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Collection: Johann Bernard Husam Letters
Author: Anna Maria Husam (Geisker Steinhorst)
Recipient: Johann Bernard Husam
Description: Letter from Anna Maria Steinhorst to Bernard Husam, March 19, 1875.
Anna Maria Steinhorst to Bernard Husam, March 19, 1875
English Text
Ascheberg, March 19, 1875
Dearly beloved brother and sister-in-law,
We have received your second letter on February 28, as well as the newspaper, and see that all of you are still in good health. The same goes for us, too. Thank goodness that is the greatest happiness the world knows.
In our country they are threatening us with a religious war. We don’t know what will come of it. Whenever a priest dies, he cannot be replaced with a new one, and when the pastor dies, everything stops. They are not allowed to bury the dead, to baptize the children. The others are not allowed to do that, or they can be punished under the law. Those who want to get married must first get married before the civil authorities, and then they can get married in the church, In the schools they say there will be no more religious instructions. They say that men and women teachers will have to swear an oath that they will not teach anything except what the King decrees. That’s the way it goes with everything. The religious are supposed to hand over everything that belongs to the parsonage.
Our Bernard will make his first Holy Communion.
This summer we had a great drought, lasting from St. James’ Day [July 25] until the day of the [Muenster Fair?]. We had to carry water for the cows and the cattle from the pump to the [camp ?]. Summer rye was very poor. There was hardly any flax, and on St. James’ Day we could hardly eat any fresh potatoes.
[Information on current prices.]
We have 20 cows and 3 pigs. One of the pigs we want to slaughter for Easter. Dear brother. why don’t you and your wife and daughters come over here? The sausages will be ready, and we will cook some and fry some. Dear brother, we wish so very much for a visit from you. It would be such a joy for all of us.
Our little Bernard said he would like to go with you right away, but now he says: “I’m not going to America just yet!”
This past summer we bought a reaper which we like very much. Hired hands are very expensive in the summertime; they want to earn in one day 1 Taler, and they want to do nothing for that, i.e. they don’t [even] want to harness the horses. Masons already want more than 1 Taler a day. There are some farmers who have hired hands earning more than 100 Taler per year. Many people leave here and work in factories and mines and when they return they have lots of money put aside. They work for the railroads, some in road construction. They are building a road from Rinkerode to Albersloh.
Old Mr. Dewenter died last spring. Old Mr. Wiefel also has died, Brother Heinrich has said to me that Anton Dewenter and Theodor Horstmann had written to you but that the letters did not arrive; but I myself have not written – that’s my own laziness! If I wrote to you as many times as I think of you, you would receive 1000 letters. The others always ask “When are you writing to America?” I must bring this to a close. Many greetings from all of us. Please do not forget to write. Many regards to all the Wiefels.
Your sister Mrs. Steinhorst and brother-in-law
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