Diary of Alfred E. Potter September, 1947

01.  Monday: [T] Drove to town to bring Thres Fretschl to the cottage.  Its a lovely day, we have no more company.  Close up shop at 11 P.M. and back to town.

02.  Tuesday: Mary Ann back to school today.  To Kiwanis luncheon.  Got in on the prize table with Joe Kitz – Max Korn – Joe Rodler –Bill Kemnitz – Bob Kriz.  This table is really reserved for these boys.  John Rasmussen is the speaker.  His talk “Is America at the Cross Roads” I could’nt tell after I heard him speak.

03.  Wednesday: [T] Started out on a drive to Milwaukee with Thres –Mary Ann and Emma Miller Siewert at 8¹⁵.  Developed car trouble at Lomira.  Laid up car for 5 hours.  Valve spring is broken.  Visited with Bill Koepsel at his drug store the ladies played cards in one of the boats.  Bill takes us back to the highway at noon to find ourselves a nice noon meal at the new restaurant.  Ready to go to Milwaukee at 3¹⁰ get there at 4³⁰.  Dropped in at Mutual, then over to Fritz Gust for a swell dinner, out to Carl’s Bar for short visit, home at 11.30 P.M.

04.  Thursday: Back on the job with loads of work steering me in the face.  Carl and Margaret gave us the news yesterday that Lovie Czekalsky had a baby girl Sunday, August 31^st at Mt. Sinai Hospital.  The baby weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces.

05.  Friday: Had another busy day at the store.  I put in 13 hours today.  To St. John’s Church with Thres at 7 A.M.

06.  Saturday: A busy morning at the store.  Laurence Churchill is in to see me about work at the north store.  May hire him back.  This afternoon took Sister Viatora, Sisters Romana – Edgar and Mary Ann to Milwaukee.  Our car purrs perfectly today.  Dropped in on Carl and Margaret, Mary Anna gets a chicken dinner and I get a steak dinner.  Dropped in on Lovey to see her baby Marylinn.  Baby has a double chin like Aunt Thres.  Back at the convent at 6³⁰.  Met Sisters Pauline and Petrine at Messmer’s High.  Home at 9 P.M.  Temperature 91°.

07.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ Mass St. Vincents, then to work.  This afternoon took sweater and shoes to Harry Lyncan.  He is out riding with Phil.  Took Aunt Mary to the cemetery, and stopped at Bill and Rose Mauritz home.  Frank and Betty Drexler were there with their baby.

Com.  Albert Stadtmueller

08.  Monday: Donald enrolls at the State Teachers College.  I hope he makes good.

09.  Tuesday: This is a great day for Msgr. Aloys Bastian.  He celebrates his golden anniversary as a priest.  The Church is filled to capacity.  Thres – Donald and myself attend his banquet.  Met Father Ed Wagner –Andrew Quella.  Father Michael Drexler is here.  The Marheine’s – W^m Mertz’s – Will Wagners –Ralph Klisforths are at our table.  Visited Anna (Mrs. John) Drexler this afternoon.  Back on the job from 5 to 10 PM.  Worked 8 ½ hours today.  Sent parcel to Germany this morning.  Temperatures up to 91° today.

10.  Wednesday: Visit at Ed Fretchels this evening.  Celebrate his birthday which is to be Friday.  He will have completed 62 years.  Emma Siewert is here for supper.  Went with us to Fretschl’s.  Played sheephead.  I made 70 cents.  Package mailed to Via Rothbauer yesterday contained 2 #coffee – 1 Cocoa – 2 Dresses 1 Sweater -1 Men’s Suit -1 Pants – 1 Ladies Dress – 1 Robe 1 # Brown Sugar.

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14.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ Mass with Holy Name.  Then to work.  St. Vincent Congregation celebrates Monsignor Bastian's Jubilee today in our recreation hall.  Its a program of reminiscences.

Com.  Members Holy Name.

