Diary of Alfred E. Potter January, 1955

01.  Saturday: The New Year begins with mild temperature about 36°.  We attend 7³⁰ Low Mass by Father Schorn.  He speaks of the ways we can improve ourselves in the New Year.  Our Stores are open until 12 Noon today.  Norman and Sybelle Brown are here on a surprize visit, we are unable to entertain them, Thres and I are headed for a movie. Sybelle tells us her mother is in hospital.  Taken there last Wednesday at midnight. 

Honor Sacred Heart

02.  Sunday: I attended 7³⁰ High Mass without Thres this morning.  Got up at 7¹⁰ A.M. and was afraid to wake her for fear the excitement might be to much for her.  She attended 9³⁰ St. Johns Hi Mass.  We are terribly busy at South this morning.  Had a surprise telephone call this afternoon from Elmer Erickson, Waukau.  He operates the Ham Radio and had to relay a message from Romy Czekalski, Milwaukee.  I could hear Romy – Lovie – Marilyn and Arlene talk, wishing us all a happy and prosperous new year.  This evening Bill – Rose Mauritz –Ray – Ann Ostertag are with us.  Olga stopped in to see Mary Ann.  They left for home at 1 A.M. 

Com.  Holy Name of Jesus Com. 

03.  Monday: All of us back on the job this morning, business as usual, temperature nearing 40°.  Had a letter from Resi Rothbauer Parsberg, did accomplish a lot with her Christmas present of 50 dollars.  Her husband Joe is in the hospital at Neumarkt about 24 Km from Parsberg.  Also a letter from Bob & Irene Sanchez.  Mary Ann stayed with them in Pacoima well on her vacation.  Also a letter from Father Nicholas Wagner Boys Town.  Norm Brown is not with us today, pallbearer at Harvey Schlintz funeral – Appleton.  Walgreen Drug moving out today.  Jack McCain opening Stacks Drug Store –Drug Book Cenfusion.

10th Street House (front)

10 Street House (side)

04.  Tuesday: Donald's house is finally being moved away form 510 10th to a location on 7th Street. Attended Kiwanis Club.  Harold Harrington takes over as president.  Thres plays cards at Marge Hagene's yesterday and walked away with first prize.

10 Street House (back)

05.  Wednesday: Ed Binder and myself get together to       make appointments for committee for 1955 for the South Side Business Mens Club.  And Im very busy trying to catch up on getting out orders, worked until 11.30 P.M.  Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of West Germany is 79 today, and looks like a man in his mid sixties.

06. Thursday: Our neighbors August and Della Jackish spend the evening with us viewing television.  They do not have a set.  Marge Haverty is laid up with a bad throat.

07.  Friday: [R 4 M   MW 9 M -1/8/55] Am very busy getting the payroll deductions checked and balanced for the year 1954, and that means getting out W-4's for the folks for their income tax reports.  Joseph Mauritz - Bill's dad is 80 years of age today.  Met Frank Pomerane retired mail carrier at the post office today.  He carried mail for us at the South Store forty years ago.

08.  Saturday: Art (Boz) Hazen is 30 years old today.  He delivers his own birthday cards.  I got out 60 W4’s plus the pay envelopes today, and had a heavy bundle of mail also, worked 11 hours and got fairly well caught up.  A lovely day – temperature at 40° but tonight we get snow.

09.  Sunday: [7 ½hrs.] To 7³⁰ Hi Mass with Holy Name Men, Father Milbauer.  Feast of the Holy Family, we offer celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name.  Our Holy Communion is offered for the welfare and the successful pastorate of Father Schorn.  Im back to work at 5 P.M.  Put in 7 ½ hours today. 

Com.  Father Schorn

10.  Monday: [R 4 M    11hrs.] Cork Weisheipl blew into town last night for a short vacation.  He's been playing at the Patio Club Cairo, Ill.  Norm Brown is back with us today.  Sybelle's mother Etta has not improved much at the hospital.  Don takes Arline to Dr. Meli's office tonite.  Looks like another little Potter coming up this summer.

11.  Tuesday: [MW 9M  10 ½ hrs.] Attended Kiwanis Club today and was lucky enough to your way.  Dr. Chuck Behnke had a birthday prize which was held over from December.  He did tie a string to the winning of it, the third man called without a Kiwanis button and after about 15 names were called I emerged the winner of a beautiful time from Spoo’s.

12.  Wednesday: [7 hrs.  R 4 M] Mailed a package to Resi Rothbauer this morning, dresses, coat, slacks.  Donald has a telephone at his new address as of today.  The number B465.  Had a call from Debbie and Donnie this evening.  Cork Weisheipl's vacation is cut short; he leaves at midnight tonite for Greensborough, _____ Carolina.  Stopped in with Mary Ann to wish him "Good Luck."  Took an evening off and listened to T.V. for 5 hours, thats too much.

