Thursday, July 29, 1937

Bert [Bertille] baked cake, cooked catsup. Pap went to woods to look for sand. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary came, Bert went along to Chester to the wake of Mrs. John McDermott, who passed away yesterday afternoon at 2 ‘ o clock, at Jacksonville Ill, she had been there for 2 weeks, with a nervous break down, in a private place & nurse, while the nurse was just out, she hung herself with a strap; & died; 29 yrs old; they were married will be 2 mons. on 10 of next mo; tomorrow will be taken to her home at Raddle Ill, about 12 miles from Chester, & will be buried there Sat. morn; we met her 2 sisters & brother, being there at the funeral parlor, 2 girls were all school teachers. We were there from 3 to 5:30, people came in & out; John & Ed were there. Leo & Rose came this eve. & we ate watermelons, that A. [Aunt] Mary brought from Sparta, boy what a good melon, we ate it all 22 lb. Mrs. Mehrmann got the eggs. 10 doz. @ 17¢. A fellow here wanted to sell paint. We got 19¢ for our chicks, 77 lbs. – 3 doz. shipping charges 75¢ on coop. We got a new Chicago Mail Order catalog.

Friday, July 23, 1937

Buehler’s finished threshing, we got 107 bus. share. Uncle Fred & A. [Aunt] Mary stopped in, were helping Adam Eckerts threshing; dinner & lunch; threshed yesterday already. There are so many truck loads of Watermelons & muskmellons [sic] going by.

Friday, July 31, 1936

Henry & Rob. were up, cutting & putting up hay also cut red clover, had dinner & watermellon [sic] lunch, we bought a 18 lb. 15¢ from a guy of Mo. this morn; went around, boy was it good. Seen in paper, Hy. Emery has the first a baby girl since the 28. & also Jo Sommers last Thurs. 5 girls. Mamie & Lucinda & Watchels kids came this evening awhile. Mr. Geo. Braun & son Theo. moved in with Lizzie Boll’s this week; House all fixed.

Monday, Aug. 6, 1934

Baked bread. Uncle Fred helped put stands up for pinic [sic] she [Aunt Mary] helped Rose cut out a dress, had dinner here. Henry is planning, had lunch, dinner, lunch, supper here, had watermelons. Otto Horn was here. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came back this eve.

Thursday, July 26, 1934

No threshing this morning. Papa & Rose went to Waterloo load wheat. Sure was some awful hot days the last while; 110 & 112 in the shade, hottest & dryest [sic] year, in 32 & 36 yrs. ago. In Kansas, it must be terrible, stock all dying; 3700 cows & calf were brought to E. St. Louis Stockyards yesterday, some so weak & they shot them right away. People are dying from the heat, the paper says 510 so far, from different states, one place it rained so much that 28 acres bottom corn, all washed out. Dillinger the gangster was shot to death now, while coming out a theather [sic] Sun. night. Frank Dudenhoeffer’s of Oklahoma, nee Lizzie Mueth, are visiting relatives here, since last Friday, leaving Sun; We went out threshing, at Henry’s, had them for lunch; got 128 bus. oats our share. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary were also there; came home through town. Watermelon in town.

Wednesday, Aug. 24, 1932

Papa went over to see Mr. Ed Meng. It is so awful hot again today, & nights are cool. They are surveing [sic – surveying] for hard road from Waterloo to Hecker, & the paper says it to, on the old road to Hecker, & then from Hirsts’ corner to New Athens. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up this evening & we took them along to Breezy Hill to a free birthday dance, the boss wife at the Condensery birthday, Country Club Orschestra [sic – Orchestra] music, they took up collection, with the hat at 12: oclock, then they played till 1:30, & a big crowd. When we came home we ate watermellon [sic], Aunt Mary brought one along up.

Saturday, Aug. 20, 1932

Papa got crushing done. There was a man here & wanted to buy eggs, from St. Louis, but we didn’t sell him any. Papa & Rosalia went out to Henry’s to get some oats. Today is Freeburg home coming. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary came up to spend the evening here, her & Rosalia & Bert [Bertille] went down to Geo. Lorberg’s to get a watermellon [sic], but he had just sold them all in Red Bud & didn’t have no more for sale, so we couldn’t get any.

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 1932

Papa got some whey. The Catholic Church of Ruma have pinic [sic] today. Burcham was around selling watermellons [sic] from 5¢ on up. Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stopped here awhile, they went down to Joe Gregson’s to get some pullets. Rosalia hemmed Aunt Mary’s pillow cases for the pinic [sic], & stamped them ready to stitch. It rained this afternoon. Papa sowed another patch alfalfa the morn.

Saturday, Aug. 13, 1932

Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary stayed in Hecker all nite & went home this afternoon. They said there was such a crowd at Braun’s, they danced in the barn & about 10 o clock they laid a floor down outside, so many people, the fish got all, people from all over where there. Robert Laut & family came to see us this evening, also Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary, she bought a watermellon [sic] from Geo. Lorberg for 5¢, 8½ lbs. an a good one.

Monday, Sept. 28, 1931

Papa hauled coal 4 loads today.  We now have 205 bus. $18.47.  Ralph Ettling & Buddy where here & wanted to see papa on business.  Uncle Fred & Aunt Mary where here, they brought a watermelon along.  The egg man was late this evening, he pays 20¢.