| Letters from the Homeland |
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Written by
Gisella
- Year 1913
Date: April 19, 1906 Temesvar
I received your letter, and wish you all a very
Merry Christmas Season and Good bye. Translator notes - (Bandi = nickname for Andreas, - a pet name, a term of affection) Hungarian Translation into German by Maria
Bocsardi Herlett Written by Anna - Year 1913
Date:
September 28, 1913
Anna (Fichtner) Tiroler
Strasse 28
Temeswar My dear Bandi! (Andreas) I tidied and
cleaned everything yesterday, so nothing will
stand in our way any more. If everything
would be here, what I asked in the letter, then
I could be on the way. We get
the separation papers from the attorney Dr.
Rosenberg, are you convinced now that I love
you. I administered my hardest decision.
How is it going my dear Bandi? Where do
you like it the best? I like it the best
over there with you my darling. Your mother
agreed that I'm coming? Write me
immediately.
With hugs and thousand kisses, your Mucika. Greetings to
Elisabeth and mother.
Your
sister/brother and greetings your faithful Anna.
Translator notes - Off the record; Mucika, Hungarian for "darling - sweetheart. Hungarian Translation into German by Maria Bocsardi Herlett Written by Andreas Bauer - Year 1954 Date: October 7. 1954 Pest County, Hungary To: Herrn Jakob Bauer Greetings from my family and me, your uncle
Andreas Bauer.
Note: Translated
for Dennis J. Bauer (grandson of Jakob
Bauer) by Eva & Adam Martini of the
Trenton Donauschwaben Club on 28 October
2004. Written by Binder (1)
- Year 1932
Date: March 9, 1932.
Binder Adolf Dear brother in-law and sister in-law! It sure has been a long time and it sure is strange for me to take a pen in my hand and write a few word to you. But Elisabeth won’t have it otherwise unless I promises to write to you again. So we probable get an answer from you. I don’t know brother in-law and sister in-law, we only have friends in America, absolutely no relatives with us. Not even two months go by, that we don’t get a letter from them. We are supposed to get visitors from Portland. If you still remember Spring Jakob, you went to school together, he talked just about you and my sister Elsa, who is 22-23, years old. We never received a single letter and we don’t know the reason, why? Dear brother in-law and sister in-law, there is a lot to write but I won’t write all at once. First of all, I am retired and have been on pension for two years. Our daughter has been married for 3 and a half years already. We have our own home and we are living together. We seem to healthy, only I have stomach problem and the miserable cold which we have now and all the work to do. Which makes a person not feeling good. I just finished writing a letter to Niki. He never writes and mother is complaining about one of our letter to Niki, she said that he was rough with her. So I wrote him a nice letter, to find out, what is going on amongst them . Now I am closing my letter. With best regards and kisses, from all of us to you. If you don’t answer now, then I won’t take another pen in my hand to write to you again. Adolf Translator's notes - Written by
Binder (2) - Year 1932 Date: unknown
Binder Adolf Dear brother and sister in-law! It’s been a long time since I last wrote, but enclosed is a family picture for you. So I waited until I received a letter from you, but nevertheless I didn’t find the time until today to write to see if you are still alive and what you are doing, especially the children.
