Sunday, Aug. 13, 1933

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here awhile. Today is Homecoming in Smithon [sic], so many cars went by getting sisters. Hy. Ronnerberg’s gave a dance last night, Mrs. birthday celebration. Chas. Helfrichs have a party to nite, Loretta & Cornelius birthday; we have an invitation. Hecker bear cats playing Meyers Barbecu [sic – barbeque] today, & Wittenauer lost the game score 15 to 12 in favor of Meyers.

Wednesday, July 5, 1933

Scheider put up hay, George Wagner & Hecke, helped the kids. A man was here selling a paper Extension Service 25¢ mo. for the students of priesthood & chapels, where they have no churches; another was here selling Lords Prayer & Verse. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came here then went threshing by Ronnerberg; Rosalia got another 100 lbs. flour, twin roses from Eichenseer, $2.75. Chas. Jung got 8 doz. eggs 11¢. We took the mule out to Uncle Fred’s this evening. Papa & George Wagner alterered [sic – altered] our little piggies this evening.

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.]

Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1933

Papa & Bertille went out to Uncle Fred’s to saw wood, J. Reheis, Ronnerneberg, O. Birkner, helped. Karl Boll sawed it, we had dinner there. Rosalia came home this afternoon & washed everything before we got back. Wm. Ganley was here & paid part Int. $67.50, but he still owes $57.50 & Int on $67.50 that $1.15. It is awful cloudy & dark this afternoon. Boll charges $1.00 hr. sawing wood, & rest 20¢ hr. Mr. & Mrs. Bill Grohmann have another little baby girl, on Dec. 22, they now have 2.

Friday, Oct. 14, 1932

We fixed a gravel walk out to the chicken yard, & also brick & filled up around it. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary had dinner here with us, soup, salmons, sweet potatoes. Papa & Rosalia went out & got a load of gravel. We went out to Uncle Fred’s tonite & got some flowers to plant along side of our walk. We got the Waterloo paper & took it along. Hy. Ronnerberg came a while too. Seen in the paper that Herbert Hill – Chas. Boy & Pearl Fischer, – Hy. Fischers girl where married last Sat. at Nashville, she is 17 & him 19, they live with Chas. Hills. Cyrus Hill have a little baby boy born last Sat. at St. Clements Hospital at Red Bud, they have a boy & girl.

Thursday, Oct. 6, 1932

Francis Eichenseer was here & looked if he should get here with his truck, he is going to bring a load afterwhile. Papa is going to Waterloo & to Ed. Rehlings to see the building of a straw hen house, he said there were a good many people there. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this afternoon, Rosalia & Bertille had lunch over there. We picked 2 sacks full green tomatoes & they took them along for Ronnerberg. Odillo & Wilfred onloaded the coal, 100 bus. $13.00. Mrs. Kock is having a birthday celebration tonight at Coxeyville, we didn’t go, we had an invitation & it was also in the paper.