Sunday, July 31, 1938

Went to mass. Leo & family & Birkner’s were here for dinner. Uncle [Fred] went home got a watermelon, ate it before dinner. All went to Smithton to parade at 1:30 it was beautiful. nice crowd; but tonite rain, boy heavy rain spoiled it again. A man from Clinton Co. got the V.8. Ford. & 2 yr. old from Smithton the bicycle don’t know who got lawn mower; rained heavy north.

Thursday, June 10, 1937

Rain again last nite & morn; pap is fixing pig shed. Mr. & Mrs. Al. Cleveland stopped brought saw here, went picking cherries. Uncle Fred & A. Mary went to Belleville this morn. There is School pinic [sic] there, foundry men aren’t working. but it is posponed [sic] on account of the weather. Lucinda E. was here, selling chances for quilt to be raffled on 15, when they have open air lawn & card party at School grounds. We got card from Rev. Moorman of Dupo, stating who won, Mr. Harold Bunch, 1112 N. Ninth St. E. St. Louis Ill. check for $700.00 & Miss Joy Levin Dupo Ill, check for $300.00, pretty nice for the ones that received them.

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1935

Henry & Emil & Grover putting up hay; had lunch dinner lunch; made 11 loads. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stopped here a little, then went to the pinic [sic]. We went this evening, to the Catholic Church pinic [sic], but didn’t win a thing; large crowd. K C Band; Aunt Mary was lucky got pillow cases, & tea kettle, & Uncle Fred won the $10.00 chance first in book, Miss Mary Ann $5.00. Maria Braun $2.00 Jennie Coop bedspread Emma Birkner tapestry rug; Schroeder of Waterloo won ton coal & L. Dalkert a fancy quilt, the rest, rug & flour, gas went to Belleville. Willie & Jack Ganley had a razzling for a while, Jack wanted to fight with Hy Birkner, Ben Schilling took him down town; went home then.

Wednesday, Sept. 19, 1934

Leona & Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary all were here papering all day, had dinner, Brand’s also had supper here, Henry is harrowing here. We went to Red Bud to the drawing, none of us were lucky. Fred Wiegand, Mary Braun, were the only lucky ones from Hecker. It was an awful crowd.

Wednesday, Aug. 8, 1934

Derousse & wife, eye doctors of Waterloo, stopped, go from house to house, testing eyes, they said Rosalia’s is weak; yesterday. Clean chicken houses, cut lawn, dug potatoes. St. Augustine’s church, have pinic [sic], chicken supper, 50¢ this afternoon & evening musci [sic] by Smithon [sic] Band; Church Pinic [sic] is Rocher, K.C. Pinic [sic] East St. Louis. Free birthday dance at Breezy Hill tonite; Moonlighters. Henry took wheat to Red Bud. Leona & kids all had supper here, went to the pinic [sic]. This evening we all went up to the pinic [sic], very large crowd, quilts & blankets were raffled in bingo playing; we didn’t win anything. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary was here awhile before the pinic [sic]. The chances in the books that were sold, was a plain quilt to Keoniomark of Waterloo, Clare Cleveland, small rug, C. Braun knifes & forks, 100 lbs. sugar, A. Lother, $3.00 Wm. Volkmann, $2 Wil Wittenauer. Uncle Fred rayon spread; several others articles; F. Dudenhoeffer went home, & the other boy’s came up.