Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1933

Papa hauled wood. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up, help quilt, & Fred went out to the woods where papa was, they say it is a real circus down at Boll’s & Henkel’s.  The hard road gang have about 50 horses & mules in Henkel’s field. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stayed for supper. Henry & family came this evening then they played cards, they where all here for lunch. Mr. A. C. Bollinger lawyer of Waterloo died yesterday 62 yrs. old, will be buried Thurs. afternoon in St. P.P. Catholic cemetery. It was in the paper that Englerth Sisters of Belleville Route 2, are engaged. Erma to Milton Wagner of Hecker, he says it isn’t so. Francis Eichenseer’s wife of Belleville is suing for divorce, & wants to keep her boy, they where married 1927, & seperated [sic] Feb. 13, 1933. His wife says Francis was going around with Anna King of E. St. Louis, & that he struck her several times; she stopped the bank from him not to get any deposited money out & sell his real estate property, & nothing till hers is settle first.

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 1933

St. Valentine’s Day, & turning cold again, rain & sleet. We got a bottle of bluing today by mail from so Co. got the Chicago Mail Order catalog. There was a fellow around & brought a bottle of medicine good for everything. Rosalia took a dose after supper. Henry Armstutz was here this morn. There was a guy around delivering Freedman Bros. papers sale. Red Bud & Waterloo are giving euchres this evening, but it is an awful bad nite, so we didn’t go. Ironed & quilt today. Mrs. Schenider called up & wanted setting eggs, but we haven’t any right now. The hard road is awful slick, there was a car turned over in front of Ed Parker’s, & Vic Braun & Paul Neff turned over in Smithon [sic] at Siebert store, they where coming home from St. Louis. Ralph Rausch turned over with his lic. [ed. note: unclear] Willie Heyl’s boy is being buried this afternoon at Waterloo.

Friday, Feb. 10, 1933

It is a year ago today that Mrs. Ed Neff died. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where up all day for dinner & supper, she helped to quilt. Mr. John Hepp 75 yrs. old resident of Hecker, for a few months was buried this afternoon, with ceremony at the house & taken to Stehefest cemetery, the bell tolling as they left the house. Eggs are 9¢ in town today. Mr. Arthur S. Budde passed by here today, most probably he was out at the cemetery, the paper has a big piece about it, she shot herself while seating in a rocking chair in the parlor. Dr. Smith & Mr. Budde where the only one present at the inquest, it was private. It is snowing this evening. Mr. Barney Deken of Waterloo, died Feb. 6, aged 74 yrs., was buried Wed. morning; his wife nee Geodelle, her first husband was Henry Brueggman & he passed away just 25 yrs. ago on Feb. 6, same day as he died. Tiptown congreation [sic] is giving a euchre & pie social next Mon. evening. Mr. Alfred Kohler & Miss Margaret Wiersham where married at Harrisonville on Feb. 8, Wed. morning, the attendants where Armin Wierschem brother of bride & Anna Marie Parker cousins to groom, he is the son of Alvanna Kohler of Waterloo, just relatives attended. Mr. Henry Schrader was operated Tues. morning in East St. Louis. Mr. & Mrs. Albert Heyl & children & Mrs. Henry Fenere left for Alabama last Sat. to visits at the home of E. J. Brand, & Dr. Kessler, they arrived safely after covering 525 miles, a most pleasant trip.

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.

Friday, Feb. 3, 1933

Rosalia & Bertille went to church this morning. Robert Laut was here & bought that little spring chicken 2 lbs. 25¢. It is a pretty nice day. Bertille got the mail. Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s, he wants to take the fence out along the road. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary wasn’t at the wake last night, Jerome Cortner had invited them to a birthday party some place; so they are going to the wake tonite. Joe Sommer’s the barber have another little baby girl born Jan. 29 at St. Clement’s Hospital at Red Bud. Joe is giving a free haircut to the one that selects the right name to be given to the child. Mr. Erwin Eichelmann, son of Mr. & Mrs. Eichelmann & Mrs. Olga Hauptfleisch of Columbia were quitely [sic] married at Springfield Ill. on Wed. Jan. 25. They are making there home with the groom’s parents, east of Waterloo. Walter Monike of Lords Corner motored to Prairie Du Rocher last Wed. evening & received 3 prize on playing violin. John Hepp who has been down for the past 3 weeks with kidney trouble is reported about in the same condition. Mrs. Walter Hecke is employed as nurse. Wm. Laut is no better, he is troubled with Rheumatism. There was a man here wanted to sell the St. Louis Globe & one here wanted boarding place, he is the constructor for building the bridge west of Hecker, he says, going to start next Mon. & wanted a room. Rosalia & Bertille went to see Angela Eichenseer this evening, it was also Mrs. Vic birthday, Clarence Wittenauer was also there, we played pinochle, papa came over & got us when the store was closed.

