Sister letters 1923

Gnadenfeld, 23 April, 1923

….Already, I very much long for you, and even more so when we receive your letters, talk about you, or when we look at some of your belongings. At the ash bin at Braun’s, there still hangs a sparrow that must have gotten into one of Artur’s snares. From the ceiling, there long hung a plucked and drawn one, until Prince finally got him. Artur, I believe that he misses you very much. Mirau’s Peter, who has been our little helper for a month now, is always playing with him.

Since January, Artur Poppenberger has been staying with us. He also has a cow. He and Peter have lately been in the field, day after day, plowing and sowing. Already, they have sown one and a half dessiatin (one dessiatin = 2.7 acres) of barley, one in oats, and one each in sugar sorghum (for fodder), pumpkins, potatoes and flax. Tomorrow, we want to plant beans. The vegetables are planted where the tobacco was last year. We also have vegetables between the plum trees. On the other side, up to the elder Brauns, there are potatoes. From the apple trees up to the barn there are more potatoes, so that there remains only a path to the Brauns. It really is nice to work with what belongs to us. I have, I believe, become a little more independent. Remember, Lina, how I was always afraid that I would not know what to do? That I always know now, especially in the springtime. The cows are both fresh with milk, and both give it in abundance. Jasch (her husband) has repaired Uncle Heinrich and Aunt Mariechen’s centrifuge (milk separator), and for doing that we can also use it for a year. Now that the cows are working, we get 10 to 15 pounds of butter per week. We are raising both calves, and also have a sow that will soon have piglets. We share the pig half and half with Peter Loewens. We also have a black sheep, with just such a lamb. Artur had already shorn it, and I spin whenever I have time, so as to make myself some stockings. We have nine hens and they are very busy laying. Yesterday, we collected nine eggs. 

Now and then, I go over to Grandmother and read your letters to her. Miss Reimer has traveled to the Sawatzkies in the Crimea for her health. Njuta Harder is teacher Ediger’s fiance. Lina, and Federau’s Lisa is engaged to Peter Dirks, Jacob Dirks’ brother from Schirin. The J. Dietrich Rempels are again living together, and for a month now have a baby son, Woldemar. Franz Loewen’s Kaetchen is still very sick, and is very hard to care for…We received several letters from Hermann and Dietrich. Later, only from Hermann because Dietrich had already departed for Germany.

Christmas and Easter were celebrated by the new calendar. We did not have a Christmas tree, but I had made a wreath that I hung from the ceiling with a colorful silk ribbon in a horizontal position and which I fitted with candles and decorations ... .Jasch knew nothing about it. As we returned from church on Christmas Eve, he had to go into the summer room, and I brought the wreath out of the bedroom and hung it above the dining table. Then I put on a white table cloth, placed two plates with cookies in back and set the supper in front: fruit soup and cold fried chicken. I lit the candles and brought Jasch in. He was really surprised. Thus by candlelight, we ate our meal…It was very nice, but I could not keep from thinking of those other Christmases when all of you were still here and Papa always led us in singing carols ... .We love each other ever more and are very happy. Only that my dear Jasch is still not rid of that wretched fever…He has gained pretty well, weighs four pood (one pood = 36.1 pounds) and is 16 pounds, whereas I weigh four pood, 20 pounds. His foot still is not getting better. When he walks a little too much, it swells and hurts. Perhaps we can soon purchase a pony and then we can drive to Dr. Tawonius in Halbstadt.

Jasch always has many clocks and watches to repair, sometimes up to 50! Since yesterday, he has been working on American tractors. Whoever provides the petroleum can have his land plowed. The young Hildebrandts, who lived on the cross street, are now living in the adjoining house on our place. Moreover, they have three cows, one horse and four calves, and so the stable is full. They have had the oven in the kitchen shortened, and put in a door to the summer room, which they are using as a storage chamber. Also, the attic on the east end is completely separated from the large attic and is reached by a staircase from the kitchen. The other end of the building we rented to the district committee. That pays us one pood of rye per month, and the Hildebrandts pay us two per month. When the American clothing was distributed, they had a sale here in the large storerooms. I was able to get a very good union suit and a white and black spool of thread.

Between Christmas and Easter the choir performed at a church celebration: solo pieces, duets and quartets with piano accompaniment were given. A. Brauns had their piano brought up to the choir loft where the organ is. Besides that, poems were recited. I also had one, and also sang with two quartets. Life during this winter is already quite different from the previous one, and so is the general attitude.

You ask, Lina, whether I am always able to put something on the table. Yes, I have always been able to do that. We have always had enough bread, as well as groats, but very few potatoes and hardly any wheat flour. For Easter, I traded for 12 pounds of flour from the Franz Loewens and then baked some loaves of sweet stirzel. I also colored some eggs.

Gnadenfeld, July 1, 1923

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

You are probably already very much waiting for a letter from us. Please forgive us…we would gladly write more often, but it's now almost impossible to save as much as the stamps require. Two weeks ago, we were in Ohrloff for the first time, and had a look at little Paul. Neta has a great deal to do, and I have spent much time with the little ones, which I enjoy very much. He much resembles our Hermann. Elli already says everything and also very clearly, like Olja. Only she lisps strongly, which for her, however, is very enduring. Yesterday Lisa Federan was married to our second cousin, Peter Dirks. 

Last Sunday, there was a song festival in Rudnerweide. The Gnadenfeld choir was also invited and Tinchen invited Braun’s Marichen, Anna, Mika and me with Jasch for lunch at the Pankratzes.

