Perry May has shooting match today. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came here awhile after church. Louis Armstutz & Elmer Rettinghouse came here to look at our cow. This afternoon we & Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary left about 1 o clock went to Red Bud, Ruma, Evansville, Ellis Grove, Springdale Park, Chester, drove to the Southern Illinois Penitrary [sic], but couldn’t go through it, only the restroom, see ferns & furs & such like, everything is so nice there. Papa was talking to Snitz Nollau. Then we went to what they call a Menard, where there are about 400 criminals there, walked up 165 steps & down again, to see them, they where out taking exercise & sun baths, seen there laundry, & there yards where the prisoners work; all the rocks got ready to crush; it sure is a beautiful scene. The Miss. River so close, especially went [sic-when] you are so high up you can see the river such a far distance, then we drove up around the river up the big hill, then back into Chester again, then back home, it was sure a nice drive we covered about 70 miles was home again 5 o clock. We had supper at Uncle Freds. Henry & family came up we all went over by Aunt Marys, across the street. There is rosary devotion at Red Bud, but we couldn’t go, Henry was up they took a 3 gal. crock of bacon along home 38 lb. with crock. There was a bunch 19 from Hecker went over to Walter Deffabaugh in St. Louis on a visit in Clarence Wittenauers truck.
Sunday, July 24, 1932
We went to Red Bud, but the Chev. didn’t work so we took the Whippet & pulled the Chev. home when we came back. Joe Mueth was here on business to talk to papa, about the telephone lines. Henry was here this morning, he came up to get some whey & came down here. Martin May & daughter Rau & Ed McDermott & girlfriend Beal [?] Friel of St. Louis where stop to say “Hello” they where on there way home from Hecker. Mr. Cox an egg man got 15 doz eggs from us today for 12½¢. Miss Josie Keller & Miss Isabel McKuen of St. Louis stopped & “Hello” on there way back, they came out to the pinic [sic] of St. Mark’s church at Round Prairie, had there chicken supper there. We all had lunch at Aunt Mary’s this afternoon. George Wagner & family came over a little this morn. & look at car.
Sunday, Oct. 18, 1931
Alfred May has his shooting match over again today, on account of the rain last Sun. We all went back there this afternoon, it wasn’t a very big crowd, toon [?] many others. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here for dinner, they brought some stuff along & we made it here. We were at Red Bud church. Papa went to town this evening. Frank Birkner brought some butter up, so he went up to get it for Aunt Mary 30¢ a lb. Tonight is the last night for show.
Sunday, August 2, 1931
Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here for dinner & lunch. They & Bertille went to see Adam Eckert place where he is going to move tomorrow. It is a old place, the house looks awful. George Lorberg has a little girl born this morning Georgia Lee. This evening Rosalia & Bertille went up town when we heard the crash, George Lorberg’s truck with Edwin Wacthel driving as he was going to turn in his place, a car came & crash it went, the man was Busche from Red Bud, no one was hurt only cars damaged, they had to pull them in with a wrecking car. Lorberg has full coverage insurance. Edwin has no chaffeuer license & was drunk as could be. Mr. Martin May was here this afternoon.
Saturday, May 30, 1931
Papa got crushing done. There is School Picnic in Waterloo today, parade of the children is at 9:30. Everything is closed today, stores, banks, barber shops, also because it is Memorial Day. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up at 10 o’clock, then we drove down to Fr. Chartres, from there we went to Polaceki sale at Fults, the May’s where there from there we came home, we hit the hard road at Parrot’s Corner, we came through a quite a few towns, & good roads, drove along the bluffs, we covered 58 miles, was back at 4 o’clock. Harry Kammler’s is giving a dance tonight, but it ain’t so nice, cool, it rained where we were today, but not much here at home. The Hecker ball teams played today. The Blue Capes against the Hecker All Stars, in favor or Blue Caps, the score was 13 to 14.
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 1931
Aunt Mary, Uncle Fred were here today. They planted their cabbage plants out today. Alfred May was here today and gave Pa some sale bills to put up in town they were Mr. Caldwells sale bills. Eggs are 14¢ now.
[Ed. note: This entry is not written in Bertille’s handwriting. It is a possibility that it is written by Rosalia].
Friday, Dec. 5, 1930
It rained all day. Papa went up town this afternoon to get some medicine for our chickens, they have got the roup. This evening Rosalia & Bertille went up to Angela’s & had a pinochle game. Odillo & Rosalia were partners & Bertille & Angela, we won every game, 4 were played. I seen in the Waterloo Times that Mrs. Vincent Krack & daughters were visitors the weekend at Louisville Kentucky. They made the trip by motor. Miss Ethel May celebrated her 17th birthday on Thanksgiving day by having a turkey dinner for her friends. Guy Gregson & George Henkel lost a horse last week & the scavenger truck got them last Sunday. Eggs are .23¢ today.
Sunday, Oct. 12, 1930
There are shooting matches for geese and turkeys and ducks all over again today. Mrs. Threfall has one for geese. Alfred May, Wm. Reagan & a good many others. Henry and family stayed for dinner then afterwards went home. They was supposed to come back to Pete Reheis that Frank Dudenhoeffer was coming out from St. Louis. Mr. Louis Dudenhoeffer and wife and son and wife were here a little while then they went back to Reheis too. He wasn’t in this country around here for 40 years. They was at our house about a half an hour. Hecker played their last baseball game today with Floraville for this season. Hecker won 12 to 1. Rosalia and Bertille went to church, Rosary Devotion this evening. There was a man here from E. St. Louis here and wanted to buy some eggs, so we sold him 6 doz. for .27¢ a doz. Pours got the baby christened Ethel.
Thursday, July 31, 1930
Today is Ike Napier’s sale. We all went to Napier’s this afternoon. There was a large crowd there & things brought a pretty fair price. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary got an invitation to come back tonight again. So I guess they will go. We got an invitation to come to Wiegand’s on Aug. 12 & to Blackburns Aug. 13 & to Clevelands next Sat. night. Hurrah! for a good time. Mary May was buried this morning at Tipton Church and cemetery. We had a little rain this morning. We fixed a tire & tube. Ed Ming bought most of his stuff today from Ike. He got 2 horses & wagon, brooder house and many other articles. Today is Robinson’s Circus in Belleville. Emil Brand went up to see the parade. Bertille went and got the mail this evening, our paper come in the evening now.
Wednesday, July 30, 1930
Today is John Limbach’s sale. Papa went out to Henry’s and got a load of wheat, then he went to Waterloo to the mill & then went out to John Limbach’s sale. We get our daily paper in the evening from now on with the buss. Instead of morning mail carrier. Papa never bought nothing at the sale, everything high priced. Albert Rittemyer was here this afternoon trying to sell brushes of all kinds. But we didn’t buy any. Margaret McDermott call up & told us that our cousin Mary May, Martin May’s oldest daughter died & will be buried tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock at the Tipton church. She was to get operated on appendicitis and tonsils, they gave her ether & she never came too anymore. They say she had a sweetheart Joe McArthy. She is 18 years old. Wheat is .78¢ this morning.
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