Sunday, May 19, 1935

Raining all morning. We went to church. Spirtas was here & went out to Aunt Mary’s. Hecker is playing the first ball game today, here with Waterloo, & Hecker lost, the game & Boy some yelling they did, & terrible noise. Miss Melba Hepp & Leifer are being married this afternoon at Belleville, double bredismaids [sic]. Mildred & Erma, sisters of the bride, dressed in pink & blue, bride in white; all relatives that is Uncle & Aunts invited for supper & this evening 200 guests invited to Daab’s Club house for dance. We went out to Henry’s stopped a little while, then went to Waterloo to Mary Matthews birthday dance, Sunset Synodabt playing, but went we go there, it lightened & thundered, we went home again, it rained during the night; there were quite a few cars there.

Thursday, April 25, 1935

Papa is fixing fence again, will soon be finished now. The Y.P.L. of Hecker, are giving a play intitled [sic], “Gates to Happiness” tonite at Kammler’s Hall; Adm. 35¢ dancing after play. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, we all went up, but it wasn’t so nice, no pep at all; Characters were: Hy. Spalt, Clarence & Ralph Rausch, Harold Wagner, Floyd Thompson: Carol Papbenberg, Vernice Rausch, Marjorie Rausch, Mrs. Arthur Hepp, Alsace Eckert. The hall was crowded. Irene Reheis, furnished musci [sic]. Rev. Hasto painted the backgrounds, furniture came from N. Athens. Papa took load wheat to Red Bud, 90¢, got sack chic mash. Mrs. Gambach & daughter have a new 1935 model Chev Sedan; today. There were gypsies at J. Kaltwasser’s today, ransacked the place, took coffee & bread.

Sunday, March 31, 1935

Went to church, colder again today, made fire in furnace again. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stopped awhile then went home. Frieda Buehler called, & wanted to know if they were staying in Hecker, so most probably they will be having company today. We ate our first lettuce yesterday, dinner & supper, & today again. Boy! does it taste good. We brought Agnes Krehrer along from Red Bud, she told us that they were invited to Chas. Hepp’s this afternoon. Mildred was giving a surprize [sic] shower for Melba who is to be married to a Liefer in June. There has been 40 hr. Devotion at Waterloo these days, the closing tonite. In Chicago they had snow; yesterday. There was a collision in Hecker, in front of the church, Pete Kaiser & Frank Birkner, being Kaiser’s fault, he turned on to the road when Frank was passing, no one hurt, but cars damaged, Kaiser is going to settle it all, he just has a new V8 Ford, about a week, & now wrecked; Birkner’s fenders were torned [sic] lose, in Probst’s garage now. We went to Waterloo, attended 40 hr. Devotion, the church was filled; about 12 priests present, procession of girl’s & boy’s, priests.

Thursday, Dec. 20, 1934

Cleaned front room. Rose baked oatmeal cookies. Henry & Leona went to Belleville left Billy [Willis] here. Eggs 24¢ here. Mr. Eugene Metzger 34 of Floraville shot & killed himself at the home of his sister Mrs. Freida Gerhard, 2 miles south of Floraville; funeral to be held Sat. afternoon, from Millstadt chapel to Floraville Cemetery; he wasn’t married, was sickly & unemployed in St. Louis for 2 yrs. The streets are awful icey [sic] at present; cars pass with chains, several big trucks were stuck up at Belleville Henry had said. Hecker people were shopping there today, Weigands, Klotz’s, Watchels, Lauts etc. The children of the Catholic School is having there Christmas program tonight at the hall, everybody invited Adm. 10¢. Mr. George Hepp celebrated his 101 yr. birthday last Friday, but is confined to his bed, suffering from a stroke recently. Mr. Henry Kessler left for Birmingham Ala. were he will spent Christmas with his sons there. The paper says more snow. & 20 degrees tonight.

