Diary of Alfred E. Potter July, 1953

01.  Wednesday: Took Thres and Emma along this noon to the cottage.  Picked up Annie Weisheipl this afternoons and took her out also.  Otto and Ed Froetschl came after 5 Oclock.  Donald and family came out after six.  Had our first wiener roast outside and it was a pleasant evening.  Folks left about midnight.  Clara Andraschko is 80 today.

02.  Thursday: George Stadler is 81 today.

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04.  Saturday: Took Joe out in the boat this morning, it’s the first time I’m using the motor this year, it works quite well.  I did not have it checked.  Waves are too high, the lake too rough to stay out.  Drove to town to pick up Mary Ann, she decided not to come, I shaved off my centennial “Schnur-bart” mustasche.  This afternoon the Lemke’s and Froetschls came out.  More fishing, only two perch.  The folks left at 10.30 and we drove to town also

05.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ low Mass St. Vincents – Father Wagner.  Then to work.  Louis Koelbl came to see me at my office.  He had quite a story about the Sisters St. Vincents new Chapel.  It concerns Father Wagner and Father Milbauer.  This afternoon to Mercy to visit Aunt Mary.  She does’nt know either one of us.  Joe has a long visit with Sister Irene.  I understand she came back last Tuesday.  Tonite last Performance of “Pa-Ma-Chu-Met Road” and lots of Fireworks.  This officially ends our Centennial Celebration.

06.  Monday: To Kiwanis Directors luncheon.  I’m there to make up a meeting.

07.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis luncheon.  Milton Seefeldt gives us a program of the forthcoming Wis. – Upper Michigan convention to be held in Oshkosh Aug ___.  Mayor John Voss is introduced as our new baby Kiwanian

08.  Tuesday: Back to the cottage this afternoon.

09.  Thursday: [1 R   TVG] Mayor Voss – Al Hintz –Rudy Haveman – Harold Zweifel are at the store this morning to be in picture for news item showing Matt Mertz paying his water bill to me.  Took Emma Lemke along to the cottage this noon.

10.  Friday: [2 R] Ed Binder is in this morning with his son in law ___ Coxhead.  Ed invests in on new Bell Howe ___ turrett model movie camera.  Norman Brown goes to retreat at Chambers Island.

11.  Saturday: Had Donald – Arlene – Debbie –Joanne Mauritz and Sandra Felker out to the cottage today.  Don – Joe Rieger and myself - - the girls go swimming.  Caught 8 fair sized perch.  This is the first time in a long while I quit work at noon and intend to stay at the cottage Saturday night.

12.  Sunday: To 7 Oclock Mass St. Mary’s Church – Omro, Father Alfred Loehr, pastor.  Stopped at Clay Stearns.  Met Charles Frank, a retired fireman of Oshkosh at St. Marys.  The Annual Baier outing at our cottage today.  Present Joe – Emma – Fay – Joe Jr. –Mary Jane Baier + Bill – Rose – Joanne – Billy –Barbara Mauritz also Grandpa Joe and Grandma Barbara Mauritz + Ray – Ann – Raymond – Jimmy – Carol –Judy Ostertag and Jean Horejs – Carol Schmid.  Weather is ideal.

13.  Monday: [TVG   3 RF   1 R  B.H.] Begin to work on professional statements today.  Norm Brown is on vacation this week with Sybelle.

14.  Tuesday: It is exactly two months ago today that workmen in the six Milwaukee Breweries went on strike. To Kiwanis luncheon, Phil Straub and Mayor Voss talked on the Shriner-Knights of Columbus sponsored baseball game coming up in the near future. Norm Walters is in to see me about sponsoring a German person who would like to come to the good old U.S.A.

15.  Wednesday: [R 2 M] Mama is gone for the day.  The S.S.B.M. Auxiliary Card Club is at Angie Jensens.  Marianne and myself have our lunch at Wirtzs.  This evening we take Joe along and have dinner at Otto’s Hi K.

16.  Thursday: Completed deal with Boyd Jordan for a 25000 loan with the “New American Bank.” Edward Labudde stops in my office for a visit.  He is somewhat sorry he made the change from U. S. Motors to Universal Motors.  View the remains of Aloys Kellerman at Poklasny.  John Wagner son of Dr. Ray Wagner had an accident at South Side Bathing Beach, when diving he struck his head on bottom.  Received lacerations and a swollen head.

17.  Friday: Mrs. Leo Shubert was injured yesterday at 7.20 A.M. at the intersection of Highway 41 and the Fourth Street Road.  The other driver Fred Heidman 41 of Omro is charged with going through an arterial.  Mrs. Schuberts 1939 – four door sedan landed in a farm field 141 feet from the point of impact.

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19.  Sunday: [T] To 7³⁰ Mass St. Vincents.  Father Wagner gave a nice sermon on St. Vincents Patron Saint of our congregation.  We are very busy at the store.  This afternoon the big American Legion parade.  It is very hot and I think most of the boys will be pretty tired when its over.  I think the 193_ parade was more colorful.  Back to work tonite. 