13.  Thursday: [MW 3 M] Another nice day, took a drive to Fond du Lac to St. Agnes Hospital to visit Father Adolph Wittman brother to Steve Wittman famous Oshkosh flier.  We had a very pleasant visit, also stopped to say hello to Charles Pable who is working in the pharmacy at St. Agnes.  Mary Ann attends a shower in honor of Betty Hill at the home of Maxine Borst 99 Rosalia.  I dropped in for short visit at Haverty’s when I took Marge home from work.  Mrs. Haverty looks very good, lost about 20 pounds.

14.  [R 4 M]

15.  Saturday: This is Anna Jungwirths birthday, she is 80, has been sick for several weeks.  We missed her because we usually take her home from 7³⁰ Mass on Sundays.

16.  Sunday: [8 hrs.] To 7³⁰ Hi Mass Father Milbauer.  His Sermon about the Grace of God.  Visited at Don’s this afternoon. The Felkers are there Debbie gets her presents today, her birthday is tomorrow.  Worked at the store until 10.30.

17.  Monday: [R 4 M] Debbie is 5 years of age today.  Norm Brown is with us this noon.  Sybelle’s mother has not shown any improvement, must still have oxygen.  Had Ed Binder and Rudy Haveman in my office tonight for preliminaries to Thursdays S.S. Business Mens Meeting.  We also have the Annual Mueller Potter meeting tonight at my office.  It was attended by all the stockholders.  Thres plays cards at Leone Dodd’s and wins another first prize, two weeks ago at Marge Hagene’s.

18.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis luncheon.

19.  Wednesday: Learn that we purchased 1600 dollars of Cenol Products in 1954.

20.  Thursday: This evening I have my first experience of conducting a meeting for the South Side Business Mens Club, and things worked well, comments favorable.  Also honored Rudy Haveman and Matt Mertz with a gift for their many years with the Club and Community Service.  Miss Olson formerly with Du Barry, now with Helena Rubinstein is in to see us about establishing a Rubinstein agency.  She is to be married soon.  Ed Binder spends a couple of hours with us after the S.S.B.M. Meeting.

21.  

22.  Saturday: Betty Hill is married.

23.  Sunday: [6 hours] To 7³⁰ Hi Mass – Father Schorn.  Another Sermon of the Grace of God, illustration St. Augustine whose father was a pagan and his mother Monika prayed for 40 years for his conversion.  Took a drive to Berlin this afternoon, stopped at Harry’s and Agnes.  Mary is home for this semester.  Her boy friend Jim is there also.  They are driving to Milwaukee this P.M.  We drive over to Lake Poygan to see the fisherie there, at least 1000 persons registered.

24.  Monday: [R 4 M] Norm Brown is with us for luncheon.  Sybelle’s mother seems to be getting weaker.  At intervals she knows the folks and then again she does not.  Ken Sepersky and Mrs. dropped in to say hello at my office.  Ken looks very good.  Retirement must agree with him.  Mailed a package to Rothbauers today, Postage Charges 3.01.  Mrs. Effie Olmstead was in our South Store today.  Havent seen her for years.  Lives at 146 Mt. Vernon.  Mother to Alice (Mrs. Reuben Shekey).

25.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis luncheon.  Gust Harthun is back with the club and is my side kick at table.  He’s been out since 1941.  A young lady who had been a 4H exchange student in Denmark, gave an interesting talk and showed pictures of Denmark.  Temperature 3° below zero, this morning, the first subzero this winter.  Just learned the young lady at Kiwanis Club today was Miss Mary Detlor of Plainfield.

26.  Wednesday: Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur is 75 today.  He speaks at Los Angeles at the unveiling of an eight foot statue of himself.

27.  Thursday: Gaylord Johnson 32 Wife Jeanette 22 and two children 2 years and 11 months lose all their belongings in a fire from an over heated stove at their home 28 Geneva Street yesterday afternoon.

28.  [R 4 M   T]

29.   Saturday: Called Ray Miller in regard to our rural relations program in March, sponsored by the S.S.B.M. Club.  We settled for March 21 and hope to have a good attendance.  Norm Brown called this evening, informing us that Sybelle’s mother Henrietta Plank passed away this morning at 11 Oclock.  Ed Wirtz was taken to Mercy Hospital today, he is suffering with pneumonia.

30.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ High Mass Father Milbauer.

31.  Monday: [R 4 M by Billy] Thres entertains 16 ladies of the S.S.B.M. Auxiliary today and incidentally she wins first prize again with 68 Points.  This is the third successive time she wins first.  Ed Froetschl is laid up with stomach flu.  Daisy McCarthy died unexpectedly at 8 A.M. at 1206 South Park Ave.  Her husband Ray died Nov. 16 -1938.  Born Dec. 15 – 1883, daughter of John and Louisa Leonard.