How big is
your family, are they very big? We would
love to see them while they are alive not only
on the photograph, they must be lovely children. Dear brother, if you still remember your school colleague Ohring (?) Jakob he is also in America, in Portland, he was there before the war, then he returned at the age of 14. He immediately was forced to join the army. In 1924, he left with the family to America again. Now his wife passed away and he didn’t want to get married to a girl one in America, Now he is coming to visit us and will get married to a girl from here. He still has a good memory of you. We were in the Filoggi street, and I looked for his family and Elsa is also his daughter, we had no problem finding it. We all were happy and visit together and the children are going to write to us today. Dear brother and sister in-law, why don’t you write to us at least once a year. You don’t know how often I think about you and my heart is yearning for you. I have no relatives here and a mother and a brother in Budapest and one brother in America and nobody writes to me. From Niki we seldom get a letter. From mother more oftener, but that is a letter which we always have to worry. Now she wrote again, she is not feeling well and is very sick since Christmas. She fell and got a cold. Niki has no work now, and that’s how bad it is now. I have to write you what happen to mother. Now she is at Niki’s place. Already it is the fourth time he left her. When Elsa got married, she was at our place for the wedding. Then the youngest from his children also got married, Mother didn’t find out until she came home. Then he told his mother, “now, all my children are secured and looked after.” But she is too old for him, he doesn’t need her, now he found himself a younger girl. Mother complained because she raised the children for 21 years and did all the work. He started to drink but to this day she never received a penny from him. He always talks his way out of it, because he has no work and unable to pay. Now it’s really hard for her. Now she is old and is unable to work, and she wants to come to our place. I really want her, even Adolf wants her but it’s too bad because she is in Hungary, and we are in Romania and she needs her willpower. I will look after her but the trip will cost lots of money and Adolf sure is not happy and the cost will be 22 to 23 thousand lei. Not very many have lots of money and don’t give you anything. She could stay at our place for one month. Last year she was at our place. Then we extended it and the cost for every month was 600 lei, but she only received money for 3 months, then she had to go home. Now I don’t know what I should do, if she becomes sick and they are her children, I should write and ask her if she still wants to stay with you. Dear brother, don’t you want to write a letter to her and comfort her, after all she is our mother. You know she is forgetful and really sick. She says, if you only would write to her once. Now I’m closing my writing, With many regards and kisses to every one of you. From all of us, write soon. Elsa, Adolf, Elisabeth and Luci Translator's notes - Written by
Johann Ingrisch & Marie Durr Ingrisch
- Year
1921
Date: December 2, 1921 Merysoara (Mercydorf) Dear Niki, we received you letter with much joy. It was your first letter to your grandparents and we thank you with our hear for that. For that, I am sending you the picture for a memory on your first letter. Frame it and if you look at it, remember on your grandparents, your grandfather made it in 1919, for Christmas, it is much nicer in nature.
Dear
Niki, I heard you are
a good student. I would like a favour from you. Your grandmother and I, were born in March, I am 70 years old and your Grandmother is only 66, years old, how come? Best regards from your Grandparents. (Johann Ingrisch & Marie Durr Ingrisch) Owner notes: This was written on the back of a picture of a little model church. Grandma Honich had the photo in a nice little gilded frame. The photo and letter is in possession of Jeanne Honich of St. Louis. Submitter notes: Grandma Honich was Theresa Ingrisch (of Mercydorf) who married Joseph Honich (of Neubeschenowa). Their son Nicholas "Niki" b. 1908 in Mercydorf, who this note is addressed to. Written by
Anna (1) - Year 1932 & Written by Recser
(Reiser) Year unk -
Bruckenau Dear nephew and Elis(abeth)! It gives us a heartfelt feeling to write a few words. God the Almighty gave you the children and gave you a healthy life to live. Dear mother is so happy that you are back in the homeland dear nephew. We all are still healthy and hope the some from you. Heartfelt wishes. -----------------------------------
Bruckenau Dear sister-in-law. Here we are sending you a picture. Hans (John) is missing, because he was not at home, when we took the picture. Their son photographed us while he was on a visit. Heartfelt greeting and kisses, from all of us. Recser
(Reiser)
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Written by
Anton Stemper
- Year 1913
Date: Jan 12, 1913 "Firensvaros, Stemper Anton Dear children ! With sad heartfelt, I take my pen to write you a
few words, and let you know that grandmother
passed away. She was sick for 14, days
before she died. She gave her greeting and
kisses to all of you. She claimed that she
was still healthy. I wanted to write while she
was still alive, but she never survived. Eight
days before I wrote, she never spoke and she
only was breathing through her nose. The I asked
her, "mother is something bothering you?' she
doesn't know, she replied. Then she laid down
and spoke with a low voice, I had to hold my ear
to her face, so I could understand her. At the
end we could see that she wanted to talk, but we
couldn't understand her. It will be gone by July. Your parents are also
healthy. Phillip, was drafted into the
army. It is uncomfortable. We have 5 Joch
(acres) of wheat. One is our own, and two acres
of corn, we leased. 5 1/2 Joch (acres) our own,
1 1/2, we leased, all total of 11 Joch. We have
two working horses and a filly, 9 months old, 80
fl. in value. It is totally uncomfortable here.
