Diary of Alfred E. Potter May, 1951

01.  Tuesday: [T] Joe Weisheipl Sr. birthday.  Think he’s 67

02.  Wednesday: [R 4 M] Another nice day.  Harvey Lohst (Lederle) is back after a training course.  We are at Joe Weisheipl’s tonight to celebrate his birthday.  Took Thres Fretschl with us.  When we get there we find Joe stumbling around in the house, very dizzy.  He tells us his blood pressure is up.  After we are there a short time he vomited, I diagnosed his case as stomach flu and no blood pressure.  We played cards without him.  Home at 11.45 P.M.

03.  Thursday: To 6³⁰ Mass St. Vincents Father Wagner.  Took magazines in to the sisters St. Vincents.  Had a visit with Sisters Alverna and also Sister Margaret who was with Sister Linus (St. Michaels) Milwaukee for 13 years.  A warm muggy morning, this noon the weather reverses itself, cool and rain.  The first ball game to be played tonight by the Giants and Wausau had to be postponed.  Moved old Christmas Cards from Carl Knobla’s to Dr. Pfefferkorn’s. 

Com.  Honor St. Anthony

04.  Friday: [R 4 M] To 7:00 Mass Msngr. Bastian.

05.  Saturday: Had a very pleasant surprise this afternoon.  My good friend Ven Sister Virginia is in town.  She is here for retreat.  We had a nice visit in my office.  Sister Killian is with her.  Also show them thru the store.  Ray Grill – Eileen Kirsch Art Hill – Mary Popp are married at 9 and 10 this morning St. Vincents.  Tonite Mary Ann – Mother and me attend Time Theatre.  “Born Yesterday” Judy Holliday – W^m Holden –Broderick Crawford.  “Shakedown” very good Brian Donlevy – Howard Duff, who is a new photografer.

06.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ Mass Father Wagner, Letter from Bishop Bona, Peter’s Pence and the Beatification of Pope Pius X, 1903-1914.  To work after breakfast, after noon took Thres to Wedding Shower for Joan Drexler.  Mary Ann and self to visit Aunt Mary at hospital, also visited Mrs. Abrams (Hattie Fleming’s sister) had quite a visit with Mrs. Adams.  She had a bad spell when we came in, after our visit she said we helped her get over it.  Well, if we did some good we are happy.  Took Mary Ann home, I went back to work.  Donald had two flat tires today. 

Com. Sister Virginia.

07.  [R 4 M      B – M]

08.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis luncheon, Clarence Kelley – Harry Hanisch –Harold Harrington – Sid Dorfman – myself at table.  Missed program for Chamber Retail Div. Meeting May festival and Pig Market principal topics.  Called Mary Butt at Winona.  She’s coming to town Saturday.  Tonite athletic banquet St. Vincents.  Pat O’Malley main speaker – Joe Kubasta – toast master – Harold Schumerth – speaker.

09.  Wednesday: [R 4 M] Had my car summerized today.

10.  Thursday: [T] Mary Butt and Harry are in town finally getting things started for the administration of Mr. Lyman’s will.  Phil wanted to be administrator, but the First National Bank will take the job and Walter Patri will be the attorney.  I am glad this much has been accomplished.

11.  Friday: [R 2 M] Mama and Mary Ann to see “Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm” starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride, also “Under the Gun” a story of a prison law which put a gun in the hands of a convict.  Fred Baumgartner to see Buzz over the weekend.

12.  Saturday: Weather is cold. We are fairly busy at the store selling cut flowers and plants for Mothers Day. Thres and self visit Aunt Mary tonite at the hospital. Mrs. Ernie Klinger is a new patient in her room. Mrs. Whiting had a stroke this week and seems unable to recognize us. Rose Weisheipl spends the day in Milwaukee.

13.  Sunday: First Holy Communion St. Vincents at 7³⁰ also Holy Name Sunday.  Monsignor Bastian has the service is as well as the sermon to the little ones.  He also reminded all of us of (that) our beautiful First Holy Communion Day.  This is one of the few functions the Monsignor performs during the year.

14.  Monday: Left Oshkosh at 8⁴⁵ with graduates for Koehler and Sheboygan.  At Sheboygan we were taken thru R Way Furniture by Ray Colby.  Much of the machinery reminded me of when I worked to Paine’s many years ago.  Then to Al Behrings in Koehler for dinner, then back to Sheboygan thru the Kingsbury brewery then back to Kohler to go through the Kohler plant.  Harry Mauer took our group thru very interesting learning about the making of closet bowls, bathtubs also small motors and engines.  Thres is at the annual mother’s day parts of the Christian Mothers Society.  After work I’m at the C.O.F. meeting to see movies of our trip shown by Dr. R.F. Wagner.

