Diary of Alfred E. Potter August, 1946

01.  Thursday: Fred Baumgartner – Norbert and Art Mueller and myself drive to Green Bay to buy Rexall Christmas merchandise at the Hotel Northland.  Al Leonard and Harry Ferry and Ken Ziperski are there to sell us.  After a steak dinner at Mae Drury’s we drive home.  I ate very little of my steak, my stomach is on the bum today.  Thres went back to the cottage this afternoon with Aunt Lena and Mary Ann.  Art Mueller tells me that Dick Mueller is married.  Lawrence Kinateder and his mother spend the aft and eve at the cottage.  They catch 16 nice perch.

02.  Friday: Stayed in town over night.  Thres – Mary Ann and Aunt Lena came in this morning to go to church.  Robert Fretschl and Donald do very well fishing.  They caught about 50 nice perch since yesterday.  Brought in 30 this afternoon, some for Ed – some from Margaret (Spanbauer) some for Celia (Putzer).

03.  Saturday: [TEG] To work at 9⁰⁰ luncheon at 12²⁰ back to work 12.40 until 6¹⁵ supper back to work at 6⁴⁵ to 10³⁰ thats almost 13 hours and left no time to loaf.

04.  Sunday: Got up later today than other Sundays.  Started the day with a bath and shave then breakfast then to 9 Oclock St. Vincents then to work.  Practically completed all orders.  The Baiers – Mauritzes and Ostertags have their picnic outing at the cottage.  Donald is kept busy giving the children boat rides.  At night he and Billy Mauritz attend the doubleheader baseball game between Fond du Lac and Oshkosh.  The cottage party broke up at 10.30 I took the Mauritz family with Raymond and Jimmie Ostertag home.  Met the Umpfenauers from Nebraska, Jimmie Geffers father and mother in law.

05.  Monday: Dolores Kinateder is 16 today.  Took Thres and Mary Ann to the Strand tonite to see “The Green Years” starring Charles Coburn –Tom Drake – Beverly Tyler – Hume Cronyn.  Its a picture of Scotland.  “Club Havana” stars Tom Neal – Margaret Lindsay.  Gene Vogel has a birthday.

06.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis luncheon.  Ed Ledvina is my table partner.  Stephen Whitman is our speaker.  Thres – Donald – Aunt Lena to the cottage this evening.  I worked getting out some orders.

07.  Wednesday: Kept busy all day today I did not drive to the cottage tonite after work.

08.  Thursday: Today marks our 35th wedding anniversary. Had Joe - Annie Weisheipl, Ed-Thres Fretschl, Bill-Emma Siewert, Aunt Lena Baier with us at the cottage. It is a lovely day. Joe Jr., Cork Weisheipl, Frank Kimball also spend the day with us, they do some fishing with Donald, got a few perch. They played cribbage and the Hungarian Goulash made by Ma Potter was very good. The Heips and Fretschls left after midnight; the Siewerts staid. Played cards to 2.30 A.M. Had quite a storm about 1 A.M. Lawrence Kinateder is 18 today.

09.  Friday: A bit tired today, we’re too busy to think of being tired.  Charlotte Arendt drops in at the store.  Father Dennis Cooney S.V.D. stops in to say hello.  Dr. Ray Wagner introduces Father Ramstein, a French chaplain who was with the doctor at Fort

10.  Saturday: Worked most of the day.  This evening took Thres and Mary Ann to the Oshkosh to see “Two Sisters from Boston” starring Kathryn Grayson – June Allyson –Lauritz Melchior – Jimmy Durante.

