Diary of Alfred E. Potter July, 1941

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03.  Thursday: [RNXDK] We have a new assistant at St. Vincents, “Leo Ott” newly ordained priest from Jericho.  He was in the store to get acquainted.  Father Bastian of course did the introducing.

04.  Friday: Up at 4.45 A.M. to 5³⁰ Mass after breakfast are ready to go back to the cottage.  Had quite a few of the folks out.  Thres – Ed – Robert – Ed Jr. Fretchel, Joe – Anna –Cork – Eddie Weisheipl, Harry – Agnes – Jackie – Mary Kujawa, Joe – Celia – Marion – Joan – Corrinne – Celia – Matt and Manda Drexler, Anna – Leona Drexler, Roman __________, Marion Kalous, Rose and Teddy Gittings.  This is an ideal day, not too hot.  Folks have a wiener roast and plenty of trimmings.  In the evening we treated the folks to a 2 hour fireworks celebration, and after that I had to play sheephead until 2 A.M. with Annie Heip –Fretchel and Thres.  “Wow am I tired.”

05.  Saturday: Find we almost had a fire in our boat last night.  It turned out to be A smudge but the back seat of the boat was burnt badly.  A Spark from the fireworks must have landed on a cushion.

06.  Sunday: Drove to town for 7³⁰ Mass then to work until 1 P.M. Took Aunt Mary, Thres, Mary Ann, Dolores and Lawrence Kinateder to the Strand to see Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in “Caught in the Draft” also James Stephenson and Geraldine Fitzpatrick in “Shining Victory”. We all had a treat at “Joe Pollacks Fountain” Boston Nut Sundaes, Banana Splits, etc. Worked until 8⁴⁵ then back to the cottage. Joe and Celia Drexler, Tony and Mrs. De Lorme stopped in for a visit. Thres Fretchel stayed overnite which meant sheephead until 1 A.M

07.  Monday: [RDXDK] Marion and Joan Drexler our house guests at the cottage.  Thres has come to town for Christian Mothers Meeting – and also Meeting at Father Bastian’s.

08.  Tuesday: Aunt Mary has company, Lena Baier –Mrs. Joe (Emma) – Fay – and little Joseph Baier are here.  Art Mueller – Fred Baumgartner and myself drive to Madison, to buy Rexall Holiday Merchandise.  Display at Hotel Lorraine.  Stopped at Lange’s in Columbus for some fresh shrimp.

09.  Wednesday: Thres goes to town for Red Cross work, visited Clara Lemke at Mercy Hospital. Brought Emma Siewert back with her. Bill came for the evening. Harry Kujawa, Agnes, Mary, Johnnie, and Eugene Baldwin and Mrs. Margaret Baldwin came over from Berlin to do some fishing. Tried many places but no luck. They say they do not have the right kind of bait. Well, may be they are right. Bill and Emma staid over the night. Beautiful moonlight. I get to bed at 3 A.M.

10.  Thursday: Matt and A hot day, temperature at 91° at 11³⁰ A.M.  Visited Grandma Baier.  She attended St. Johns Mass this morning, walked both ways but is very tired.  Glen Travers is in town.  He goes on his vacation tonite.  Anna (Lang) Putzer is operated today, her gall was the size of a grapefruit.

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12.  Saturday: Clara Miller Lemke is taken home from Mercy this morning.  Stopped to visit her this afternoon.  She is looking pretty well considering the nature of her operation.  Emm Siewert is there also to visit her.

13.  Sunday: Attended 7³⁰ Mass at St. Johns then to work until 1 P.M.  Took the family and Joe and Anna Weisheipl to the Mode this afternoon.  “Buck Privates” featuring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello was a scream.  “San Francisco Docks” and featuring the Burgess Meredith, Irene Hervey, Raymond Wallburn – Berry Fitzgerald was the co-feature.  After refreshment at Joe Pollaks back to work, until 9 P.M.  The family go back to the cottage after supper.  The children take Norman and Rosemary Koelbl along as house guests.

14.  Monday: More company today.  Joe and Emma Baier – Joe and Margaret Hemmer.  The Joes do some fishing and almost got a big one while the ladies play cards.  Bill Siewert is laid up with rheumatism again.

15.  Tuesday: Art Mueller takes a day off to go to Milwaukee with Margaret.

16.  Wednesday: Had company tonight.  Joe and Anna Weisheipl – Ed and Thres Fretchel.  The party broke up at 2 A.M.

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18.  Friday: Took Sisters Herman or Ermanhilda and Marcelia to Milwaukee. Sister Marcelia stopped to see her brother Joseph Gockel at 2373 North 55th St. Joseph has been blind for nearly 60 years. He is now 68 and also has heart trouble. Met his wife Mary (Lippard) Gockel. Joseph's sister Miss Mary Gockel organized “The Missionary Society of Catholic Women.” When Mary died her secretary Miss Mary Lippard married Joseph Gockel and carried on the work Miss Gockel started.

