Diary of Alfred E. Potter May, 1949

01.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ St. Vincents Hi Mass, Father Wagner.  Mother is with the Altar Society.  Donald is not home for dinner today.  Congratulated Peter Reifer at the church this morning.  He is 92 today.  This is also Uncle Joe Weisheipl’s birthday.  I think he is 65. 

Com.  Mary Stein.

02.  Monday: Altar Society have Mothers Day Party.  Thres sings with the Five Flats, Thres Fretschl Vivie Putzer –Lizzie Hannes –C Stini.  Tina Olp plays piano.  They have a fine time.

03.  Tuesday: Ma is a busy girl these days, tonite she is at the Ladies Foresters Mothers Day Party with Mary Ann.  I attended Kiwanis luncheon, Karl Schmidt -Leighton Hough – Henry Zentner and myself make up a table.  This evening I spend an hour with Monsignor Bastian after “Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion.” He is in fair condition.  Temperature officially up to 87° today.

04.  Wednesday: Thres and myself attend the Sports banquet for the boys and girls at St. Vincents this evening.  Prizes are awarded and the boys have presents four Father Wagner and Vic Pohojka, coach.  Hot again today at 88° official

05.  Thursday: [T] Wow its getting hotter every day.  Official top is 91° today.

06.  Friday: To 7 Oclock Mass at St. Vincents, First Friday.  Monsignor Bastian has the Mass.

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08.  Saturday: To 7³⁰ St. Vincents with Holy Name.  Children also make their first Holy Communion, among them Joey Baier – Bobbie Roszek.  Then to work the rest of the morning.  This afternoon we have dinner at the “Power Boat Club” in Thres’ honor.  Art Mueller family, Dr. Lynch –Marras Carroll –Boldy Meyer family are there.  Met Ray Miller –Frank Balda – Alex Buchholt – Bill Mertz and their wives.  Thres and Mary Ann to see the “Life of Riley” with W^m Bendix at the Oshkosh.  At 7⁰⁰ we practice for confirmation at Sacred Heart.  I visit at Bill’s and Ray’s after. 

Com.  Katherine Holzbauer.

09.  Monday: This evening Bishop Stanislaus Bona confirms about 125 at Sacred Heart Church.  Joe Baier is sponsor for Raymond Ostertag and I am sponsor for Jimmy.  The ceremony lasted until nearly 9 Oclock.  We visited the Ostertags after the service.  Joe Salzer is elected president of St. Vincents Holy Name Society at tonite’s meeting

10.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis luncheon.  Frank Sullivan –Henry Zentner –Zala Miller – and myself make up a table.  Temperature is only 29° above this morning, some difference from last Thursday’s 91°.

11.  Wednesday: Took Ed and Thres Fretschl to the Time tonight.  “A Date with Judy” starring Wallace Beery – Jane Powell –Carmen Miranda – Elizabeth Taylor in technicolor and “Letter from an Unknown Women” with Joan Fontaine and Louis Jourdan.  Two good pictures.  This afternoon took a drive to the County Home.  Sold our “Chrysler Imperial” to _____  Boynton for 225 dollars.

12.  Thursday: Father Wagner took me for a trip to Sheboygan - Sheboygan Falls- Kohler. Looked over Frank Straub's Drug Store, Met Mr. Lenhardt his Rx clerk. Frank has a nice store. At Sheboygan stopped to see Fathers sister, Mrs. Herr and at Kohler his sister, Mrs. Behring. This evening dinner meeting at Athearn, all Catholic parishes represented. Bishop Bona is here also. Discussion of the practibility of a Cath. Hi School. After the meeting Father Wagner- Joe Hemmer- Louis Koelbl stop at the house for sheephead; I lose. Emma Siewert and Thres are at the cottage this afternoon. Emm stays with us over nite.

13.  Friday: Wrote to Father Gerald Mt Calvary and also to Father Norbert Wilger at Athens, this morning.

14.  Saturday: Requiem for Matt Baier at St. Vincents this morning.  Developed a sore throat today at the store, too much cold drafts.  Warm draft I can take, but not cold.

15.  Sunday: Left home at 20 minutes to seven.  Took Aunt Mary to Weisheipls for the day.  Noted many fishermen at Fremont and Waupaca.  Arrived at Athens about 9²⁰ Service at St. Anthonys Church begins at 10 A.M.  Met Father Norbert Wilger at the parsonage.  He was very happy to have me and family attend his first Solemn Mass.  Met his brother John who is Father Nicholas T.O.R.  He was ordained last year.  Also met his Father and Mother Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wilger, on the way home stopped at ____ Westenberger, Stevens Point, met Westenberger Jr.  They have a nice store.  Palmer Taylor has one next to them.  Had a nice meal at the Oshkosh Power Boat Club on the way home.  John Bauer Sr. 8th Street is there visiting with his daughter and son in law the Piotters.  Home at 8 P.M. 