15.  Monday: Thres and I drive to Madison at 9³⁰ A.M.  Meet Al Leonard – and Harry Ferry at the Lorraine Hotel.  Also Earl Hall in the lobby.  Thres gets two corsages, one for herself of gardenias.  Drove to Truax field at 12³⁰.  Met Wilbur Bocki – Niebauer –Tigum also the new state Treasurer.  Governor Rennebohm and Mrs. Rennebohm arrived at 12.45.  Inspected the big plane Mr. Pattersons “Pres. United Air Lines” Thres pins a corsage of Orchids on Mrs. Rennebohm, and some snapshots are taken of the Governor and Mrs. before they leave, we bid them goodbye at 1¹⁵ then had lunch at the Madison Club, after that a tour thru the Rennebohm warehouse, and then we head for home.  Home at 6 P.M.  At 6³⁰ picked up Joe and Celia Drexler to attend farewell banquet for Father Scanlon.  Our table William and Lill Wagner – Elsie Wagner – Celia and ourselves.  Monsignor Bastian and Father McKeough spoke.  Father McKeough presented a purse.  Gerald LEstrange presided and was re-elected president.  He surprised me very much by reading a letter from me to Father Scanlon of a life insurance policy I donated to the “Apostolate.”

16.  Tuesday: [T] To Kiwanis luncheon.  Our table Ray Ware – Hugh Misdall – Norm Rehder – Frank Uder - ______ and myself. I filled two very expensive prescriptions tonite, one amounted to 11⁵⁰, the other 19⁰⁰.  These are the highest prices I've had to get for Rx's in my 32 years in the drug business.

17.  Wednesday: A hurricane has hit the Florida coast between Miami and Palm Beach.  Damage to date is not known.  Velocity about 120 miles per hour.

18.  Thursday: [T] Temperature official is up to 90° today.

19.  Friday: Thres and Emma Siewert are out to the cottage this afternoon.  They are making up 4 feathered pillows.

20.  Saturday: Mother – Mary Ann and myself to the Strand to see Eddie Bracken – Priscilla Lane in “Fun on a Weekend,” and a thriller “The Beast with Five Fingers” with Robert Alda – Andrea King and Peter Lorre.

21.  Sunday: [T] To 7³⁰ Mass St. Vincents, then to work.  A very uneventful day.  Called Kujawas at Berlin.  Agnes tells me Harry is busy at an auction.  This afternoon took Thres to cemetery, too cold for Aunt Mary.

22.  Monday: Sylvester Propson begins work at our north store.  Took Joe and Emma Baier to Fond du Lac tonite.  Down to see Lou Kornbloom at the Retlaw.  Met Ed Worm there.

Newspaper clippings from 23 Sept, 1947

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24.  Wednesday: Have company tonight.  Joe and Emma Baier, Bill and Rose Mauritz, Ray and Ann Ostertag.  A very pleasant evening.  Party breaks up at 1³⁰ A.M.

Newspaper clipping from 25 Sept, 1947

25.  Thursday: Did a rash or maybe a wise thing today.  Bought the James Kinsler home from Adolph Runke.

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27.  Saturday: Took Ed and Thres Fretschl to the Strand tonite to see “Life with Father” with William Powell – Irene Dunne Elizabeth Taylor – Jimmy Lydon.

28.  Sunday: To 7³⁰ Mass St. Vincents then to work.  Had eleven oclock dinner with Donald then we drive to Neenah to Norm Browns and on to the.  Packer - Bear Football Game.  It was a thrilling game and an upset for the Bears 29-20.   Sensational plays were made on both sides and even a touchback was registered and two beautiful goal kicks by the Packers Cuff.  Norm showed me his home thruout and it is wonderful.  Back home at 7⁰⁵ P.M.  Harry and Agnes Kujawa are here for a visit.  They leave for home about midnight.

Com.  Caroline Baier

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30.  Tuesday: Phil Lyman has a birthday.  Born Sept. 30 – 1906.