Sister letters 1929

Gnadenfeld, 25 June, 1929

Dear Lina!

Finally I am answering your last letter. Forgive me that it has taken so long. So often, I intended to do it, but always something got in the way, and sometimes a genuine letter writing mood is lacking. Today is the last day of Pentecost. On the first we were with Grandfather. Yesterday, Aunt Marichen was our guest. Yesterday and the day before I was at church. On the first holiday was baptism. Today is the mission festival, and at 3 o’clock in the afternoon was the funeral of old Jakob Schmidt. 

Two weeks ago, Jasch was in Ekaterinoslav. He had his foot examined and x-rayed. Just think, there still are loose bone splinters that do not permit the wound to heal, constantly causing irritation when he is walking. Also one of the larger bones has sharp edges. Soon he wants to go to Orhloff to have Dr. Dirksen remove the splinters and to round off the larger bone. May God let it succeed, and may my Jasch again be without pain in the foot. 

Jasch has just left for Konteniusfeld on his bicycle. He has something to discuss there. The children are all outside. Oksana is also outdoors with Liesel. You should see how big and fat she already is at five months. Wally too is still so fat, but Kolja and Artur have become nice and lean. But they are all in good health, thank God. Wally and Liesel were vaccinated not long ago. With Wally the pox swelled up a lot and he was quite sick for a day. With Liesel, only one pock swelled and she was well through it all. In their play, Artur and Kolja are usually Uncle Dietz and Uncle Hermann, and Braun’s Martha is Aunt Lina. They often ask me why they do not come to visit us. That is unlikely to happen, but who knows whether we will get there some time. We are wishing for that so much. Life here is very hard. The prospect is even gloomier. What do you hear there about emigration? Here we are often told that they are working for a general emigration. If only that would happen, we could soon come there. Here there will again be any wheat, and the barley, and everything else already very much needs rain. Since seeding time, it has not yet rained. At Braun's not even the vegetables come up. With us, the cucumbers and the tomatoes are already blooming, but the plants are very small, and without rain, there will still be nothing worthwhile.

26 June. Today Annchen Rempel was here for a little while. She had been at the cooperative, which again is on our property. She mentioned various things about Hermann, who was married in Angus-Tobe last winter. He is a teacher there. His wife’s name is Marussja Pettker. They must be very happy. In his letters, he always urgently counsels Heinrich also to get married.

Here, on the first Easter day came the command that all the former estate owners were to be settled elsewhere. So several families, like the old widow Epp, Penners, Wilhelm Janzens, the old Gerhard Nikkel and Kaspers have all left. They also wanted to resettle others, but now the word is that this command is to be postponed. Yes, and Reimers also. Everything within five days. The old Aunt Reimer had a stroke and was bedfast but she had to go as well. Also Katja Kornjejewna. Their houses were collectivized. At Reimer’s house a day care center has been set up.

Hans Braun is in the service in the Ural Mountains. He must work there for six months. It is a very beautiful region, and the work is not too hard, but there are so many mosquitoes that they cannot work without mosquito netting. If they are not shaken off from time to time, they can’t see anything. The food too is miserable. Some of our young men there are already quite despondent. 

At Nikkel’s house is the commune. At the Janzen’s, the village council is living, and so on. Now I may already have written too much. Who knows whether this letter will reach you.

Gnadenfeld, November, 1929

Fervently beloved Sisterheart.

What a joyful surprise it was for me when I learned through Marichen Braun that you are engaged. Ediger’s Katja had written this to her mother. At first, I didn’t quite want to believe it, but then it was confirmed in a letter from Aunt Gretchen to Joh. Rempels. Regrettably, I have no report from you personally, and I already fear that your letter may have been lost, which would make me very sad. The thought of knowing you have a fiance is still so unexpected for me, but I am very delighted by it, and so much wish you a rich and deep happiness. From what I heard, your intended is to be a widower. Does he also have children? This is very important to me. Was the lame woman that Katja Klassen cared for his wife? Something like that was being said here. The people liked her very much. You have never written anything to me about this. To me it is terribly sad that I cannot be at your wedding and see you as newlyweds. But I still have hope and derive some comfort from that, that  you will have some pictures taken. You just must draw me a plan of your home, so that I can visualize everything better.

It is Sunday evening. The children are already asleep. This morning it was raining so the children had to play indoors. I told them stories and played with them, for which I do not have time during the week. Then Grandfather Loewen dropped in for a little while. When he left, Jasch and I tended to the work in the stable. Just when I had finished milking, Aunt Marichen came to us for a bit after visiting Brauns. When we were sitting at supper, Uncle Hermann came. On my invitation, he had tea with us.

The past week, Jasch was again quite sick, again with appendicitis. This is already the third time. When he was hospitalized in Muntau during July he had it too. Thank God, he is well again, but the operation cannot be delayed much longer. Now, since the operation on his foot, it is not quite so sensitive and the wound is beginning to close. The one on the side has closed completely. For a week now he has been walking without crutches. My health is passable, except that recently I have had frequent back pains. Since the Pokrov (Russian holiday), I have been without a household helper, and I really have to hurry to get everything done. 

Artur and Kolja still play outdoors a lot, although it is already quite cold. Wally now stays indoors and plays with blocks and Mietschen, the cat. Liesel is a dear hearty thing and sits up contentedly for hours without crying. When I place her in the rocker, she swings quite vigorously. She already babbles without assistance. Also, she is still fat. Artur and Kolja were already talking about Uncle Dietrich Dueck. Artur resembles the Loewen's more, but also our Hermann. Kolja is beginning to look very much like the Dirkses. Wally very much resembles our Franz and also our Father, and Liesel is a real Dietzlein, as Braun’s Marichen keeps saying.

Rempel’s Anna and Sara send their greetings. Mika is expecting her first at the end of this month. Hans Braun is already back from the service. Next summer, he will again have to serve for six months. 

Our general situation cannot be described as good. You may have learned from the newspapers that many of our people are moving away from here. This is a very unsettled, difficult period. We don’t dare leave now with winter approaching. One hears too much that frightens us from such a journey during the winter, Perhaps it may be possible during the spring. We want to leave all to the dear God and trust in Him.