢ lb. Mr. Adolph Rittmeyer was here & him & papa went out to Henry’s to look at a hog. Tonite is a telephone meeting here. H.M. Hill & Steve Rennecker where the only ones present the rest had all payed there dues, there is only 6 members.

Thursday, Sept. 3, 1931

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this morn. & had dinner with us.  This afternoon Henry & family came up, he finished plowing & took the team home.  We all went to the funeral of Mrs. Rittmeyer except papa, she had a pink coffin, & dress, gold ring on & a diamond hair pin, she looked good.  Steve Rennecker was over a while.  Odillo Eichenseer came, he wanted to see our paper.  Mrs. Eichenseer came too so he had to take her to Red Bud to the doctor.  This morning Fr. Grooten’s had Mrs. Pete Watchel, Mrs. Henry Kern, Henry Rausch & Odilo Eichenseer, in Waterloo in front of Bollinger’s in the room, Pete Watchel & Rausch [crossed out by Bertille] paid the expense, as far as we know.

Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1931

It rained all morning, & this afternoon sun shine, Papa was in Hecker this morning talking with some people.  Mr. Joe Grossman, Marshall Hill’s fatherinlaw was buried at Smithon [sic] this afternoon.  The egg man was here, but we didn’t have any.  There is supposed to be a dance at Weigand’s brick house given by them, but wether [sic] it was postponed account of Rittmeyer’s death & mud roads, we never heard, we where invited, but we didn’t go.

Sunday, August 30, 1931

We all went to the pinic [sic] about 2:30.  Had supper there, then went home & done the feeding & went back again, the Skaer’s boys played until 10 o clock.  We met Irvin & Jake from St. Louis, there.  The quilts were raffled to Mrs. Adolph Spalt, & to her sisters from St. Louis.  In the bleuey [sic] stand they gave a 32 piece dinner set, it was won by Leo Cortner.  Mrs. Adolph Rittmeyer died about 4 o clock this evening, her father died also on a pinic [sic] serveral [sic] years ago.  Mr. Jake Mueth [ed. note: “Jake Mueth” is crossed out] of Belleville died, & Mr. Grossman of Smithon, [sic] Marshal Hill’s fatherinlaw was found dead in bed this morning.

Friday, August 28, 1931

Henry finished plowing with the tractor this afternoon up here, he had lunch then left for home & left the team & wagon here.  Rosalia dyed her dress wine colored & washed the green one.  Adolph Rittmeyer’s wife is awful bad sick, she has rhemutaism [sic] of the heart & diabetes, they also have a nurse there.  Mrs. Ben Rausch is on the sick list.  Hecker’s ball players had a lucky day last Sun, the first team played at New Athens scored 6 to 3.  The Juniors played Smithon [sic] here & scored 10 to 9, Hecker winning both games.  William Birkner is erecting a furnace in his dwelling.  This week is State Fair at Springfield, quite a few from here attended.  The Hecker Public School will open on Sept 1, Greg McCarthy teacher.  The Misses Frances, Martha Schilling returned home Aug. 20 after an extended tour through the northwestern states.  John Eschman of Waterloo passed away suddenly Wed morning Aug. 26 at 1 o’clock.