Com.  Aloys Kellerman

20.  Monday: [R 2 M] Norm Brown is with us for luncheon today.  His family is now at the cottage.  Norm tells us that Barbara drove up from south 600 miles with her baby to surprize them last week and they were not at home.  Just had a chance to see her Friday before she left again.  Norm gave me a picture of Tommy Adkins and myself, he had taken on a boat cruise last year.  Completed deal for a 25000 loan with Henry Zentner today.  Met Hank Loewen at the bank, he has all of his teeth out.

21.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis luncheon.  George Nevitt gave us 100 years history of the Paine Lumber Company.  Mailed sponsoring papers to Ortrud Siegmund today.  Emma Lemke is out with Thres today.  Had some very heavy downpours of rain.  Donald and family drive to Winneconne tonite to Midtown Dairy Lunch and collect a bill which was wrongly figured by Rose Weisheipl.  Then to our cottage where they stayed until 1 A.M.

22.  Wednesday: Norbert Mueller is having trouble in his postal station, some of money order applications and money exceeding 100 dollars are missing.  Spoke to Lee Conroy about loan with Oshkosh National Bank.  At 3³⁰ called Emma and Thres Froetschl about taking them to the cottage at 3.45 fell over a wire basket at the South Store.  Rushed to Mercy –X Ray showed I broke right arm at the shoulder.  Bill and Ray Wagner took care of me.  Took Emma – Thres –Annie Heip –Joe – Don’s family 10 in all to the cottage at suppertime.  It helped to keep mother from getting too nervous.  They all stayed until midnight.

23.  Thursday: I passed a very restless night, could not sleep over 10 or 15 minutes at a time.  Am to spend nights on a reclining chair for at least a week.  Otto Lemke is out to see me this morning and offers his services if needed.  Thres is out taking a driving lesson with Donald, she has no trouble to speak of, turns corners a little too short and hits the accelerator a little too hard.  Spent 2 hours at the store had a surprize visit from Dave Collin, he is on his way to spend at 2 months at the Elks Club in Milwaukee.  He’s looking fine.

24.  Friday: Thres is getting new experiences every day.  This morning she helps to make up the payroll for our stores.

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26.  Sunday: Attend Mass at Omro, St. Mary’s.  After Holy Mass we have coffee with Father Alfred Loehr.  He shows us around it is beautiful new parsonage, he makes a recording of our visit and also takes some pictures.  He surely has a lot of photografic material about 6 Cameras etc.  We had dinner at Joe Dodds “Schwartz’s” I had a short visit with Mrs. Dodd.  Donald and family spend the afternoon with us, Otto and Emma Lemke the afternoon and evening.  Don and Joe go out fishing, get 13 nice perch.  It is indeed a beautiful day at the lake.

27.  Monday: Report for X Ray at Mercy at 10 A.M.  Dr. Bill and Ray Wagner remove my cumbersome splint and rap me up in a body bandage.  Arm seems to be doing as well as can be expected.  Had a short visit with Sister Irenaea, also visited Aunt Mary.  Met Loretta Hill, she tells me Betty was operated on at 1 A.M.  She had worked Sunday afternoon and became suddenly ill in the evening.  Back to the store found Norm Brown waiting.  He suffered an injury to his neck and head Sunday in a skiing accident.  He is due for X Ray at 1 P.M. at Mercy.  He had dinner with us and took us to the store.  I helped Don to complete Drug Order.  Armistice in Korea was signed last night at 7 P.M.  Joe Baier completed quarterly S. S. and Income Tax Report for me.

28.  Tuesday: Mother brings us to town and goes back to the cottage this afternoon.  Mother gets her first lesson in writing checks by paying our family bills.  The 76 date brewery strike at Milwaukee is settled and the breweries expect to begin operating tomorrow.

29.   Wednesday: Mother is busy getting ready for S.S.B.M. Auxiliary party tomorrow.  I am back at the store trying to do a little work, find myself very much handicapped because I can not write.  Donald and family have supper with us at the cottage and after they took Mary Ann and Joe to the Outdoor Theatre to see “Miracle of Fatima.” Norm Walter is in to see me about donation for Shrine – K C baseball game.  I gave 25 dollars to the cause.  Norman Brown’s birthday today.

30.  Thursday: Thress entertained the Ladies Auxiliary Club at the cottage.  Seventeen ladies came out to have what they called a very enjoyable time.  Mary Ann and I had sandwiches at home.

31.  Friday: Ed Worms’s birthday.  He is 63.  Tress helped to make out the payroll for the stores this morning and brought me to town this noon.  Senator Robert Taft, one of the foremost statesman of today and known by his friends and admirers as “Mr. Republican” passed away at a New York Hospital this morning at the age of 63 years.  He will be much missed, as he was a super parliamentarian and a great help to Pres. Eisenhower in forming government policy.  He was the author of the “Taft – Hartley Labor Law” which is to undergo changes approved by him.  Had Joe Baier post our books at his house this P.M.  Aunt Mary took a fall this evening.  Dr. Wagner had to treat her head with several stitches.