Diary of Alfred E. Potter October, 1940

01.  Tuesday: Visited Harold and Eva Mueller this morning.  Harold’s gland swelling is gradually breaking down.  Took Ed Fretchel to the cottage tonite.  He wants to get an early start tomorrow morning to do some cleaning up around the place.

02.  Wednesday: A lovely day 76° in the shade.  Took Mrs. Fretchel and Anna Heip to the cottage this afternoon.  Ed is doing a nice job getting the rosebushes cleaned up.

03.  Thursday: Glenn Travers, Abbott representative is in town.

04.  Friday: Appointed Karl Kieckhafer as Roll Call Chairman for our Annual Drive.

05.  Saturday: Got permission from Postmaster Ray Novotny to use Room 213 for a permanent Red Cross office.  Took Joe and Anna Heip to Poygan in the afternoon.  The folks go hickory nutting on J.F. (Croppo) Wells farm.  It is a lovely day temperature is 78° in the shade.  Took Rev. Mansfield to see Chester Becker in the town of Clayton.  He agreed to be Rural Roll Call Chairman for our drive.  Cork Weisheipl ushers in Fire Prevention Week by letting a lit cigarette in their car.  Damage is not very great.

06.  Sunday: Rose and Teddy Gittings arrived here this evening for a visit with Anna and Leona Drexler. Thres and Aunt Mary attend St. Johns Bazaar this afternoon.  Tonite Thres is busy with St. Vincents Bingo Party and I work until midnight at the store.

07.  Monday: Karl Kieckhafer calls first meeting of our Roll Call Committee.  Thres is busy at Christian Mothers Meeting.

08.  Tuesday: The Cincinnati Reds win Worlds Baseball Championship by defeating Detroit Tigers 2-1.  They played 7 games.  Had company at home tonight.  Rose – Teddy Gittings Anna – Leona Drexler.  Margaret Radomsky surprises us, coming in about 11.30 from Milwaukee.  She paid back a loan of 150 dollars made to Karl, some time ago. Layd Buehler has a birthday.  He is 36.  Born Oct 8 – 1904.  He is Parke Davis representative in Oshkosh and surrounding towns.

09.  Wednesday: Mr. Crocker begins work on our basement giving it a coat of white.  Thres joins the South Side Ladies Auxiliary Bowling League.  They bowl at the Oshkosh Recreation, on South Main Street.  Stanley Mauritz and Margaret Webster are married at St. Johns Church by Father Courtney.  We attend the Wedding Dinner at the Mauritz home 627-11th St. at 6 P.M.  Attended St Johns Bazaar after the wedding dinner, won nothing, Thres Fretchel won 4 times.  I took her home.

10.  Thursday: Rose Weisheipl has a birthday, she is 29 years of age.

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12.  Saturday: Took Margaret Radomsky to the Northwestern Depot this morning, she leaves on the 8¹⁸ train.  This evening Anna and Leona Drexler have a little party in honor of Harry and Agnes Kujawa.  Star and Mrs. Barthel bring them over.  John Spaunbauer is also there.  Got home at 2:00 AM.  Weather is lovely, temperature this afternoon 76°.

13.  Sunday: Rose and Teddy Gittings leave for Chicago this noon.  Attended 9 Oclock Mass St. Vincents this morning.  Couldn’t get out of bed early.  Frances & Whitey Wolfe – Irene and Husband –Carl and Margaret Radomsky, up from Milwaukee on a pleasure drive.  Thres attends St. Johns Bazaar tonite, it is the last night, she wins 50 cents, I think she spent at least 1⁵⁰.  Well it is all for a good cause.  Joe Heip and I visit Milt Rusch.  Had a swell steak too.

14.  Monday: An “East Rain” makes things look like “Fall,” temperature has dropped considerably.  Rev. Michael Drexler is in town.  I kidded him a bit over the phone.

