Tuesday, Dec. 20, 1932

Rosalia is on the sick list, cold. We washed, fried in liver sausage, cured meat. Hy. Armstutz was here wanted to get eggs for Fritz, but we sold ours yesterday, the egg man also took 5¾ lb. ribs at 12½¢ lb. along. eggs are 32¢. Eichenseer pay 28 today Hy. said. Braun’s 32¢. Bertille went up town. There is quite a few people sick, Jerome Cortner, Robert Lippert, Irvin Buehler, Nita Stauenfbiel, Walter Wittenauers. They rang over line that is Mr. Hill called in to Belleville Democrat, that Mr. Conrad Saul on Uncle Pete’s place, he died Sat. night. Wm. Kraemer was buried yesterday morning, the funeral went through, the Hecker church was tolling the bells too. they stopped at the corner here first & then went on; about 5 cars, from Mo.

Wednesday, Nov. 23, 1932

Papa has a pretty bad cold. Leona sent ½ gal milk up with Wittenauer, & Bertille went up to the store & got it. It rained last nite. The Hecker ladies went up to scrub the hall & church this afternoon.

Sunday, Nov. 20, 1932

We went to Red Bud to church. Hy. Armstutz & a fellow from Belleville where here, he got 4 doz. eggs @ 30. $1.20. Papa went up to the store this afternoon, got our spray that Wittenauer’s brought along from Henry’s. Henry took his saussage [sic] & meat into Waterloo this morning for Art Geodelle from St. Louis, he is to buy it all from him. Tonite is a play at Belleville, & Red Bud & Waterloo, Red Bud it is all married people, Adm. 25¢ the name is “Just Country Folks.” Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary didn’t stay up long this morning on account of the roads, the wasy she says, Fr. had a big sermon in church again this morn. Frank was published for the second & third time, the wedding is Thursday, Thanksgiving Day at 9 ‘o clock. Joe Hilpert & Rheinhardt were hunting out at Henry’s today. It is awful warm, the snow is nearly all gone.

Friday, Nov. 18, 1932

We went out to Uncle Fred’s this evening his birthday cake & doughnuts were served; dancing was the main feature of the evening & also singing, those present where , Henry Birkner & family, Christ Buehler’s family, Frank Birkner’s family, George Parker’s family, Fred Papenberg’s family, Clarence Wittenauer & Angela Eichenseer, Mrs. Oscar Birkner & kids, the roads are getting awful muddy.

Monday, Nov. 7, 1932

It is cloudy. Walter Wittenauer was here this morn., to see if we had a place to keep a horse, so his children can drive up to school, we haven’t no place, he wants to sell pigs, on trade for stack hay. Papa went out to see his pigs, but he said he didn’t want them, skinny, he has 30 little pigs. We washed this afternoon & then spaded the garden. Mrs. Rennecker came over then awhile. Papa went to see Becthold at Smithon [sic]. Rennecker bought 40 bus. corn 20¢ bu. from Jac. Klein. Frank Geshwender & Mildred Bechtlloff where published yesterday in both masses for the 1 time. She was honoree at at halloween bridge party on Oct. 31. Mon. nite, by Mairan Hartnagel, 3 tables, there it was amouced [sic – announced] of the marriage in the near future. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stopped in awhile, then they went to Wm. Birkner’s. The marriage license of Henry Wiegand 28 & Viola Rieso 19  was in the Sat. paper, they where married Sat, & had the dinner Sun by her grandma Kus[illegible]. They had no dance. Cara Jean Hilpert had 14 guests Sat. afternoon at her birthday party, 6 yrs. old.