Jasch’s foot still does not want to heal.

Together with your letter, we also received one from Hermann from Constantinople. According to that, they could already both be on their journey, and may perhaps reach you sooner than my letter.

Here, threshing time has already begun. In spite of only one proper rain this summer, the winter grain is quite good. Also, with the summer grain it will do. We are working with both cows as well as with the horse. The horse that Peter Mirau rides is in front, and then come the cows in the yoke. If we now have good rain, then there could still be a good harvest from the melon patch, pumpkins, sunflowers and potatoes. The vegetable garden is also quite good, but everything still needs a good rain. There will also be apples. We are now drying cherries for which Jasch has built a dryer in the stable chamber. We will probably get one-half pood of dry cherries. So far, we have 26 chicks, but two hens are still sitting and I will still set two more hens. Also, the sow had seven piglets of which we will get three and Peter Loewen's three. One must deliver to the government. Jasch is planning to make a mechanical loom.

Gnadenfeld, 24 August, 1923

To my brothers in Constantinople:

…Three weeks ago I suddenly got malaria… Jasch drove Willy Braun and H. Siemens to Nyelygovka. We do have a horse, and so now and then we can earn a couple of millions this way. For such a dry year as we had, we have had quite a good harvest: rye about 80 pood, barley 120 pood, oats 40. Sunflowers are still not all in, but according to our calculation that should yield about three pood of oil. The melon patch is also quite good and soon I want to make syrup. If the produce tax is not too great, then we can approach the winter quite care free,,,

Here in our courtyard, there is always brisk activity. The cooperative, with the cellar and attic, we have leased to the district committee and they have arranged a business there. For that reason, there are constantly vehicles and people in the yard..

Now we have our sacks of rye flour in the attic, and soon we can also bring eight pood of white flour from the mill at Alexandertal. For that I am especially glad, because for several months we have had no food requiring flour in its preparation. Here there is still much ado over emigration. At the physician’s, there are daily up to 40 people with eye problems, who want to have their eyes healed quickly. Don’t be angry with us, but we are still not much given to emigration. David Klassens also does not want to go.

Gnadenfeld, Sunday, 30 December, 1923

Dear brothers and sister:

More than half a year has passed since I last wrote to you, but I believe that, should you be in similar circumstances, perhaps you would not have done much better. The postage is so very high and money is always tight because forever, and ever again the taxes must be paid. Then one is glad just to have enough collected to pay them, and for writing a letter there is never enough time left. Above all, we do very much give thanks for that big Christmas gift, while we do not yet know whether it has arrived. It may well be in Ohrloff by now. 

David and Neta had intended to come here for New Year’s day, but it is now very cold so that the trip with the children will probably have to be put off. On the first and second Christmas day, there was a terrible blizzard, so that the snow lies in very high drifts. Now there is already good sled travel. On the second holiday we, together with all the other brothers and sisters and their families, were with Father, and on the third at F. Loewen’s. For New Year’s day, they all plan to come over to us. I have not baked anything special since there is only watermelon syrup for sweetening. In place of a fir tree, I have made a wreath out of fir greens and hung it up with red and yellow silk ribbons. I was not able to get candles. 

For us, things are not going very well, but really not too bad. We hope it will get better. Jasch has built a loom…I am busy spinning, and when I have 16 or 17 spools full, which are needed for the first piece, then it shall proceed. It should be about ten arshins (one arshin = 28 inches) in length. Beyond that, we want to weave pieces of 50 arshins lengths since the threading of the individual strands before the weaving starts will be quite a major job. For that matter, Jasch is also thinking of making a spinning machine, which would naturally be the simplest and best. Yardage is still always very costly.

Now we are getting very little milk because A. Poppenberger’s cow is already dry. But if we are not mistaken, she will have a little calf in two weeks, and ours probably at the end of February. The big hog, which we own together with P. Loewens, we will slaughter in about one to two months, for which I am already very happy. In addition, there are still two piglets.  Then we have 22 laying hens of which some have already begun to lay, but stopped because of the cold weather. We also have two sheep, with a little lamb in prospect. Thanks to the horse, we have already been to Ohrloff. We were able to pay the produce tax, although we must restrict ourselves to rye bread, and only now and then bake something white for Sunday. 

How good it is that you, Franz and Artur, can attend school. What do you do about tuition?

This summer, many had malarial fever, and many were very sick. Some of the Russians have even died.

In your letter, you asked whether we are preparing to emigrate. I believe that, at least for the present, the option of emigration is set aside. Also, we have not been able to decide whether to join the emigrants. 

I must tell you that some time ago, Suse Epp married Kornelius Dirks, who also was in Tarascha. To us, her friends, that was quite unexpected, so that in the beginning we could hardly get used to the idea. You will not remember the man. He arrived later. 

Rempel’s Sara has taken in a little two year old girl, Koehn’sMinna’s Katja. She is now named Irmegard Rempel: is usually called Irma. Heinrich is a teacher here in the high school. Anna is at Moria Hospital in Halbstadt, where she is a student nurse. Tinchen is now Mrs. Pankratz, and Willy is married to a Russian girl. They are all living at home with their parents.

Only to Lina: Dear little sister! Now I want to tell you something that I did not want to write in the letter. Lina, if the dear God bestows life and health to me, in three months I’ll be a mother. I am very happy about this and am not particularly frightened. So far, I have not sowed for this event and hardly know what to do. But, your big gift to us had given us the possibility to purchase the necessary items.