Sunday, Sept. 30, 1934

We were at Red Bud. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stayed awhile. The girl that Fr. Stern raised was married to Johnson on Labor Day at Red Bud, last Thurs. noon she looked in the mirror & shot herself in the head, died 5 o clock; she was cashier in Packing House in St. Louis, were she will also be buried over there. Mrs. George Gregson who was taken to Red Bud hospital last week was operated on for appendix, & will be removed to her home tomorrow. Josie Kaiser is keeping house. We drove to New Athens, Lenzburg; Happy Hollows: to see Mr. Hamill, he wanted to buy binder or trade on a cow. Steve came here when we got home, told us Chas. Kern & son of Columbia was here looking at drill & binder. Seen some beautiful country by Lenzburg.

Tuesday, Aug. 14, 1934

Peter Haupt rich miller of New Athens killed himself Sat. evening; financial worries was the cause the paper read. Henry & Floyd were up, he cut hay, made a load; had dinner & lunch. Hilda Klube is visiting out there since Sun.

Thursday, May 10, 1934

Ascenscion [sic] Day, Holiday. We went to mass at 6 o’clock. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came. The school children of Red Bud & some other schools are having an outing at Fort Chartres today, ice cream etc. Cool this morning & smoky. We went to Freeburg to see Classen. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came this evening, we went down to Red Bud, the doctor wasn’t at home, then went to Miss Belle Lambert, no body home there either, so we took the new hard road & drove down to Baldwin, over the river, it is awful dangerous, it is 8 mis. from Red Bud, so went we came back, went by Miss Belle again, then they were home, just got back from St. Louis on the bus; talked awhile, then went home, grape juice & cookies were served by Miss Mary. Seen in the paper a man by Prairie du Rocher, had a quarrel with his wife, then drank gasoline & shot himself funeral Sat.

Friday, April 20, 1934

Papa & Rose, strawing the rest of the potatoes. Went out to Henrys got load wheat to feed pigs; then got one took too Red Bud got 58¢. Went to Waterloo & got 57¢, & took another load to Red Bud 58¢. W. Luhr came to look at our chicks, sick; got some medicine to spray with, & tablets for drinking water. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, made little garden. Hy. Keorber was by them all day yesterday. They were at Belleville this morn. Mr. & Mrs. Joe Sunmer barber have a little baby girl is now 3 girls. Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Olendorph had there boy christened last Sun. Jackie Otto. Mr. Lawrence Berkel of Smithon [sic] shot & killed himself last nite, he was a implement dealer; funeral Sun. his wife nee Siebert.

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 1934

Pap went out haul logs. Aunt Mary & Josie where here for dinner, came up for church, stayed here for the cheese, played 2 games pinochle this afternoon. Mr. Talbot brought 3 lbs. cheese got it from Mertz Store. “St. Valentine’s Day.” Mrs. Henry Hoerth nee Wagner, of East St. Louis was buried yesterday, found her dead in bed. Mr. Aug. Busch, of the Busch Brewery of St. Louis killed himself yesterday; shot, on account of his health. We went to Red Bud service, took Helfrich’s along. The electric lights went out in church. Eggs are 15¢.

Saturday, Feb. 10, 1934

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, Berti rode along to Bellville [sic]. Papa went to Pleuger’s sale by Red Bud, the place where Ted hung himself. wasn’t much too it; Percy Starr sale cryer.

Tuesday, Jan. 30, 1934

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came we butchered 3 hog, had dinner & supper. Josie Keller came just before dinner. She couldn’t get her car startd, so Katie Klotz brought Josie & Ida along, Aunt Mary, Josie went quilting by Cara Armstutz’s this afternoon; it isn’t as cold again today. Red Bud Young People Sodality are giving euchre, lotto, 500; we all went, Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, Josie, Bertille got lucheon [sic] set, Aunt Mary got dress and gave it to Rosalia, Papa got table cloth. The rest got no thing, the cake was won by Mrs. Oswald. Raffle & attendance prize a ham, to Mr. Hahn of Red Bud. It wasn’t a very large crowd. It is in tonite’s paper, The. [?] Pleuger, 2 miles north of Red Bud 35 yrs. old, residing with his father, shot & hung himself in there barn today, was found 3 hrs. later.

Thursday, Feb. 9, 1933

We were quilting nearly all day. Chas. Jung wanted our eggs, & wanted to pay 1¢ over No 1. Price, till June, he has a contract with a fellow in St. Louis. It pays 14¢ today, we didn’t sell them to him, our egg man paid 14 today, we had 13½ dozs. Alois Havey came here & wanted to see if it was alright to get his hog, so he came back this afternoon again, & then papa hauled it out to his place for him for $1.00, the hog weighed 260 lbs. at $3.50 $9.10, they borrowed the box from Eichenseers. Mrs. Cecil Budde was buried this morning at the Catholic Cemetery here, Dashmer’s ambulance passed through about 9’o clock, if they took her to church we don’t know, there was no mass here for her no how, lot of flowers where had, 5 cars; the paper said strictly private, so we didn’t go, only relatives where there, they say the bullet passed cleared through her head. It isn’t so cold today.

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1933

Bertille baked cookies this morn. We washed & fried down saussage [sic.] this afternoon. It is awful cold, 10 above zero, report is it should be 6 below tomorrow morning. Papa went up to Eichenseer’s got the alchol [sic] tested & got some put in it. They told him up there that Mr. John Hepp died some time this morning, & that Mrs. Cecil Budde nee Starr only child of Mr. Percy Starr shot herself yesterday evening around 6′ o clock, Fr. Adyt said that it was going to be a private funeral & will be buried in Hecker Catholic Cemetery. The Mueth’s boys where at Hill’s today. Josie is awful sick now, had the doctor out Sunday. The St. Mary & Martha Society of Waterloo are givin card party.

Wednesday, June 29, 1932

Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s to get the harness & plow, he traded his horse to Kelley for 2 horses & hay; he brought the horses yesterday & got a load of how & today he said he was coming after the rest. Emil was here & him & papa started the team out in a plow, some circus. Ed. Meng was also here. Clifford brought there horse over & took the saddle horse & went riding. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came to help make hay. They where here for lunch. They brought Mr. Gambach home this evening & will be buried Fri. afternoon at 1:30, the paper states he took cresote [sic – creosote], Mrs. found him at 7 o’clock in the barn lying face downwards.