Diary of Alfred E. Potter October, 1941

01.  Wednesday: [7M RNXDK] Many new taxes go into effect today, Cosmetics – Cameras –Liquors etc.  Thres out with Father Bastian to get donations from the farmers for our church Bazaar.  Leave at 7³⁰ A.M. back it 2³⁰ P.M.  Hunting season opens today with a lovely day and almost more hunters then ducks.  Theodore Lenz 32 R #1 Neenah may lose the sight of his left eye, due to a being shot this morning, in his face by stray pellets.  Thres is at Fretchel’s to a shower in honor of Celia who is to be married soon.  Worlds Baseball Series opens at Yankee Stadium Yankees 3 Brooklyns 2.

02.  Tuesday: [8½M RDXDK] Art Mueller and Fred Baumgartner took a day off to attend the Drug Convention at Milwaukee.

03.  Friday: [5M RD] To church at 7 A.M.  Tonite we move stock into our new West Side Store, worked until 12³⁰.           Com. Grandma Baier

04.  Saturday: [7M RD] To Mother – Mary Ann – and Dolores Kinateder two of the Strand to see “Sargent York” Garry Cooper – Joan Leslie and Walter Brennan are the feature players.

05.  Sunday: [3½M] To 7³⁰ Hi Mass, then to work.  Rose Weisheipl gets home at 5 Oclock this morning.  Marion and some of Marie Arno’s dancers put on a show at a nightclub about 3 miles out of Sheboygan.  The drive home a slow on account of fog.  While in Sheboygan Rose dropped in to see her friend Ann Falle.          Com. World Peace

06.  Monday: [3M RNXDK] Father John Nuernberg and a sister Ann stopped in at the store to say hello.  John is on his way to the Mayo Clinic at Rochester Minn for a general checkup, especially in regard to a small tumor on his bladder.

07.  Tuesday: [7M RNXDK] Visited Grandma Baier, she is very weak and still has trouble taking nourishment.

08.  Wednesday: [3½M RNXDK] Attended Holy Name Banquet at St. Peters tonite.  A good turnout looked to be about 300 men present.  In the afternoon to the cottage to pick apples.  Donald and Lawrence Kinateder are along.  Thres goes to Red Cross sewing this afternoon.

09.  Thursday: [5M RHXDK] This is a day of rain.

10.  Friday: [RAXDK] Rose Weisheipl has a birthday.  She is 30 years of age.  She tells me she is going to quit having birthdays from now on.  Well 30 years ago I had to go to Weisheipls for meals because Thres was the nurse for Anna and the new arrival, Rose.  Joe Baier’s wedding anniversary today.  He is married two years.

11.  Saturday: [3½M RHXDK] Visited Grandma Baier this afternoon.  She is conscious part time.  Norman Brown (Appleton) McKesson Fuller Morrison Salesman, has an increase in the family.  Its a boy, and Norm and Sybell are very happy.  This is only No.  4.  It is now fifty – fifty 2 Girls – 2 Boys.

12. Sunday: To six oclock Mass at St. Johns.  Left with Mother - Mary Ann – Donald - and Kenny Baar for Great Lakes Naval Training Station at 8¹⁵ arrived at 11 A.M.  Had lunch in the open.  “The Fox River Valley Juvenile Orchestra” of which Donald is a member gave a concert to about 600 sailors.  About 9000 regulars and 300 officers comprise the population of the naval station.  The concert was well received.  A beautiful day and everyone is taking advantage of the nice weather.  On the way home stopped at Theresa for some eats, home at 8¹⁵ P.M.  I made out orders at the store after we arrived home also the “Monday Order Report” which I make out every Sunday for Rose Weisheipl.  On my way to the post office at 11¹⁰ P.M. my Chrysler was hit on the rear right fender by Wm Murphy 22 of Fond du Lac.  He skidded over 50 feet and damaged his new Buick badly.

13.  Monday: [9M RHXDK] Another rainy wash day.  Visited Grandma Baier, she has difficulty trying to talk and is getting weaker.  She has had no nourishment to speak of for 3 weeks.  We had quite an accident at the store tonite.  A gallon bottle full of formaldehyde exploded in the rear of the store and we all cried from the fumes and so did our customers.

14.  Tuesday: [6M RNXDK] Did quite a stroke of business from 11-12 this morning.  Took Ed Weisheipl home, drove to Mercy Hospital to pick up merchandise back to the store, stopped to visit Grandma Baier, then home, where an Ann Baier called and asked to be taken home, then back home to had two good sized dishes of Chile con Carni, back to the store to take Rose Weisheipl home, then Eddie back to work.  Grandma Baier is slowly losing ground.  I doubt if she’ll live thru the night.  Visited her 3 times today.  Annie Weisheipl was there this afternoon.  Mr. Mueller and myself over to Charles Otto this afternoon in regard to their store, we made buy if we can get it at the right price.

15.  Wednesday: [5M RNXDK] Visited Grandma Baier this morning.  She is very low.  Dr. Ray Wagener is there.  We are busy at the store getting ready for our opening at the West Side Store.  Grandma Baier passed away this afternoon about 5 Oclock.  Born in Austria Feb. 20, 1850.  Took the family to Winneconne tonite, to have supper at the “St. Mary’s Parish Annual.” Met Father Victor Kandy, the pastor and Sabina Kandy, also quite a number of Oshkosh people.  Thres plays a few games of bingo.

