Thursday, Sept. 6, 1934

We made pear preserves canned 2½ pickles. Raining this morning Delmar Watchel’s birthday 3 yr. There is 4 kids going to Blackburn School so far, Robert, 3 yr. & Floyd & Wilkerson, Scrivener, on Pautlers place rides down, with the teacher every day, she brings them all home; Mrs. Kruse is the teacher, lived at Burksville. Mrs. Alice Brand & Lucille left from California Sun. & arrived in Waterloo at 11 o’clock Tues. night, were Kenneth Kemp got them, that is were they are making there home & then go around, see all the folks; was by Uncle Adam’s today.

Friday, July 20, 1934

Hauled water out for pigs. J. Wittenauers selling pickles in town $1.50 bus. Mrs. Scheinder $1.25. Clevelands $1.40. Jake Reheis he got $2.00. John Reheis sell there’s in Red Bud. People stopped bought 5 roosters 10½ lbs. @ 18¢; about 2 lbs. apiece. A man here selling apples 75¢ bu. George Wagner’s family were here a little while. The settlement of Pete Reheis & Fritsche was in the paper for the last time, will be on July 28 at Belleville Court House; he foreclose him. The assesed [sic] valuation was in the Times; we are the highest in Hecker & around. Joe Watchel & Robert Laut dug a 2o ft. well on Watchel lot.

Wednesday, June 27, 1934

Rennecker & Agnes Gregson’s birthday; also 4 anniversary of Gambach Bros. death. Jos. Schilling is going to thresh this afternoon. Joe. Watchel’s machine starts to this afternoon, all getting about started, soon. The lightening struck one of Arm Geodelle’s wheat shocks yesterday, burned it all up. Marjorie Rausch is again home from the hospital. Rose & Bertille went to Waterloo took 8 bus. wheat along, got 79¢; bought 100 lbs. flour; soft wheat $3.05. stopped in at Henry’s, he is threshing by Reheis. They were at Uncle Pete’s last Sun. afternoon, Annie has a permanent wave, got it at Waterloo, also Jake’s wife. Henry got 50 barned Rock Chicks 3 weeks old from Monroe Hatchery, $7.00 a hundred. George Wagner came over awhile. We took our onions out today. Uncle Fred brought the mule home, then we took him home, stayed awhile, Ronnenberg came down there to telephone to Evansville, to tell Kissen’s that there boy is pretty sick, up here, he has it in his back, can’t hardly breathe sometimes.

Tuesday, May 29, 1934

We washed, ironed. Henry & Emil finished the hay, this morning. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came this afternoon, had lunch here, we helped them pick cherries. The fire Co. men were pumping Joe Watchel’s well dry, papa helped pumped it in the tank, the water wouldn’t be used for anything, it stung & oil like.

Thursday, March 15, 1934

Robert Laut & Joe Watchel got Rob’s hog this morning, took it to Eichenseers got it weighed 439 lbs. We went in the woods all day. This evening planted onions sets, radishes, lettuce in garden. It is in the paper that Lester Bruns & Melissa Weigand will be married Easter Monday & that he bought some land from Levi Gregson. Pete Gardener Sr. Undertaker of Belleville died last night, got sick Mon. evening with a cold & it turned to pneoumina [sic], had heart stroke & died, will be buried Mon. afternoon on account St. Joseph’s Day, no funeral, to St. Luke’s Church Bellville [sic]. Mass will be said.

Sunday, Feb. 25, 1934

We didn’t go to church today; snowing & sleeting all day. George Wagner & Steve Rennecker came over to sign hog papers for the processing tax, $2.23 for Jan. Steve stayed & we played cards, 4 games, he won 3. Monroe Co. C. W. A. are laying men off now till down to 6, stayed working: Osie Neff, Pete Watchel, all them are off, from Hecker, is only Jack Reagan, Hy. Meng, Hy. Braun working & there is Chas. Helfrich, Wilhelms, Leifer & some yet from Round Prairie working the snow plow went down & up, several times, but didn’t help much.

Wednesday, Jan. 17, 1934

Joe Wcthal [sic – Wachtel], Henry Rausch, got the hog this morning. We went to Bellville [sic] sold 31 doz. eggs, some for 23¢ & 19¢, also sold meat, & sausage. Wm. Ganley came & paid $32.90 Int. but still has $95.00 & Int. on that yet till 1933 is all paid up. Our heifer with the hide brought us $28.03. Redsow 9 pigs born.

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 1934

We butched [sic] 2 hogs, Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary & lunch, dinner & supper, Henry helped too was here for lunch & dinner; took some soup bones, sausage along home. Leona wasn’t feeling so well; we made summer sausage, 10 lbs. beef. Mildred Wacthel brought the 25¢ what she owed on beef. Chas. Heff, stopped in to get beef last we had 6 lbs. George Wagner came & engaged a hog to kill maybe on Sun. They are working steady on the road, 8 hrs. work, 50¢ hr; so he has to butcher on Sun. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came here this evening, we all went to the euchre given by Altar Sodality in the School hall, Bertille the highest one of us had 8 points, got box, perfume, bath salts, powder, Aunt Mary had 7, got box letter writing paper, not enough prices [sic – prizes], 4 out of seven points got prizes; pretty good crowd, 23 tables. Fr. Aydt,  got first prize 12 points, got magzine [sic] stand. The surprize attendance prize was won by Ethel Parker, $1 bill. Joe Wacthel was here looked at the hogs; he wants one to butcher tomorrow.

Thursday, Jan. 4, 1934

Papa went to see Pete Watchel’s. Harold Wagner was here wanted to sell & take orders for seeds. Ed. Neff 26 & Bertha Helfrich 20 were married at Paderborn Hecker, this morning at 7 o clock mass. Mr. Vogt, Kroll’s son in law will move to Hecker, & is going to start, hauling milk for Peveley Diary [sic], he will come & take the milk right from the house; he told Henry, but Henry had sent to Waterloo, & now he can’t sent none at all till 30 days; he was supposed to give St. Louis Dairy 30 days notice & didn’t do it. Mr. Henry Acker of Lords Corner died this afternoon at 1’o clock will be buried Sun. afternoon, there. Louis Dehn butched [sic] by Renneckers.

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 1934

We ironed, patched. There is a wreath hanging on the bank doors again this year. George Wagner’s wedding anniv. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this evening & them Rosalia & Bert, went down to Louis Armstutz played 6 hand pinochle, 3 games, Bertille had 600 queens, & didn’t hardly seen them. Mr. Pete Watchel & Levi Ganley where here on business, to see papa, while we were gone.