Ascheberg, August 19, 1877

Dear brother, sister-in-law, and children,

We received your 1876 letter a week before Pentecost, and we have noted that you are all in good health, which is the same here. But many have already died. Your wife’s father visited us last fall and told me that Gertrud [Wisting?] was buried last year and that she left 4 or 5 children. The widower has remarried. Your father [i.e., the father of Elisabeth Husam] asked me to write to his daughter Elisabeth. She should for heaven’s sake write a letter to her old father – he has never ever received a letter from her.

This year during Lent Theodor Horstmann died. He went to church on Monday, and on Tuesday he had a terrible stomach ache. Wednesday evening he died. He left 9 children. Heinrich Kloens was buried and his wife has been dead for about 1 ½ years. The wife of A. Dewenter was completely out of her mind. She stayed in a convent [i.e., sanitarium?] from St, James’ Feast Day until 2 weeks before Easter, and now she is well again. Anna Husam did the housekeeping while she was away. Maria is with us now until this fall when our Anna comes back. It is very difficult to find help here. Most of them stay with their parents at home and do not want to serve with the farmers, especially the maids. It is easier to find farm hands – but maids do not want to work for the farmers.

I now have only Maria Husam and Anna Forstmann. I don’t want to have any more servants, because the two boys have grown up and they know how to work. We have only a small household of 6 people and Forstmann, that makes 7.

[Description of current prices and the weather.]

All our money has been changed; the silver shillings have been taken out of circulation. We don’t have any more silver shillings or taler; they will all be changed into marks. We have to pay 306 Marks in taxes. One mark is 10 silver shillings. One mark is 100 pennies. 1 silver shilling is 10 pennies. There are no more 3 and 4 penny coins.

I have been so lazy about writing. I had started the letter when your second letter arrived. I think of you so often. My husband always asks: “What are you writing? When will you answer? What will they think of you that you do not answer his letters?” I am just like your wife with her letter writing. If you had as many letters from me as I am thinking of you, you would have a whole wagonload full.

Your sister

Mrs. Steinhorst