Letter from Russia
After my wish has been fulfilled to be able to read a newspaper from America, to get in touch with my relatives, friends and relatives and to hear how they are doing, I don't want to refrain from reporting about my old homeland. It is thanks to my old friend and neighbor John Schnell of Ramona, Kansas that I receive the "Welt-Post" and I thank him for this labor of love. I understand from the Welt-Post that it is helping to build up our people and as per the newspaper, our brothers in America had a conference in Fresno, Calif. for the benefit of the people and our brothers. Things are slowly moving forward in Old Norka. The residents of Huck have acquired two tractors, which brings excitement to us, too. There are no working cattle and many a poor farmer who has no cattle at all is wringing his hands today and doesn't know how to get his corn sown. This summer we have been so richly blessed with grazing and have cause to thank God for blessing us with a harvest. Although the wheat didn't turn out as expected because the weather was unfavorable, the terrible enemy "hunger" was prevented. Potatoes and cabbage turned out pretty well. We have unstable weather, lots of rain, so much wind that some people thought they had to thresh with the threshing machine to find their fruit with the stones. The fruit prices are now very high; wheat is from 1 ruble 15 in the booth, and a little more expensive, the grain from 80 to 85 kopecks per pound, oats 1 ruble, barley 60 kopeks, millet 50 kopeks. (100 kopeks = 1 ruble -mm) I can also report that on the first Sunday in September, a brothers' conference took place in Balzer, which was attended by many brothers and sisters. The signs of the times were pointed out and plenty of comfort was given. A number of families and individual souls traveled to Canada, George Helzer with his family, a grandson Georg, and Peter, son of Wilhelm Spady and Johannes Hinkel with their families. We cannot easily forget them, because among them there were people whom we considered a pillar in the place and we wish them good luck and blessings in their new homeland. Adam Trieber and his wife, who look after their garden in the summer, died on the same day and were buried together. May the Lord grant them the quiet rest they have longed for. The widow Katharina Krieger, née Arndt, is still asking for help from her son, who has been in Lincoln lately, and Margarethe Alt, née Rothermel, and her son Jakob ask about her son and brother Wilhelm, who has been in America for 18 years. The last message from him came from Portland, Oreg. If you know anything about these people, please tell us.
I close with warm greetings to all friends and remain,
George Weidenkeller
I close with warm greetings to all friends and remain,
George Weidenkeller
Sources
Die Welt-Post und der Staats-Anzeiger, November 26, 1925, page 7.
This translation is provided courtesy of Michelle Monson.
This translation is provided courtesy of Michelle Monson.
Last updated November 25, 2023