11.  Sunday: To St. Vincents 730 Mass.  Father Ramstein has the Service.  Rested this afternoon.  Back to the cottage tonite, took Aunt Lena and Thres Fretschl along.  Played cards until 1 A.M.  Mary Ann stays home with Aunt Mary.  Picked plums at home toward evening, gave them to John and Mary Rozek.                       Com.  Holy Name Members

12.  Ed Fretschl takes his vacation this week.  I start cleaning our store basement with Carl Pfeiffer and Jack Rothe.  This evening out to the S. S. Business Men’s Corn Roast Party at Nelson’s farm.  About 350 are there.  Ideal evening.  After the party Bill – Emma – Mayme Siewert come over to the cottage, and more cards until 1³⁰ and am I tired.  Two nights in succession is more than I can take.  Jimmy Bell calls for Donald about 6³⁰ this morning, for a trip up north to Eagle River and vicinity.  Red Mondl and two more young men go along.

13.  Tuesday: To town this morning with Thres, this is primary election day and we vote.  At Kiwanis luncheon Harvey Johnson shows a movie on Natural Gas and oil pipe line is laid from the South to the East, about 1250 miles of pipe line under rivers – highways – thru mountains, a gigantic undertaking.  Gene Vogle took me to the New American Bank to meet Mr. Jordan their new manager.  Thres takes Ed Fretschl along to the cottage.  I took Lawrence Kinateder at night.

14.  Wednesday: Ed Fretschl and Lawrence are up early and out fishing. They report poor luck in fact not even a bite. Walter Goodland is again named at the primary to run on the Republican ticket for Governor. Ralph Immell, the Milwaukee Sentinel candidate lost by some 20 000 Votes. Joseph McCarthy defeated Robert M. La Follette for U.S. Senator. Bob has been in the Senate for 21 years, only 30 when first elected. Joe is 37. Coffee prices are going up 10 to 13 cents a pound by OK of the O.P.A.

15.  Thursday: [T] To 7⁰⁰ Oclock Mass St. Vincents, then to work.  Took St. Vincents Sisters to our cottage for their annual outing; about 11.45 A.M.             Com.  Ed Steckbauer

16.  Friday: Donald is enjoying his vacation.  Picked a good sized basket plums for Art Mueller’s family tonight and then it stormed.  Mrs. Helen Birr passed away at 3³⁰ this morning at home 610 – 10^th St.  Born Oct. 5 – 1884 married Fred May 11 – 1910.  Fred passed away April 17-1944.  He painted our home inside and out when we built it.

17.  Saturday: Dean Grundy passed away at 10³⁰ this morning at his home 61 Eveline Street.  Born Nov. 19 – 1895 town of Oshkosh, son of Mr. Mrs. Adam.  Married Jennie shearer 12-19-1922.  Foster Lothman strike is still on, thot it would be settled today sure.  Workers are out since April 24^th.  Took Thres – Mary Ann to Strand to see “The Virginia in” in technicolor starring Joel McCrea –Brian Donlevy – Sonny Tufts – Barbara Britton – Fay Bainter.  “Dick Tracy” with Morgan Conway was very good.  Completed cleaning the basement at South Side Store this morning.

18.  Sunday: To 730 Mass St. Vincents, then to work.  Took Aunt Mary – Thres to Sitters to view the remains of Mrs. Regnery.  The Kujawa’s come over from Berlin this afternoon and spend the evening with us.  This afternoon while driving home my Plymouth registers 66 666.6 miles corner 15^th and Iowa St.s.                 

Com. Mathilda Regnery  

M.O.       “                 “

19.  Monday: [T] Cards are coming thick and fast from Donald. He is having a fine time and according to todays cards he is just about broke and so are Jim and Red. Sent him another twenty this afternoon. Thres, Aunt Mary, Mary Ann are at the Weisheipl shower for Florence Smith who is soon to be married to Eddie. She receives some useful gifts and 43 dollars in cash. About 50 ladies are present. Joe Sr. comes home about midnight with a dizzy spell and sick stomach. I put in extra time at the store, worked until 12.15 tonite.

20.  Tuesday: To Kiwanis luncheon.  Ed Ledvina –Ed Shrank – Lee Conroy and myself make up a table.  Did not stay to hear speaker.  Ed Marheine ease in this morning, returned from A 3 weeks trip to Yellowstone Park – and Canada.  In Winnipeg Canada his auto was jimmied and his movie camera – 2 Rolls film – 35 mm camera – and binoculars and 3 of Ruth’s dresses were stolen.  They also blew out three new tires on the way.  What an expensive trip.

