Sunday, March 20, 1938

Went to mass. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came Bert [Bertille] went along to see the tornado ruins at Darmstadt & Baldwin it looks awful there to ; church tower stands, rest all down & few houses to; then we came home. A. [Aunt] Mary & Bert [Bertille] went to Lent devotion this afternoon. It is so nice today awful warm; Bill Klein, Louis Schoenborn, Isd. Wacthel came we played 5 hand pinochle, had cake, wine. Louis has his car fixed again, Fred Schaefer wrecked it for him last Mon; driving intoxicated.

Friday, March 18, 1938

Today it is 13 yrs. of Myursboro [sic – Murphysboro] cyclone. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came pap went along into Waterloo to Mrs. Rose Kanstein’s funeral, her husband divorced was here too. Bert [Bertille] went up to church, we didn’t go to cemetery. Fr. Aydt made nice sermon, but he had to rush it a little cause he wanted to go to Belleville St. Mary Parish, his good friend Roesch was being buried, from tornado. Fr. Joe had 2 funerals this morn. 1 at 8:45 & Roesch Solmen [sic] High mass at 10:45, he was owner of Roesch Enamel plant, which was also destroyed. The pallbearers for Rose were Hy & Emil, Ben Schilling, Levi & Willie Ganley, Simon Havey; large funeral, 1 from Frank Dudenhoefers boys was here from Okla. [Oklahoma]. Mehrmann got 12 doz. eggs. 15 [cents]. Chas Helfrich got 5 bu. potatoes this afternoon. Ralph Wiegand came last nite got his what Leo brought here for hime $1. bu. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came here & Bert [Bertille] went to lent devotion. There is Literary at School House tonite, movie by Dr. Wagner, signing N. Reheis. Bert’s [Bertille] gray suit 16. came today from New York; fits fine, looks good.

Thursday, March 17, 1938

St. Patrick’s Day. We went to Leo’s today had dinner & supper. Bert [Bertille] helped wash & quilt. Pap helped hitch the young mare & hauled wood up. Eggs. 15 [cents]. Bert [Bertille] took 8 doz. up. found 104 today. Beautiful afternoon, nice warm. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary had stopped here, then went around to Red Bud to see the tornado stricken area, by Vanburen’s, through in there.

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.

Tuesday, March 15, 1938

So dark & cloudy this morn & raining heavy. Bert [Bertille] washed, ironed curtains; This afternoon at 3 o clock, had such a heavy hail storm, for about 1/2 hr. or longer; & down by Walter Gregsons, terrible cyclone went through, blew part of the house & barn in, they say, lot of people from town here, went to see it. Its Kaufman’s at Waterloo, he just build it up last fall. new home. Pap went to Smithton, bank & to see Ed. Heap; came home before the hail.