Original text

English text

[Partial translation]

30 June 1939 [Father]

[...]Carl’s letter arrived last week and Margie’s letter to Johanna day before yesterday. It is always nice to hear from you. We were quite surprised that Carl already wants to have vacation again in order to go west for two weeks. I was also surprised that you are able to leave home and child so easily. Thirty-five years ago something like that would have been impossible or would have had bad consequences[...]from Margie’s letter we see that the children were in good hands[...]we hope you had good relaxing days [...] I can easily understand that Herr Dietrich would like a postcard from Saxony. I already got everything and next week I will send those things to you. The expense was 4 marks, but there is enough time until Christmas, then the dollar will be worth more. Herr Dietrich should not postpone a trip to the old homeland too long, because then comes old age and lack of courage. Miss Dietrich, whom you probably know also, died two weeks ago at the age of 89. Last year she went to a Catholic nursing home in Kiedrich. First she was supposed to go to Eichberg [State Mental Hospital] because she was no longer thinking clearly. Pastor Eikmeier was against it and brought her to the Sisters where she was well cared for until the end. Pastor Eikmeier did her funeral. The Sisters arranged for a very nice service, they accompanied her, the bells rang in Kiedrich; this made Pastor Eikmeier happy. In this way the old members of the community leave us one after the other. Some are still with us, for example Herr Nau, Karl Wagner, Prof. Wende and his wife, Doris Wagner, Frau Schmidt, all more than 80. We congratulate Margie on her birthday[...]today, July 1st, you will be returning[...]how many miles did you put on the car, is it still in good condition? It was nice that Margie’s parents could accompany you, they will have been very happy. Here too, there is much more traveling than there used to be. Nowadays, every worker has the right to a vacation, cheap trips and all that goes with it[...] the weather is good, the fields look good[...] there are plenty of strawberries, also cherries. The later fruit does not look as good, because the weather was bad when it blossomed. Ma also wants to write[...]many greetings, Pa.

[Mother]

[...]I also congratulate Margie on her birthday[...]all the best, God’s blessing[...]hopefully you will come back from the trip with no trouble. We will save all of our vacations and then later visit you some day. Ernst Trebus is doing it this year, he wants to visit Julius in Washington during one month of vacation, he intends to stay there for 15 days from 27 July to 12 August. Actually Julius wanted to visit you this year, but that will not happen. I visit the Trebus family from time to time, they live in the Waldstrasse. I hear that because of the World Fair the trip will be cheaper this year. I do hope that Joän received her package and that her mother made her a cute little dress from it. Do the packages arrive intact or have they been opened? [...] on Tuesday you will have a holiday again, July 4th, so you won’t die from hunger, Father has to help in the kitchen a lot, he also does the shopping, often he is angry when he cannot get what he wants. This week he picked up our weekly quota of butter, ¾ of a Pfund, and as an exception was also given ½ Pfund of margarine, but had to also take 1 Pfund of cherries for 38 Pfennig. Normally there is hardly any margarine to be had, and since the cherries were no longer fresh they got rid of them that way[...]the newspapers are quite inflammatory, both here and there, let us hope it does not go any farther[...]many greetings, Mother.