15.  Tuesday: [T] This afternoon Thres and I take our first drive to the cottage this year.  We take off storms – wash windows and put on screens.  Father Wagner to Lincoln Neb. this morning to attend the elevation of Father George Schuster to be a Monsignor.  He was accompanied by a Mr. Mrs. John Berger and

16.  Wednesday: Dr. Ray Wagner is in to see me this morning about moving Aunt Mary from Mercy Hospital to a home.

17.  Thursday: Tonite Thres and I drive to Neenah to see Ed and Ella Worm at Norm Browns, we then meet Norm at Mrs. Planks in Appleton, then we all piled into Norm’s Lincoln.  He takes us to Range Point out of Wrightstown.  It is called the Shrine of Good Food, and the food sure is delicious.  It is operated by Mr. Mrs. John Foegen.  Back to Mrs. Planks for an hour, meet Sybelle’s sister Margaret and her husband Mr. Koehler.  Home at 11.10 P.M.  Ed and Ella’s daughter Helen is at Winnebago State Hospital for treatment.  She has 6 children the youngest 3 months old.

18.  Friday: [R 4 M] Ed and Ella Worm are married forty years today.  Mary Ann gets a new Olson rug for her bedroom.  Joan Mauritz and Doris Heisler visit Mary Ann tonite.

19.  Saturday: “Armed Forces Day.” We have a long parade – very colorful with many bands –Ripon – Fond du Lac –Menasha – Omro – Winneconne and quite a number from Oshkosh.  After the parade Donald – Billy Mauritz and me to the cottage to cut grass and cleanup.  Had a heavy shower with hail when we left for home, nothing in the city.  Mary Ann and me to the hospital to see Aunt Mary.  I visited Mate Abrams and Mrs. Hanson.  Mrs. Bert Knapp with them also.  Took a look to see Mrs. Adams she is very bad tonite

20.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ Hi Mass Father Wagner – Sermon on the mystery of the Holy Trinity.  After breakfast to work.  This afternoon the South Side Business Men and Ladies are out to inspect the new “Kempster Hall” at Winnebago. 

Com.  Resei Drexler

21.  Monday: [T] A nice day.  Another Fourth Degree Dinner Dance at Columbus Club.  We are invited to Ed and Dess Wirtz’s for cocktails, Les and Mary Borisch – Rose and Ed Binder –Walter and Leone Dodd.  Father Alphonse Wagner mixed the cocktails and wow have they got a wallop.  Rose Binder and my Thres did not eat their dinner.  Well we did not dance and Ed Binder is not feeling too well about it.  Home at 1¹⁰ AM but we staid up until 2.30 A.M.

22.  Tuesday: The United States Supreme Court yesterday handed down a ruling 6 to 3 which kills the “Fair Trade Law” in the 45 States.

23.  Wednesday: Ralph Ebel is in town to get some papers notarized for his coming exam in June.  Father Wagner pays a visit to Emma Baier.  He then calls on us to accompany him on a trip to Sheboygan.  His sister Loretta gave birth to a 9 ½ # baby Sunday night, also to Kohler where Bishop E ______ administers Confirmation.  Mary Behring is confirmed and we have a fine meal at Al and Julia Behrings, there also were Al and Emma Herr, Al and Henry Wagner and wives.

24.  

25.  Friday: A rather busy day at the store.

26.  Saturday: Father Wagner is in my office for short visit.

27.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ Hi Mass.  Corpus Christi Procession Father Milbauer.  Rain when we come out of church.  And then it rained and graduation exercises and diplomas at 9 Oclock Mass.

28.  Monday: [R 4 M      T] This is a real busy day for us. Met with Walter Patri and sold house at 510 10th St. to Donald and Arline. Then to Berlin and make arrangements for Loan to Donald and Arline. Back home, out to Hrnak’s for flowers, then to Riverside to plant them at the various graves, then supper and after that to Mercy Hospital to see Aunt Mary, then to the store to so dome work, to the post office. Forgot I took Mary Ann to the Grand Theatre. Called it a day at 9⁴⁵.

29.  Tuesday: J. C. Penny is the guest speaker at Kiwanis today. At 76 he is very interesting. He is chairman of the board of J. C. Penny Co. He is the founder of the company which now numbers 1612 stores. Took Emma Siewert to the cottage for cleanup and toward evening Bill Mauritz to do some painting. Josephine (Mrs. Harry) Adams passed away this afternoon at 1³⁰ at Mercy. Had been ill for 10 months.

30.  Wednesday: A nice warm day.  Billy Mauritz asked to cut grass at the cottage.  He had no trouble getting the job.  Took Raymond Ostertag Jr. along.  When we get there we find Doris Heisler –Faye Baier – Carol Schmidt – Joan Mauritz Jean Horejs there.  The boys not only cut the grass, we also put away the storms – and Donald came out, we also put in the dock.  In the evening to the Oshkosh “On the Riviera” technicolor Danny Kaye – Gene Tierney and Corrine Calvert.  Co Feature “Federal Agent at Large” is very good.

31.