Saturday, Jan. 6, 1934

Papa got things from town this morning. The Ganley place gets sold this afternoon at 3 o clock; at Public Sale. Carlise Morrison, auctioneer. Uncle Fred & papa went over, quite a few people there, the home place, brought, $3,000, 100 acres, $30.00 @ acre. Emily bought that, & the other 40 acres brought $775.00 George Schilling bought it. We & Aunt Mary stayed by Henry’s so long, they walked from there in; the roads were little muddy. Wilfried Eichenseer, Vic’s oldest boy, nearly 16 yrs, was acciendtally [sic] shot, & died this afternoon at 2 o’clock; out by George Boll’s lane, he was out at Papenberg’s to go hunting, report is he fell off wagon & his gun, shot him, Cyril, Harold, Clarence & Wilfred went out hunting, out to Papenbergs, by Parker’s they went across the field, & went they got to Boll’s lane, Papenberg’s boy’s came out with the wagon, got a hog from there, & they stop & talked, Wilfred jumped on the wagon, & sat with the gun towards him, & he was going to get off, he sliped [sic] & the gun went of, hitting him under the arm, in one of the arteries that leads to the heart, & he bleed to death, he had a vest on with 36 bullets in it, some of them went off to, they say it, is sure lucky that none of the rest got hurt. Wagner & Herman of Waterloo have charge of it. Eichenseers brought the body in on the truck, when [unclear] & doctor wasn’t there either. He got a new suit from the store for Christmas & a wrist watch from his grandpa, for helping around in the store. Wilfred was the first to died in Ant Eichenseer family in 41 years.

Tuesday, June 27, 1933

Today is 3 anniversary of Gambach bros. Steve’s Renneker birthday, also Agnes Gregson. Rosalia & Bertille went out washing at Henry’s; had lunch there. We all went out to Uncle Fred’s to help with hay had supper. Mr. Rettinghouse is pretty bad.

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.

Saturday, Oct. 15, 1932

Papa went out to Armstutz Quarry & got a load of chat & lime for our walk for 50¢. Rosalia & Bertille went to Waterloo paid the Waterloo Times & took 24 doz. eggs @ 22¢. Stopped at Henrys. Geodells from St. Louis are coming to see them tomorrow. Mrs. Adolph Petri called out to Hill’s this morning & told them that George Petri Skinny got killed sometime last night or the morn, his machine turned over & he was pinned under, she taught [sic – thought] may be the wheels clocked, they brought him home dead. The Fahey boy said he went out squirrel hunting Fri. nite at 11 o clock & upset in a sink hole & broke his neck. Harry Kammler’s got a dance tonite, muscis [sic] “by the Country Club Orchestra, Adm. 35¢.

Monday, June 27, 1932

Today is Steve’s birthday. Karl Boll married a yr. & Gambach’s buried 2 yrs. It rained nearly all day. Papa went up town awhile this morning; got his check for $6.50 & sent the insurance for the Whippet $9.66. The bank paid out 10% again, so far it is 25% paid out. We all & George Wagner’s family went over to Rennecker’s. Steve was 68 yrs. old; cake, & beer where served. J Brown was here.

Wednesday, July 15, 1931

Leona & the kids where here for lunch this morning.  We heard that George Parker’s baby Virgil died, they had him at the hospital, had trouble with the teeth, they wouldn’t come through.  We cleaned the chicken house, papa is setting posts.  Henry went threshing today.  The machine was by Parker’s yesterday, but account of the baby died, they moved up to Kemp’s & are threshing there now, & from there to August Blackburns’s.  There was lady here this morning selling a bottle vanilla for 99¢ & a set sugar bowl & pitcher.  We washed the machine this afternoon & fixed the tire.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this evening, they told us about Pete Hoffman, from Mayestown, he was driving a wagon & fell off & broke his back, the horses ran away.  A man down by Red Bud, they didn’t know his name he was ground all to pieces through the seperator [sic].  Mr. Keonig from Columbia was here, he was the guy that was looking for the score book, ball games.  He took it along.  Henry had found that book by the school house some place.

Friday, June 27, 1930

Hecker baseball team played with Prairie boys last Sunday.  Hecker won 4-11.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this afternoon.  Uncle Fred helped Papa fix wire fence.  We finished our dresses this afternoon.  They was here for supper.  Henry & Leona went to Belleville this afternoon.  They left the kids here.  The most terrible thing happened this afternoon about 2 o’clock.  The two Gambach’s Henry & Willard died.  They was trying to clean a well out.  There was some gas got in the well & the water taste, so they got the fellows that put the gas tanks in the ground to come to dig it out to see if it was a leak, but they said none of them had a leak, so they don’t know how the gas got in the well.  Henry went down first to get a bucketful out, and when he came out he said, that his breathe pretty near got taken away from the smell of gas.  But he went down in the well again, but failed to come back up alive.  Then Willard wanted to save Henry’s life, then he too was taken [in] there.  Henry Emery went down, but he couldn’t stand it either.  They had to pull him up with a rope & he also was unconscious. They rolled him around until he got to himself then he was alright.  They sent for men from Belleville but they couldn’t do no good so they full around until they got the rope around him & then pulled him out.  Willard they got out about 1/2 hour but Henry was in almost 2 hours.  Henry was 32 years old.  Willard was to be 27 on July 2.  They took them to the undertaking parlor at Belleville by Gundlach’s and will bring them out Sat. afternoon.  Mrs. George Gambach is so worried, she is some time gone all together.  Uncle Fred, Papa, Aunt Mary, Rosalia all went up to see them pull him out of the well.