Cloudy & colder this morning. Some spring day. Papa went out to Henry’s sowing oats; finished 38 acres; had dinner there. Dyed Bertie’s coat this afternoon navy blue. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up, Bertie & her went to the quilting, City Hall Firemen’s quilt; 3 of them, Clara Wagner & O. Lauts & Mrs. Kessler’s & L. Boll & Mrs. Ahrens; lot ladies helping to quilt, day & night. There was a terrible sand storm in southern states, all blowing over this way now, cloudy & hazy; here smoky. Eggs 17¢.
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.
Tuesday, March 6, 1934
Went up in the woods all day, took dinner along. Mr. Hy. Meng came & said he didn’t want no hog to butcher, he got his from Kessler. It surely is a nice day, getting colder this evening.
Sunday, July 30, 1933
Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here for dinner, lunch. It is rather warm again today. We went early to church, had a blow out coming home close to Chas Helfrichs, changed tires & came on. Fred Papenberg got a new chev & Oscar Birkners a used Ford, all close cars. There must be some thieves around Hecker, Hugo Probst got $10 stolen, Wagners got all the ripe & green plums stolen. Lester Gregson moved from the Gambach place to his own that he bought on East Main St. & Mr. & Mrs. Willie Gregson moved in Gambach property. We had our first roasting ears corn for dinner. The pallbearers from Aunt Lizzie where, Emil Brand, Ben Schilling, Hy Eichelman, Edwin & Willie Reheis, Fred Wiegand. The Heyl’s relatives have basket pinic [sic] at the Round Prairie Park, in honor of Mrs. Kessler from Alba. The threshing crew of Oscar Klotz’s have chicken bouilion, at Sam Krehers woods. It is in the paper that Lavern Koerber 23 & Irene Neff 21 where married at Red Bud by Rev. Stern in Catholic parsonage, Mary Havey & Paul Neff where attendats; last Wed. Roller skates & bicycle riding is the latest in Hecker at present. Mr. Rettinhouse is very bad expecting to live only couple days. We have 2 qts tomatoes canned so far, Mrs. John Reheis has 28 qts. & ain’t near finished yet.
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 1931
Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s this morning, papa is going to bring the team up, & wheat. Henry came with the tractor, he is going to disc & then sew wheat, he was here for lunch, dinner, lunch. Leona & the kids came this afternoon, she brought some more wheat along & also the stuff to treat it with. He started today. Hy Kessler is sowing too. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where up today. Christ Bestmann & family was here too see Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary on business.
Monday, August 17, 1931
Papa & Rosalia went after the peaches this morn, they got 2 bus. from Gross Orchard for 65¢ a bus. there where so many trucks there loading. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up to help to peel them, we caned [sic] 32 qts. so far, the green ones we layed back, they where here for lunch & supper, we also canned 1 qt. pickles, 2 tomatoe, 1 greengage. This evening there was a big truck around with peaches from Ava, Ill. they sold quite a few in town here, the Eichenseer’s got 8 bus. they where also 65¢ bu. Aunt Mary & Bertille where at George Wagner’s this evening. Henry & family where all here, he went to Eckert’s, & Kessler’s, looking for peaches. Eggs 15¢ & wheat 42 at Red Bud today.
Thursday, April 16, 1931
Papa went to the tractor demonstrating on Kesslers farm west of Hecker. A Cascey tractor from Red Bud. Papa & Rosalia went out in the woods to get a load of posts. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this afternoon to plant some popcorn at their place. They where here for lunch. This evening they went to the dance in Wiegands brick house. George Emery & Clarence Busch gave it, ladies free, gents 25¢.
Friday, Jan. 2, 1931
Rosalia & Bertille went to church this morn. & Papa went out to Oscar Birkner’s. This afternoon he went out in the woods. Fr. Grootens & Frank Swindle were here this evening & looked at our new pigs, they said “they are sure nice.” H.M. Hill was reporting the news to the Belleville Papers that the Hecker bank shut its doors. I seen in the Waterloo Times that Miss Helen Keckritz & a Cowell from Red Bud had a collision & Miss Keckritz machine got on fire & was completely pushed off the road & all damaged, it happened between Red Bud & Waterloo, she & a few more friends were going to the Brickey School, when the accident happened. I believe she has a new Whippet now. Emmett Cowell of Red Bud, the store manager of there was fined $102 (he had no license) for buying furs of a certain kind. Robert Basecher 19 of Red Bud & Miss Fern Gully 20 of the same place were married last week. Dr. Fentor also of Waterloo was in a collision in E. St. Louis & Mr. & Mrs. Fenton & their niece was hurt seriously. Henry Kessler of Hecker has just passed his 70th birthday anniversary & says he is going to withdraw from the Woodmen.
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