Wednesday, February 1, 1933

Rosalia & Bertille went out to Uncle Freds remodeled dresses, had dinner & lunch. Bertille baked lemon pie there. We heard the Accidentals, Chas Hill & them played over the radio at noon hr; they had a good many tunes requested from all over, some from Waterloo, Sly Miller was one having his birthday today, they advertised the dance what he is giving at Brezzy [sic] Hill tonite. Mr. & Mrs. H. M. Hill & John Horn, from Hecker, & some from St. Louis, East St. Louis, Mo, different parts of Illinois, it was nice. Papa took dinner along & went out in the woods. Adolph Spalt’s had a pond digging frolic yesterday. Dr. Irwin died & will be buried Fri. morning. Mr. & Mrs. Wm. Grohmann christened there baby girl Lucille Mildred last Sunday. Mr. August Ettling’s mother died at Smithon [sic]. There is quite a few people that is on the sick list at present. It is in the paper that a $25,000 suit was brought against Mr. & Mrs. Julius Armbruster of Smithon [sic] by Dominick Klein, for slander, saying that Klein’s owend [sic] a couple farms, then go out begging from people, or state.

Friday, Jan. 27, 1933

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stopped in, from here they went to Belleville. Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s to get a load of wheat & oats. Mr. Bess Miller of Waterloo, is going to give a birthday dance Feb. 1. Adm. 25¢ musci [sic] by the accidentals. The way he says in the paper that Miss Ethel mason teacher of Kirsch School, is going to resign on Feb. 10, to get married. Mr. Russel Gregson is driving a new plymouth sedan. It is awful cold this evening.

Thursday, Jan. 26, 1933

We are smoking our summer saussage [sic] again. It is awful windy today. We fixed on our machines, put the new license on. Henry brought a load of corn up. Mr. & Mrs. Louis & Bill Reisfchender of Waterloo where here & looked at our mules; eggs are 10¢ today. the Salvation Army men, where going around begging & playing musci [sic], I don’t think they got very much. We went to Aunt Marys birthday, 56 yrs. old. dancing & singing where the main features, cake & doughnuts where served to the following people, Mr. & Mrs. Ed. Parker & family, Mr. & Mrs. Frank, Henry, Willie, Oscar, Birkner’s & family, Mr. & Mrs. Louis Birkner, Mr. & Mrs. Louis Armstutz; Mr. & Mrs. Henry Brand & family, Adam Eckerts family, Schaefers, Krehres, Papenbergs, Parkers, Robert Probst, Jerome, Hillsheim, Wilfred & Leo Cortner, Loraine & Edwin Neff, Clem Parker, Mr. & Mrs. Ignatz Neff. Oliver Kuehn. It started in raining & wind got to the north, & it sure did get cold. Philip Meuth got the priest out home, some one must be sick. Bill Haudrich of Red Bud had a little baby last Thurs. Jan. 19. Emil Haudrich & Elizabeth Buss where baptism sponsors. It is a little boy. Mr. Ferd. Vogt & Miss Mary Kroll of Hecker, graduated nurse & daughter of Mrs. Agnes Kroll where married Mon. morning at 6’o clock mass, they will make there future home in Waterloo.

Saturday, Jan. 21, 1933

We all went to church, to Mrs. Mueth’s funeral; & rain some thing awful it just poured down; make it awful bad. Papa & Rosalia went along to the cemetery. The church was packed, some standing. The pall bearers where, Joe & George Schilling, Tom Haney [?], Wm. Ganley, Phil Braun, Geo. Parker. Fr. Adyt made a nice sermon; people where here from St. Louis, Waterloo, Smithon [sic], Red Bud & from all over. We went to Joe Wacthel’s this eve, played 5 hand pinochle, 4 games; & raining & dark. Papa went to the annual telephone meeting at Griffin, this afternoon, they came down a 25 on quaterely [sic] dues, it is now 75¢ every 3 mons. the drop tax is still the same $4.00 a yr. Papa had a talk with Al. Geodelle. They say the roads are pretty good for all the rain we had.

Saturday, Jan. 14, 1933

We went to Jac. Brandt funeral it was largely attended. Papa went to Waterloo this afternoon he got a book from the Times printing office, for agriculture – it is for farmers. Christ Buehler’s are having corn shocking frolic & butchering. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary helped. Mr. & Mrs. Steve Rennecker & George Wagner’s family where all here this evening, playing cards, Bertille had 1500 trump in Clubs & partner 300 pinochle. Harold Wagner’s birthday is today. Henry & Leona went to Belleville & left the kids here this afternoon. 3 little pigs born.