Thursday, Jan. 31, 1935

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up early, & Rose went along, left 5:15 to Belleville to Route 15 to Mr. Vernon & then route 142 to Dalgreen, to attend the funeral of Mrs. Sam Schilling, got there at 9 o clock, had coffee; walked to the cemetery; too muddy to drive, came home at 4 o clock, shopped at Belleville first. Joe & George Schilling, Mrs. J. Kreher Sr. & Jr. & daughter, also all went down; it is 100 miles there; one way. There was a lady here, begging for help, clothes are [sic: or] food; we gave her liver sausage. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary had supper here, stayed in Hecker all night; too muddy to go home. Mr. Robert Bersche infant baby of was buried Sun; she is Fern Gulley, that is the mother.

Tuesday, Nov. 20, 1934

Rained a little, still south wind & warm. Bertie baked cookies, made chicken dinner. Henry & Leona went to Belleville, Billy stayed here; all they had dinner here. Mrs. Phily Kammler, nee Nancy Kutis) was buried yesterday afternoon. Stehfests Cemetery. It was in this evenings paper that Mr. & Mrs. Leo Watchel of Paderborn, have a 7½ lb. daughter born at there home Mon; yesterday. she was formerly Ruth Krehrer, that makes Mr. & Mrs. Pete Watchel of Smithon [sic] grand parents, first time. Beautiful evening.

Sunday, Sept. 16, 1934

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stayed in Hecker over night, had dinner here. She & Rose went to Mrs. Staufenbiel’s to fit on her dress. This afternoon we all went to Ruma, were thousands of people attended the Mission Rally Father Kaiser of Belleville & Fr. Sheridian of China were the speakers. K.C. Band furnished musci [sic], Benediction was held; also a microphone speaker was had to carry the voice far; the grounds were just crowded with people, & had a wonderful day; refreshment’s were sold on grounds. John Myerscough’s youngest daughter Margaret Mary who is attending school there, took us all through the convent; met several girls in there Celia Krehrer, & Isabel Forness. Jonny Kreher’s boy & a Vogt from near Red Bud had a collision, both cars damaged pretty bad, in front of church this morning being Kreher’s fault. A man stopped took 6 doz. eggs at 22¢. Nights are awful cool.

Thursday, June 28, 1934

Jos. Schilling pull his threshing outfit up to Ed Kreher’s today, & Oscar Klotz to Louis Voges. Osie Neff drives the engine what Phil Braun had last year; he isn’t going out. Jack Mueth runs it for Schilling’s run. Pete Kreher’s boy from St. Louis, is working for G. Schilling, driving bundle wagon. It is awful hot weather these day, yesterday 100 in shade. Mr. & Mrs. S. Hellmer wedding anniversary, also Arthur Meohrs. The paper says the new wheat in Monroe & St. Clair Cos, will be 80¢ bus. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came, went to Red Bud, got flour, brought papa pair tennis shoes along $1. Henry & family came this evening, got the mule, his horse gave out threshing today, at Pete Reheis, just fell down, is blooted [sic], they say. Eggs 11¢.

Monday, April 9, 1934

Beautiful day. We washed, ironed, disinfected the brooder house. Papa & Rose went up in the woods. Mr. Hill was here. The pallbearers for Mrs. Birkner were, George Parker, Ed Cortner, Nic Helfrich, Ignatz Neff, William Kaiser, J. Kreher. Martha Schilling said a prayer before they left the house; no bells were tolled, being it was Sun; mass will be Wed. morning. Eggs. 13¢

Sunday, Oct. 8, 1933

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stayed awhile this morning. We went down to Ruma to the 18th Wedding Anniversary of Mr. & Mrs. J. A. Myerscough, in the hall, big crowd, some from here, Gregson’s, Krehers, Parker, Papenberg, neighbors string band played. Oct. 5 was the day.

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.

Monday, May 22, 1933

We washed, ironed, washed dresses & curtains. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here. Emil came up to Hecker with buggy & horses came here awhile, paid papa 50¢ wood sawing. We planted flowers out. Eggs are 8¢. Uncle Fred got a new blade put in his lawn mower at Bill Fritsche’s. The Belleville Rendering Co. was out last Sat. & got 2 dead horses, Barney Kaiser’s & John Krehers.

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.

Sunday, April 23, 1933

We went out to Uncle Freds for dinner & supper. In the afternoon we all went over to the cemetery, Ed Scheinder family & some relation & Phil & Henry Braun where there they went all through the house & barn, so did we. Scheinder is going to rent the place. We went to Uncle Adam’s & Aunt Mary & Uncle Fred rode along with us there this evening. Jonny Kreher’s sure must of had some dance the other night. Frank Birkner was so drunk. Isadore Helfrich was going to take them home she was no better, he run up the lumber pile; so Henry Spalt took them home. Last Sat, Krehres [sic] & Kemp where cutting a tree down between the hills & it fell the wrong way & smashed the top in on George Wiegands machine & another one yet.