Diary of Alfred E. Potter September, 1946

01.   Sunday: To work by 9⁰⁰ until 11³⁰ then to St. John’s 11⁴⁵ Mass with Thres, after a sumptuous dinner a nap from 2⁰⁰ to 4³⁰.  Back to work at 5⁴⁵ until 9¹⁵, that is 6 hours for today.  Find we have company when I get home Uncle Joe and Annie Weisheipl, Aunt Lena – Thres Fretschl.  Uncle Joe is feeling fine.  Took the folks home after 3 A.M.

02.  Monday: Up at 7¹⁵ for short time and then back to bed until 10.30, to work from 11³⁰ to 12³⁰.  Took a few snapshots after dinner, took a delivery to Holdren’s at 13 Plymouth, had Aunt Mary and Thres along took them to Riverside Cemetery.  Bobby and Joey Rozek are with us, they have fun climbing around on the monuments.  Donald and self stop to visit Joe Baier, he is much improved, then to work from 6³⁰ to 9³⁰, 4 hours today.

03.  Tuesday: [T] Mary Ann registers at the Oshkosh Hi this morning.  Margaret Voelz Hanson is helping out at the store.  Naomi Mueller is back on the job after her vacation.  Left Saturday August 24^th 6 P.M. back today at noon.

04.  Wednesday: Had Donald help out at the store today, and this is another busy day, 14 hours for me.

05.  Thursday: Eddie Weisheipl is married to Florence Smith (Judy Stillman) this morning 9⁰⁰ at Sacred Heart by Father Michael Drexler. Marion is maid of honor, Rose and Mrs. John David are bridesmaids. Her step father ______ leads her to the altar. Joe Jr. plays the organ. A pretty wedding. Rain does not mar the doings. We were at the banquet at the Athearn, and at the house after work tonite, stayed until 3 A.M. The honeymooners left at 11.30. Worked 7 hours today.

06.  Friday: Up at 10 A.M. and still tired to work by 11.30 to 3²⁰ then from 5³⁰ to 10.45 thats over 9 hours.  Joe Baier put in 2 hours of work this afternoon, he is still quite pale.  Donald helps with cleaning up at the Weisheipls.

07.  Saturday: [R 4 M] Had a call from Sister Aquilina early this morning, so I visited with her from 10.30 to 11 Oclock.  She’s going back to Marshfield shortly.

08.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ Mass with Holy Name Society, took Donald along to work from 9⁰⁰ to 12³⁰.  Donald takes Kenneth Prideaux around and gets him acquainted with Oshkosh.  Back to work this evening until 9³⁰.  When I arrived home find Joe and Annie Heip are here.  Brought home Mary Ann who visited then this afternoon.  Played cards, took them home at 1¹⁵ A.M.              

Com.  Holy Name Members.

09.  Monday: [R 2 M   T] Donald almost got into the navy today, but the course now is 4 years per enlistment.  He thought to enlist for 2 years.  I told him to register at Hi  School and complete his course there.  Had a meeting with Walter Patri after lunch.  Joe Weisheipl Sr. back on the job tonight at Bell’s as watchman.  Joe Baier is 42 today.  Harold Prideaux, Pharmacist at our north store also has a birthday.  He was born Sept. 9 – 1902.

10.  Tuesday: [R 2 M] Harry Ferry goes to Kiwanis luncheon with me today.  Our speaker Al Priddy tried to explain to us “Can Animals Think.” He put over an interesting and humorous topic.  Mr. and Mrs. G.F. Doepping are married 55 years today.

11.  Wednesday: Spent my evening out at the Boy Scout Office for the Commissioners meeting.  It was my first one.  Not present were Ray Kesserich – Gerald L’Estrange –Elwin Nelson –John Bangert – Milton Fitzgerald.  Dan Schreiber presided.

12.  Thursday: [R 2 M] Ed Fretschl has a birthday he is 61.  The folks are at his house tonite.  I get there at 10³⁰ after work.  Father Lambert Scanlon is at our house for short visit tonite.  Ed Weisheipl and Florence Smith return from their honey moon tonite.

13.  Friday: Muirs Cut Rate Stores open at 83 Main St. today with many bargains (so called).  They are but a few doors from our north store but todays business does not seem to have been affected.

14.  Saturday: Weather is moderating today.  Donald –Tres - Aunt Lena - Mebs Luedtke out to the cottage to pick grapes.  Sisters St. Vincents get a good sized basket full - the rest go to Ray and Ann Ostertag.  Ray is going to make wine.  Took Aunt Lena with us tonite to the Strand.  “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers” stars Barbara Stanwyck – Van Heflin – Lizabeth Scott.  “Hot Cargo” William Gargan – Jean Rogers –Phillip Reed.  Had a Beef plate lunch at Pete Kings.

