Norka, Russia; September 27, 1921
To: Conrad Schnell, 1414 New Hampshire Street, Lincoln, Nebr.
Dear brother-in-law Conrad and sister-in-law Katharina:
With a heavy heart I am writing to answer your letter from this summer. Mother has been dead now for three years. Our second son died last winter at the age of 18. My husband Peter died two months ago. Now there are 5 of us remaining. You can imagine how things are when there is no father to head the house and we had no harvest. Our bread supply is small and will not last to the new harvest. We also had no Sunflower or Millet harvested. If you are able, send us something.
Earlier Aunt Liese Pauly sought comfort with us. She has lived with us now for 3 years. Now I am in a similar situation but there is no comfort for me. If no help arrives from outside, we could all starve this winter. On the Wiesenseite (meadow side) of the Volga entire villages stand empty; starved out, died out and abandoned. The emergency is so great that one cannot describe it. When the way is once again open, we would also like to come to America, if we live until then. - Here more people have died in the last 8 days than in the previous 8 months.
The land is now apportioned and there are 195 to a group. If this will be better, we do not know. One has to trade food for goods in the Lafke (local store -mm). Those who have no products cannot get any goods, nor matches, nor lamp oil. For money one can get nothing. If one wants to buy something, it takes millions. At present there are many millionaires in Norka. But people like us amount to nothing. At every step and turn we feel the loss of our house father. We bake bread made half and half with flour and pumpkin, it costs us much less in flour. Currently we are eating many things we never ate in earlier times.
We have heard that many of our countrymen in America want to send their friends and relatives here food and clothing. If you are able, remember us. On the Wiesenseite, people are so desperately driven by hunger they are eating squirrels, mice, and dead livestock, even at times devouring their own excrement.
Up to now we always had some supplies, but they have come to the end. One always hears that fruit is on its way, but as of now, nothing has yet come of it. Japan sent a million pounds of rice, and we have also received nothing from it. We had to deliver up our livestock and give up our bread, but we have gotten nothing in return.
We received the apron and the shirt from the Huck people, but no money. We send you our most intimate thanks for this gift. Mother had been sick for a year when she died, we immediately wrote to you but you did not receive the letter. Now she has been dead 3 years: she died on 9 May. In those 3 years we have lived through much which she was spared. In the family I still have a 22 year old son and 2 daughters. My son has been married for 3 years but has no children. This, our only son, does not belong to us alone--who has a part of him you ask? For now he is still at home but things can quickly turn around - then we will be without a provider. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to head a family under such conditions.
He who does not wish to die of hunger must have a good imagination.
We live in the hope that you will not forget us. Write back soon and receive hearty greetings from all of us.
Your Sister-in-law Margaretha Schnell Number 432, in Row 6
Dear brother-in-law Conrad and sister-in-law Katharina:
With a heavy heart I am writing to answer your letter from this summer. Mother has been dead now for three years. Our second son died last winter at the age of 18. My husband Peter died two months ago. Now there are 5 of us remaining. You can imagine how things are when there is no father to head the house and we had no harvest. Our bread supply is small and will not last to the new harvest. We also had no Sunflower or Millet harvested. If you are able, send us something.
Earlier Aunt Liese Pauly sought comfort with us. She has lived with us now for 3 years. Now I am in a similar situation but there is no comfort for me. If no help arrives from outside, we could all starve this winter. On the Wiesenseite (meadow side) of the Volga entire villages stand empty; starved out, died out and abandoned. The emergency is so great that one cannot describe it. When the way is once again open, we would also like to come to America, if we live until then. - Here more people have died in the last 8 days than in the previous 8 months.
The land is now apportioned and there are 195 to a group. If this will be better, we do not know. One has to trade food for goods in the Lafke (local store -mm). Those who have no products cannot get any goods, nor matches, nor lamp oil. For money one can get nothing. If one wants to buy something, it takes millions. At present there are many millionaires in Norka. But people like us amount to nothing. At every step and turn we feel the loss of our house father. We bake bread made half and half with flour and pumpkin, it costs us much less in flour. Currently we are eating many things we never ate in earlier times.
We have heard that many of our countrymen in America want to send their friends and relatives here food and clothing. If you are able, remember us. On the Wiesenseite, people are so desperately driven by hunger they are eating squirrels, mice, and dead livestock, even at times devouring their own excrement.
Up to now we always had some supplies, but they have come to the end. One always hears that fruit is on its way, but as of now, nothing has yet come of it. Japan sent a million pounds of rice, and we have also received nothing from it. We had to deliver up our livestock and give up our bread, but we have gotten nothing in return.
We received the apron and the shirt from the Huck people, but no money. We send you our most intimate thanks for this gift. Mother had been sick for a year when she died, we immediately wrote to you but you did not receive the letter. Now she has been dead 3 years: she died on 9 May. In those 3 years we have lived through much which she was spared. In the family I still have a 22 year old son and 2 daughters. My son has been married for 3 years but has no children. This, our only son, does not belong to us alone--who has a part of him you ask? For now he is still at home but things can quickly turn around - then we will be without a provider. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to head a family under such conditions.
He who does not wish to die of hunger must have a good imagination.
We live in the hope that you will not forget us. Write back soon and receive hearty greetings from all of us.
Your Sister-in-law Margaretha Schnell Number 432, in Row 6
Sources
Sonntagsblatt der Omaha Tribüne, December 22, 1921, page 3.
This translation is provided courtesy of Michelle Monson.
This translation is provided courtesy of Michelle Monson.
Last updated November 25, 2023