16.  Thursday: [5M RCXDK] Visited Anna Drexler this morning.  She is thinking of selling her home.  Also Lena Baier.  She is very tired from being up so many nights with Grandma.  Larry Gerdes is in town, also Donald Bludau

17.  [7M RNXDK]

18.  Saturday: [7M RHXDK] This is a busy day for all of us.  We are having “Grand Opening” at our West Side Store.  Altho it is a day of rain many people avail themselves of the opportunity to congratulate us.  Celia Fretchel is married to Herbert Putzer at 9 Oclock at St. Vincents.  Grandma Baier is laid to rest this morning.  Church service at 10.15 A.M. at St Vincents. Father Michael Drexler is in the Sanctuary.  We attend the Putzer wedding reception at the E.R.A. Building after I get thru working at the Store.  Get home at 1³⁰ A.M. and it is still raining.  Donald serves at both wedding and funeral.

19.  Sunday: [4M RMOXDK] Attended 9 Oclock Mass at St. Vincents, then to work.  St. Vincents Bazaar begins today and Thres is busy all day.  I work most of the day, get thru work at 11 P.M.

20.  Monday: Left on the 8¹⁸ Northwestern train for Milwaukee, met Harry Ferry, from there we drive to Milwaukee, pick up Harry Mayer – Oscar Haertlein and Ed Kilkelly drive on, stopped at Bill Johnson’s Waukegan Road 42 A for a steak dinner, then on to Route 66 to St. Louis, arrived there at 9¹⁵ P.M. had another dinner at the “Hotel Lennon” at 10 P.M.  Harry Ferry and myself bunked together and he was sorry, I don’t go to bed early and I snore too much.  I wrote a few postcards and got to bed at 2 A.M.  The day was beautiful but it is hot in St. Louis.

21.  Tuesday: [3½M] Up at 7:30 AM, had breakfast then out to the United Drug Company plant.  Well it was very interesting.  Watched the making of ointments, creams, tablets, cof medicines and liquid remedies.  Making candies was also interesting.  Batches of hard candies and chocolates were being made and dipped by hand and machinery.  Had lunch at the United, met E.H. Meyer assistant manager, Mr. Tony Guimares, Mr. Engeland, Mr. Dugan, a chemist.  In the afternoon took in their cotton and gauze plant in Valley Park.  Left St. Louis about 5 Oclock, had dinner at Springfield, then on to Bloomington.

22.  Wednesday: [5M] Spent the night at “Tilden Hall” Bloomington.  Up at 8³⁰ had breakfast then on to Chicago, arrived there in the afternoon at United Drug’s New Warehouse, 2321 West Pershing Road.  Fred Wimber took us around.  Henry Storm is looking natural.  Fred took us out to the “Pines” for dinner.  The “Pines” are located on Harrison St. near Haarlem.  This has been another day of rain.  Left Chicago about 9³⁰ for Kenosha, left off the Kenosha Boys.  Harry and I drive on to Milwaukee, get there 1 A.M. and landed at the “Hotel Martin.” Unable to get a room at the “Eastgate.”

23.  Thursday: [3½M] Had breakfast, met Mrs. Beggs Secretary to Mrs. O. Falk, a friend of Harry Ferry’s.  I drive Harry’s car to Oshkosh, we arrive at 11⁴⁵ A.M. and our trip is ended.  Back on the job at 12³0.  Harry takes an order for rubber goods and hospital supplies, and back to Milwaukee.  I started our furnace fire tonite and it is just in time, as it is getting quite cold.

24.  Friday: [7M RPXHK] Today is Aunt Mary Drexler’s birthday, she is 68.

25.  [5½M RDXHK]

26.  Sunday: To six Oclock Mass.  Thres goes over to the Bazaar Hall after mass and is gone all day.  It is a rainy day.  I go to the Bazaar after work at night.  Donald wins a permanent wave at Binder's Beauty Shop and do we have fun about that.  Bazaar ends about midnight.  Donald plays at First Presbyterian Church this afternoon when Phil Laffeys Orchestra gives a concert.

27. Monday: [5M RDXHK] Childrens Day at Bazaar.  This is the end of it and Thres is glad to have it over with.  Eddie Weisheipl and Eddie Paulick have a “Pheasant Dinner” at Punky Nigl’s.  This is Eddie W’s first taste of “Pheasant.” We find thru Dr. Wm Wagner a South Side young lady writes her own prescriptions for Morphine Sulphate tablets ¼ grain, using his Rx blanks.  Francis Lamb is over to make up our Capital Stock Tax Report.

28. Tuesday: [7M RCXHK] Fierce fighting is taking place between the Germans and Russians, the Germans are within 15 miles of Moscow.  Donald has to get up at 4³⁰ this morning, to serve at Sunnyview.  We are experiencing our first real cold snap this morning, temperatures are down to 24°.

29.  Wednesday: [7M RCXHK] More rain today.  Ed Fretchel remove screens at our house.

30.  [5M RCXHK]

31.  Friday: [6½M RNXHK] Very busy today.  Bought the Charles Otto property next to our South Side Store. U.S. Destroyer “Reuben James” is sunk by a Nazi submarine near Iceland while on convoy duty.  It is the first U.S. warship to be sunk by the Germans.