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17.  Thursday: Leave for Chicago this morning, with Norman Brown –Fred Schlintz – Vic Vullings.  Stopped to Milwaukee to attend Wisconsin Pharmaceutical Assoc. Convention.  Lunch at Schroeder Hotel.  Met many acquaintances.  Heard Elmer Wheeler, author of “Tested Selling Sentence is” given talk.  Arrived in Chicago about 7³⁰.  Registered at Palmer House.  Had dinner in the Empire Room listen to “Ray Noble's Orchestra” danced with Sybelle Brown.  Norma and his crowd went to the Blackstone – Fred Schlintz Walter Anderson and I went to bed.  Forgot to mention stopped at Margaret and Karl’s at Milwaukee.

18.  Friday: Breakfast at Henrici’s.  Norm Brown can’t eat, but my appetite is good.  Over to McKesson’s for buying trip met Leo Lanigan.  Lunch at the Bismarck Hotel “Walnut Room.” Sybelle took me to see Rose Gittings at “Little Company of Mary Hospital 95^th & California.  Her voice is weak but she is getting along fairly well.  Stopped at United Drug Co. met E.J. Dolan.  Had dinner at “Fish & Chips” 72 East Randolph.  Had a swell Halibut steak.  Took in Stage Show “Life with Father” at the Blackstone Theater, starring Lillian Gish and _____ Waram.

19.  Saturday: Breakfast at Lander’s Café near the Palmer House.  Did some shopping, stopped at Vaughans Seed Store on East Randolph, at Benzinger Brothers on Washington –at Marshall Fields, back to the Hotel to check out –norm Brown had a bit of hard luck, when he got out of Vulling’s car, a truck hit the open car door and sprung it.  We managed to get it closed.  Left for Milwaukee near noon, stopped at Steeplechase Coffee Shop on the highway for a bite to eat, in Milwaukee we had Roast Turkey at Karl and Margaret’s, then for home, arrived here 7³⁰, then to Knute Rockne picture at Strand, ending up at Harold Bouchelle’s home at 2 A.M.  Ouch.

20.  Sunday: First day of St. Vincents Bazaar.  Had a good attendance.  I couldn’t get up for six Oclock mass, attended 9 at St. Vincents, then to work.  Slept most of the afternoon back to work at 5⁰⁰ had supper at Bazaar Hall, then back to work and worked until 12.15 A.M.  Worked about 9 ¼ hours today.

21.  Monday: Meeting of Executive Committee Red Cross this afternoon.  Wendell Wilkie, Republican nominee for President makes a 20 minute stop at the North Side Northwestern Depot and makes a short speech.  I only get a glimpse of him.  He is very well received.

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23.  Wednesday: Took Anna Drexler – Harry Kujawa - _____ Batchkall to Milwaukee.  Stopped at Karl and Margarets, also Marshall – Illsley Bank, met Charles Illsley –Mr. Jones – Mr.Roehl.  Their reception was very cordial.  I stopped at McClurg’s –Howdin Distilled Products –and Druggist Service Bureau.  A young lady from Oshkosh Dorothy Miller “Lake Drive” works for Mr. A. O. Haas at Howdin Distilled.  Alice Costigan at Druggist Service tells me, she is thru there November 1^st.  Sorry to see her leave.  Back to Karl and Margarets and then to home, arrived at 7¹⁵ P.M.

24.  Thursday: Leona Drexler is staying with us during her mother’s absence.

25.   Friday: Norm Brown is in this morning.  Another meeting of our Roll Call Committee today.  Present Karl Kieckhafer – Holy Davis Rev. H. Mansfield – Rev. Leo Oberleiter – Earl Fuller –A.E. Potter –Owen Procknow –Herb Voss – Otis Sitter –Pauline Kleinschmidt –Henry Zentner – Al Kuebler.  Plans are pretty well complete.

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27.  Sunday: Last day of St. Vincents Bazaar.  I attend after work, won nothing on Bingo –Thres won several times.  Harry Kujawa and family are here from Berlin.  They stay for supper with us and also part of the evening.

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29.  Tuesday: Another meeting of Roll Call Committee this afternoon.

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31.  Thursday: Had a caller from Texas today.  Bob Lutz in the guise of a fruit peddler.  Was surely glad to see him.  Bo't 2 bushels of oranges from him.  Anna Weisheipl is lucky at the Eagle’s Bingo.  She wins 7⁴⁰ on a 5¢ Crazy Bingo.