Wednesday, May 2, 1934

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, he cleaned his cistern, took all the dirt out; then went back home. The Y.P.L. are giving a play entiled [sic] “Here Comes Charlie,” & a dance after it musci [sic] by Holloywood Harmonists tonite in Kammler’s Hall; Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came & we all went, it surely was good; the players were, Flossie Kammler, Clifford Stalhleber, Clara Hofmeister, Clarence Rausch, Ralph Rausch, Viola Weigand, Henry Spalt, Alsace Eckert, Alma Hepp, Lyle Rausch, & between acts was songs by Marjorie Emig, & acrobatics tap dancing by Louise Wilhelm both of Belleville. A large crowd, hall filled.

Wednesday, March 7, 1934

Rose & Bert went up to mass, funeral of Mr. Berg. Koch undertaker. It wasn’t so very large, few neighbors, & relatives. Pallbearears [sic] were Willie Ganley & Reagen, Huber McDermott, Tom Havey, Abrose Doyle, Joe Kunkel. Fr. made a very nice sermon, the body was viewed in back church. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came this afternoon & we all went to Belleville to Mr. John Birkner’s funeral, Uncles step brother, at the home of John Breutigam’s, & the most beautiful flowers & so many, they had. Gardener had charge, & Rev. Pessel, the service, nephews pallbearers, Armstuz’s, Birkners & Hepp’s; It was pretty large. Cold & snowing this afternoon. Rosalia took Aunt Mary over to Mrs. Staufenbeils try her dress, see if he fits all right. Eggs 14¢ Mertz’s. Rose Pour & Mamie came after we were in bed, Mrs. Pour wanted hatching eggs, but we haven’t none this year, no roosters. Adam Eckert has chicken pox; has pretty much fever.

Monday, Jan. 29, 1934

So cold, water froze in bucket in kitchen last night. Rosalia made herself dress like Zita’s pattern. Bertille got the evening paper. It was in there that Mrs. Alva Eichenseer as bride & son Francis Jr. as ring bearer, & Lindow, were awarded 1st prize as wedding couple at Smithon [sic] Mask Ball last Sat. night; & Clarence Hepp & Miss Lillie Brown & Mrs. Roy Kunz were all among the prize winners.

Friday, Dec. 15, 1933

Papa went out to Nic Shaefer’s, took him long up to Henry’s, looked at the hog, traded to him for 4 pigs. Mr. Schaefer came this afternoon & pap & him went out & got him. Henry took the sausage to Waterloo, Mrs. Cleveland, stayed there with the boy’s, cause Willis has a cold. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up, we quilted, & Uncle Fred clean garden; we baked cookies this morn, hauled water in the cistern from Uncle well. Pap went to see Greenever’s clocking corn on Hepp’s land, they sell it at 35¢ bu. Ad. Rittmeyer intened [sic] buying from him. The Eliza. Ganley heirs are selling the place on Jan. 6, public.

Thursday, Dec. 14, 1933

Went butchering at Henry’s, had lunch, dinner, finished about 2:30. Helfrich hauled corn again. Mr. George Hepp is 100 yrs. old today, & healthy & strong; him & Henry Hepp, his son, keep house together. This evening about 9′ o clock we got telephone, fire at Henry’s, so we all got up & hurried out, George Wagner, went along, but they had it out already, the road men burned stump pile, in the field,  & high wind from the south, blew, a spark, & burned up some lumber, & chicken coops, behind the toilet, Al. Geodell, Emil, Al Cleveland, G. Henkel, Ed. Schieder, all where there, then they out the fire out, the stumps.  Henry was in bed; & got up to shut the door over in the kitchen, & seen the fire, so they called for help, right away; it could of been lots worse, then what it was, hadn’t been for him being up.

Saturday, July 1, 1933

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where up took the rest of there onions out in there garden; we helped, they sold them to Braun’s got 94¢ for 51½ lbs. New Athens have home coming today. There was a fire at Kaltwasser’s today, Spalts are threshing at Wacthel & Armstutz set there & spark flew out & started the weeds to burn, they got it out with shovels & water, Joe Wacthel got his hand burned a little. It is so awful hot again. John Reagean & family moved in John Hepps house here in town.