Com.  Norbert Wilger

16.  Monday: Im still tired from yesterdays trip.  Don and myself take Helen Mosson and Loretta Kargus to Cara Nome Beauty School at the Schroeder Hotel.  Vivian Miller is there also.  She gets 2-100% marks in tests.  Thats extra ordinary.  Took Don along to Mutual Drug and McClurgs.  Had our lunch at Blatz’s.  This afternoon we drove to Waukesha, stopped at Hinckley’s to get our bearings around town.  Visited with Charles Trakel and family at 121 E. Charles Street.  He was very happy to see me we had’nt seen each other for 25 years.  Charlie has been sick leave for some time.  I hardly knew him when I saw him.  He has a nice television set, a Moterola.  His daughters Joyce and Ruth are there.  Had our dinner at Carl and Margaret Radomsky’s and visited until 11 P.M.  Home at 1¹⁵ A.M.

17.  Tuesday: Back to work after two days away and am terribly tired.  Ed Kohl (Rexall) taking Ken Sipersky’s place.  To Kiwanis luncheon, Lee Conroy, Drs. Pfefferkorn – Chuck Behnke, Ray Baxandall –Dr. Nordhoff and myself make of the table.  Gunderson, Teachers College spoke.

18.  Wednesday: [T] Grandma Baier’s grave is sunk in quite badly.

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21.  Saturday: Worked eight hours today.  This evening witnessed the exemplification of the first – second – and third degrees Knights of Columbus at Sacred Heart School.  Harry Kujawa Berlin is one of the candidates, others Dr. Graber –Dr. Kilkenny Joe and Boily Steckbauer.

22.  Sunday: [T] To 7³⁰ Mass –Father Bouche. Then to work.  Stopped at cemetery this afternoon.  Back to work this evening.  Put in 6 hours today.

23.  Monday: Busy all morning working with Mr._____ making report of our individual stores for the U. S. Dept. of Commerce.  Larry Gerdes is in town.  He’s pretty well fed up with Nyal Company.  He’s been calling on us since 1921.  Worked eleven hours today.  Had a card of thanks from Father Norbert Wilger today.  James Forrestal, first Secretary of Defense passed away yesterday at Bethesda Hospital Maryland.

24.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis luncheon, George Savage –Ray Perkins __________ and myself at table.  Arthur Spence, Milwaukee attorney spoke on the “Quality of Success.” His presentation was very interesting, and mentioned men like Charles Schwab –Sam Insull –Albert Fall

25.  Wednesday: Received a very nice letter from Father Gerald Walker today.

26.  Thursday: To 7⁰⁰ oclock Mass St. Vincents Father Bouche.  Got a new car today the Kaiser Traveler from Joe Stadtmueller’s.  Took a drive with it to Berlin to see Harry Kujawa.  Took Thres along, let her drive it on the way home.  She did very well, considering she had not driven for years. 

Com. Rev. Gerald Walker O.M. Cap.

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29.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ Hi Mass.  St. Vincents Father Bouche.  Then to work the rest of the morning.  Took Ed Labudde home this noon.  He likes our new car.  This afternoon Harry Kujawa family is here for a visit.  Took Harry out for ride, to Sacred Heart Cemetery – stopped at the Airport where Harold Mueller is having an auction of overstock merchandise.  This evening showed movies at home.  Harry said he’d waited 15 years to see some of Agnes taken before they were married.  Folks left for home at 11.30 PM. 

Com.  Camilla Micko

30.  Monday: Up at 8¹⁵. A beautiful day. Attended the first Memorial Mass at Riverside Cemetery. It was offered by Father Reul assisted by Fr. McKeough and Father Bunkleman. St. Marys Choir sang, directed by Ed Heisinger. The Mass was offered at the scene of the new Crucifixion Group Fourth Degree Knights attended in a body. Doctor Meli is Father Reul's official photographer. Met quite a number of sisters. I knew among them Sister Aquilina. This afternoon was spent at Bill Mauritz's visiting. Joe Baier family also there. Took the children, Raymond Ostertag, Joey Baier, Mary Jane Baier, Barbara Mauritz for a ride, then Doris Heisler, Joan Mauritz, Joan Schumacher, Faye Baier, our Mary Ann to the cottage for a short visit. Donald took movies this morning at the Mass. I took the balance of the film at Bill's.

31.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis Luncheon, some of the boys to Appleton to see the Hi School there.  The rest of us enjoyed a color picture of Forest Conservation by Weyerhausen Lumber Co. Washington.  Our table Frank Labudde –Gene Vogel – H.M. Jones, Chicago guest of Gene and myself.