21.  Wednesday: Worked all day.  No afternoon or evening out.  Well afternoons out have been out of the picture for me this summer.  When I get to the cottage tonite, we have company.  Harry Kujawa family bring over Rose and Teddy Gittings from Chicago.  Havent seen them for nearly a year.  Rose is back to 96 pounds, Teddy shows quite a mark on the back of his head from ringworm.

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24.  Saturday: Busy as usual until supper time.  Took Thres Fretschl – Aunt Lena – Thres – Mary Ann to the Strand to see “Night and Day” technicolor with Cary Grant – Alexis Smith – Monty Woolley –Ginny Simms – Jane Wyman – Mary Martin.

25.  Sunday: To 730 Mass St. Vincents, then to work until 12.30.  Donald took in the ballgame this afternoon and evening.  I slept most of the afternoon, and did some housecleaning at my desk.                  Com.  Katherine Holzbauer

26.  Monday: Dropped in at Dr. Will Wagner, this morning.  Lill tells me to be sure to be sure to see Emily Ruedinger married tomorrow, but we will be in Milwaukee.

27.  Tuesday: Left for Milwaukee with the family this morning at 910.  On arrival registered at the Medford Hotel, get two nice rooms 836 and 838.  Had luncheon at Fritz Gust’s, met Tommy Adkins and Walter Lange.  Then out to Lovi’s place, find she a Romie went to the Dells for vacation.  Learn that Karl Radomski lives at 3813 South 17^th Street.  Visit at Karl and Margarets Anna and Gail are fine.  Had supper there, took Margaret along to town to the Strand to see “Centennial Summer” in Technicolor with Cornell Wilde, Jeanne Crain – Linda Darnell.

28.  Wednesday: Breakfast at 9⁰⁰ Thres – Mary Ann shop, Donald and myself stop at Mutual Drug – then back to the Hotel, had a sandwich and beer at the “Big Stein,” then to McClurg –Church Mart – Yahr Lange –General Electric.  Met Dr. Eagan at Y.L..  Had dinner at Eugene’s but not fish, it was Hamburg Steak with Shaum Tort for dessert, then to the Wisconsin to see “Easy to Wed” with Van Johnson – Lucille Ball – Esther Williams –Keenan Wynn, also “Personality Kid” with Anita Louise – Kenny MacDonald, out at 12.15 then a beer and sandwich at the Hotel Bar, to bed by 1³⁰.

29.  Thursday: Breakfast at 9⁰⁰ at the hotel then out to do some shopping at the Boston Store, and checked out at the hotel and on our way home buy 11.30, stopped at Father Leo Schifflers, find him gone west for a few weeks, stopped to see Sister Melora Mauritz at Messmer High, find she is transferred to Prairie du Chien, then add 27^th and Burleigh to look over _____ store fixtures, then on to Slinger had a steak dinner at Schneider’s restaurant, then for home, arrived about 3⁴⁵ learned from Aunt Lena that Joe Baier became sick Tuesday morning at the store, out to see him find him in bed but better, then to work from 4³⁰ to 10³⁰. Norman Brown and Sybelle Plank are married 13 years today.

30.  Friday: Joe Baier is improving, I find my work has piled up considerably while I was gone, and still somewhat tired from the trip.  Mrs. Albert Samer’s Mother Anna O’Krueg passed away this morning at the home of Mrs. John Ostertag, Twin Oaks on Lake Butte des Morts.  Born Milwaukee Dec. 28 – 1862.  Married Frank Jan. 8 – 1882.  Frank died 18 years ago.  Bro. William Schalk is here this morning to collect for the “Precious Blood Messenger.

31.  Saturday: To work by 8³⁰ until 115 then luncheon back at 2⁴⁵ to 5³⁰ then supper back at 6⁰⁰ and worked until 11³⁰, that makes 13 hours for me today and busy ones they were.