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20. Sunday: [OM] To 7³⁰ Mass at St. Johns then to work.  View the remains of little Edward Binder at Fiss & Bills.  Took Donald and Norman Koelbl to camp at Twin Lakes this afternoon.  On the way back drove from Omro to Oshkosh on Fourth Street.  Ma Potter had to pinch hit for Donald at the store from 5-6.  Thres and self attend Strand after work.  “The Shepherd of the Hills” Harold Bill Wrights story featuring John Wayne – Betty Field –Harry Carey.  Co-feature “Dance Hall” featuring Carole Landis – Cesar Romero.

21.  Monday [8M] Thres goes back to the cottage this afternoon.  Grandma Baier and Lena visit both Riverside and Calvary Cemeteries.  Aunt Mary – Thres and Mary Ann visited Clara Lemke this afternoon.  Clara is now up and around.  Harold Ferry is in town taking Fall orders for Pharmaceuticals and Hospital Supplies.  Al Gross is in with Walter Wilde trying to interest us in a Bastian Blessing Fountain.  Dolores Kinateder is Mary Ann’s house guests at the cottage.

22.  Tuesday: [3½ M] [RHXDK] Frank Haidlinger Sr.  Passed away this noon.  He had been ill for some time and was losing his sight.  Born Oct 4 – 1861 near Vienna.  This is a hot day, temperature is 92° official reading.

23.  Wednesday: [3M] [RHXDK] Another 94° day.  Took Laurence and Dolores Kinateder, Mary Ann and Mother to Twin Lakes to visit Donald.  Our visit was very short.  On the way back we stopped at Wild Rose “State Fish when cancel one Hatchery” – Pine River – and had supper in Omro at Hansen Restaurant.

24.  Thursday: [7M] [RNXDK] Art Mueller takes a day off. Temperature at 1⁰⁰ this afternoon is again 94°. An example of a busy noon lunch hour. I left the store at 11⁰⁰ A.M. took Joe Kloiber 10th St. home then Ed Weisheipl to his home, viewed the remains of Frank Haidlinger at Sitter Meyers Funeral Home, stopped to visit Grandma Baier, stopped at T. & S.  Tobacco Co. to pay a bill, had lunch at home, then picked up Anna Knaack to shorten her walk to the Security Bank, picked up Rose Weisheipl at the store, took her home, picked up Ed Weisheipl, brought him back to the store and back on the job at 12 Noon.

25.  Friday: [7½ M] [RPXDK] Thres had company yesterday at the cottage Thres Fretchel –Mary Ilk – Gregory Ilk.  Great when fishing until 2:00 PM caught one Perch.  The ladies staid until midnight.  I visited with Sisters Genevieve – Valeria –Viatora – Isadora – Romana and Meralda last night at the Sisters Home.  Temperature today is 96° at 1⁴⁵ P.M.  We had company at the cottage tonite.  Joe and Celia Drexler –Tony and Mrs. DeLorme.  They staid until 1.30 A.M.  Purchased Liquid Carbonic Fountain for the West Store tonite.

26.  Saturday: [3½ M] [RDXDK] The heat is still on, it is 99° this afternoon at the Buckstaff Observatory.  I drove to Twin Lakes this afternoon to bring back Donald and Norman Koelbl.  Stopped at Clag Stearns – of Omro – on the way back.  After we came back took a swim at the Sand Dock.  Stayed in the water 1½ hours, that’s plenty long.

27.  Sunday: [2 M] [RHXDK] To 7³⁰ Mass at St. Johns then to work until 1 P.M.  After dinner I slept until 4³⁰ then back to work until 6⁰⁰.  Had a terrific rain storm at the cottage about 12³⁰ P.M. but it did not last very long.  Bill and Emma Siewert are out for the evening.  Our card game ends at 1³⁰ and after lunch we are ready for bed at 2³⁰ A.M.

28.  Monday: [4M] Had another heavy rain storm at 5 this morning.  Sister Ambrosia is in town.  She is at St. Michaels in Chicago.  Has 36 nuns in her charge.  I took her – and Sisters Valeria and Romana to Mt Calvary this afternoon.  In spite of rain it is again very hot.  Temperature is up to 94° this noon. Ollie Jenks drowned last night after taking a dive near Paine’s.  He lived there in a houseboat.  He dove into 4 ½ feet of water and hit either of protruding log or some other object.  Ollie used to run a tavern on Oregon Street between 10^th and 11^th Sts.  Mr. Crowner used to run the same tavern.  Forgot to mention that I had a short visit with sister Gabriel (Caroline Miller) this afternoon at Mt Calvary.

29.  Tuesday: [5M] [RHXDK] Temperature hits a climax 100° at 1³⁰ this afternoon.  Visited Grandma Baier.  She is very weak from the heat but is holding up quite well and is very happy to have company.

30.  Wednesday: [3½ M] [RDXDK] Had company at the cottage of Mrs. Anna Frank –Alvina Putzer – Anna Drexler –Mary Schneider – Catherine Duer – Anne Weisheipl – Anna Sipple – Jennie Miller –Mary Miller –Mary Andrashko.  Joe Weisheipl dropped in at supper time and stayed for the evening.  We listen to the Appleton – Oshkosh Baseball Game over the radio.  Oshkosh loses 14-2.  Had a long swim today, about 1½ hours at the Sand dock.

31.  Thursday: [4½ M] Father John Nuernberg dropped in this morning at the store.  He is looking fine.  He is taking his dad and mother to Phillips to visit some of their relatives.