15.  Sunday: [T] To 730 Hi Mass St. Vincents then to work.  Donald and Mebs Luedtke try fishing out to the cottage.  This is the first time Mebs is in a boat.  Mary Ann – Thres – myself take a drive to Berlin to visit the Kujawa’s.  Thres looks over fur coats at Truesdell’s.  Bought some melons from a vendor off the highway west of the town.  Very reasonable about 6 to 7 cents each.  Spent the evening with the folks, home at midnight.  Official temperature 81° today.              

Com.  Health for Family

16.  Monday: Tony Paulick and Mary Jungwirth are married 38 years today.  Edward Weisheipl is back on the job this morning.  Gone from Tuesday, Sept. 3d -6 P.M. until this morning 8³⁰ A.M.  Official temperature today a 84°.  Ed Fretschl has a cold.  Charles (Chuck) Nolan is installed as commander of the At lee Cork Post American Legion tonite.  His father in law Congressman Frank Keefe is a guest at the ceremony.

17.  Tuesday: Knights of Columbus have a pot luck supper at St. Vincents tonite.

18.  Wednesday: Thres and I take a drive to the cottage this afternoon bring in card tables and sundry items.  This evening get up a table of cards four So. Side B. M.  Ladies auxiliary, Thres Fretschl – Aunt Lena – Annie Heip.  Dr. Norman Kleinschmidt gives my teeth a going over, 20 minutes for 4 dollars, teeth are OK but my purse is in bad shape.

19.  Thursday: Received a letter from Germany today, from Thea Rothbauer stating they received a package from us.  Harold Mueller opens another store at 926 Oregon Street, next to us.

20.  Friday: Received another letter from Germany, the folks acknowledge receiving one of our letters.  Secretary of Commerce Henry A. Wallace is asked to resign by President Truman.

21.  Saturday: Worked 8 hours today.  This evening took Mary Ann to the Oshkosh “To each of his Own” stars Olivia De Havilland – Virginia Welles – John Lund a new star.  Quite a story.  “Cuban Pete” stars Desi Arnaz and orchestra –Ethel Smith The King Sisters.  After the movies acquainted Mary Ann with some facts unbeknownst to her, about herself and Donald.  Mary Ann and mother are bed partners tonite.  Our neighbors William and Mary Radke 645 – 14^th move to live with their granddaughter Mrs. Cyril (Lucille) Gollnick at 739 – 15^th St..  We will miss them.

22.  Sunday: [T] To 7³⁰ low Mass at St. Vincents with Mary Ann.  Mother stays in bed.  Attends 10.30 mass with Donald.  He also served.

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24.  Tuesday: Called Walter Patri this morning.  To Kiwanis Club Our table Art Kingston – Lee Conroy – Ed Olson and myself. To St. Vincents 7³⁰ Devotion, then to Boy Scouts Committee Troop 18.  Dan Schreiber is there also, then to work.  Harry Kujawa dropped in about 9 Oclock.  Agnes is at the house and we visit until 11¹⁵.  Harry has bank examiners at the bank.  Thres attends Auxiliary Committee meeting at Mrs. Les Borish’s home, Knapp St.

25.  Wednesday: [TEG] Mary Ann back to our own bed after four nights with Thres.

26.  Thursday: Worked until 7⁰⁰ Oclock tonite then took Thres and Mary Ann to the Oshkosh.  (Note: The following was entered on Wednesday, September 25, but was labeled as 26^th.) Took Thres and Mary Ann to the Oshkosh tonite.  Ginger Rogers –Jean Pierre Aumont –Adolph Menjou – Basil Rathbone are featured in “Heartbeat.” Ellen Drew and Robert Stanton in “Sing well you dance.”

27.  Friday: Worked until nearly 7 Oclock this evening.  After supper cleaned up the attic, through about 11¹⁵ P.M.  Wrote a letter to the folks in Milwaukee, Margaret – Carl – Annie – Romy – Leona.

28.  Saturday: Thres – Mary Ann and self attend the Strand.  “Our Hearts were growing up” stars Gail Russel – Diana Lynn and Brian Donlevy and “Swamp Fire” stars Johnny Weissmuller – Virginia Grey – Buster Crabbe –Carol Thurston.

29.  Sunday: To 730 High Mass St. Vincents Father Schneider is celebrant.  Donald serves for Father “Roger” Miller at 10.30 Mass.  I needed delivery to Otto Kaliebe this noon, he used to make baskets when he lived on 10^th Street.  He is no living with his daughter Mrs. Eisner at 1502 Oregon St. Had Thres Fretschl and Aunt Lena Baier over tonite for cards.  Took them home at midnight.

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