NORKA
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History > Famine 1921-1924 > Letters > July 6, 1922

Headline: ​Norka

To Kath. (Mrs. Konrad) Koch

Fort Morgan, Colorado

May God protect your comings and goings from now until eternity, Amen.

Dear Daughter, Son-in-law and children:

We tell you that we received you 2 letters with great joy and from them we saw that you were healthy and things were going well for you.

Sadly, we must report to you that a great famine rages here with us in Norka. We must grind and bake Schlagkuchen to eat. I, your father, am 80 years old, but I have never seen such a famine in my entire life. Our deceased Pastor Wilhelm Staerkel preached to us about it long enough in the years 1920-21, that an emergency would occur such that had never been seen before. That prediction is now being fulfilled.

Now we express our wish that we would also like to come to America but the way is not yet open; as soon as it is open you can make the necessary arrangements and help us come over there.

Now we also make known to you that Peter's wife died in April of last year. Heinrich Bauer died in November. The Weigand's cousin/uncle-Vou (Vetter-Vou) and Philipp's-Stet (??)--the three were buried in one day. There are days where from 6 to 10 people are buried owing to sickness brought on by starvation. Because we are now 17 souls in the house and there is no bread there, you can imagine for yourself our state of distress. For hundreds and thousands one cannot buy a thing, it must be millions. If you and our friends want to help us you can send it in the name of Pastor Wacker.

So, in closing, receive our heartfelt greetings and write us again soon.

This letter was written for your old father who loves you, by Georg Trueber (also Trüber or Trieber - translator).

Georg Lehl

----------------------------------------

Subsequent to the above lines, the daughter of Mr. Lehl, Mrs. Konrad Koch, writes as follows:

It always brings me great joy to read Die Welt-Post from which one can experience much that is new from all corners of the world. I am especially happy to read about my old homeland, Norka, Russia. It pains ones heart when one reads how great the emergency is in Russia. If you would like, you may publish my father's letter in Die Welt-Post, because my father is already 80 years old and this is perhaps the last letter I will get from him.

Sources

Die Welt-Post, July 6, 1922, page 5.

​This translation provided courtesy of Hugh Lichtenwald.
Last updated March 6, 2016.
Copyright © 2002-2023 Steven H. Schreiber
  • Home
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  • People
    • Founders
    • Personal Histories
    • Notable Norkans
    • Stories
    • Photo Identification
    • Photo Gallery
  • Community
    • Village Life
    • Entertainment
    • Agriculture
    • Climate
    • Homesites
    • Geographical Description
    • Government
    • Social Structure
    • Health
    • Education
    • A Land of Ethnic Diversity
    • Cottage Industries >
      • Sarpinka
      • Mills
    • Language
    • Population
    • Military Service
    • Crime and Punishment
  • History
    • Timeline
    • Origins of the Colonists
    • Catherine's Manifesto 1763
    • Why go to Russia?
    • Recruitment 1766
    • Planning 1764-1766
    • Marriages Prior To Emigration 1766
    • Voyage to Russia 1766 >
      • Ship Transport 1766
    • Journey 1766-1767
    • Founding of Norka 1767
    • Early Years 1767-1769
    • Norka 1769
    • Pallas Report 1773
    • Pugachev Raid 1774
    • Norka 1775
    • Norka 1798
    • Norka 1811
    • Napoleons Soldiers
    • Norka 1834
    • Daughter Colonies 1850s >
      • Neu-Norka
      • Oberdorf
      • Brunnental
      • Rosenfeld (am Jeruslan)
      • Neu Hussenbach (Gaschon)
    • Privileges Lost 1871-1874
    • Immigration 1875-1924 >
      • To the United States >
        • Colorado
        • Ft Collins Colorado
        • Globeville Colorado
        • Mason City, Iowa
        • Culbertson, Nebraska
        • Lincoln, Nebraska
        • Sutton, Nebraska
        • Burlington, Oklahoma
        • Weatherford, Oklahoma
        • Canby, Oregon
        • Portland, Oregon
      • To Canada >
        • Duffield, Alberta
        • Ponoka, Alberta
        • Spruce Grove, Alberta
        • Stony Plain, Alberta
        • Vegreville, Alberta
        • Arcola, Saskatchewan
      • To Germany
      • To South America
    • Famine 1891-1892
    • Norka 1898
    • War & Turnoil 1904-1906
    • World War 1914-1918
    • Revolution & War 1917-1922
    • Soviet Rule 1918-1941
    • Famine 1921-1924
    • Famine 1932-1933
    • The Great Terror 1936-1938
    • Deportation 1941
    • Repression 1941-1956
    • Cultural Loss 1957-2006
    • A Culture in Peril
    • Recent Times
  • Traditions
    • Food and Drink
    • Clothing
    • Holidays >
      • New Year
      • Fastnacht
      • Lent
      • Easter
      • Ascension Day
      • Pentecost
      • Founder's Day
      • Harvest Festival
      • Jahrmarkt
      • Christmas
      • Anniversaries & Birthdays
    • Crafts
    • Games
    • Folk Medicine
    • Superstitions
    • Nicknames
    • Folk Music
    • Church Music
    • Prayers
    • Baptism
    • Confirmation
    • Communion
    • Weddings
    • Funerals and Burials
  • Religion
    • Planning and History >
      • Norka Reformed Church 1767-1864
      • 1909 Norka Parish Report
    • Pastors >
      • Johann Heinrich Fuchs
      • Johann Georg Herwig
      • Johannes Baptista Cattaneo
      • Lukas Cattaneo
      • Emanuel Grunauer
      • Friedrich Börner
      • Christian Gottlieb Hegele
      • Christoph H Bonwetsch
      • Gottlieb N Bonwetsch
      • Wilhelm Staerkel
      • Woldemar Sibbul
      • David Weigum
      • Friedrich Alexander Wacker
      • Emil Pfeiffer
    • Church Practices >
      • Parochial Certificates
    • Church Buildings
    • Church Organs
    • Bell Tower
    • Brethren Movement
  • Resources
    • Family Research
    • Research Resources >
      • Arrival Records 1766
      • Descendant Charts
      • German EWZ Records
      • Soviet Gulag Records
    • Maps
    • Glossary
    • Bibliography
    • Periodicals >
      • Die Welt-Post Letters
    • Related Links