We butchered 2 pigs (hogs), and 4 of them died
on us. They were two months old, it cost us 30
fl. and the two we butchered were 30 fl. Greetings to everybody, old and young. Wishing you good health, until next time. Grand mother was 86, years old. Anton Stemper Translator's notes - Ferencvaros, Temeswar is Ferenczváros, Hungarian for Mehala one of the suburbs of Temeswar. Written by
Sussi - Year 1922
Dater: December 10, 1922 Kalatscha, Jud. Timis. My dear husband Jakob!
I want to write to you before
Christmas, because it is getting closer to
Christmas. Then I won’t have much time to write
to you, my dear husband. The children have grown
since you left for America over a year ago. They
both are doing very good in school. Josef,
is singing in the Christmas choir and Elisabeth, is an Angel in the Christmas Pay
at their school. My dear husband Jakob, we will miss you for Christmas, I wish you could be here with us and spent time with the children. Mrs. Nuss, asked about you, her husband passed away suddenly last month from a heart-attack. Her children are all married and moved away. Mrs. Nuss, visits us every second day, she is only and likes company. Mr. Joschka’s dog was killing some of our chickens, so your father told Mr Joschka, he better shoot the dog, before he makes Paprikasch with the dog. Mr. Joschka shot his dog the next day. Now we get more eggs from the chicken. My dear husband Jakob, how are you doing in America? I hope you are healthy and you eat lots. Mrs. Schwartz told me, there are many people in America from here, they work hard and make lots of money, then they come home again. I hope this is what you want to do, come home again and buy a house for your parents. If we have money left, maybe we will send the children to school in Temesvar, for better education.
My dear husband Jakob,
I have to close now because I have to go and
feed the animals and milk the cows and make
supper for you parents and us. Kisses from all of us. Your wife, Sussi Written by Theresia Lambing - Year
unk
Date: unknown Theresia Lambing Dear Aunt, With heavy regrets, I have to inform you that my dear husband passed away, on August 3rd. Dear aunt, I would like you come down, because I don't know what to do. I am half recovered, it was a hard shock for me. Josef and brother-in-law. were in Philadelphia to visit his parents. I am alone, I haven't given Anni anything yet, I am waiting for you. Hope to see you soon. Theresia Lambing, Greeting and kisses, Good bye
Written by
Irma Unterweger
24 April 1960 From:
Irma Unterweger (aka:Pankota/Pâncota/Pîncota) To: Michael Unterweger in NY My dearest,
Here is my second letter to you. I want to inform you our dear father and your brother Jossi (Josef), died on 13, October 1959. After the funeral, I wrote a letter covering everything, six months have passed and I haven’t received any answer yet. I wonder about my letter if you received it or did it get lost; I don’t believe you forgot about the bereavement. 2. - Now I will try a different way to write to you and hope you will receive it. And if you don’t answer it. – So, in God’s name, - I did my duty, wrote you twice and notified that Jossi died. Very sad, he had a hear attack during the night. It only took a few minutes and I loved him so much. now I lost Jossi. He was only 58, years old, he was only 10 month in pension and he still could be with us. It is sad, we lost our good father, we are heartbroken and we miss him.
3. - He was lying in his dying bed so peaceful. He had a nice big funeral, lots of flowers and wreaths. The people were singing and escorted him to his peaceful place. I am enclosing a small picture of him. That is the last picture of him, you may keep it for a memory of him and pray for his soul. I also held a High Mass at his birthplace in Merzydorf, for Josef, Jakob and Christina Unterweger, exactly on Jossi’s Birthday, on 12th of April.
My parents are still living. Father is 78 years old, mother is 74, years old, and they both are still healthy. But since Jossi, passed away, they both are broken-hearted. 4 - I probably will get a small pension for Jossi, about 300 lei. Then I still have the garden. Now I know what I have to do. My children are grown up; I also have two lovely grandchildren. Two boys, Dieter and Gerhard. They really loved their grandfather. They go with me to the cemetery and water the flowers on grandfather’s grave. I hope you will answer me soon, not so you will forget it. Hearty greetings to all of you. Your friend Irma. Your dears and the old ones.
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