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1932

Bertille went up to the Dentist got another treatment put into kill the nerve. Mary Grossheim was also there. Papa went out to Walter Wittenauer & took a bus. of big potatoes along & traded for a bu. of sweet potatoes, big ones. He stopped in at Chris Buehler’s. Henry ordered 30 bus. seed wheat from Buehler. Rosalia went up town got the cream check & can, this time we had 10½ lbs. cream, test 3.9, butterfat 4 & price 180 lb. .72¢. Eichenseer didn’t charge for taking it along this this time. The other time he charged 25¢ to take it along & it was 8½ cream butterfat 3, test 41 price 19¢ lb. .57¢

Sunday, Oct. 2, 1932

Perry May has shooting match today. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came here awhile after church. Louis Armstutz & Elmer Rettinghouse came here to look at our cow. This afternoon we & Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary left about 1 o clock went to Red Bud, Ruma, Evansville, Ellis Grove, Springdale Park, Chester, drove to the Southern Illinois Penitrary [sic], but couldn’t go through it, only the restroom, see ferns & furs & such like, everything is so nice there. Papa was talking to Snitz Nollau. Then we went to what they call a Menard, where there are about 400 criminals there, walked up 165 steps & down again, to see them, they where out taking exercise & sun baths, seen there laundry, & there yards where the prisoners work; all the rocks got ready to crush; it sure is a beautiful scene. The Miss. River so close, especially went [sic-when] you are so high up you can see the river such a far distance, then we drove up around the river up the big hill,  then back into Chester again, then back home, it was sure a nice drive we covered about 70 miles was home again 5 o clock. We had supper at Uncle Freds. Henry & family came up we all went over by Aunt Marys, across the street. There is rosary devotion at Red Bud, but we couldn’t go, Henry was up they took a 3 gal. crock of bacon along home 38 lb. with crock. There was a bunch 19 from Hecker went over to Walter Deffabaugh in St. Louis on a visit in Clarence Wittenauers truck.

Monday, Aug. 29, 1932

Aunt Mary went to church, they are spending the day in Hecker, they have 13 hr. devotion at church today. Papa is hauling wood. We got 6 pigs, born Sun Aug. 28, & 6 pigs born Aug. 30. [ed. note – believe this last sentence was added at a later date]. We washed. Aunt Mary, Rosalia & Bertille went over to see Mrs. Stauenfbiel, Rose Wacthel came there too. We seen the quilt she has in the frame for Edna Schilling we took the pattern, it is a stitched quilt. Hy. Armstutz was here awhile this evening. Lorberg’s shooting match wasn’t much Sun, they raffled 8 ducks, & no pigs. Clarence Wittenauer is celebrating his 21 yr. old birthday at Weber’s barn tonite. We have no invitation. George Boll was here this morn, wanted to borrow money to pay the rest of his tax; he paid half.

Sunday, June 26, 1932

We went to Red Bud. It rained a good shower here this morning, but not at Red Bud. Miss Josie Keller came she had intended going to Heyl’s but they aren’t going to be at home, so she stayed here all day & evening & Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where also here, for dinner, lunch & supper. We had ice cream, cake, lemonade for lunch. Then the women folks went out to see the cemetery, when we came back we stopped by Eliza Boll about an hr. Clem Parker was here & gave us all an invitation to come to Alphonse Parker’s barn dance a birthday, we didn’t go. They say there is also one in Weber’s barn, given by the Wittenauers, Lester Gregson’s wife birthday, & also Harry Kammler has one, musci [sic] by Chas. Wagner’s Rythmn [sic] Kings, Adm. 35. Kelley was here this evening & papa & him made a trade, our horse & a stock hay & $7.00 for his 2 horses. Mr. Hill was here gathered up the news. It thundered & lighten & wind this eve. rain.

Saturday, March 26, 1932

Henry & Leona went to Red Bud dentist, & left the kids here, they stayed all day & nite. Henry & Leona went to Waterloo this afternoon to church. A man here wanted to clean cisterns, Harry Wittenauer was here & brought us a picture of Fr. Grootens, his silver jubillee [sic] will be next Thursday. Floyd burned his hand here this afternoon. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where up this evening, to stay at there place over nite again so he can take care of the boys tomorrow morning. From here they went to Christ Buehlers, the baby girl is sick, next thing to pneoumia [sic].