Diary of Alfred E. Potter June, 1939

01.  Thursday: Don Bludau tells me that Ed Worm has been very ill at St. Josephs hospital in Milwaukee.

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04.  Sunday: Attended six oclock Mass alone this morning. Mama Potter attends 7³⁰. Attended St. Peter's Graduation exercises this afternoon. It is a short affair. Marion Weisheipl graduates. She is the last one in the family and Pa Weisheipl is very happy. The Heips and the Fretchels are over tonite, the party lasts until 1³⁰ A.M.

05.  Monday: Donald gets his first experience at weekday serving mass. He serves the 6.³⁰ Mass each morning this week.

06.  Tuesday: School children of St. Vincent's have their annual picnic at South Park today. It is a hot day.

07.  Wednesday: I begin to plant grass on our terrace and then it rained and then it poured, a cloudburst for short time.

08.  Thursday: Grandma Meisinger passed away this morning about 1.30.

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10.  Saturday: Another day of Rain.

11.  Sunday: Attended six oclock mass.  There is still raining in the air, and it keeps it up most of the day.  Attended children play at St. Vincents this evening.  View the remains of Grandma Meisinger this afternoon, took along Grandma Baier.  Stopped for short visit at Anna Heip’s.  She is happy to see Grandma Baier

12.  Monday: Grandma Meisinger is laid to rest.  Mr. and Mrs. Ed Binder are married 20 years ago today.  Appointed Ed Doas and is Chairman of the First Aid of our Red Cross Chapter to replace Earl Weber, resigned.

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14.  Wednesday: Carl and Margaret Radomsky are in town.  Margaret wishes to spend a little time consoling her mother.  Our family goes to the cottage this afternoon.  Donald takes Melvin Karst along for company.  We have a healthy shower of rain tonite.

15.  Thursday: The folks come in from the country tonite.  We take Karl – Margaret and Anna Weisheipl two “Teddy George’s Grill and Dungeon.  It’s a delight of leaving.  Joe and Cork Weisheipl play there.  Met Mr. George – Miss      Spellman –Roy Meredith.  The party broke up at 2 A.M.  King George VI and Queen Elizabeth sale tonite for England on the Empress of Britain.  They covered 9127 miles in Canada and the United States.

16.  Friday: Feel a little lazy this morning, too many brands of beer last night – Budweiser – Schlitz – Peoples.

17.  Saturday: Visited Grandma Baier this afternoon, she is doing fairly well, also Anna Drexler.  She has company George Meisinger and Maggie Reetz.  Her husband Bill is in the plumbing business in Santa Anna California.  She tells us there is a building boom on in their town, 240 homes are being erected.  The weather is the fair – temperature at the 50°.  Forgot to mention that Anna Drexler is up and around the first time today since the 8th of last month.  I have a lot of fun setting up my “Fathers Day Present” a Metal Lawnchair.  Ma Potter is somewhat peeved.

18.  Sunday: Attended six oclock mass this morning, took Donald along but he’s pretty sleepy.  Mary Ann goes to 7.30 Service at Sacred Heart with Dolores Kinateder.  St. John’s Church has a new Pastor Father Francis McKeough also St. Peter’s have Father John McGinley.  The Fretchels and Anna Weisheipl are at the cottage.  Party breaks up at 1³⁰ A.M.  We drive home in rain.

19.  Monday: Visited Anna Drexler, she is doing quite well.  Also had a visit with Father Bastian.  A tornado hitting west and northwest about 15-30 miles from Minneapolis hit sections of seven towns yesterday afternoon about 3.30.  The towns hit Corcoran – Maple Grove – Champlin – Anoka – Cedar – St. Francis and Bethel.  Anoka a town of 5000 – 5 persons killed and 40-50 Buildings demolished, all together 9 killed over 60 injured property damage $500 000.

20.  Tuesday: Ma Potter goes to the cottage with a load of passengers, Ed and Karl Fretchel – Matt Weisheipl and the kids.  Donald has as his guest Donald Jungen – Mary Ann has Alice Wolf.  It is a lovely day, temperature about 78°.

21.  Wednesday: My afternoon off find me at the cottage with plenty of rain and showers outside.  Decided to go back to town about 4.30 and get into some very heavy showers.

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23.  Friday: Bob –Rose and Teddy Gittings blow in from Chicago tonite.  Bob surprised us at Marx’s Tavern about 11 P.M.  I take Sisters Alverna and Hermanilda two Madison.  Took Donald and Mary Ann along also.  Had a nice visit with Sister Ambrosia, she enjoyed seeing the children again especially Mary Ann.

24.  Saturday: Took a trip to Berlin tonite with the family including Aunt Mary – the Gittings –Anna and Leona Drexler.  Inspected the Berlin Brewery – with Harry Kujawa.  Harry and I did some shopping.  I bought some Lymburger Cheese and some clothespins for the ladies.  They did not need the clothespins as they all liked the cheese.  Had a very nice time, cut back home about 1 A.M. Sunday.

25.  Sunday: Attended 7³⁰ Hi Mass for change, then to work.  In the afternoon we have company Margaret Reetz from California, George Meisinger –the Kujawa family –the Gittings family Anna and Leona Drexler.  After work in the evening drove to the cottage with the Weisheipl’s for game of sheephead.  Joe and Ann are not very dried as they attended Sacred Heart Church Choir Picnic in the afternoon.  This is usually a very wet affair.

26.  Monday: Annual Red Cross Meeting tonite.  I did the job as chairman for the third term.  Robert Fretchel has a birthday.  He is 12 years of age.

27.  Tuesday: The weather is very nice these days somewhat warm but not too hot.  Aloys Kinateder and his mama celebrate their twelvth wedding anniversary tonite with a lawn party.  Thres and the children go to the cottage after supper.

28.  Wednesday: Donald and myself have the cottage to ourselves this afternoon and what did we do - fish of course. Caught 20 nice size perch and 2 pickerel. Donald got a large pickerel still fishing this morning. Mother and Mary Ann drive to town to a movie.

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