Saturday, Feb. 18, 1933

Papa got crushing done. We finished the quilt & took it out of the frame. Mrs. Joe Watchel & boy where here this afternoon, & invited us to go to Angela’s Eichenseer’s this evening, she is 18 yrs. old today. Rosalia & Bertille went, stopped in at Watchel & till she was ready then by Laut’s, Olivia & boys went too, & Clarence Wittenauer & Cecil Pour where the only ones at the party, we played 6 hand pinochle, hamburger sandwiches, & pickles, & cake, where served, we gave her a towel & Clarence brought here a Ivory compact, that is all she got then. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where at Rod & Gun Club House at a dance, public, Cortner’s invited him to help furnish musci [sic].

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.

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.

Tuesday, Jan. 10, 1933

We fried down bacon, sugar cured meat. Steve Rennecker came over & collected his telephone dues, $1.50 including drop tax. Steve cut all of his trees down in front of his house. George Wagner hauled them away for firewood. Papa went over awhile. George & Joe Wactel was also there. The Democrat man from Belleville called out to Hills to get some information to put in the paper today on Hecker Default State Bank, about the wreath that has been placed there; in front of the bank door. Mrs. Hill ordered some cottage cheese from Ben Heyl’s they sell it 15¢ pint. Mrs. George Wagner put a quilt in the frame this morning, Mrs. Rennecker helped, Mrs. Watchel also helped to quilt on it this evening. Jerome Cortner was to see Uncle Fred’s but they wasn’t up here, they where at Chris Buehler’s, who is pretty sick, he didn’t come over here. Wagner told him that they wasn’t up today.

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.

Tuesday, Nov. 29, 1932

Uncle Adam & Emil butchered today Papa & Henry & L. Gregson’s helped. Rosalia & Bertille went out & stayed at Henry’s, helped Leona sew shirts for the boys. had dinner & lunch there. Papa had lunch & dinner at Uncle Adams they finished butchering about 3 o clock, he came home with Levi Gregson’s. A dealer in Westhinhouse [sic- Westinghouse] Automatic electricity from Belleville was here advertising he had a small plant in his car he started it up & showed how it works, for electric lights irons etc. Rosalia Bertille went up to Mamie’s this eve. to see her quilt, cookies & orangeade where had. Lawrence Cortner was here to buy some pigs, he had been here this afternoon but nobody home, so he came back this eve. but he didn’t buy them yet.

Monday, Oct. 17, 1932

Mr Jung egg man was here & told us about some roosters. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this afternoon. Today is Kenneth Kemp’s birthday. Skinny Petri is getting buried this afternoon at Waterloo. Papa fixed a brick wall for flowers all around the house. Clara Wagner & kids came over to see it. George is working out at Ed. Cortners, tomorrow he has to go to Belleville. Uncle Fred went up to see Louis Birkner he is down in bed with rinhmatism [sic – rheumatism].

Saturday, May 28, 1932

Papa went down to see Hy. Armstutz, this morn, to see if he could get the team & mower, so this afternoon he got it & cut all his hay & cheat [?] of. Henry & Emil where here & got a hog. Mr. Biebel & 3 more guys from Belleville where here & looked at the colt, he would give $65. There where 3 more fellows here, 2 from Jennington Mo. & the other from Cowell’s place & looked at the colts. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where at Monroe City at a sale. Mrs. Wilde. We went out to their place this evening, listened to the radio, dances all over to nite, Bill Sensel’s, Nic Cortner’s barn dance, Weber’s Wedding dance in Dab’s Clubhouse by Smithon [sic], Hy. Weber & Mary Crowk. I seen Arthur Stehl & Anna Herzog license in the paper, 27 & 21. Papa went to Hy. Armstutz & got the team, & mower, & took it back agin [sic] this evening.

Tuesday, Jan. 19, 1932

Papa was up at Osie Neff’s today to see wether [sic] it would suit to measure his road & stacked it off, but it dosn’t [sic] suit him. Gustv Dudenhoeffer was out at Pete Reheis all last week. There is so much sickness going around again. Mr. Hill had wooping [sic] cough & Willis Harbaugh children, Henry Birkners & Frank Birkners & Oscar’s kids are sick, Ed Cortners, Nic Schaefers, Ed Schneiders, kids all got some kind of sickness & lots others yet. John Reageans & Bill Harbaughs got the signs on for Scarlet fever. A man was here trying to sell the Daily Advocate paper. Papa went to Waterloo this afternoon. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary & Josie came here, then we all went to the euchre in Kammler’s Hall, Bertille had 8 points & got a bucket. Josie got bobby price [sic – booby prize] a layer cake. Rheinhardts band played for the dance.

Sunday, August 30, 1931

We all went to the pinic [sic] about 2:30.  Had supper there, then went home & done the feeding & went back again, the Skaer’s boys played until 10 o clock.  We met Irvin & Jake from St. Louis, there.  The quilts were raffled to Mrs. Adolph Spalt, & to her sisters from St. Louis.  In the bleuey [sic] stand they gave a 32 piece dinner set, it was won by Leo Cortner.  Mrs. Adolph Rittmeyer died about 4 o clock this evening, her father died also on a pinic [sic] serveral [sic] years ago.  Mr. Jake Mueth [ed. note: “Jake Mueth” is crossed out] of Belleville died, & Mr. Grossman of Smithon, [sic] Marshal Hill’s fatherinlaw was found dead in bed this morning.