Thursday, May 11, 1933

It sure rained & hail, wind this morn about 2 oclock, lots of rain, every day this week. Today is court again in Waterloo, cases of J. Brauer, Kaisers forclosure [sic] & all that; & Annie Schiender divorce. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up to story over nite in Hecker again, we planted our house flowers out; they look pretty. Cyril brought some flowers, to, cosmos. Clara Wagner & kids came while we where planting; eggs are 10¢ today. We washed both cars, & fixed them up.

Wednesday, May 10, 1933

We patched. Ivo Buehler is disking our ground this morning, took him about 1 hr. quarter. Papa went to town this morn. There sure was a heavy hail storm in New Athens, hail as big as a hen egg they say, by Sam Krehres [sic – Krehers] the wind was so strong it took big trees twisted them right of; we could hear it roar here, there wasn’t any wind here at all. Hy. Limbach came looked at our mule. Rosalia & Bertille went out to work the garden at Henrys again. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up; she brought a house plant & fern from Mrs. Frank Birkner.

Tuesday, May 9, 1933

We washed, ironed. Papa & Rosalia went to see Meyers, to see if he still had some more corn to sell, he hasn’t,  they brought 1 bu. pick, along for seed. Papa went up to see Reheis about the corn, but he had to see Dr. Wagner first, he wanted some too, so Papa drove out to Barney Kaiser’s, & bought about 50 bus. delivered to the house for 35¢. Rosalia & Bertille went out to Henrys, washed, & worked garden. It rained a little again this evening. Ivo Buehler is working Henry Armstutz’s corn ground up with the tractor for him, for $1.00 hr, papa wants to get him to work ours to; cut it up & harrow it, to hard on the one mule.

Monday, May 8, 1933

Henry came here, & we went along with him to Hershel [sic – Herschel] Blackburns funeral, to church & cemetery, we didn’t go out to the house, we thought the roads would be bad, but they said the roads are good; it was a very large funeral, & very sad one. The pall bearers where Grover Cleveland, Buddy Napier, Elmer Papenberg, Dilbert Mueth, Henry Sensel, Alfred Eckert; all boys of 14. Henry was here for lunch. We drove out to Ronnerberg’s looked at the corn there; it is Reheis. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up to work in there garden, planted cabbage plants out, came over here for supper, brought chicken along. Josie Gregson birthday.

 

[editor’s note: Herschel Blackburn was born in 1919. He died just shy of his 14th birthday; hence the reason why Bertille mentions that all his pallbearers were 14.]

Sunday, May 7, 1933

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came & then they went along with us to Waterloo to the band consert [sic], it sure was nice the way they paraded the streets, but a rain storm came up, & knocked everything in the head, they where to play all afternoon, about 6 bands, & Columbia Drum Corps; it sure did rain somes let me tell you. Geo. Haudrich is to give a pulbic [sic] barn dance tonite. This rain sure makes the road bad out west for the funeral tomorrow afternoon.

Saturday, May 6, 1933

Uncle Adam is 84 yrs. old today. Bertille is all broken out with the measles or the 48 hr. Freezels as they call them. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here for dinner, then we all went to Snook by Waterloo to a sales forclosures [sic] sale by Mr. Metzger, he forclosed [sic] him & sold out. The Hecker All Stars rented a piece of land from us & are working on it today, getting ball ground in order. An Inquest was held at Blackburn’s this afternoon. The Birkner boys where called as jurors, Uncle Fred was called to, but wasn’t at home anymore when they called for him. It is a real nice day & evening. Eggs are only 10¢ at Connor’s today.

Friday, May 5, 1933

Report came over the phones this morning that Hershel Blackburn was dead, he was lying beside the plow yesterday, kicked by a mule, this morn. is dead. Papa went up town. Mr. John Whiteside had a run away with horses & wagon, & he was drug along under the wagon, his skull is split, & in a poor condition. We went to Belleville this afternoon, Rosalia got a spring coat for $1.95  6¢ sale tax; at Quality Store. We received a card from Creses, saying that she is spending a few day at home, we should come & see her, she is going to Chas. Sensel’s barn dance May 6. It is the paper the marriage of George Whitkamp 33 & Hilda Fritz 22 where married last Sun; afternoon Apr. 30 in the Evangical [sic] church, Mrs. Joe Geodelle & Gus Fritz the attendants.

Thursday, May 4, 1933

Papa went to see Quathammers. Olivia Lauts birthday. Christ Buehler was here & looked at our hogs. He & Ino came back this morning, & got 2 hogs. @3.75 $19.50 made a note. The sewing circle of Red Bud gave a euchre, & lotto party in there hall; we went down, but didn’t win nothing, only had 7 points, the nines didn’t all get prizes. Miss Marcella Gregson got the pillow cases what we made; it rained & such awful high wind when came home, nearly blowed everything to piece.

Wednesday, May 3, 1933

Papa is 55 yrs. old. He went out on business trips this morn, & afternoon, went to George Boll’s, Buehler’s, Parker’s. Mr. Quathammer was here. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary are working up here again. This evening them & Henry & family & Chris Buehler’s family where up, for the birthday, cake, popcorn, beer where had. Mrs. Louis Birkner is sick in bed again.

Tuesday, May 2, 1933

We baked bread, coffee cake, cake. Rosalia sew dress. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary worked thire [sic] garden & things today; we helped them, & planted cabbage plants out for them & about 55 in our truck patch. Mrs. Joe Watchel’s birthday is today. It is awful cloudy weather, & cold.